✨The Goddess of the Nine Heavens, Athena of the East: An Intro to an Esoteric Daoist ☯️
Welcome to a deeper exploration of the spiritual foundations behind Athena's Garden TV!
In my second video, I explained why I named my channel after the Greek goddess Athena, but that was only part of the truth. I wasn't ready to fully emerge from the spiritual closet at the time. Today, I'm prepared to introduce you to my complete spiritual framework and the remarkable goddess who bridges Eastern and Western wisdom traditions.
The Complete Truth: A Goddess of Two Worlds
My Athena is also 九天玄女 (Jiūtīan Xuánnǚ), the Goddess of the Nine Heavens - one of the five highest-ranked goddesses in the current Daoist pantheon. This connection represents my personal spiritual understanding and channeled knowledge, bridging ancient wisdom traditions across cultures.
Both goddesses share remarkably similar domains:
War strategy and justice
Medicine and healing arts
Poetry and creative expression
Arts and crafts
Alchemical wisdom
Just as Athena gifted humanity the olive tree, 九天玄女 brought esoteric Daoist magic to Earth, including ancient texts, war strategies, alchemical teachings, medicine, the compass, and sophisticated divination systems.
Sacred Teachings: The Lost Art of Daoist Sexual Alchemy
One of the most significant and historically suppressed aspects of 九天玄女's teachings is 房中術 (Fáng Zhōng Shù), Daoist sexual alchemy or sacred sexuality. This practice extends far beyond physical intimacy or fertility enhancement, connecting deeply to the cultivation of 精氣神 (Jīng Qì Shén): the three essential energies in Daoist internal alchemy:
精 (Jīng): The essence, often associated with reproductive energy
氣 (Qì): The life force flowing through the body
神 (Shén): The spirit or higher consciousness
九天玄女 imparted knowledge of transforming Jīng into Qì, and ultimately into Shén, helping practitioners achieve spiritual enlightenment and longevity. Similar to White Tantra in yogic traditions, this practice emphasizes harmonious energy exchange, breath control, and meditation, allowing practitioners to cultivate inner power in the 丹田 (Dāntián)—the "Elixir Field"—and align with cosmic forces for spiritual ascension.
The Historical Suppression
Many original Daoist alchemical texts containing these teachings were lost when Buddhism became China's dominant religion. The cultural shift toward asceticism: emphasizing abstinence, purity, and detachment from worldly desires, suppressed, erased, and demonized the spiritual aspects of sacred sexuality.
This pattern mirrors similar suppressions in Western traditions: the witch-burning Inquisitions, the erasure of Mother Mary's and Mary Magdalene's fuller roles, and the broader systematic dismantling of Divine Feminine wisdom. The Age of Pisces, with its opposing Virgo energy, brought centuries of patriarchal propaganda that thoroughly erased women's spiritual authority and the sacred feminine across both Eastern and Western cultures.
The Warrior Goddess: Justice and Strategy
九天玄女 embodies a different archetypal energy than love goddesses like Venus or Aphrodite. She represents justice, righteousness, holistic perspectives, and strategic wisdom. When she appears, it's as a tour de force, bringing down justice and enlightenment—a key aspect of both Athena's and 九天玄女's warrior goddess energy, ready to fight for what's right.
This fierce protective quality forms the spiritual foundation of my channel's ethos and approach to sharing wisdom.
Ancient Origins: The Classic of Mountains and Seas
九天玄女 originates from the ancient text 山海經 (Shānhǎi Jīng, Classic of Mountains and Seas), described as a being from the mysterious celestial realm who is both human and divine. She appears as a hybrid with a stunning woman's face and a celestial bird's body, symbolizing her ability to traverse heaven and earth and embodying the duality of yin and yang—core to Daoist philosophy.
In the "Great Wilderness: West" (大荒西, Dà Huāng Xī) chapter, she descends to Earth to aid humanity during times of chaos, emerging from the sacred Kunlun Mountains (崑崙山, Kūnlún Shān)—the Daoist equivalent of Mount Olympus. In bird form, she carried celestial scrolls containing Daoist alchemy and magic secrets, while her human form allowed connection with mortals, teaching them to harness divine powers for inner peace and harmony.
The Sacred Number Nine: Etymology and Meaning
The name 九天玄女 carries profound significance:
九天 (Jiūtīan) - Nine Heavens: The number nine symbolizes completeness in numerology, Daoism, and Buddhism. She resides in the ninth dimension and can cover beyond the traditional eight compass directions (四面八方, sì miàn bā fāng), representing her all-encompassing power.
玄 (Xuán) - The Mystical: This character means mystical, profound, and dark-colored, referring to both her avian form (玄鳥, Xuán Niǎo) and the Dao itself. In Daoist thought, 玄 embodies hidden truths, celestial mysteries, and esoteric wisdom. The Dao De Jing describes 玄之又玄 (Xuán zhī yòu xuán)—"mystery upon mystery"—as the gateway to wisdom.
The character also connects to:
The ninth double-hour (7–9 PM) in traditional Chinese timekeeping—a time of transition and introspection
The moon and Divine Feminine power
Yin energy and lunar cycles used in Daoist sexual alchemy
Inner transformation and spiritual refinement
The Three Great Divination Arts
九天玄女's teachings include the Three Great Chinese Divination Arts (三式, Sān Shì):
太乙神數 (Tàiyǐ Shénshù): Used for understanding cosmic patterns and imperial fate
六壬神課 (Liùrén Shénkè): Applied for daily decision-making and personal guidance
奇門遁甲 (Qí Mén Dùn Jiǎ): Utilized for warfare strategy, weather forecasting, and geomancy
奇門遁甲 particularly stands out as the system emperors used for conquest and modern CEOs employ for major decisions, covering optimal timing for attacks or retreats, positioning strategies, and financial forecasting. This knowledge provides practitioners with strategic advantages in both personal and professional spheres.
The Fragrant Mother: Inventor of Incense
Beyond her contributions to strategy and alchemy, 九天玄女 is revered as the inventor of incense, earning the affectionate title 香媽 (Xiāng Mā), "Fragrant Mother." In one incarnation, when her father was too ill to consume herbal medicine or food, she transformed the medicine into incense made with sticky rice. As it burned, her father inhaled the medicine and recovered.
In Daoist tradition, incense embodies the alchemy of the five elements and serves as:
A sacred ritual tool
A bridge between earthly and celestial realms
A medium for spiritual communication and healing
An essential aspect of temple ceremonies and daily devotion
She taught humanity to craft incense from herbs and resins, aligning specific blends with cosmic energies to enhance spiritual communication and healing.
Modern Revival and Pop Culture
The Goddess of the Nine Heavens has found new relevance in contemporary times. In 2022, a Taiwanese comedian created a viral skit about her, blending humor with reverence and sparking renewed interest in her mythology among younger generations. This revival demonstrates the timeless appeal of her wisdom and guidance.
Personal Spiritual Connection
My understanding of the Athena-九天玄女 connection comes from personal spiritual experience and channeled guidance. At 18, when I connected to this lineage, I was learning about 九天玄女娘娘 from various Daoist sources alongside my personal experiences. Her characteristics and teachings matched my childhood understanding of Athena through mythology.
In recent years, I directly asked my guides about this connection, and they confirmed that in the West, she manifests as Athena, while in the East, she appears as Jiūtīan Xuánnǚ—one consciousness expressing through different cultural forms.
This represents my personal truth and spiritual experience. When you work with either Athena or Jiūtīan Xuánnǚ, you may receive different downloads and knowledge that make perfect sense within your own background, frame of reference, and spiritual practice.
Conclusion: Timeless Wisdom for Modern Times
九天玄女's teachings encompass military strategy using Qi and cosmic alignment, inner alchemy and Qi cultivation for health and longevity, Daoist magic and protective talismans (符, Fú), and healing through energy work. Her multifaceted wisdom addresses both practical and spiritual needs, making her guidance relevant for contemporary seekers.
Understanding this goddess provides insight not only into profound spiritual teachings but also into the foundational ethos behind the content and approach I share. May her timeless wisdom continue to guide us on our journeys of self-discovery and personal growth as we navigate both ancient knowledge and modern challenges.
REFERENCES
(Mostly in Mandarin - but you can use Translate if you are interested in further reading)
https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B9%9D%E5%A4%A9%E7%8E%84%E5%A5%B3
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E5%A5%87%E9%96%80%E9%81%81%E7%94%B2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4PFeNdh0kY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JExB95AELlQ
https://kknews.cc/history/9mpq2bq.html
Taiwanese Comedian Skit (original clip)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qo3H-VgXmHE
Reference (English)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoist_sexual_practices
https://factsanddetails.com/china/cat3/sub10/entry-7540.html
https://www.herstory.ie/photo-essays-2/2021/9/26/taoist-sexuality-and-the-feminine
https://www.egreenway.com/dragonsrealms/DT4.htm
