22 December 2008

Goddess Of The Hunt: Artemis

My fascination with Greek mythology has accompanied me for years. My favorite was always Athena. To me, she embodied female strength and courage and wisdom - three qualities I always wanted to have. Artemis, however, was the one deity of the entire pantheon that I ignored. She liked to hunt and she shunned men; two areas in which I was her polar opposite.

Until recently, when I purchased the book "The Goddess Pages" by Laurie Sue Brockway. The book introduces thirty-six goddesses from faiths and traditions around the world. Each goddess can be called upon for their unique strengths, and the reader is provided with activities and meditations to utilize the awesome power of that goddess. If you want to love yourself and draw others to you, you would naturally ask Venus/Aphrodite for assistance. Evoke the essence of the Greek goddess Nike should you need help achieving victories. And so on and so forth.

The table of contents proved to be an interesting read until I came to "Artemis: Pursue Your Career Goals". Because of my recent job discontent, pursuing career goals has taken a top priority. This section of the book nearly jumped right out at me. Upon reading this chapter, I discovered how much Artemis has to offer me, right now, at this point in my life.

Artemis is known as the goddess of the hunt, as well as an excellent marksman. She could be very cruel to animals and humans who stood in her way, and she represents the idea of aiming high, taking risks, and being true to one's self. She was a self-reliant virgin goddess, and made it very clear she did not need or desire the company of men, especially when in pursuit of her lofty goals.

Artemis has skills I would find valuable, no doubt, as I am a hunter as well. I am hunting a new job and a chance to find my true career calling. To obtain her prey, a skilled hunter must also have focus, a skill particularly useful in today’s world. Artemis is the ultimate embodiment of an independent, confident, powerful woman who is not afraid of doing and being what she loves.

The book then continues on with some easy methods one could use to call upon Artemis's help in this certain area of life. However, the words at the end of the section especially rang true with me. In order to embrace that which Artemis has to offer, remember that she is focus and action personified. She does not complain when she misses her target; she does not whine about how tired and stressed she is. She focuses on her task at hand and actively strives for a solution. It's no small coincidence she's well-known for hitting every target she ever set her sights on.

I think this is a wonderful revelation. Staying focused, not complaining, and maintaining positive, forward action are important keys to professional success, ones I look to implement in my career decisions in the months to come.

No comments:

Post a Comment