*CAUTION*The blog you are about to read shows my OWN "redneck" side... I don't consider the shooting sports and hunting to be redneck PER SE... and certainly not a white trash pursuit, as guns are usually used in only domestic disputes or pawned for a six-pack in those cases. Regardless, some people believe it to be so. The art came from my deep woods southern upbringing... which hopefully you will all understand that I was taught to be a way of life and sustainability; as well as being taught a great respect for nature and life, including the protection of my own...
Sagan is my little Artemis. She is wild and free. She is brown like a biscuit and her hair is always scattered. Her knees are scraped and her heart is full of love for the animals and nature. She is stealth and observant. She runs with the wolves (or wildcats as the case may be) and feeds the seagulls. She inspects the insects, she protests injustice and is genuinely concerned about global warming.
She takes archery class, which she LOVES and is GOOD at.
I gave her a pocket knife when we first started this adventure. She uses it often.
Today she asked me to teach her to shoot. *hearts*
We used my Daisy single shot pellet gun for this job. I was 6 when my big brother bought me one, she's now 10, but not a minute to late on her "lessons". She asked, therefore, it was time.
I went over the basic points of safety and mechanics. I showed her how to aim and shoot her target. I modeled the action.
Sagan loaded a pellet, pumped 5 times, aimed, squeezed the trigger and.... DING!!! One shot, one kill. Wow. My daughter takes after ME!!!! Second load, aim... DING! Right on! Every single shot made it's mark. She's better than me. I am proud of her talents. I will not worry for her in this world, seems she's going to be alright. :-)
Artemis...Goddess of the Moon 
The Moon is the celestial Mother
I am daughter of the Moon
Devoted to Artemis.
My blood is Amazon
My life is Amazon.
Servant to my Nation
and to my Sisters.
I am daughter of the Moon.
jasacco
Artemis did not consort with or bow to the rule of men.
Artemis-Moon Goddess
Artemis is one of the principle Goddesses of Greek mythology. She was the daughter of the God Zeus and Leto. She was chief hunter to the Gods and Goddesses.
Goddess of hunting and wild animals especially bears.
Artemis was also the Goddess of childbirth, of nature, and of the harvest. As the Moon Goddess, she was sometimes identified with the Goddess Selene and Hectate.
Artemis was a Virgin Huntress; the Greeks called her the Huntress of Souls. She protected the wild places and animals; to her was known the deep places in Nature where one could rest and regain strength. Violence for itself was abhorrent to her, yet she was swift to deal out punishment to offenders, especially those who threatened or harrassed women.
The Amazonian Moon Goddess, she was worshiped at Ephesus, her entire torso covered with nurturing breasts.
Artemis' bow is symbolic of both the crescent Moon as well as of inner self-esteem, of an exquisitely tuned inner tension.
Artemis swore an oath of the Gods, swore by the beard of her father:
"I shall always be a virgin and live on summits of the great Sierras, hunting in the forests: O grant me this"
Her father nodded in approval. Now Gods and mortals call her by her thrilling name, the deer-slaying-hunter, and she is pure of marriage and erotic love.
Sappho
The Amazons were especially devoted to the Goddess of hunting, Artemis. Granted, Amazons did worship Goddesses associated with hunting and war, but many also appeared to have worshipped other Goddesses as well.
Artemis...Virgin Huntress, goddess of wild places and wild things, the Huntress, Maiden, Bear Goddess, Moon Goddess, Hunter of Souls, shape-shifter. In Ephesus she was called Dea Anna, "many-breasted", and was the patroness of nurturing, fertility, and birth. In Greece she was sculpted as tall, slim, lovely, and dressed in short tunic. Her chariot was pulled by silver stags. She roamed the forests,
mountains, and glades with her band of nymphs and hunting dogs. She acted swiftly and decisively to protect and rescue those who appealed to her for help and was quick to punish offenders .
The Amazons(Moon-women), who were loyal to Her, worshipped one aspect of Artemis(the New Moon phase). As Goddess of the Hunt, she carried a silver bow and was accompanied by a stag and her pack of hounds, the Alani. she could bring destruction but was usually benign. The sixth day of the New Moon was hers. Defender of women who were harassed or threatened by men. Acorns and wormwood were sacred to Her.
Patroness of singers, protectress of young girls, mistress of magick, sorcery, enchantment, psychic power, women's fertility, purification, sports, good weather for travelers, woodlands, the hunt, mental healing, wild animals, mountains, woodland medicines, healing.
I sing of Artemis, whose shafts are of gold, who cheers on the hounds, the pure maiden, shooter of stags, who delights in archery.....Over the shadowy hills and windy
peaks she draws her golden bow, rejoicing in the chase, and sends out grievous shafts.....when she is satisfied and has cheered her heart, this huntress who delights in arrows slackens her supple bow and goes to the great house of her dear brother Phoebus Apollo, to the rich land of Delphi, there to order the lovely Muses and Graces.
Homer
The children of Zeus and Leto, she and
Apollo were born on the
island of Delos. Both are associated with the bow. Apollo is said to use the curved bow and Artemis uses the silver bow. She is one of only three who are immune to the enchantments of Aphrodite. A friend to mortals, she dances through the countryside in her silver sandals giving her divine protection to the wild beasts, particularly the very young. She rides her silver chariot across the sky and shoots her arrows of silver Moonlight to the earth below.
Artemis' Familiars/Totem Animals
Wild animals, dog, stag, guinea fowl, hawk, quail, horse, cats, wolf, antelope, bear, bull, deer, goat, bee and unicorn.
