Therapeutic Medusa shield of goddess Athena

On her breastplate goddess Athena wore a symbol of her power - the aegis, a goatskin decorated with the head of Medusa. This was a monster with serpents instead of hair, while its scary appearance turned to stone everyone who dared to look at it. The myth carries through this picturesque metaphor the shadow aspect (the dark side) of this archetype. This shield is an example of the healthy boundaries people draw through building their own shield. It has been used in group therapy literally and metaphorically.