Selene
Goddess
of the Moon
Selene
is the Greek Goddess of the
Moon, often thought to represent the mother Goddess aspect of the
triple
Goddess. She is represented by the full moon and often displayed with a
crescent on her head driving a white chariot pulled by white horses. The etymology of Selene is uncertain, but the
name is probably from the Greek “selas” meaning “light.”
She is thought to have been largely
supplanted by Artemis.
"To
Selene (Moon), Fumigation from Aromatics. Hear,
goddess queen (thea basileia), diffusing silver light, bull-horned, and
wandering through the gloom of night. With stars surrounded, and with
circuit
wide night’s torch extending, through the heavens you ride: female and
male,
with silvery rays you shine, and now full-orbed, now tending to
decline. Mother
of ages, fruit-producing Mene (Moon), whose amber orb makes night’s
reflected
noon: lover of horses, splendid queen of night, all-seeing power,
bedecked with
starry light, lover of vigilance, the foe of strife, in peace
rejoicing, and a
prudent life: fair lamp of night, its ornament and friend, who givest
to
nature’s works their destined end. Queen of the stars, all-wise
Goddess, hail!
Decked with a graceful robe and amble veil. Come, blessed Goddess,
prudent,
starry, bright, come, moony-lamp, with chaste and splendid light, shine
on
these sacred rites with prosperous rays, and pleased accept thy
suppliants’
mystic praise."
- Orphic
Hymn 9 to Selene
Source:
Sacred Source
Selene
is a “pre-Olympian” Goddess thought to be the daughter of
the Titans Hyperion and Theia, sister of Helios and Eos. However, some
sources
also credit her as being the daughter of Hyperion by Eurphaessa, or of
Pallas,
or of Zues and Latona. She is also sometimes called Phoebe, as the
sister of
Phoebus the God of the Sun. She is known
for her many love affairs, the most famous of which is with the mortal
Endymion. Unfortunately, Endymion could not live forever and Selene
could not
bear the thought of living without him. So, according to one version of
the
myth, Selene asked Zeus to place Endymion in an eternal sleep so Selene
could
visit him nightly. The union of the two produced over fifty daughters.
"Rising
from the distant east, the Lady Selene (Moon), Titanian goddess, saw
the girl
[Medea the witch] wandering distraught, and in wicked glee said to
herself: ‘So
I am not the only one to go astray for love, I that burn for beautiful
Endymion
and seek him in the Latmian cave. How many times, when I was bent on
love, have
you disorbed me with your incantations, making the night moonless so
that you
might practise your beloved witchcraft undisturbed! And now you are as
lovesick
as myself. The little god of mischief has given you Jason, and many a
heartache
with him. Well, go your way; but clever as you are, steel yourself now
to face
a life of sighs and misery.’ So said Selene." - Apollonius
Rhodius,
Argonautica 4.55
Source: Sacred
Source
Poem
to Selene
The
following is an original poem to Selene.
Oh,
Lady Moon
Mother
of the Night
Your
Beauty astounds the Heavens
Your
light exceeds the Stars
Oh,
Lady Moon
Mother
of the Night
Your
face glows with the sparkle of Inspiration
You
are the Muse
Oh,
Lady Moon
Mother
of the Night
Your
exquisite eyes shimmer with Divine Light
In
them I see all that is possible
Oh,
Lady Moon
Mother
of the Night
Your
robes glow with the light of Creation
You
are an eternal source of Bliss
Oh,
Lady Moon
Mother
of the Night
Spread
you lily white wings over the Earth
You
bring the warmth of the Moon as you wrap us in your embrace
Oh,
Lady Moon
Mother
of the Night
Harmony
and Tranquility drop from your hands-
Pearls
to coat the Earth in morning dew
Oh,
Lady Moon
Mother
of the Night
You
bring the Peace of the Moon to settle the Earth in Tranquil
Slumber
Your
radiance shines over us.
Oh,
Lady Moon
Mother
of the Night
Goddess
of Cycles, Goddess of Women
You
give life to the sea through the tides
You
create new life in women through your motherly influence
Oh,
Lady Moon
Mother
of the Night
You
bring light to the darkness
Please
bring your light to me
Oh
Lady Moon
Mother
of the Night
Illuminate
my dreams
Let
me see the course I should follow
Protect
and enhance me as I travel my path
Ritual
to
Selene
Selene
is associated with Monday
and the colors silver and white. She was worshiped on the days of full
and new
moons. Although often thought of as peaceful and romantic by poets,
Selene is
also thought to represent all of life’s cycles, as well as, logic and
solutions. So perform this ritual to ask for Selene’s help to bring a
logical
answer to a problem you would like to solve or for guidance in handling
a
difficult situation. In keeping with the original honoring of Selene,
perform
this ritual on a new moon as a way to begin anew without the weight of
your problem
or situation. Invite peace and tranquility in.
Materials:
Use
one white candle for the
moon goddess, purple candles for
inspiration and creativity, and yellow
candles for logic and wisdom. If you want to use
incense, jasmine, sandalwood, gardenia, or winter
fresh are good choices.
Have
a piece of paper and a pen to
write down your problem /situation during the ritual or, alternatively,
you can
scratch a few words to describe your problem /situation into a candle
(or
candles) and allow it (them) to burn completely. I also like to have my
journal
with me to record my thoughts.
Circle:
Create your sacred space as
you normally do and light the candles. If you can do this ritual
outdoors under
the moonlight, that would be preferable. If not, sit near a window so
the rays
of the moon can shine upon you.
Body
of Ritual: Spend
a
few minutes mediating on your problem or situation. Visualize your
spirit
floating above your body as Selene floats above us all in the night sky. Look down upon yourself and see how your
problem/situation is negatively affecting you. Visualize your peace and
tranquility coming over your body. Visualize your spirit returning to
your body
bringing with it the strength to overcome. Finish with a few positive
affirmations and then burn the piece of paper with your
problem/situation or
watch the candles burn down. Close circle.
“May
Selene bring you answers during the Night.”
“And
next, sweet voiced Muses, daughters of Zeus, well-skilled in song, tell
of the
long-winged Moon. From her immortal head a radiance is shown from
heaven and
embraces earth; and great is the beauty that ariseth from her shining
light.
The air, unlit before, glows with the light of her golden crown, and
her rays
beam clear, whensoever bright Selene having bathed her lovely body in
the
waters of Ocean, and donned her far-gleaming raiment, and yoked her
strong-necked, shining team, drives on her long-maned horses at full
speed, at
eventime in the mid-month: then her great orbit is full and then her
beams
shine brightest as she increases. So she is a sure token and a sign to
mortal
men. Once the Son of Cronos was joined with her in love; and she
conceived and
bare a daughter Pandia, exceeding lovely
amongst the deathless
gods. Hail, white-armed goddess, bright Selene, mild,
bright-tressed queen! And now I
will leave you and sing the glories of men half-divine, whose deeds
minstrels,
the servants of the Muses, celebrate with lovely lips.” -Homeric
Hymns 32 (ed. Hugh G.
Evelyn-White)
Sources:
http://www.thewhitegoddess.co.uk/goddess/selene.html
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/ptext?lookup=HH+32+1
http://www.theoi.com/Titan/Selene.html
Copyright Luminescent Moon 2006