Dearest Artemis, steadfast and strong, intelligent and brave, fierce and loyal.
Goddess of Childbirth, Artemis' mother Leto struggled to give birth to her twins because of Hera. In a jealous rage Hera refused to let her daughter, the then goddess of childbirth help Leto. She had made it impossible for Leto to find a safe space to have children. Artemis was eventually born first after much struggle and then helped her mother to give birth to her twin Apollo, taking the new mantle of Goddess of childbirth and midwifery.
Goddess of Wilderness- Artemis felt most at home in the wild, roaming the mountains and forests and being at peace with the animals that lived there. She never tried to harness or use nature for any purpose. She protected the wild and the animals from the outside world. Her and her companions would bath in the rivers and rest in peace from the hostility of the world around them.
Goddess of the Hunt- Artemis' aim was always true. Her ability, skill and determination was legendary.
Her fierce and loyal nature often brought her into confrontations with others who she felt had wronged her, her companions or her home and she never flickered in her attribution of punishment. She was ferocious in her revenge.
Goddess of the Moon- Often associated with the crescent or new moon. She illuminates the path for others, she will bring light in to your world and lead you through your hardest moments.
At the tender age of 3, Artemis asked Zeus for 6 wishes. which he granted.
-to be live without marriage or love
-a bow and arrow
-a hunting costume and the freedom from women's clothes
-the job of bringing light into the world
-60 companions for her hunt
-and all the mountains on Earth to live on,
These requests gave her freedom to be her authentic self and to live the life she craved. It was this authenticity that made her the feminist icon she is today. She fully accepted herself, never let anyone keep her down and she always protected those around her.
As a human assigned female at birth, I was conditioned to always put others first, to not stand up for myself, to not be too loud, or too fierce, or too strong.
I'm fighting it now, I'm searching for my authentic self and I picture Artemis, in her defiance, in her total independence and her confidence and I see her walk besides me with her bow and arrow and her light. She is my companion and she always has my back.
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