CHILDREN
The Artemis woman is hardly an Earth-Mother type—and being
pregnant or nursing a baby will not fulfill her. In fact, pregnancy
may be repugnant to the Artemis woman who likes having an ath-
letic, graceful, or boyish figure. She doesn’t feel a strong instinctual
pull to be a mother (for this, Demeter must be present). Yet she likes
children.
When an Artemis woman has children of her own, she is often a
good mother—like the female bear, which is her symbol. She is the
kind of mother who fosters independence, who teaches her young
how to fend for themselves and yet who can be ferocious in their
defense. Some children of Artemis women are convinced that their
mothers would fight to the death for them.
Artemis women are comfortable not having children of their own,
putting their particular kind of mothering energy—which can be
like that of a youthful aunt—to use with other people’s children.
Being Girl Scout counselors, stepmothers, or members of the “Big
Sisters of America” provide such opportunities. In these roles, they
resemble the goddess Artemis, who protected girls on the threshhold
of being women.
Artemis mothers do not look back with longing to when their
children were babies or dependent toddlers. Instead, they look for-
ward to when their children will be more independent. Active boys
or girls who like to explore find that their Artemis mothers make
enthusiastic companions. An Artemis mother is pleased when a
child comes home with a garter snake, and gladly goes camping or
skiing with her children.
But trouble brews when an Artemis woman has a dependent,
passive child. Trying to foster independence too early may, for such
children, worsen matters by increasing the clinging. The child may
feel rejected, not good enough to live up to the standards of his or
her Artemis mother.
MIDDLE YEARS
An Artemis woman between the ages of thirty-five and fifty-five
may find herself in a midlife crisis if she does not
Goddesses in Everywoman