A time later Gwydion presented Arianrhod with object that he had hidden in chest - a second boy child. Arianrhod was outraged at "evidence" of her humiliation at hands of King Math and rejected child.

She laid on him three curses:

He shall have no name except one she gives him.

He shall bear no arms except ones she gives him.

He shall have no wife of race that is now on earth.

Gwydion was outraged by these curses and worked to break them. He disguised himself and boy child as shoemakers and traveled to Caer Arianrhod. When Arianrhod went to have shoes fitted, boy child threw a stone at a bird and deftly hit it. Arianrhod commented on child's skillful hand. At that Gwydion revealed himself and child and stated that she had just named him - Llew Llaw Gyffes, Shining Skillful Hand. This threw Arianrhod into a firey rage and she stormed back to Caer Arianrhod swearing that boy would never bear arms or have a human wife.

Again Gwydion tricked Arianrhod into breaking her own curse. He disguised himself and Llew as travelers and sought refuge in Caer Arianrhod. While they were there Gwydion caused an illusion showing a powerful armada of ships advancing on Caer Arianrhod. Making ready for battle Arianrhod threw open her armory and armed her retainers. Gwydion suggested to Arianrhod that she give arms to him and Llew (still in disguise) and they would fight at defense of castle. She readily agreed and thereby, unwittingly, granted arms to her son, breaking second curse. Gwydion then revealed themselves to Arianrhod and told her that she may as well take arms back from her son, as there really was no battle to be fought.

Enraged at being tricked a second time, Arianrhod took comfort in her third curse - that Llew would have no human wife. Gwydion, upset at cruelty Arianrhod was showing her son, vowed to break this curse also. Gwydion went to King Math and explained Llew's plight. Combining their magic they created a woman made of flowers, Blodeuwedd, to be wife to Llew, and broke Arianrhod's third curse.

Humiliated by King Math, thwarted by her son, forsaken by her brother, Arianrhod retreated to her castle Caer Arianrhod. Here she later drowned when sea reclaimed land. Bibliography [1] Gruffudd, Heini. Enwau i'r Cymry/Welsh Personal Names (Talybont: Y Lolfa, 1984) s.nn. Ariannell, Arianwen, Arianrhod. [2] Bromwich, Rachel. The Welsh Triads (University of Wales Press, 1978) p.277.

[3] Evans, J. Gwenogvryn. The Text of Book of Llan Dav (Aberystwyth: National Library of Wales, 1979) (Facsimile of 1893 Oxford edition) p.82.

[4] Bartrum, P.C. Early Welsh Genealogical Tracts (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 1966) p.15, 18.

[5] O'Brien, M. A., ed. Corpus Genealogiarum Hiberniae (Dublin: The Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1976).

[6] Royal Irish Academy. Dictionary of Irish Language: based mainly on Old and Middle Irish materials (Dublin : Royal Irish Academy, 1983) s.v. argat.

[7] Withycombe, E.G. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, 3rd ed. (Oxford University Press) s.n. Ariadne.

[8] Solin, Heikki & Olli Salomies. Repertorium Nominum Gentilium et Cognominum Latinorum s.nn. Arianius, Arrianilla, Ariannus, Arrionilla (Hildesheim: Olms-Weidmann, 1988).

-3- Don’t imitate male machismo (Men: 76% - Women: 20%)

Thriving in a high-profile executive job requires a “genetic” mutation: development of thick skin (Men: 54% - Women: 89%) of a man to prevent direct attacks from hurting while remaining soft so that not to hurt male ego.

The most effective female business leaders I have met don't try to imitate male machismo. They use some "feminine" attributes such as greater attention to interpersonal interaction, and a degree of approachability to lower people's defensiveness. But underlying this soft approach they remain focused on bottom-line goals, express self-confidence and succeed in achieving those goals without having men around them feel that they have lost face or been manipulated.

Additionally, imitating is irritating. And, though men are not people readers in general, they can see through a bad imitation almost instantaneously.

-4- Be a warrior (Men: 25% - Women: 75%)

Let’s not deny it: not giving in male machismo does not mean we should all be subdued to everything! Being a warrior, or developing a survivor’s spirit will help women be more successful. NO question about it. Problem is: we are not wired to accurately identify rivals. We are not wired to be warriors. We have to work on becoming one.

If you develop into a warrior yourself, think like men and play their game. Since women have this great ability to adapt to nearly any situation, this should not be too tough. This attitude paradoxically will help you mingle in men’s groups where you are only woman. Once blended in, remember to shift to a more feminine (and more efficient) attitude.

-5- Treat men as equal (Men: 60% - Women: 76%)

Stop thinking he is man, I am woman, there must be some difference. By brainwashing ourselves into thinking about differences, we focus on wrong element.

Let’s stop thinking about differences, let’s believe about one species: Business Homo Sapiens Sapiens. Not a woman. Not a man.

-6- Learning when game is over (Men: 82% - Women: 13%)

Going back years in history and recalling past events when in heat of an argument, is a woman’s all-times favorite. This childish attitude is particularly detrimental to our business success in a dominant male world. What happened five years ago, is over. No need to bring it to (business) table anymore. Hey! I know it is a hard one. We are wired to react this way…but aren’t we also wired to be extremely adaptive? ;-) Keep in mind that this wiring happens when we are very young. Little boys are taught to play war games, sport games, which have a clear end. We play dolls and cooking with no real clear-cut ending; it is more of a process than of a timed game.

Very interesting poll result where women do not consider this attitude as a showstopper when it comes to their success in corporate world.

I bet that you have found yourself using (consciously or not) one or more of these key factors of success in macho world, and discovered that it was not THAT easy and THAT straightforward.

Recapturing old women’s glory, not to mention its social, religious and political power, is considered difficult if not unattainable. But is it necessary? I don’t subscribe to this point of view. I don’t support allegation about gender struggle, as I have never believed that businessmen and businesswomen were doomed to be at odds.

The old dichotomy black/white, man/woman, power/submission is long gone.

In 2004, “businesswoman homo sapiens” species has evolved and is now a patent pending complex mix of 10% man, 2% warrior, 88% woman….and maybe some additional secret things which we cannot publish here.

I will leave last words to one of surveyed man, who is definitely not a macho: “best way to succeed in a macho world is to make up your own rules, rather than compete with macho element... The bottom line is that macho thing may look formidable, but it's really not an effective business strategy; (my opinion) it lacks subtlety...”