Introducing Artemis

Artemis lay along the length of a smooth rock, her left leg resting in the cold clear water of the pool. Sunbeams escaping through the dancing leaves of the many trees that surrounded the pool dappled the goddess’ bare skin and dried the damp fabric of her chiton, evidence of her post-hunt swim.

Nymphs and naiads rested also. Lying together, arm resting on stomach, head on chest, legs intertwined, these sisters breathed the slow sighs of slumber in absolute, complete abandon. Their confidence in their goddess’ protection was true and unquestioned. Here, they were free to act as they willed without the need to inhibit their desires, their expression, their autonomy.

The soporific atmosphere clung heavily to their limbs, and all that moved were the ripples that spread across the pool and stray curls of hair caught by fragrant breezes. Artemis’ face was graced by the blush of youth, her girlish figure rising and falling to the rhythmic cycle of her breath. Her long dark eyelashes fluttered in response to some deeply felt dream, and her smooth muscles beneath her light tanned skin reacted as she ran through her unconscious.

The sound of a twig breaking cut through the hushed silence of sleep, and in that same instant, Artemis’ eyes flew open. She was on her feet and running noiselessly from the glade. Her handmaidens remained in a state of repose, oblivious to their goddess’ sudden, fleet-footed departure. Her absence in the glade where she had lain only seconds before, with her hair pillowed beneath her head, fundamentally changed the space. As though she had been the source, the reason, the heart of the community, as though, without her there, an essential bond that existed between nymph and nymph and between nymph and land, had now dissolved.

Sending her senses out before her, Artemis sped through the forest. The soft woodland undergrowth tickled her calves and brushed the soles of her feet as she flew through the land that was so much a part of her. She knew this land like she knew her own skin. She was in the forest, and the forest was in her.

Running towards the sound that had awoken her, she recalled a similar occasion when she had risen from her slumber, naked skin caressed by the dying sunlight of late afternoon, only to find she was being watched by a pair of grey eyes. These eyes stared greedily at the perfection of her form, drinking in the planes of her body, the silken sheen of her skin. The hunter Actaeon had stumbled upon her resting place, and now he had taken the liberty of gazing upon her naked flesh.

Sprinting at full speed through the forest, Artemis’ cheeks flushed as she remembered the indignant rage which had consumed her then. Acting without conscious thought, Artemis changed Actaeon into a stag, which was then chased down by his own hunting pack before being torn to pieces by their vicious muzzles.

If the one responsible for the sound were to have taken similar advantage, Artemis would not falter in delivering a similarly swift and terrible punishment.

She slowed as she approached the place where she had detected the sound, and then stood stock still – a statue poised in the midst of the trees, bathed in the green light of the forest. A little off to the right, and about thirty paces or so forwards stood a beautiful doe. Her small antlers mimicking perfectly the twigs and branches that surrounded her; her liquid black eyes staring back at the aqua blue eyes of the frozen goddess.

Throughout this week, I’m sharing excerpts from all 6 of the goddess stories explored in Virgins & Lovers: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Goddess. Today, I’d like to introduce you to Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt – I encourage you to check out Persephone & Brigid‘s stories too!!

Out of all my goddess stories, this one has proved the most popular, and I think it’s because Artemis represents an aspect which is really relatable to the contemporary feminine experience. She teaches us the importance of balance and focus, as well as encouraging us to define what success means for us. Artemis was an incredibly important goddess for me when I was finishing my phd – she really helped me to clarify how I wanted my life to look.

If you like what you’ve read here, you may want to check out the rest of her story in Virgins & Lovers. I’ll also provide you with a variety of tools (journal prompts, visualizations & creative exercises) designed to deepen your relationship to the stories and to begin to unlock the treasures of ancient myth. Trust me, it’s going to be magnificent!