irenemerring asked: As someone whom I consider a TRUE Goddess, dating back to the ancient terms of the word, I wonder, what does being a Goddess mean to you? :)
I may have fooled some in my day, but I can’t claim Goddess status; though flattered.
My statue of Artemis, giving the appearance of being moonlit. (Most likely illuminated by a streetlamp.)
Despite worshiping at the alter of Artemis, I had to truly ponder this question. My brain tends to split on such momentous subjects. We can approach the concept of Goddess via a variety of pathways, chiefly Historical, Literary, Mythological and Spiritual. But to choose only one would be rather limiting. Goddesses encompass all, don’t they?
I can’t, nor do I want, to suggest what being a Goddess has meant to me in the past - this life or another. My obsessions with Egypt, Antiquity and the Renaissance speak profusely of my past, which is perhaps why my answer did not arrive immediately or succinctly; it is cloudy with memory.
And so: back to Artemis, and the present. The history of this goddess is fractured and fragmented, multicultural, even; her myth is provocative but enigmatic; and so this interpretation is entirely personal and biased, as it should be.
She has reigned supreme Goddess for me because she is the archetype of a perfectly balanced human being. Her complexity and mystery only richens her very human aspect. On the one hand, she exists in peace and harmony with nature and creation; she aids in childbirth and is the official protector of women, particularly virgins. On the other hand, she is deeply in touch with her masculine side. She prowls the forests with her bow and arrow, ready to slay any man who threatens her or the women and animals she protects. The dual sides of Artemis might appear to be contradictory. Not just in terms of gender, but in terms of ethics - more specifically: how do we condone her violence? I believe contradictions help us come closer to truth. For if we accept the duality of nature, we can accept the whole of nature. Its violence and its beauty; its chaos and peace.
Artemis does not entreat me to physical violence. As glamorous as it might sound - prowling the woods in a toga - her bow and arrow are her metaphor. But she suggests to me that women are as strong as men; that all humans are created equal; that all creatures are created equal. She teaches me that to rise above mere “mortals,” I must protect the vulnerable (the virgin), give strength to the weak (women [weak only by injustice and false perception]), and defend the innocent (nature). Though it is not written in her myth, I believe Artemis would protect, strengthen and defend men as well, when appropriate.
To me, a true Goddess knows not how to discriminate; she bestows virtue upon all she touches. Her accomplishments are automatic and egoless; her method is mind over matter.
irenemerring asked: The universal question...why are we here? Jk, jk. ;)
You mock! But it’s all part of the show. ;)
