The religion of self plays in as the foundational god to whom pagan pantheons provide excuses for one's own appeasement. And now in the name of self, our humanity released, we can assume the throne of heaven and get on with the job of rationalizing morality for the sake of comfort. At this point, the hypocrisy of human nature and its sad ramifications become all too obvious. The same goddess thus offers protection and also death to women, children, and animals. She encourages us to become more aware of the power of death, its inescapable nature, and its necessary role in a living ecology.
Abortion is about love, life, and death.
The collective unconscious has always used different ways to reduce the population when resources and space are lacking or when the social climate deteriorates. Since abortion is a kind of sacrifice, I believe an exploration of this myth may open up fresh avenues of thought. Artemis, who personifies respect for animal life, accepts the necessity of the hunt, but only if the rules and the absolving rituals are observed. In most Goddess religions a similar reasoning is applied to the fetus and the newborn. Our attitudes toward abortion are subconsciously stamped by Judeo-Christian values, even among those people who consider themselves completely liberated from them.