Your Goddess Archetype is Hera

Goddesses and Personal Archetypes

Archetypes are inner images that embody universal characteristics and experiences. They are responsible for the persistent themes we see surfacing in our own lives. Myths and fairy tales, many artistic images, and many of the characters we encounter in our dreams are expressions of these archetypes. As inner guides that exist in your personality, the goddess archetypes influence how you behave, how you think and feel, and how you relate to others. Since the goddess stories that are passed on in the mythology of human cultures embody the expression of female character, they provide us with a rich and fascinating way to gain access to the personal archetypes that are active in our lives.

How to Use Your Personal Goddess Type:

The interpretation of your goddess quiz begins on the next page. Each section starts with a brief guide to understanding the information, followed by your personal results. Before you begin to study it, take a few minutes to review a few basic concepts that will help you use the goddess report to:

Understand/accept yourself as the unique goddess you are meant to be.
Learn how to use the guide on the goddess path to personal fulfillment.

The results of your goddess assessment can be used in several different ways. One is to treat your report simply as interesting reading to be enjoyed. As the 100-year-old woman answered, ‘ Sure, Sonny, I believe in horoscopes. At my age I believe in anything that makes life more interesting!’ Have fun with the report. Use it, and information available at the website, as an entrance to the fascinating world of mythology and personality type. Learn to recognize patterns of behavior among your family, friends, and coworkers while you gain a better picture of your own strengths, abilities, and vulnerabilities.

A second approach is to use your results to learn to relax and accept yourself for who you really are. Recognizing the strength and beauty of your own personal goddess type can be a deeply empowering experience. If your goddess type is not one that is valued highly by society, your sense of self-esteem will almost certainly have been threatened. Take comfort from learning about the richness of your goddess type and realize that, even if it seems you are often ‘marching to the beat of a different drummer’, you share your type with many others and don’t have to try to force yourself into the mold of a more socially acceptable type. You are not alone.

The third approach is to use the report as a guide on your path to personal growth. It can help you see and understand the underlying reasons for the patterns of your life. Each goddess type has both strengths and weaknesses. Knowing about your goddess type, you can capitalize upon those strengths (and guard against the weaknesses) while you begin to work on your underdeveloped traits. The more you function within your inherent goddess type, the stronger and more confident you will become, the more control you have over your life, and the better prepared you are to make the choices that create the life you want. You can enlist the help of other, less well-developed goddess types, thereby enlarging your repertoire of attitudes, feelings, and behaviors. You will be less rigid and more flexible, better able to meet the wide variety of challenges and demands that your life may present. Your report highlights ways you can assist this process of ‘becoming’.

Your Personal Goddess Type:

Her Story and Her Symbols

Each one of us is born with an inherent temperament that predisposes us to develop as one of a number of goddess types. These ‘goddess gifts’ reveal themselves at an early age and remain fairly constant throughout our lives. They influence how you learn and think, how you decide and act, who you select as friends and mates, even where your talents lie, in short, everything that makes you unique and guides the direction of your life. This gift, your personal goddess type, is your favored, most trusted style in dealing with the outer world.

Hera

Queen of Heaven, Goddess of Marriage and Family

and the Protector of Public Institutions

Hera was a powerful queen in her own right, long before her marriage to Zeus, the mighty king of the Olympian gods. She ruled over the heavens and the earth, responsible for every aspect of existence, including the seasons and the weather. Honoring her great capacity to nurture the world, her very name translates as the ‘Great Lady’. Our word galaxy comes from the Greek word gala meaning ‘mother’s milk’ . . . legend has it that the Milky Way was formed from the milk spurting from the breasts of Hera, Queen of Heaven. Where drops fell to earth, fields of lilies sprung forth.

It is partly on account of her great beauty, and particularly her beautiful, large eyes, that she is linked to her sacred animal, the cow, and also the peacock with its iridescent feathers having ‘eyes’. The cow symbolizes her nurturing watchfulness over her subjects, while the peacock symbolizes her luxury, beauty, and immortality. In ancient times she was revered as the goddess who accompanied a woman through every step of her life. Hera blessed and protected a woman’s marriage, bringing her fertility, protecting her children, and helping her find financial security. Hera was, in short, a complete woman, overseeing both private and public affairs.

But it was her uncommon beauty that attracted the attention of her future husband, the lusty Zeus, who tricked Hera into taking him to her breast by changing himself into a small, frightened and wounded bird that elicited her pity. Once close to her, he changed back into his manly form and tried to take her . . . but she resisted his advances, putting him off until he promised to marry her. The delay only increased his desire for her and, once married, they had the longest honeymoon on record-lasting over 300 years!

Unfortunately, her life was not to remain so enviable. Once the honeymoon was over, Zeus reverted to his earlier ‘playboy’ lifestyle. Married or not, he compulsively seduced or raped whichever goddess or mortal woman caught his wandering eye. His amorous exploits left Hera feeling betrayed and humiliated on numerous occasions. To make matters even worse, Zeus often showed more favor towards the offspring of his illicit liaisons than he did to the children Hera bore him. Hera, however, remained faithful and steadfast in her loyalty to him, electing instead to vent her fury on ‘the other women’ rather than Zeus himself, even though it was usually Zeus who had deceived, seduced or raped the innocent women.

This wasn’t always her reaction, however. On one occasion she decided to give Zeus a ‘taste of his own medicine’ by conceiving and delivering a child by herself, proving that she really didn’t need him anyway. It didn’t work out quite as she’d hoped, because she gave birth as the sole parent, to Hephaestus (God of the Forge) who was born with a deformity that made him lame. Zeus was not impressed, and Hera rejected her son, sending him away from Mount Olympus to grow up among the mortals.

At other times, in reaction to his continuing infidelities, Hera simply withdrew from Zeus and the other Olympians and wandered around the earth, often in darkness, but eventually returning to the home where she’d spend her happy youth. In spite of how he’s mistreated her, Zeus did love Hera and, more than that, felt as if part of himself was missing when she was no there for him. Panicked that she didn’t seem to be in any hurry to return this time, he invited Hera to a ‘mock’ marriage ceremony he’d arranged to a princess near her ancestral home. She couldn’t help but be amused to discover him making his vows, not to a princess, but a statue! Her laughter broke the ice, and she forgave him and returned to Mount Olympus to resume her role as wife and queen.

It is unfortunate that it is not Hera’s nurturing or her steadfastness in the face of adversity that are remembered today, but mostly the stories of her jealousy and vindictiveness. Some historians argue that Hera was unjustly portrayed in the famous stories of Homer, probably because he was himself victimized by a mean and shrewish wife. More than any other goddess, Hera reminds us that there is both light and dark within each of us and that joy and pain are inextricably linked in life. She represents the fullness of life and affirms that we can use our own wisdom in the pursuit of any goal we choose.

Hera’s Symbols

General:

Milky Way (our galaxy), the seasons of the year, diadem (diamond crown) or tiara, spas and baths

Animals:

Peacock, cow, eagle, crabs, snails and other creatures with shells

Plants:

Lily, poppy, cypress, coconut, iris, white rose, waterlily, maple trees

Perfume/Scents:

Rose, iris, myrrh, civet, and patchouli

Gems and Metals:

Silver, pearls, diamond, platinum, and star sapphire

Colors:

Royal blue, purple, rose, dark green, silver, grey

The Hera Archetype

Every woman’s personality is actually influenced by numerous different goddesses (traits that exist in her personality, or roles that function in her life). One goddess, however, predominates. It is this goddess, your personal goddess type, that is detailed in this report because she represents the core part of your personality that establishes your identity and most influences how you express it to the outer world. Think of it as your own personal ‘comfort zone’ your personal goddess type represents your basic, in-born core, the way you ‘really’ are. When you are functioning within the boundaries of your goddess type, you feel ‘at home with yourself’. Anxieties will be dissolved, priorities clearer, and you will feel energized, resilient, and capable. If your circumstances are well matched to your goddess type, your normal coping mechanisms will work well, and you will feel a sense of control over your destiny.

Hera Characteristics

Although she was a queen in her own right and also one by virtue of her marriage to Zeus, Hera was never pretentious. Likewise, individuals with her archetype are realistically aware of their own strengths and limitations and do not display vanity or a sense of their own self-importance. Although they are sharp appraisers of other people, they evaluate themselves equally, always holding themselves responsible for their own actions.

The friends of a Hera woman are likely to be a lot like her. She tends to prefer modest, rather quiet friends rather than boisterous or nonconformist types. A Hera is not one to put on airs, and finds it objectionable when others act inappropriately for their social or economic ‘station’ in life. You can usually count on a Hera to be up on all the latest gossip for she probably indulges in gossip, since she can be rather judgmental at times.

Because she is so business-like, others sometimes mistake her as unfeeling. Quite the reverse is true. A Hera tends to be reserved and often has a low level of emotional expressiveness, disclosing her most intimate personal feelings only to a close few, and this may leave her feeling somewhat isolated from others. She cares deeply about others and is particularly vulnerable to rejection or criticism.

Others’ first impression of a Hera is often that she is a solid individual, feet rooted to the ground, sturdy and secure in her self. Her facial expressions seem unemotional, as if she were concentrating. Heras usually dress in classic styles, seldom extravagant or flashy. Her clothes are always clean, carefully pressed and tidy. She takes great care with her appearance and may criticize others who do not.

Heras are charming women who find it quite easy to interact with strangers and acquaintances. They usually have impeccable manners and a sizeable repertoire of entertaining anecdotes and are often the life of the party. They can establish common ground quickly and feel quite close to someone even after a limited amount of contact.

Occasionally their tendency to ‘lecture’ or over-explain information can annoy others, but they can be counted on to be knowledgeable and accurate in their speech.

With an eye for facts and detail, and her decidedly practical nature, a Hera can organize the people and resources around her to get almost any job done. She is particularly adept at managing facts, figures, and technical information, working everything out down to the very last detail. The conservation of resources is always in her mind. Noted for her reliability and stability, she is often given supervisory responsibility in her work. She is always punctual, and expects others to be so as well. She finds it very difficult to understand those who question or challenge institutional regulations and procedures.

Heras often experience discomfort when placed in positions of authority over others and may often try to do everything themselves rather than delegate to others who may be less efficient. It is not surprising that they often feel overworked. Valuing tradition, she is usually respectful of authority and very loyal to the institution. Indeed, a Hera’s love of all time-honored institutions often extends beyond her work and she is often found volunteering her service to various community service organizations, especially those that, like scouting, transmit traditional values to the young.

A Hera takes her responsibilities seriously. She will attend to them before she allows herself to relax or have fun. Since she is helpful, hardworking, and incredibly generous with her time and attention, she is always a valuable asset to her family and her community.

A Hera is a natural born worrier. Others can easily tell when she is distressed about something for she is fully expressive of her emotional reactions. Her tendency to worry and be pessimistic usually makes her well prepared for any disaster when (and if) it comes, but her predisposition to always expect the worst takes an undue toll on her, not to mention those close to her.

Devoted, dependable, and decisive, women with the Hera archetype fulfill their promises. When a Hera gives her word, others can count on it. Whether she is at home or work, a Hera is quiet and serious. She has incredible ‘stick-to-it-iveness’ and performs her duties without flourish or fanfare. Consequently the dedication she brings to her roles can sometimes be taken for granted, and a Hera would be well advised to occasionally ‘toot her own horn’.

Your Personal Characteristics

Heras tend to be quiet, low-key, and often disengaged from the social ‘flurries’ that go on in the world around you. You prefer the company of a few close friends or an intimate to a loud and lively party or to interacting with a wide circle of friends. It’s not necessarily that you’re unfriendly or shy; you simply need less social stimulation than other types. You generally prefer to be alone because you find yourself easily overwhelmed by large or noisy crowds, your energy being depleted by such social situations. Although some may mistake your independence and reserve as aloofness, you actually need time on your own to recharge your emotional ‘batteries’ and to restore your energy.

Unlike Hera, you are fairly extroverted. You enjoy being with people, are full of energy, and tend to be
enthusiastic. You genuinely like other people and openly demonstrate your positive feelings toward them. It is easy
for you to form close relationships, and you tend to make friends quickly.

Heras usually find the company of others somewhat draining. They don’t enjoy the company of others and the
excitement of crowds as much as extroverted types do. Heras typically need a fair bit of privacy and time for
themselves. Your quiz indicates that you are somewhat more gregarious than most Heras, needing to occasionally have
some privacy and some time for yourself.

Like Hera, you’re a woman who approaches life realistically and who isn’t inclined to engage in much fantasy,
idealism, abstractions, or anything else far removed from concrete experience. Details, technical precision, and
practical applications are far more appealing to you. You tend to approach life in a rather conservative manner and
are not particularly impressed with people who ‘may be smart but don’t have much common sense’.

You respect tradition and the time-honored ways of doing things. You prefer familiarity to novelty, variety, and
change. Indeed, you may even be somewhat resistant to change, finding it rather stressful.

The physical atmosphere of your surroundings greatly influences how you feel. When you enter a room you instantly
form a first impression that takes in every detail. Ownership may give you a strong sense of security, creating an
attachment to your possessions.’

You, like Hera, are someone whose ‘heart rules her head’, for you have good access to your feelings and find it
relatively easy to express them openly Sometimes you do so even though it would be wiser not to. Though it may leave
you vulnerable on occasion, wearing your heart on your sleeve usually makes others feel comfortable in talking to
you about their feelings and in sharing confidences with you.

Like Hera, your needs are fairly simple, and you are not usually difficult to please. You have a moderately strong
desire for stability and peace. Although you may enjoy occasional travel or the adventure of new experiences, you do
not require them to feel fulfilled like Hera did. Instead, you are comfortable with familiarity and routine and do
not find them intrinsically boring, consequently you are not compelled to seek thrills or adventure at every turn.

Like Hera, your levels of excitement- and thrill-seeking are average, indicating you have neither a tendency toward
either high or low levels of risk-taking behavior.

Much like Hera, you are moderate (or average) in your preference for the security and stability brought by
conformity to tradition. You are not particularly prone to challenging authority, convention , or traditional
values. But neither do you demand a safe, predictable routine to feel secure. You are also average in the extent to
which you experience ambiguity, chaos, and disorder as stressful.

Many of the legends of Hera recount stories that demonstrate her conscientiousness, her wisdom, and caution. Highly
conscientious, Hera was able to avoid danger and to achieve success through her purposeful planning and her
persistence. Most Hera women tend to avoid impulsive behavior that would diminish their effectiveness and subject
them to undesirable consequences.

This ability to foresee the likely outcomes of one’s behavior is a hallmark of intelligence. The ability to
contemplate long-range goals, to plan and organize routes to these goals, and a willingness to persist in their
efforts even when they would rather be doing something else, is one of an Hera’s goddess gifts, one that gives you
the ability to successfully undertake projects that require organized effort in sequenced steps or stages.
Consequently, Hera women are often regarded as being intelligent and reliable.

On the negative side, some women of the Hera type can become compulsive perfectionists and workaholics who set high
(sometimes unrealistically high) standards of performance for themselves and others. Furthermore, Hera types are
sometimes so focused on their goals that they find it difficult to relax, not to mention play. Acting spontaneously
and impulsively in play can be fun. Others usually see spontaneous people as colorful, wacky, and fun to be with.
Give yourself permission to act in a carefree and careless manner every once in a while-at least no one will accuse
you of being stuffy or boring.

In her myths Hera is usually depicted as someone who is confident in her ability to accomplish her goals, someone
who believes she has the common sense, the drive, and the self-control to overcome the obstacles in her path. Your
level of confidence in your ability to succeed is high.

You are well organized and like to live according to routines and schedules, your attention keenly focused on what
you have to accomplish. But short of spontaneity, sometimes you may be so bound up in your lists of ‘Things To Do’
that you overlook valuable opportunities to enrich your life.

Hera was widely known for having a strong sense of duty and moral obligation. Like her, your sense of obligation is
fairly high. You honor your commitments and do not find contracts, rules and regulations overly confining.

Hera usually thought things through carefully before she sprang into action. She was deliberate and cautious when making decisions. Like Hera, you tend to take your time before deciding and seldom do or say the first thing that comes to mind without deliberating your alternatives and their probable consequences. The goddess Hera was occasionally impulsive, especially when reacting to her husband’s amorous escapades. Unlike her, you usually take your time before speaking or making decisions, considering your alternatives and carefully weighing the consequences of your actions. Impulses are not inherently bad; acting on our impulses can be an effective response in situations requiring snap decisions. Additionally, acting spontaneously and impulsively makes play possible. People who are impulsive are often seen as being colorful, exciting, and fun. Nonetheless, excessive impulsivity can lead to trouble – examples include using illicit drugs that eventually destroy one’s health, responding with an insult during an argument leading to the destruction of an important relationship, or excessive socializing that results in being fired from one’s job. Your level of impulsiveness is lower than average.

How A Hera’s Mind Works

Your goddess type is largely determined by the neurological hard-wiring you received at birth. It governs the way you
think and learn. Unfortunately, most of us have been exposed to a ‘one-size-fits-all’ educational system that fails
to take into account that not everyone has the same style of learning. Understanding how you think and learn best
can help you be more productive at work or in school.

Although Hera is generally portrayed as being a realistic, practical, and down-to earth type, your quiz reveals that
you are more imaginative and creative than the typical Hera. While most Heras are more oriented to facts than
fantasy, you prefer to use your imagination, and keen sense of what is possible, to create a richer, more
interesting world.

One area in which you differ from your personal goddess type Hera is in your cognitive style. While Hera preferred
dealing with people or things rather than ideas, you are open-minded to new and unusual ideas, like to discuss
intellectual issues, and probably enjoy riddles, puzzles, and brainteasers.

Like Hera, whose self-discipline or will power was a major feature of her personality, your level of self-discipline
is high. You are able to overcome any reluctance to begin a task (even a disagreeable one) and to stay on track
despite distractions. You seem to find it easy to persist at difficult or unpleasant tasks, seeing them through to
completion.

It is not surprising that most Heras like you do well in traditional classrooms. After all, a Hera is a down-to-earth
woman who has a firm grasp on reality. The organization of concrete facts is her forte; she generally respects
traditional institutions such as schools, and is responsible and dependable. She is comfortable with predominately
teacher-to-student interactions such as lectures and assignments. Heras appreciate practicality and flourishes in
classroom settings that foster consistency, cooperation, and hard work.

A Hera tends to have effective study habits. Because she seeks the ‘right way’ of doing things, she is usually
anxious to conform to a teacher’s expectations and often wants to please the instructor. She works best in
situations in which the teacher’s expectations are clear and when specific instructions for accomplishing assigned
tasks are given. She finds abstract or unstructured lessons frustrating, but is not disturbed by memorization,
drills, workbook exercises, and logical step-by-step presentations that deal with concrete facts. For a subject to
seem worthwhile to a Hera, it must be realistic and practical. They need to see the usefulness of information.

As a Hera you are probably at a disadvantage on timed tests and could profit from a course that will help you develop
test-taking skills. Even though they often can read an exam question once and provide the correct answer, many Heras
second-guess themselves . . . going back to reread the question to be sure they understood it. In a timed test this
usually works to their disadvantage.

Hera At Work

Just as your inborn goddess type impacts the way you think and learn, it also greatly influences your life at work.
When your goddess-given strengths and patterns of behavior have become habitual, certain jobs or careers will be
more ‘natural’ for you. When your job allows you to capitalize on your goddess type, it is interesting and
energizing, almost fun. So if you’re about to enter the job market, use you knowledge of your goddess type as a
guide to selecting an ideal position that is a good match for your goddess type.

None of this means you can’t be happy in other fields. Lots of other factors influence job satisfaction, your boss
and coworkers, the pay, the dress code, for example. Most people manage to adapt, to develop and strengthen their
less developed skills and interests when working in a job, unless other factors introduce too many problems in the
setting.

Finally, if you aren’t satisfied at work or don’t feel you’re very effective, you can use what you learn about your
goddess’ strengths to examine the match between your goddess type and your current job and career.

Hera women are usually not found at either extreme, but you are high in your quest for achievement. Those with a
drive to be recognized as successful often have a strong sense of direction in their lives and strive hard to
achieve excellence in their chosen pursuits. Taken to the extremes, high achievement seeking may result in an
individual who is too single-minded and obsessed with her work. At the other extreme, an individual who is content
to get by with only a minimal amount of work, even if it means being seen by others as lazy. Your level of
achievement striving is high.

Hera at work tends to be:

Accurate

Logical

Cautious

Loyal

Conservative

Matter of fact

Comfortable with routine

Practical and sensible

Dependable

Resistant to change

Hardworking

Responsible

Honest

Serious

Like Hera, you pay great attention to facts, valuing what has been proven by experience. You can usually be counted on to be accurate. You like to do tasks that you’ve learned to do well and to see the results of your work quickly. You may excel at jobs that require paying a lot of attention to detail.

As a Hera, you probably enjoy setting up systems that improve how a process works and like to proceed in a logical step-by-step fashion, following established procedures so that everything runs smoothly. You seldom mind having to repeat a task or use a skill once you’ve mastered it. Boredom is rarely a major issue for you in your job.

A Hera type like you is usually well organized and likely to be a bit lost without her list of ‘Things To Do’. Very aware of time, you value punctuality and tend to be very productive, planning your work schedule down to 15-minute time slots to get the most done. With a tendency to be a ‘workaholic’, you’ve probably accumulated more annual leave time than you’re ever likely to use.

You work more effectively when you’re allowed to work on one project at a time, seeing it through to completion. You like for your work environment to be fairly predictable. You probably try to maintain a tidy workspace (or at least have a system that helps you find your ‘stuff’ even if it is all in a pile!)

You work better when you have clearly defined goals and systems already worked out. Like Hera you rarely procrastinate and feel comfortable making decisions fairly quickly. You will be happiest in jobs that give you a lot of control over how you go about getting your work done.

Your business-like demeanor and professional approach often inspires others to look to you for leadership. You tend to be fairly assertive, matter of fact, and impersonal . . . getting right to the point without a lot of chitchat. As a result some of your coworkers or customers may think you are blunt, or even tactless. Your natural abilities in logical analysis and objective decision making allow you succeed in a competitive environment.

Your ideal job would give you ample privacy and ‘quiet time’ to think things through. Having to talk a lot, to explain your ideas to others before you’ve had a chance to carefully think them out is not a comfortable thing for a Hera like you. You would prefer to work at a steady pace, not being interrupted by having to switch back and forth between tasks.

Hera Women Often Find Careers in These Fields Rewarding:

Accountant

Legal secretary

Administrator

Manager

Attorney

Meteorologist

Bank examiners

Military service

Biomedical researcher

Office manager

Building inspector

Organizational development

Computer operator

Paralegal

Computer programmer

Pharmacist

Credit analyst

Police officer

Dentist

Real estate agent

Efficiency expert

Real estate broker

Electrician

School bus driver

Engineer

School principal

Geologist

Stock broker

Health Care Technician

Supervisor

Healthcare administrator

Teacher

Information officer

Technical writer

Hera’s Relationships

When we encounter people whose god or goddess type matches our own, people who have similar traits, we are usually attracted to them and often make them a part of our social circle. This is not surprising for they tend to think like you, have similar interests, treat you as you treat others, and are easy for you to communicate with. You feel comfortable and energized when you are with them. When you spend much time with someone of an opposite type, you may feel drained of energy if it becomes a struggle to find common ground. Other types truly see the world through different eyes and approach life from a very different perspective. Depending on the situation in which you find yourselves, you may be able to recognize your differences and essentially ‘agree to disagree’.

Try to learn more and use your understanding about different god and goddess types, remembering that even though they differ, each type has its unique strengths and beauty. After all, it is the incredible diversity that makes life so colorful!

Like the goddess Hera, you are less concerned with issues of pleasing others, or being popular, than you are with upholding your own personal values or in reaching your own goals. You are not very emotionally demanding of others and may find it difficult, if not actually unpleasant, to try to understand and deal with what you see as the emotional ‘neediness of others. You are not easily distracted from your pursuits by concern for the well being of others and aren’t particularly likely to extend yourself for others solely out of a sense of ‘ought to’.

Since you rely considerably on your rational judgment, you do not naively trust others to have good intentions and to behave honorably; hence you are unlikely to find yourself being frequently ‘victimized’ by others.

You usually take a friendly, cooperative approach rather than a forceful ‘we-should-do-it-like this’ position.
You’re more likely to use your charm in an understated, non-combative fashion to try to reach your objectives. But
if all else fails (or if the stakes are high or you’ve just been pushed-too-far) you are perfectly capable of being
assertive since your quiz reveals that your assertiveness level is high.

Beware of your tendency to become too impersonal and too intellectual at times. Deep empathy doesn’t come easily for many Heras. They are more apt to think, analyze, and respond rationally in emotionally charged situations where others are apt to lose their heads. This “coolheadedness” is very useful in situations requiring tough or objective decisions, but it can make it difficult to develop intimacy with others. You may need to learn that logic and reason, valuable as they are, are only part of the story-that the subjective and emotional (sometimes even the irrational) are often equal in importance as the pure “facts” of the matter.

Other people tend to see Heras as strong and decisive women and are attracted by this quality, seeking to make them leaders, sometimes conferring upon them a responsibility that they may not wish to have. A Hera’s tendency to be so task-oriented that her impatience to reach the goal may unwittingly trample on the feelings of others. On the positive side, a Hera’s levelheaded, logical approach is often exactly what is needed to help others find solutions to their problems. It is important, though, that Heras be cautious with this power and try to be sensitive to the possibility that what other’s want and need from them may simply be a sympathetic audience and not an actual solution to their problems.

Hera was not one of the goddesses who were well known for being altruistic, always helping others in times of need.
Unlike her, you find helping other people genuinely rewarding and have a strong need to be of service to others. For
you, helping others is a form of self-fulfillment rather than sacrifice. Your level of altruism is high.

Hera was noted for being moderate, neither high nor low, in terms of her agreeableness, her willingness to lead or
participate in group efforts. Although she, like most of us, preferred to avoid conflict or confrontation, she would
not easily abandon her own needs and interests just to avoid a confrontation. Your ability to tolerate
confrontations is average. Like her, you are usually cooperative but are not a ‘push-over’. You are moderately
concerned with getting along well with others and generally have a pleasing, agreeable manner that others find
appealing. You tend to use tact and charm as well as strategy, to accomplish your goals.

You are more tenderhearted than your personal goddess type Hera who was seldom strongly affected by the suffering of
others. Unlike her, you can easily sense the pain and neediness of others and are easily moved to compassion.
Strongly affected by human suffering, sometimes you may lose your objectivity and impartiality.

Hera As a Child

What you were like as a child and the messages you received from your parents have undoubtedly influenced your development, for better or worse. Lucky for you if your family enjoyed and encouraged you to develop naturally as the Hera that you are -chances are you felt good about yourself and got a big head start in developing all your Hera strengths. Sometimes, however, having ‘too much’ family support can cause a problem. When parents give their little goddess unlimited approval for the traits of her natural goddess type to the exclusion of helping her develop the helpful traits of the other goddesses that exist as potential in her personality, she can grow up too one-sided. Take, for example, the young Hera who spends all her free time playing house and helping mother fix dinner while they wait for daddy to come home from work. Rewarded at an early age for being the ‘little woman’, she learns to discount the value of her achievements in other areas, perceiving that a woman without a man is of little value.

Also unfortunate is the girl whose goddess type meets with her parents’ disapproval. Their opposition won’t change her inborn type; it just leaves her feeling bad about herself for being who she is, feeling inauthentic if she tries to conform to their expectations by pretending to be ‘the other girl’ that she sensed they would have preferred, or even making her rebellious.

As a Hera child you were probably very warm and affectionate around those you knew and trusted. Loyal and sensitive, most Heras are thoughtful and greatly concerned about the needs of opinions and others. Consequently, many Hera girls are especially vulnerable to feelings of embarrassment and shame. Hopefully you were lucky enough to have family, friends, and teachers who encouraged you to not just accept everything at face value and who gave you lots of praise.

Even as a young child you were quite responsible, dependable, and down-to-earth. It would take time for you to get used to new people or new surroundings. Sometimes you could even be fearful when facing new experiences. Most Hera children find it difficult to be ‘pushed’ into many different, particularly unfamiliar, activities and situations. A young Hera flourishes with set routines. Some little Heras seem more like a grownup than their parents given their cautious, determined, and single-minded approach to life.

Remember that your parents, like most, probably assumed that you, their child, were pretty much like them. All parents have a different view of the ‘right way’ to rear a child, one that reflects their own god or goddess type.

Hera As a Parent

Armed with your new understanding of how the goddess types work, you will not be surprised to hear that one other factor, the goddess or god-type of your child, will play a big part in how well you will fare in your role as a parent. Bear in mind that, whichever little gods or goddesses reside in your pantheon, the wise goddess avoids trying to reshape them and allows them to grow into their true goddess-given selves with her understanding and support.

Heras are often loving and nurturing, consistent and fair. They always have a strong sense of duty and strive to teach their children responsibility and strong moral values. Since many Heras are rather anxious, always watching for danger or a threat to their security, some are slow to give their children independence, worrying more than most parents do that their children will get hurt.

As a parent, Hera is consistent in handling her children. She makes the rules of the family quite clear; usually her children follow her lead and harmony prevails. Since she seeks to share her traditional, often conservative, values with them, she may find herself faced with a nonconforming or rebellious child and this can be extremely troubleing to her.

Hera and Her Mates

Is there one perfect match for your goddess type? Some types may be naturally better suited than others. After all, the more similar two types are, the more they understand each other for the more values and interests they have in common, the easier they can communicate, and the less work they have to do to get along. They may, however, have to make an extra effort to stay interesting to each other.

But what about opposites? Opposites may attract, but too often they don’t manage to stay together. When a person from a very different type comes into a romantic relationship with you, you may find yourself drawn to them because you are intrigued by their difference. (Sometimes this may be a sign that they have a quality or strength you admire that isn’t a part of your goddess type and that you need to develop in your self.) Too soon the magical courtship stage is over and you begin to notice that the differences between you are less appealing, maybe even a source of annoyance and conflict. Perhaps you start seeing signs that there isn’t good chemistry between you, or that you need to pull back and not invest so much of yourself. If you think there is enough positive about the relationship and can thoughtfully examine the differences objectively, you may decide to live with the differences between you. Sometimes, though, the differences are just too great to overcome or do not justify the amount of energy it takes to maintain the relationship. If you choose not to deal with the differences, it is wise to move on and find other mates who are more compatible with your goddess type.

But if you’re already deeply invested in such a relationship, or if you simply like a challenge, much can be gained in a mating of opposites. Rather than unintentionally turning your differences into a source of frustration and dissatisfaction, you can learn to celebrate them. Unfortunately, the tendency is to instinctively follow the path of the Pygmalion archetype. In this legend the sculptor Pygmalion, unable to love any of the women he met, carved a statue . . . a perfect and beautiful image of his ‘ideal woman’. Over the course of his labors he grew madly in love with her, but fell into despair because, as a lifeless statue, she could not love him in return.

Like Pygmalion, we (in ways subtle, and not so subtle) try to make our partners change, to become more like us. Chipping away at our loves and marriages with constant tension, criticism, and complaints, we try to pull our partners out of their own god- or goddess- types. Such efforts are destined to fail. Even if it could be successful, it would extinguish their personality, leaving them as lifeless and cold as a statue. Although Aphrodite took pity on the poor sculptor and brought his statue to life in the legend, we must make our own miracles . . . by understanding our differences and seeing them not as problems but as incredible opportunities to breathe life into our own relationships.

This section will guide you to a general understanding of how your goddess archetype exerts a profound influence on the course of your love life. Perhaps the most important aspect of this report is the recognition that the very same differences that attract a woman and her mate to each other can also be the cause of most of the conflict between them, and that it is how these differences are handled that really matters.

Hera longs to be in a committed relationship. When she is not in a relationship, a Hera feels melancholy and yearns to be loved. She places the highest value on sustaining her relationships and respects the institution of marriage. As a partner, a Hera’s commitment is for a lifetime. Loyal and faithful as a mate, she takes responsibilities to her family very seriously and is a steady, dependable partner who works hard to nurture and protect her relationships. She will often stick with her partner through thick or thin.

A Hera desires harmony in her household, and will go to great lengths to provide it. She is conscientious about her responsibilities as a homemaker, and her house is usually clean and orderly. She wants family decisions settled quickly and efficiently, and the household organized and run on a schedule. If her partner is one whose standards are much more relaxed, frustration may be inevitable. She may find it easier to just ‘do it myself’, but eventually ends up feeling resentful. She cannot help but feel that everything her family does is a reflection on her. Consequently, if things don’t go well she may become very critical, even nagging, like the goddess Hera.

Generally, the home of a Hera woman is a pleasant place. She decorates in a practical, tasteful style, avoiding fanciness and trendiness. It is important that her belongings be practical. Although she may enjoy exotic foods, luxurious cars, and elegant places, she does not require them. She takes special delight in traditional holidays and festive occasions, especially if there is ritual involved. And if there is no tradition or ritual associated, she’s likely to start one!)

Since Heras feel so strong about what’s important to them, it is important to them that their partners share similar values and concerns. Having mutual interests and friends is very important to the relationship.

Many Heras marry men who are on the road to success (or already there), because it is her nature to be most attracted to powerful, successful men. Sometimes their partners’ emotional growth has not kept up with their climbs up the ladder of success. It is not uncommon for a Hera woman to fall victim to her own nurturing nature by ending up wedded to an irresponsible, immature, or needy partner. When this occurs the relationship falls into a pattern where she becomes ‘the nag’ and he behaves as a ‘bad boy’. He may misbehave in a variety or ways-getting fired from one job after another, gambling, drinking, philandering, etc. Often she will ‘stick by her man’, attempting to reform the wayward mate. Just like the goddess, a Hera’s pattern includes rescuing, scolding, disapproving, and forgiveness alternating with periods of anger and rejection. If she is married to a mate who is not a good provider, she is apt to nag and to make unflattering comparisons of her situation with those of her friends. Typically she will vacillate endlessly between being compassionate and forgiving with an irresponsible spouse and feeling resentful and angry that her own needs are so seldom met. Unable to accept behaving irresponsibly herself, she seems perfectly able to accept it from him, no matter how badly she is treated.

Communication between partners is often a source of dissatisfaction in Hera’s marriage. Heras often find it very difficult to share their feelings, even with their mates. This is especially true for negative emotions. She simply may not know how she really feels about something until she has time to think it over and, if pushed to talk about her feelings before she is ready, is likely to become resentful and withdrawn. Heras have a strong desire to hear about, and understand, their partners feelings; if this need is unmet, they begin to feel vulnerable. Most Heras greatly enjoy sexual interactions with their mates. Physical intimacy often allows the Hera to ‘open up’ emotionally to connect with her partner through intimate discussions and sharing after a sexual encounter.

It is important to a Hera that she feel listened to by her partner and supported, especially when she is in the midst of strong feelings that threaten to overwhelm her. Although she is long-suffering, her tendency to always put the needs of others before her own can leave her feeling depleted and exhausted. Loving and affectionate themselves, they need to be loved and appreciated in return and usually hope to find this from their mates. A Hera can be crushed by criticism from her partner and needs frequent reassurance of her worth.

Always considerate and caring, Hera values good communication and mutual respect and deserve to be appreciated for their loyalty, dedication, and generosity.

Visit the reference section at www.goddessgift.com to find valuable resources that will help you ‘love the one you’re with’, getting past the ancient conflicts and behavior patterns that have the power to destroy relationships. Learn to appreciate, even honor, each other’s complementary, but differing, ways of being. By developing insight into the ways the god and goddess archetypes interact, you can learn how to make your differences complement one another as intensely as they might otherwise clash.

Hera Under Stress

Your goddess type impacts every aspect of your life, including your health and sense of well-being. In fact, recent research suggests a direct link between personality and illness. Your goddess type represents the orderly arrangement of your personality that helps you deal with life. If your life is highly compatible with your goddess type, all is well. If, however, your circumstances force you to function largely outside your personal type, you will view your life from a negative perspective and experience stress and emotional discomfort. Our thoughts and emotions are deeply intertwined. Negative thoughts provoke negative feelings that rob the body of the energy it needs to remain in healthy balance, leaving us susceptible to illness.

Consider this example: Amy’s goddess type is one that finds it very difficult to say ‘no’ to anyone. Consequently, she is always trying to do too much and is frequently behind schedule. Missing deadlines and being late for appointments causes her to feel guilty, so every time she is late creates additional stress for her. That stress results in a negative chemical reaction in her body, which, if continued over a long period of time, can ‘wear down’ her body’s natural defenses, leaving her accident prone and vulnerable to infections and a number of other stress-related illnesses.

Another body of fascinating research suggests that each personality type is linked to its own specific areas of vulnerability, or ‘weak sites’, within the body . . . an Achilles’ heel, so to speak. It is thought that these particular areas may be more sensitive to stress-related chemical imbalance.

This section will help you identify:

Typical ways your type functions under stress
Characteristic negative thoughts (fears and anxieties) that produce stress
Vulnerable areas of the body and major health issues for your goddess type
Behavior patterns that may put you ‘at risk of developing a specific health problem

To a Hera woman like you, being able to meet the responsibilities that you consider necessary for rightful membership in your family and community is of the utmost importance. You probably experience any threat to that security as highly stressful.

As a Hera you tend to work hard, continually pushing yourself, often to the point of exhaustion. Consequently your health behaviors may be less than adequate – skipping meals, ignoring the need to stretch or empty your bladder, finding it hard to fall asleep with so many thoughts in your head. You probably even find it to relax when you’re on vacation!

Your anxieties center around fears that you may not be able to make things happen the way you need them to in order for you to achieve success. Heras feel a strong need to earn their place in society and are prompted to make considerable efforts to prevent and control disorder.

Just as the goddess Hera couldn’t seem to stop looking for gossip or evidence about what her wayward husband was up to, a Hera woman who is under stress often begins to increase her attention to the details of the situation that’s distressing her . . . leading those around her to feel that she has become overly critical, demanding, impatient and irritable. This is unfortunate because, just when you most need the reassurance that you are as valuable to them, this ‘pickiness’ tends to make others withdraw. This, of course, only makes you further stressed and you find it even more difficult to respond to their needs.

When a Hera is ‘stressed out’ or overly tired, she can become emotionally overwhelmed, even to the point of literally feeling that the energy is being drained from her body, and she becomes immobilized. Eventually, short of sleep and with little appetite (though some Heras respond to stress with an increased appetite and a tendency to binge), fatigue will eventually set in. If stress is not quickly resolved, it is not uncommon for a Hera to be beset by unusual and unpleasant sensations in their bodies, or even to succumb to an illness. When incapacitated, even for a brief time by a minor illness, a Hera usually begins to feel increasingly left out and unappreciated. Feeling ‘powerless’ and ‘out of control’ is very stressful and uncomfortable for a Hera like you.

A Hera’s weak sites include her pelvic area, digestive and circulatory systems, and her immune system, particularly the adrenal glands. Health issues likely to be of special importance to her include: frequent colds and viral infections, urinary tract infections, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, low back pain, leg cramps or sciatica, gastroesophageal reflux (symptoms of heartburn), indigestion, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety disorders or panic attacks, alcohol abuse, and insomnia. It is important for you, as a Hera type, to recognize the extent to which your goddess type may be encouraging you to neglect your own health needs and to consciously attempt to remedy this situation.

Not surprisingly, a Hera’s major fears usually revolve around issues of family and economic security. The fears of being emotionally vulnerable, unable to trust or to meet the emotional needs of those most important to you, and the fear of the loss of public standing are the source of your deepest insecurities.

Situations most likely to trigger a Hera’s level of stress are those that evoke:

the fear of being unsupported (or even abandoned)
fear of losing financial assets and/or personal possessions
resentfulness about feeling unappreciated or misunderstood
feeling victimized and powerless to take control of one’s life.

Major stressors that arise in the lives of a Hera are often related to her:

pushing herself to the point of exhaustion
becoming emotionally distraught when she is overtired, and
tendency to feel anxious about life, whether or not she will ever have enough or be ‘good enough’

Hera’s Personal Goddess Path

While your goddess type is the strongest, most developed, preferred, and ‘natural’ to you, you potentially have aspects (or traits) of all the goddesses in your personality. They are willing to come to your rescue if needed. As your life unfolds over time, you will be presented with different challenges that are not in your goddess’ ‘area of expertise’, challenges that another goddess would be better equipped to handle. You can recognize when this occurs because you may feel drained of energy, ‘mentally fuzzy’, and less sure of your ability to cope. Your life may feel out of control, or you may even have a strong sense of being ‘numbed’ or detached from what is going on around you. Here is where those other goddesses can come to your rescue.

Hera’s Allies

Already present in your personality, they can be called into play to help you adapt and grow. Which goddess is active at any given time depends on a combination of factors that interact-how many (and which) goddesses are in your repertoire and your predisposition to use them. The situation you find yourself coping with and the roles it calls forth in you, even your hormones, and your stage of life are also important factors.

Think of your life as an improvisational play with several actresses in the cast, each with a different role. One actress (your personal goddess type) will play the lead and be on-stage most of the time since she is your strongest, most experienced performer. However, the others will be called on-stage occasionally when the play takes a direction that calls for their ‘special’ skills or attributes.

You can also activate a goddess archetype intentionally, by consciously focusing on her (through study, meditations, rituals) or by ‘doing’ those activities with which she is associated, such as taking a college course to ‘activate’ the logical Athena. All you need do is honor her and consciously invite her presence – a process called ‘invoking’ a goddess. This section identifies the other goddesses in your makeup and some of the ways you can summon, or invoke, these goddesses in your life-to solicit their aid during times of crisis or to strengthen their impact and increase your psychological flexibility.

Like you, your ally Athena is practical, logical, and responsible, seeing to it that everything is well-organized. As a Hera, you tend to look to authority for direction, but you are also very bonded in your other relationships (family, coworkers, and friends). When faced with competing allegiances, a Hera typically fears the worst and tends to overreact. As an ally, Athena can help you become more impersonal in your thinking, more clearly focused on the goals before you.

Heras rarely use objective analysis in their decision-making, instead relying mostly on their personal experiences, feelings and values unless there is a goddess like Athena present in their personalities. Once Athena’s presence is activated, a Hera develops greater objectivity and tends to take everything less personally. She becomes more attuned to the outer world and takes greater responsibility for including the ideas and plan of others in her life.

Your ally Persephone can offer a Hera help in learning to attend to her emotional side and to learn to be more open with her feelings, more expressive. Persephone can also aid Hera in learning to be more flexible, less bound by the way things ‘ought to be’ and more forgiving of those who fail to ‘do it right’, making her able to listen more empathetically to those she cares about. The Persephone archetype can also help you learn to be less serious and more playful, to worry less, and to enjoy your life, living more in the here and now rather than always being so concerned with the future.

To develop a healthy balance you need to integrate characteristics of each of the goddesses into your life. By so doing, you can recognize needs you’ve left unfulfilled. Then by attending to those needs, you can become happier and more self-confident. Visit the website again (www.goddessgift.com) to learn more about the different goddesses and to learn specific ways to strengthen their presence in your life.

Recognizing Your ‘Missing Goddess’

Just as your goddess type is dominant in your makeup, there is also one specific goddess that will be the weakest in you. Artemis is your missing goddess. Recognizing this goddess, and honoring her presence, is critical to your well-being because, if she remains neglected, she is apt to appear at the most unexpected time to create havoc in your life.

Most of us have witnessed, at one time or another, an acquaintance who, in the face of some seemingly trivial irritation, explodes into a tirade, ready to ‘take the skin off’ the offender. Normally a sweet-natured, compliant and somewhat self-effacing type, she pays for ignoring her missing goddess (in this case one who is more demanding or judgmental than her own goddess type). Had she acknowledged these needs within herself and developed a few simple assertiveness skills, she would have been spared this embarrassment.

You’ve probably encountered the motif of the ‘uninvited guest’ that appears in many fairy tales and legends. Usually the story begins with a celebration to which everyone in the kingdom is invited, everyone that is except for one certain person (often a witch or a troll who is disliked because they seem ugly or evil). This uninvited guest, understandably miffed at having been excluded, invariably shows up anyway and places a terrible curse on the hosts, the infant who is being christened, or even on the entire kingdom! The terms ‘uninvited guest’ or ‘missing goddess’ refer to the neglected or rejected side of our selves we’ve forced out of our conscious awareness. In Jungian psychology, these disowned aspects of the self, forced to reside in the darkness of the unconscious mind, are called the ‘shadow’. It is the part of our self that we feel least comfortable with and have rejected as not being a part of ‘who we really are’.

A Hera type can be highly skeptical, suspicious, and distrustful because she possesses an imagination that conceives of, and then dwells upon, all the awful things that possibly could happen. Artemis can help you to increase in self-reliance, to avoid your tendency to be overly dependent, seeking security above all else. The courageous and adventurous Artemis will help you approach the future and the unfamiliar with more courage and less fearfulness.

Approaching the Triple Goddess

Before the Titans and the Olympians (the gods and goddesses with their very human-like traits and personalities) appeared in Greek mythology, and long before the 5,000 year reign of male deities, people recognized a Triple Goddess who symbolized the three faces of the original Great Goddess. Often depicted in association with the changing phases of the moon, the Triple Goddess moves between her many roles with the changing seasons of her life. In Greek mythology her three faces are described as the:

Maiden/Virgin Skilled,self-defining, achieving, and focused

Mother/Matriarch Relationship-oriented,nurturing, loving, generous

Wise woman/Crone Contemplative, spiritual, compassionate, able to laugh, an agent of transformative change in society

In Native American mythology the Triple Goddess was represented by the benevolent Changing Woman who could change back and forth from an infant to a young or old woman at will. She reminds us that a full life is rooted in our own nature as well as the seasons of our particular stage of life. Although recent social changes such as our ability to control the timing of childbearing have loosened the ties of the various stages to a woman’s chronological age, it is still common for most women to develop psychologically following this age-old sequence.

The major developmental task of the young woman, in her maiden stage, typically is to claim and embrace her own personal goddess and to fully develop and strengthen the character of her personal goddess type. Having done so, at mid-life (the phase of the mother/matron), her personal growth is enhanced by nurturing the presence and the strengths of the other goddesses who have remained less developed in her personality. With her primary goddess now strong and experienced, she can now afford to attend to the areas of her life she has heretofore neglected. And in the third phase of her life, generally occurring when she is postmenopausal, she reaches the stage of the wisewoman or crone. Her task at this stage is to pull back some from the more external and active involvement of her earlier years, to integrate all that she has learned, and to draw inward, finding her own voice and purpose. She emerges more spontaneous and less restrained by convention, more contemplative, more compassionate and self-accepting. She can be quite outspoken, in touch with her anger on behalf of herself and others. She is fully capable of forcing social changes that are needed. Using the wisdom she has gained, she now is able to weave her unique perspective into a tapestry that is a full expression of the sacred feminine.

Ways to Grow

Hera’s journey to completeness will involve developing parts of yourself that may have been neglected as you exercised your Hera qualities in service to others. Your growth will center on the need to develop competencies that you may have depended on others to perform . . . the need to develop your own independent decision-making and expertise.

Other recommendations:

You have much to teach others and are probably a good teacher, but you may expect too much of others. Some will agree with you in theory, but for various reasons (perhaps they’re not as self-disciplined as you) do not find it easy to change right away. Your words and your example probably do more good than you realize, but you need to be patient with those who do not move as quickly as you.
Heras are often anxious people. Try to remember that there is nothing unusual about occasional anxiety; at low levels it can be energizing and make you more productive and aware. Learn to accept a low level of anxiety, explore it, and learn to control its negative effects. Do not hesitate, however, to seek professional help for anxiety that is frequently disrupting your life.
Meditation, yoga, regular exercise, and deep breathing are healthy ways of reducing tension without turning to excessive use of alcohol (or other drugs) to allay anxiety.
Many Hera women tend to get edgy and irritable when they are upset or angry, blaming others and creating barriers to getting the love and respect they need. Be aware of the pessimism, the negative thought patterns, that may cause you to have dark moods. When you are filled with self-doubt, you can easily become your own worst enemy.
Heras often overreact when they are under high levels of stress and are feeling anxious. Learn to identify the “triggers” that make you overreact. Often it is your own negative thoughts, and you should realize that fearful thoughts weaken you and make it even more difficult for you to change things for the better. You can’t always control the events happening in your life, but you can learn to manage your own thoughts.
Work on becoming more trusting. You have a gift for getting people to like you, but you are sometimes afraid of making a commitment to them and may need to come down clearly on one side of the fence in your relationships. Let people know how you really feel about them, even if it means stirring up some of your deepest fears.
Hera women frequently have little awareness of the extent to which they are liked and admired by others. Learn to trust yourself more, and to be open to the genuine positive feelings that others have toward you.

Closing the Circle: Finding Completion on the Goddess Path

Even before the appearance of the Triple Goddess, humankind recognized the existence of a ‘Oneness’, a creator, a ‘giver of life’, a spiritual presence who was complete, in and of herself. She was known by many names, among them the Great Goddess, Ishtar, Gaia (Mother Earth). All powerful, she was life energy itself, and a goddess unafraid to venture into the underworld, the symbol for the soul. She reminds us that we must ground ourselves in the reality of our nature and incorporate all sides of ourselves, whether they be light and pleasant or dark and wrathful. She demanded that we connect to the inner wisdom inside our selves and that we manifest that wisdom in the world.

A Final Note

Although in contemporary times we are more likely to speak of mental health, self-actualization, or even spiritual enlightenment, the quest remains the same – growth that leads to personal authenticity. Recognizing and nurturing your goddesses within is a good beginning. As you continue on the goddess path in your quest for a meaningful life, we at Goddessgift wish you good luck and . . . well, Goddess-speed!

We wish to gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Dr. John A. Johnson for allowing the use of comments he authored concerning the description of personality traits measured by the IPIP items contained in the goddess quiz, and to Steven E. Brenner who authored the original IPIP analysis program on which our program is based..