For Artemis
Artemis, your bow is my will, the will of the magician,
your arrow the sending of that will out into the universe.
My intent is in the tightening of your bow;
my action is in the firing of your arrow.
And so I shoot my will, your will, others' will,
out beyond myself, to gain life of its own:
I fire the will
that women can live as equals with men in all societies,
that women can choose to remain independent from men if they so desire
(as you chose),
that women can help one another as you helped those women whose paths
differed from yours,
aiding them in marriage, childbirth,
easing physical pain with herbs,
easing the emotional pain of rape or other degradation with action.
Artemis, guide us
to see ourselves and everyone else as equals,
to relearn the wisdom of the old days,
to make conscious choices,
to remember the value to be had in solitude and silence,
to help and protect the young and the weak and
to carry out swift justice against those who take advantage of them,
to aid in healing when necessary, be it physical or emotional,
to kill off that which is no longer necessary, yet know when to stop
killing.
--Ashley Ravenwood 9/9/96
