Human Parts

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Praise Her

A Goddess for Cultivating Independence and Sisterhood

Artemis helps us overcome relationship anxiety and reconnect with our sisters

Lisa Marie Rankin
Human Parts
Published in
7 min readMay 1, 2019

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Illustration: Cat Finnie

WWhat if we could set our sights on a goal and achieve it without distraction? What if we nurtured our friendships as we did our romantic relationships? What if we relied on ourselves for love and self-worth instead of asking others for validation?

We can call on the goddess Artemis to invoke focus, independence, and confidence. Artemis shows us that we can handle whatever comes our way with clear, calm determination.

The story of Artemis

Artemis is the goddess of the hunt and the moon. She is considered the protector of women, adolescent girls, and animals. The daughter of Zeus and his mistress Leto (a female Titan), Artemis’ twin brother, Apollo, is the god of the sun. Born first, Artemis helped her mother through Apollo’s long and painful delivery, the result of a curse that Hera, Zeus’ spurned wife, placed on Leto. Thus, we also call upon Artemis to help in matters of childbirth and fertility.

When Artemis was just three years old, she asked Zeus for a pack of bows and arrows, a group of woodland nymphs with whom to roam the forests, a short tunic in which to run, and eternal chastity. In Greek mythology, Artemis is categorized as a virgin goddess. In this context, “virgin” doesn’t necessarily mean never having had sexual intercourse; rather, it represents a woman who is “one in herself,” not owned or influenced by a man. Artemis was a virgin in both senses.

Though the Artemis woman relishes her solitude, she connects easily with other women and often acts as their protector and advocate.

As with all of the virgin Greek goddesses, Artemis is focused, confident, and assertive. Her decisions are not influenced by a desire for partnership or children. She knows what she wants and pursues it diligently.

Artemis can be very competitive. In one version of the myth, she accidentally kills her love interest, Orion, after Apollo goads her into shooting an object far out in the sea. Always up…

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Lisa Marie Rankin
Lisa Marie Rankin

Written by Lisa Marie Rankin

Heal your body and enliven your spirit through Divine Feminine practices and principles to thrive in all realms of life. lisamarierankin.com/waitlist-enlivened

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