March 8-Women's Day /Artemis

I sing of the brilliant Artemis with her golden arrows,

the venerated virgin, the Archeress who strikes deer with her arrows…

she who, in the shadows of the mountains

and on the mountaintops whipped by the winds,

stretches her bow of pure gold,

and, in the joy of the hunt, shoots the arrows

that make her victims groan.

The peaks of the mountains tremble.

The forest in its darkness screams

with the frightened clamor of
the animals of the woods.  

The earth trembles, as does the
fish-filled sea.  

—Homeric Hymn to Artemis

Today is the Festival of Artemis in Greece when she is called upon to protect their animals and crops.  In Wales, this was Welch Witch Day when women who have magic/medicine are parading through forest and field and communities and were not harmed.
Artemis, the huntress, protector of women in childbirth, protector of prepubescent girls, yet, could bring sudden death and disease.  As always there is the shadow side of the Goddesses as well as us.  She carried a bow, a quiver, separs, torches, lyres,
In ancient art Artemis was usually depicted as a girl or young maiden with a hunting bow and quiver of arrows and is sometimes depicted with a jug.  She wore a women's clothing but covered it with a cloak, often of hide. 
Her sacred animal is deer.  If there are deer around you, you can expect some influence of Artemis.  Often she is depicted with golden deer pulling a chariot.  Her birds are water and ground birds and thus we have the geese and ducks returning, the quails darting through bushes, the partridge drumming his drum, and peacocks showing off their colors.  It is in the palm trees that she is most influencing at this time.
Be prepared for anything with Artemis influencing us.  Her full influence will build through until her festival on May 6th.  You may feel her influence two months before and two months after.  Just know that purity, safety from Natural forces, self-determination and balance of the male and female within will be blessings and, perhaps, negative issues that may arise.

Just know that she can influence us to be sweet and kind, but strict, cold and unforgiving.  Each of us will be influenced either way during this time.  She is competitive.  Be careful about seeking revenge.  Her name is known, perhaps, as far back as ancient Persia but came to be more well-known as a Goddess in Greece.
Expect to be ultra-passionate/fierce in protecting the vulnerable, the wild, and at times of new births.  Expect to both isolate and/or seek more solitude.  Expect to have her influence in being self-reliant, but also self-defensive.  If we are aware that these influences might affect us, we can be prepared.  

Do not expect your relationships to define you.  Do nothing that denies your beautiful feminine self, but honor the masculine within as well.  You may find you are tempted to defend self, unnecessarily, that would create more chaos in your life.  During this time, be acutely willing to say, "NO!"  Discover and spend time with why you might feel defensive and why you might want to be more aggressive.  

Topmost, remember that you own your own power, decisions and outcomes.  You are safe as long as you protect self.  It is not "us versus them" and be sure to honor all aspects of self as Artemis begins to enter with her powerful influence.

I had a sense of where I wanted to go with this art journal page.  I had drawn a face some months ago and never used her so I used her now.  

I did under painting of bright yellow and blue.

Then went into the face and got some shaping and depth to that.  I added feather ephemera and stamped a star on her forehead and in the background to balance things.  

Celebrate yourself today.  Celebrate the women friends and family in your life.  Celebrate the men and the masculine in our lives.  Blessed Be!

©Carol Desjarlais 3.8.20