Only a fool would follow, so I gave chase.
Driven by insanity, or was it to insanity, I became lost in a crazy wooded maze. In my confusion, I questioned: Who's chasing who? Or is this a hunt? Or a trap?
Artemis enjoys the hunt and this calls out to many a hunter. Never catching or being caught, they run like madmen in the woods. Lost forever in an endless pursuit of the untouchable maiden. Fun and folly for Artemis, a game of tease -- she laughs.
Only women can follow this path and survive to tell the tale. It was the only chance I had, the only leg to stand on.
Terror filled my heart as I realized it was I that was being led into the insanities found in the woods during a full moon night.
Shadows came to life as I watched from a distance. Animals of all sorts became part of this dance. Glowing eyes and guttural growls -- what was she doing? Feeding her young? Caring for her own? This was love, Artemis love. Filled with the passion, care and protection found only among animals.
She looked human yet was as agile as any animal. Her instincts were unbridled. She looked in the direction of where I stood and began the chase once more. Where was she going?
With legs outstretched, she ran like a deer: long, graceful strides. I couldn't keep up. What was I to do?
I got glimpses of her white tunic blowing in the wind. Then again, maybe it was the moon reflecting over the horizon. I just wasn't sure.
Mountains surrounded me as did the shadows. Things called out to me, reaching from unknown places. I continued to follow.
Exhausted, I stumbled in an attempt to jump over a rock in the path. I landed in a clearing. The moon was full, and the night was clear. The ocean lay before me. Its stillness made the water look like a sheet of ice. Moonbeams reflected onto it, making a clear path to the horizon. On the horizon was a bed of stars filled with wishes and dreams for the taking. As I walked along the sandy white beach, I saw sand crabs scurrying about in search of food. I paused for a moment and watched in delight.
Stepping back to avoid scaring the little fellas, I stepped onto the moonbeam path. Surprised by its solidity, I turned around to see where I stood. Out across the water, I saw the surging of a wave. It looked more like a hand motioning for me to come hither.
Cautiously, I stepped forward. With each step, I became more confident that I was actually walking on a solid path. Out of curiosity, I carefully slipped a toe over the edge. It dipped down into the icy cold water. A dolphin surged up and caressed my toes as a manatee floated alongside the path.
I got glimpses of a woman or maybe it was a fish undulating under water, traveling at a fast speed. Too fast for me to see with clarity.
I followed the moonbeam in a dreamlike state. Nothing seemed real, yet the intensity of my experience seemed more real than anything I had ever encountered before.
I saw dolphins, manatees, seals and whales. They frolicked and played under the moon's light in celebration. The woman turned fish came forward again, and in my mind's eye I saw a mermaid, with hair of seaweed, black as night yet as green as the forest. Her scales were more colorful than a rainbow, resonating deep translucent colors unknown to human eyes.
I just kept walking. And when I got to the horizon, there they were, dangling their feet over the edge, Aphrodite and Artemis, laughing and playing.
I watched from a distance as I could not get any closer. Their voices were like music to my ears.
I observed them feeding each other what looked like grapes. They would rub these delicate fruits over each other's bodies. Then they would bring the fruit to the other's mouth and with a kiss they shared the food between them.
Now I understood the celebration that was taking place in the wood and sea that night. And as a woman, I have lived to tell the story. But also as a woman, I keep their secrets. The mysteries that exists between Aphrodite and Artemis.
Donna M. Pinkston MA is a mental health counselor in private practice. She blends traditional modes of therapy with various mystical, magickal, New Age and pagan philosophies and practices. She can be reached at (206) 726-2808. See the ad titled "Works Like Magick."
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