Tim Kavi's Essay Collection: More About Goddesses has NOW Been Published in Paperback!

 

Some of my most popular and highly visited columns on this blog have been my entries about various goddesses and goddess mythology from a variety of traditions. These have finally been collected in one read, along with some columns never before published for your reading pleasure.  Available as an eBook for quite some time, it has just NOW also been published in paperback! You can get a paperback edition of my essays: MORE ABOUT GODDESSES by clicking here. Happy reading and just in time for any Holiday reading and learning!  Thanks for supporting my work!~~TK

Things Remain Unspoken (new Poem)

Things Remain Unspoken (Poem)
by Tim Kavi

when through all time

I wonder at what was uttered

I realized that the best

things remained unspoken

whether history's deeds

revealed the corrupted kingdoms

growing moss on the muttered

I surmised the most was lest

things remained unspoken

then I sat in the growing
objections to the projections

of enslaved abjections

I realized that promised freedoms

were but vocations given in jest

things remained unspoken

and when I saw what glorious

possessions did break through

and last with due obsessions

then was when I saw your lasting

face washed across existing space

of the revealed woman so blessed

things remained unspoken

things remain unspoken.

Crying in the Night (New Poem)

Crying in the Night
by Tim Kavi

screeching in the night
calling out in darkness
searching the hidden
for any hope
of dawning light

crying

the Owl of Athena
looks over the fields
the fields of the world
are stained
crimson with the blood
of many peoples
from many lands

She is ashamed
at what is done in many names
adds to the horror
of the great many acts
of fear and terror
the dismantling of honor

She says
Intolerance is Murder
the council of elders
replies with judgmental sighs
must we tolerate evil?

She says
there is still a way
to define what something is
when one finds the words to say
any doctrine
teaching far and wide

that murder is right
that stealing from another
killing the heart of the Other
chaining the spirits
of those who long to be free

is justifiable

then we know what is evil
and in all cases who or what
can be truly not tolerated
and must be abolished
in the hearts of all

who joined in community
who empowering the disenfranchised
realize what is wrong
or what is right

makes the day bring light

So the Owl of Athena
blinks her eyes at what She sees
in the darkened night

she will still watch the world
as a New Year approaches
but taking hold of hope
and changes in our hearts
see to it that She need not abandon Earth
in Her celestial flight.

"A Poem of Hope for the New Year"~~TK

New Column: More About Goddesses: Athena: Queen of the Air and Breath of Inspiration by Kelli M. Webert, guest blogger

More About Goddesses: Athena: Queen of the Air and Breath of Inspiration

By Kelli M. Webert, MA*

Athena is commonly known as the goddess of wisdom, but in her early inspirations she was associated with wind and storms. Like the wind, Athena was portrayed as being cool and clear, which later led to depictions of her being clear, rational and objective. As a goddess who was focused on the strength of mind rather than the strength of body, she eventually lost her association with weather and became a figure associated with inspiration.

In Greek culture, it was believed that the organs which were located higher on the body were more important. This meant that the brain or the mind was the most vital organ in the body, making a goddess like Athena especially important to their culture. Mythology reveals her to be the favorite daughter of Zeus, one of the most powerful characters in the religion. She would often show favor to those who were shown to be shrewd, industrious or moral. These associations made it natural for her to be used as a symbol of inspiration for thoughtful members of Greek society.

Athena was often known to teach the Greeks about aspects of technology which would help improve their society. One of the most well-known examples of this was the creation of a navy which helped the Greeks win many important battles to help preserve their land. This type of work combined her role as a goddess of inspiration and the wind, since both were needed to create and power the vessels.

Athena is often portrayed as an owl, due to her association with wisdom. Owls are known to be very shrewd and cunning animals, making it the ideal fit for a goddess thought to offer battle tactics, philosophy and other bits of inspiration to those she favored. The owl was also a creature known for soaring quickly to hunt and maneuver, which once again ties in the original idea of associating Athena with wind or storms.

This goddess, among many others, is associated with battle due to her tendency to offer tactics to the sides she favored. Because of this, Athena is often depicted as a strong woman, more often than not a warrior watching over her people. Her goal was often to restore peace to troubled lands so that society could continue to grow and prosper, creating beautiful works of art and inventing new forms of technology. She would also act as a muse for artists and craftsmen. It was not uncommon to associate those who did especially well at their craft with the work of Athena.

Above all, Athena would always strive to bring order where there was none. Like the wind, she would gently cool the chaos around her by ushering in a gentle, cooling breath. Though Ares is in charge of war, she would often step in to calm the wreckage his battles left behind by creating viable strategies for the soldiers to use to end the war. These divine tactics make her an incredible inspirational piece as well as a fierce contender in Greek mythology.

*Guest blogger for this column. Reprinted with permission from the Foreword of: Athena Queen of the Air by John Ruskin  ( I (Tim Kavi) also have a piece on Athena in the same book).~~TK

lovely and beautiful (new poem)

lovely and beautiful

by Tim Kavi

lovely and beautiful

your smile lights the world

where on twisted pathways

the foot of this admirer has trod

until at last

lit by your pretty essence

home has been found

love has been found

forever reflected

in your lovely smiling grace.

poets' afterword:  the photo is of the Greek goddess, the smiling Athena. She is found at the Aphaia Temple at Aegina. She is the tallest representation over all the goddesses depicted in the excavations.  Has a goddess like this ever graced your life?  Hope you tell her so today.~~TK

More About Goddesses: Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory

More About Goddesses: Nike, The Greek Goddess of Victory

by Tim Kavi

This goddess may be referred to as the winged goddess Victory or Nike in the Greek tradition, or as Victoria in Roman legends. She personifies victory, speed and strength and acts as one of the dominant deities of the panthenon. Victory is also commonly shown as the goddess which oversees battle or peaceful competition. She is commonly shown on Greek coins and artwork that often depicts her with her hand outstretched toward the statue of Athena within the Parthenon. She may be shown with a palm branch, torch or sash, and will frequently wear golden sandals.

In most cases she is depicted with wings and as a close companion to Zeus and Athena. Her wings are typically considered to be those of a swan, though some depictions also show her with eagle wings as Victory was known to tend to eagles. In some cases she is shown with a staff, wreath of victory or riding in her chariot. Nike has no spouse or children. She is always depicted as being quite fit, and tends to be noted for her skills as a charioteer, and swiftness when in flight or running. In some cases she is considered to help with courting, love or childbirth.

Nike was born of Styx and the titan Pallas, though some legends refer to her father as Ares, the God of War. She is the sister of Zelus, Bia and Kratos which represent, zeal, force and strength respectively. Legend has it that Styx brought Nike to Zeus when Zeus was calling for allies to fight in the Titan War, in spite of the fact that Nike was in fact half Titan. She is most commonly depicted as participating in the battle of Titanomachy.

During this battle Victory flew across the battlefields, rewarding any responsible for victory with fame and glory. This is also considered to be her weakness as Nike is rather inconsistent about awarding victory to those who worship her. She was appointed to be the charioteer with her siblings acting as sentinels by the throne of the gods. Aside from such legends, Victory does not have much mythology to call her own.

Sites of Worship and Statues

One of the most well-known statues of Nike was located on the island of Aegean in Greece. This statue is known as Nike of Samothrace, which is now held in the Louvre in Paris. She is also shown many times in the Acropolis in Athens. While the Parthenon in this area is dedicated to Athena who provides skill and wisdom during war, there are many references to Nike here as these goddesses are considered to be close friends. Nike is considered to preside over the temple of the acropolis in Megara.

Victory’s Role Today

Victory or Nike is often depicted on logos and awards including Nike, Inc., the Victory Metal from World War II and the Rolls-Royce logo. But perhaps she is most important to women. She represents a strong female character that ever faithful to her friends, who was both capable of standing alongside her counterparts and rewarding their actions which she finds favorable.

This essay (along with others) is included in my latest essay collection: More About Goddesses! (which you can purchase in the left margin of this blog!)`--TK

More About Goddesses: The Greek Goddess Hera

More about Goddesses: The Greek Goddess Hera

by Tim Kavi

Hera acts as the reigning queen of the gods in Greek mythology due to her role as Zeus’s wife. (Her counterpart is the Roman Goddess Juno). Hera also acts as the goddess of marriage and childbirth. Because Zeus is also the god of philanderers, their natures would frequently clash. This has led to Hera being depicted as a quarrelsome and jealous goddess that can be a force to be reckoned with. In spite of her place as Zeus’s bride, the worship of Hera is actually much older than that of her husband, stemming back to the days when the Greeks believed that any single entity associated with divinity must take the form of a woman. Her role is believed to have changed when the male’s role in procreation became more understood, leading to Hera’s worship as a mother figure rather than an all-encompassing deity.

Much of Hera’s jealousy was directed toward women that Zeus seduced or had affairs with, though one of the most common legends associated with Hera is her jealousy toward the hero Hercules. This jealousy stemmed from the fact that Zeus fathered Hercules with the mortal Alcmene, a mortal. Hera went as far as to send snakes to kill Hercules when he was a baby. She also stirred the Amazons against him while he was on a quest.

Another famous legend associated with Hera has to do with the judgment of Paris. At the wedding between Peleus and Thetis (the later parents of Achilles) many gods and goddesses were invited to the ceremony. Eris, the goddess of discord, threw a golden apple among some of the goddesses, and only the fairest was to own the apple. Since Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite claimed to be the most beautiful goddess, a decision had to be made as to which goddess should own the apple. The goddesses brought the question before Zeus, but Zeus was wise enough to leave the choice of who was the most beautiful up to Paris, a Trojan prince. So the three Goddesses, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite came before Paris, but he could not decide. Finally, each of them offered Paris a gift to try to persuade him. It is said that Athena offered him great fame and glory in battle, Hera offered him control over all of Asia and Europe, and Aphrodite offered him the most beautiful mortal woman in the world. Because of this he chose Aphrodite, which absolutely enraged the other two goddesses, especially Hera. Of course, the most beautiful woman in the world at that time was Helen of Troy who was already married to the King of Sparta. So after the abduction of Helen by Paris, there was a great war (partially stirred up by the jealous goddesses); and this was called the Trojan war.

There is some debate surrounding Hera’s familial roles. Some origin stories depict Hera’s parents as the Titans Rhea and Cronos, making her Zeus’s sister. Given these close family ties, there is some debate on whether or not Zeus and Hera produced children together. Hera is known as the lone parent of Hephaestus. Ares and Hebe are often depicted as the children of Zeus and Hera, but in some traditions Ares is seen to have been conceived from a flower in the field of Olenus and Hebe fathered by a lettuce. These tales may have been invented to avoid adding scandal to Hera’s myth.

In any regard, the Greek goddess Hera is a major part of goddess mythologies and motifs. She is not only a fierce mother image, but also that of the fierce, powerful wife, and symbolizes both a wifely devotion towards her husband, and respect for the protection of marriage.

Athena's Laurel Calls My Journeyed Soul (New Poem)

Athena's Laurel Calls My Journeyed Soul
by Tim Kavi

oh I didn't know you were close to me
I thought it was just the stardust
or the whispering sea
I can see you still talk to me

across the history
glimpsing you
I thought I saw
a memory

there is only
the laurel leaves
scattered by the wind
where Owl watches over me

that is where the gentle
sounds of our love misgiven
led to bad steps
and misplaced heaven
the day the winged bird
took you away from me

I began the mountainous climb
a journey to the sacred heart
longing left me famished
my song carried no more rhyme

spirits were broken
the people were wandering
in the valley below
the shepherds were themselves lost
the leaders blinded by the dark
and the prisoners remained chained
against the rock

only the annointed ones
dare come up here
olive oil burns not only the lamp
but annoints my forehead

I cry out like a madman
there is no one to hear me
it echoes against the rocks
where lumber is free
from too many shipwrecks
skeletal hands clutching for
your Grecian shore

I try to find you
but in the darkness
you are not found anymore

what greatness is this?
your temples once majestic
lined a path upwards
up high to a cloudy
celestial throne
where once you blew me a kiss!

How did I know that kiss
was a good bye kiss
to me and the world?

now there is only ruin
return to Your Greatness
perhaps men will yet invoke
your name
rebuilding temples won't be the same

but there is still power
in the virtues
of your name

oh a calling
a certain shrill
breaks the night
and my stubborn will

I will climb up higher
I will look for you
and I will kiss you again
and again

can you imagine
how much I missed you?
your glory as a woman
is everywhere
yet the priests stop and stare
but in your Goddess face
is only the visitations
of everlasting grace

your look is on them too
that woman just killed
the male shame
of violence
makes me want to jump
off this hill

hear the words
priests too
the hour is late
there is much to do
respect Athena
and all her sisters
or tales of woe
will never be few

I will burn my skin
and twist my robe
pluck hairs from my head
pray pray pray
until the truth be said

stop my sisters'
blood running red!
Athena has now said!

so here I sit all night
your tears watered
pools at my feet
I can only bow my head and worship
Goddess come back
we are so sorry that some have hurt you

wear your laurel wreath again
entreaty forgive our sin
you think you bad ones can easily make right
but your weapons
and hate
and violence
must go away...

for Athena comes
in sacred flight.

Tim Kavi Starts New Year with Latest Publication

My Latest Publication
by Tim Kavi

Hello, All!  First of all, a very Happy New Year to each and every one of you!  I hope that your New Year brings you health, prosperity, and happiness!

My New Year began less conspicuously than I imagined with the publication of Athena: Queen of the Air by John Ruskin, on January 1,2013 from TiLu Press. This work, an updated and annotated version from an 1869 work, includes new material for modern readers who are interested in Greek mythology, mythology, or Goddess themes and motifs.  In particular, the book talks about the Goddess Athena in great detail.  My essay about Athena is one of the three forewords in the 2013 edition of this book. I am honored by the inclusion.

My essay: 'Athena: Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War' was one of my blog entries here last May. You can click here to read it.  I suppose this amounts to a disclosure, as my foreword (only one of three in the book) is reprinted with my permission for the book. I assure you that there is much more in this book that makes it worthwhile to read if you are a fan of goddesses, Greek Art and Mythology, mythology, and art criticism in general.  I really hope readers of both works (my blog and the book) don't mind this fact that my Foreword is published in both places.  To me, it is simply about getting the message out to as many readers as possible.

I enjoyed reading this eBook, and if you're interested in Goddesses too, I think you'll enjoy it just like I did! I certainly learned a lot about Athena that I never knew before!  The book also contains an introduction that covers much background about John Ruskin, Athena, Ruskin's Athena and information about the 2013 edition.  Other new annotated material (never before published anywhere) includes an original essay on Athena by Kelli M. Webert titled: 'Athena: Queen of the Air and Breath of Inspiration' and finally, a chapter titled:  'A Brief Literary Biography of John Ruskin'.

Overall, the book 'Athena: Queen of the Air' is an interesting work of Greek Mythology and art criticism that discusses the Goddess Athena in great detail. I hope you will enjoy it!

From the Book Blurb:

"Very thorough, and inspiring, Ruskin, ever the Victorian Age's greatest art critic, utters praise to Athena, and in doing so, speaks some of the most poetic words ever used in English to describe the goddess."--Tim Kavi, Poet

"And so the Spirit of the Air is put into, and upon, this created form; and it becomes, through twenty centuries, the symbol of divine help, descending, as the Fire, to speak, but as the Dove, to bless."---John Ruskin

Currently Available as a Kindle and Kindle Apps Edition--by clicking here.

THANKS! ~~TK

SubWay GoDDess (Story Poem)

SubWay

GoDDess

a story poem

by Tim Kavi



based on a true
encounter

on the subway
Line 11 Shanghai
somewhere between
Fengqiao Lu
and West Shanghai Railway
Station

I saw Her
a true Chinese Goddess
she glowed
like divinity
and smiled like a happy
Tara dancing
in the sundown
moments of a busy day

in her face
showed the happy promises
of a true beauty
in love with life

this incarnation
was a beautiful woman
and she looked away
like all are prone
to do

not to stare at a
foreigner
even though green
eyes are so different
when they are sparkling blue

but then she stared
and stared
at her reflection
in the subway
door--glassy windowed
reflections

revealed her beauty
from glory to glory
she primped her hair
adjusted her clothing
shifted from foot to foot

and smiled
like she was enlightened
anew
knowing something
the rest of us
never knew

I tried not to look
at her glory
not wanting to be blinded
by her light
only to face a lonely
Shanghai night

but I couldn't help looking
she was so pretty
I thought what girl is this
to look so long at her own reflections
and give herself a narcissistic kiss?
and so many smiles to herself?

soon the train
arrived at West Shanghai Railway Station
and I was struck with destiny
and evening undulations
as we both got off
having other trains to catch
to spiritual destinations

I drew nigh
and bravely spoke
Don't Worry, you are still
very beautiful
I said

She laughed
and turned and smiled
and said
I wasn't looking at me
but I was looking at you!

My face reddened
in realization
I too had been spied
looking in the glassy
reflections of encounter
Divine Revelation

And I speak English
she said
My name is Na
and I'm a famous writer!

I laughed
and She did too.

Saying, what's so funny?
I said, I'm a writer too
an infamous one!

we both laughed

and exchanged numbers
as we had other trains to
catch

but soon we chattered
and met each other
life now mattered

even in the subway lessons
of an encounter
Her love
rescued me

as I came to know Her
we often laughed
and smiled at the happy
destiny

that found
two hearts that had
been searching
riding to destinies untold

to find one; entwined
as love did enfold
in the eternal hereafter.

All Goddess! I am in Ruins (New Poem)

All Goddess! I am in Ruins
by Tim Kavi

OH goddess
how long have I languished
in this mortal body
my soul longs to know
and remember all it has been taught
as Socrates told Meno long ago

I visited your temple's ruins
some say Athens
has buildings that got tossed
by history,
to me You are my history

ever seeking
gently calling me to your shore
it is no wonder I came here
although you are sweetly present
as ever before

Athena, I know you led
many heroes back home again
and when I leave your ruins
I will take more of you home again

in goddess gown
my love's dress is rippling in the wind
the sea breath whispers her name
she is calling me
to a fragrant and fruitful love
to a certain future
full of life and love

she is with me
and I see Her walking
in each and every step

as we board the bus
tourists smile
and banter
I smile looking at the ruins
and seeing a goddess walk
beside me;

She breathes
and is a living You
yet she is uniquely her
she is quite simply
ALL Goddess,

and history
undeniable and relentless;
history, marches on.

Yet the Goddess Hid Her Face (New Poem)

"Yet the Goddess Hid Her Face"
by Tim Kavi

In the Autumn morning before it was brought to light,
the cisterns had all been lit
the corners had all been swept.

Ophelia and Psyche had cleaned the room
it was then the song had a sacred cleft;
for in the Song, an ancient ode was written;
a homage to the Groom.

But behind the tambourine
a Goddess still hid her face.

Uttering the Song
The ancient Greek chorus stood as one,
at the Oracle's place in Delphi
their words mocked the gloom
for there was one much more precious
than was reflected in that night's Moon
the annals of history came and went
but the Goddess still hid her face.

The blustering winds of Furies
bashed many heroes' hopes
Even the great ones, laid among
the chains and ropes;
climbing the rocks they labored,
but to seek some redemption
they only looked to masculine selves
while the Goddess still hid her face!

Anointed with olive oil,
Athena's wisdom dripped from the vases
of Panathenaic paint, given to those skilled
in cunning ways of competitive fight
who are found in prowess, and did not faint!

Yet the Goddess still hid her face!

Then when the journey's nearly over
swords and shields in disarray
heroes sought divine help
in a homecoming not so nice
forgotten heroes;
their deeds did not suffice
to turn the cold hearts
for their exploits seemed forgotten
mythologies and old;

She began to show her face!

a smiling face that finally led
her heroes home;
by her shining grace
protected in a mist
until all is revealed

in a love so true
the seeker sought his wife
until seeking, what is found,
in unblinded eyes, scales fell;

for She now has a fully revealed face.

'Emerging Goddess' Poetry Collection is FREE for Next 72 Hours!!!

Dear Friends and Fans:

My initial collection, 'Emerging Goddess' is now available for download for FREE at Amazon!
For the next 72 hours,  you can visit Amazon and get the collection.

I am so happy to be able to offer this to readers.  Please stop by at the link below and download your copy!
Thanks for supporting my work!  ~~Tim Kavi
.

 EMERGING GODDESS: Get Your FREE Copy Here

More About Goddesses: Athena, Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War (Essay)

Athena – Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War 

by Tim Kavi

The Greek goddess Athena, often portrayed as full of mercy, strong, and fair, skill and endeavor,  is also considered the goddess of heroes and the heroic journey.  Also viewed as a representative of Divine Intelligence, and as a goddess of warfare, she was considered the patron goddess of Athens.  According to legend, she had quite an unusual birth. Her father, Zeus, ate his first wife, Metis, because he feared when she became pregnant that she had in her womb the son that was prophesied to usurp him of his own throne. This caused him a great headache, worse than any other, and to be rid of it he let another god open up his head. At this moment, it is said that Athena sprang forth from the forehead of Zeus and she was fully clothed in the attire of war.

So, it was not the son he feared that came out – rather his beautiful, full grown daughter Athena, already dressed in full golden body armor that was “born”. Athena became Zeus’ favorite child, motherless as she was. She was the only one that he told his secret of where to find his lightning bolts, plus she was trusted to guard his magic shield.

Generally, Athena is seen with a spear in her hand, and her helmet of gold tipped to show her beauty. Although she was dressed for battle, she was much more known for her job as diplomat, judge and mediator. People knew her for her fair and compassionate decisions. Stories also tell of how she helped many other gods, goddesses and heroes out when they were faced with a great problem that seemed impossible.

She was probably the start to the first independent woman. Referred to as a virgin, she was not swayed by Aphrodite, and she stayed independent of all of the responsibilities of marriage and being a mother. You did not hear of romance or marriage in Athena’s story.

In Roman mythology, she is known as Minerva, and according to Plato she is also prefigured by the Egyptian goddess, Neith.

Poet's Note:  Later, this post was reprinted as a Foreword in a 2013 edition of 'Athena Queen of the Air' by John Ruskin.  The book has much more additional material about the Goddess Athena. I hope that readers of both resources--don't mind that this entry remains here on my blog. You can get the Kindle eBook: 'Athena: Queen of the Air' by clicking here.

Tim Kavi's Poetry Collection 'Emerging Goddess' is Now Available.

Announcing the publication of My Poetry Collection 'Emerging Goddess'. Get yours today!

A poetry collection by mystic philosopher Tim Kavi that celebrates the Sacred Feminine, Goddesses from mythologies past and present, and emerging goddesses everywhere. These are sacred love poems that celebrate spiritual and temporal planes of love and devotion.