The Artemisian in Review

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Dec 30, 2024

Diana the Huntress | 19th-Century Works of Art | 2022 | Sotheby's — **Diana hunting** by Guillaume Seignac

As I stand on the threshold of the New Year, I look back at these last twelve months with gratitude. I’ve felt more heartened and excited about this work than ever before. Over 2500 readers have joined in that time and a vibrant members community gathers each month to learn and practice together1. I am blessed to write and teach on the subjects that inspire me, to have an audience of like-minded fellows who are curious to explore the nature of the psyche and its archetypal manifestations.

Of course, the path has been uncertain at times, as if the viability of it all was hanging by a thread. One of the greatest lessons I learned was that this oscillation between movement and inertia, growth and destruction, is part of the core fabric of the creative matrix. I think this lesson resonated with you all as well, for I wrote about it in my article, Ouroboros: The Rhythm of Creation, which was the most popular post of the year.

As is typical on the creative path, I often find myself reflecting on the process, how things are going, where I need to adjust, how sustainable things feel. Like clockwork, momentum and excitement crumble in the face of uncertainty and burnout. It is a crucible unlike any other, requiring constant adjustment to an unfolding, completely uncharted map.
Do I have the resiliency and necessary resources to navigate this unknown territory? If I’m being honest, I don’t always know, and a sense of futility usually follows. But just as this depressive reality seems to take hold, something begins to shift. There’s a change in the wind, once more the creative sails are full, and I am back on course. Sometimes I wonder…is this the pulsing lifeblood of creation? Will I always be subject to this ebb and flow?
— Excerpt from Ouroboros: The Rhythm of Creation

The Artemisian is one part of a greater constellation of my vocation. The first inklings of its possibility came to me years ago. I was working a normal 9-5, begrudgingly climbing my way up the corporate ladder, struggling against the soulless grind of the day to day. I wanted to break free, to chase a calling that was vaguely formed in mind. The lure grew stronger, the image became clearer, and without much hesitation, I jumped into the unknown led by the guiding star within.

I came to understand this as an impression formed within the unconscious, transmitted via the intuitive function which colors my psychological reality. The purpose or end goal of these intuitions weren’t always clear, but I could feel the gravity of what I was interacting with. Perhaps I was in the grip of its orbit, each of my steps destined to be.

For me, the realm of intuition has been paramount. Like Jung mentions in the quote above, I revel in this garden of magical possibility. It has always felt more real than anything I can touch or see. Examining my life thus far, I can trace how each major path I chose to embark upon was led by this guiding force. And in the everyday, I sense its presence by the subtle whispers and images that dance through my psyche.
— Excerpt from Intuition and the Bridge of Perception

I strove to further contextualize my inner dynamics and experiences against a framework of understanding. In many ways, the work began with myself — a yearning to make sense of my vivid dreams or an answer for why I felt resonance with ancient myths. What was the link between these aspects? How could I hold the mystery of the spiritual depth that I sensed while uncovering its psychological meaning?

I found answers in the systems I was drawn to — tarot, alchemy, mythology, dreams — each expressing the curiosities of the psyche, the beauty and the sorrows of being human, through symbol and image. Many of these traditions have lingered long in the darkness of modernity, cast to the shadows as irrational relics of a bygone era. But I felt the richness, the way it shifted and moved the tides within. I learned their language and insights began to unfold. A synergy arose when I paired these practices with a psychological point of view (drawn heavily from my studies in Jungian theory).

Could others find this approach as exciting and powerful as I did?

What’s fascinating about this technique is that nearly anything can be used for divinatory purposes — reading tea leaves, interpreting cloud shapes, scrying in a mirror, tossing bones. The medium is not what’s important, but rather, the state of mind it moves us into. It turns the waking world into a dream-like state where seemingly mundane objects carry symbolic significance. Our engagement with these symbols unlocks meaning from the depths and connects us to the psyche’s instinctual frameworks.
Thus, I see divination as the art of activating the archetypal psyche and interpreting its forms. This process serves as a catalyst, energizing and drawing up unconscious knowledge. We project insights that emerge onto the mediums we interact with—the clouds, the bones, the tea leaves—and the stream of understanding carries the same numinous quality that all unconscious contents possess. It’s why the process feels divine, holy, magical.
— Excerpt from Divination: The Art of Reading Archetypal Forms

It began with casual meetups at my local coffee shop. I remember how my stomach knotted in anticipation, certain that no one would show up. Amazingly, over 20 came, and our small gatherings slowly evolved into more formal venues. I taught the patterns and structures of the tarot, ways to interpret dreams, how to uncover meaning in mythologies and fairytales. The more I immersed myself in this weaving of interests—archetypal modalities and their psychological foundations—the more I felt a sense of grounding within. This was my art; this was how I channeled the great voice of creation.

Eventually, the work moved online, from social media posts to podcast episodes, and then long-form writing. The Artemisian was born. By the grace of the Fates, you have found your way here too. Each comment, every class participant adds their own essence to the central fire we are tending together. I am deeply grateful for the journey so far, for what has been and for all that is yet to come.

Thank you for all your support,
~Alyssa