Artemis by Jean Shinoda Bolen

Author:Jean Shinoda Bolen
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781609258115
Publisher: Red Wheel Weiser

Artemis

In previous chapters, Artemis has been described mostly through qualities in Atalanta. As Goddess of the Hunt and Moon, known to the Romans as Diana, she is portrayed as a tall lovely goddess, often in a short tunic holding a quiver of arrows and a bow, with a crescent moon and stars crowning her head. She prefers the wilderness and roams through virgin forests, meadows, mountains, and glades with nymph companions and hunting dogs.

Artemis is the archer with unerring aim, in pursuit of her own chosen quarry or target. A strong quality of women of this archetype is the ability to concentrate intensely on whatever is important to them, undistracted by the needs or judgment of others. Focus and perseverance are qualities of the archetype that make it possible to aim for and hit a self-chosen goal or mark. With her moonlight vision, Artemis, as Goddess of the Moon, can roam through woods, mountains, and meadows, touched by the mystery and beauty that moonlight brings to the landscape. Seeing the universe through the lens of this archetype, the universe and every element easily become part of a vast oneness; reverence and respect for all of nature and for indigenous spirituality comes naturally as well.

As the goddess of wildlife, Artemis has many undomesticated animals as symbols that reflect her qualities: the stag, doe, hare, and quail all share her elusive qualities; the lioness displays her regality and prowess as a hunter; the fierce boar shows her destructive aspect. The mother bear is the totem animal for her role as protector of the young. One derivation of the name Artemis is thought to be related to the bear. Where there were wild horses that roamed with companions, as Artemis did with her nymphs, the wild horse became another one of her symbols.

In her mythology, Artemis is the daughter of Leto and Zeus, a lineage of Titan nature divinities on her mother's side with her father the chief god of Mount Olympus. She is the first-born twin sister of Apollo, the God of the Sun. She is the only goddess who comes to the aid of her mother, which she does in several myths, even from the moment of her own birth. Artemis is appealed to for help by women in childbirth, for rescue from rapists, and as the protector of the young, especially of pre-adolescent girls. She is accompanied by a band of nymphs, minor feminine nature deities who are associated with woods, mountains, glades, lakes, and meadows. Artemis is the archetype of the sister, with brotherly feelings of equality with men and feelings of sisterhood with women. The mythology of Artemis the goddess and the concerns of women in whom “she” is the archetype reflect those of contemporary feminists.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.