Artio’s Call - Artio’s Writing Den - Creative Writing Retreat
Deeply Rooted Church is organizing a writing retreat this weekend. I'm thrilled about returning to meaningful work in the clergy following my divorce. Although I have been providing tarot readings at events, I am seeking something more enduring and self-sufficient to contribute to the community. I could have simply attended an ordinary creative writing retreat, but I chose to devote these weekends to honoring a deity who unexpectedly provided me with strength and courage during my most difficult moments of leaving a past abusive relationship.
Their name is Artio, a Celtic bear deity who very little is known about. Why would I pick such an obscure deity?
Learning about Artio came as a surprise. Amidst my divorce, I found relief from the stress by taking long drives. During these spontaneous journeys, I would listen to Pagan podcasts from various sources. Honestly, I can't recall which podcast it was, as most of the ones I listen to tend to blend together. I have a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that disrupts my short-term memory when it's most inconvenient.
The main thing I recall is that a Pagan content creator was interviewing Andrew Anderson, who wrote the Pagan Portals book titled "Artio and Artaois: A Journey Towards the Celtic Bear Gods." Black bears, in particular, have always been close to my heart. Hearing about bear deities piqued my interest. What makes this deity intriguing is the limited knowledge available about them. Many Pagan deities lack complete histories due to the passage of time or the impact of monotheism on Pagan cultures. However, Artio is particularly obscure, especially when compared to well-known deities like Odin or Freya.
Not long after that, I found a gorgeous bear candle in an antique store. I couldn’t burn it - not yet - it was just too captivating to use and it inspired me to start writing.
I feel a connection with Artio because being separated from my family has left me with limited knowledge of my origins. I felt a connection to them. I promptly purchased a digital version of the book and fully engaged myself with everything related to Artio. As expected, the author had to rely heavily on comparisons with other legends to expand a full book about a deity that is mentioned by only a single line in history.
That's it, a single sentence that fully captures an entire Celtic deity, authored by... THE ROMANS in Switzerland at a location called (Muri) Berne (which, incidentally, means bear). The inscription was discovered on a bronze statue depicting a Goddess presenting a fruit to a bear. "Licinia Sabinilla" dedicated to the goddess Artioni, refers to Artaius, the male counterpart of Artio, whom the Romans equated with Mercury. Subsequently, there is mostly Unverified Personal Gnosis (UPG) surrounding the deity, which has manifested in both masculine and feminine forms, and at times appears as both or neither gender.
The following is UPG / Unverified personal gnosis - meaning this is my belief, I can’t prove it nor am I shoving it down your throat as truth.
As a writer, it made me reflect. It appears that Mercury, whom I've often relied on as Hermes, is associated with language. Often, when crafting articles or rituals, invoking Hermes has sparked my creativity, for which I am sincerely thankful.
If we are comparing Artaius to Mercury, is it possible that this was a Celtic liminal deity of communication? Is it possible that they too are associated with language, writing, stories, and communication? I want to run with this idea down a rabbit hole, come with me?
If we have a God who is largely unknown - my mind mused, wouldn’t it be fun to rewrite their meaning until more information would be found?
A God of UPG, creative writing, and meaningful communication. This is just one aspect of Artaius.
What if, similar to the bear, Artio/Artauis hibernates in the fall? When they take action, their dreams materialize, brought to life by the strength of their creativity.
Similar to the many Mother Goddesses found in various myths and stories, this bear deity can create new life through the power of its dreams. In our fall writing retreat, we are engaging in a ritual around generating creative ideas about ourselves, which will come to fruition in our spring session.
Certainly, my tendency to seemingly fabricate details about a deity's traits might be frustrating some academic Pagans. I firmly think that "intellectual individuals" hold an important role in our society. They are the custodians of records and enthusiasts of history, excelling in these areas. Nonetheless, I believe there's room for UPG and self-created elements in Paganism.
Why?
What did our ancestors do before books existed? Gathered around fires, they either shivered in the cold or perspired in the summer heat, sharing stories to impart lessons, distract themselves, and entertain one another. Through their vibrant imaginations and powerful words, storytellers brought deities like Odin, Freya, and Artio to life.
Why can’t we tell stories now? Why do the Gods need to be limited to what was written about them?
I think we should consider one thing that might advance Paganism, is igniting this creative writing energy within us all. One can access the offerings of Artio without having to fully commit to them. Artio exists to help people communicate and create life through words. Anyone who wishes to participate has open access to creativity, imagination, writing, and storytelling. That's the essence of this weekend.
I’ve got some super fun ideas to spark the imagination and with any luck, it’ll help us have some fun, get some laughs, and think about creative writing on a deeper level.
And if I’m on to something about Artio - it will help that God be remembered again. At the very least, I’ll have fun writing about them. No one has to work with Artio to tap into anything. We all have our imaginations and creativity.
Thanks for reading everyone. I look forward to seeing how this journey with writing will help transform us as Pagans together.
