Selene, Moon Goddess

SELENE, GODDESS OF THE FULL MOON

By DebrahAnna aka Cheyannah~Selene

The moon has always given people a feeling of mystery, filled with thoughts of magickal spells, enchantment and that emotion known as love. Also, the Moon has always been one of the most important symbols of the Goddess.

The full moon usually appears approximaly 14 days after the new moon, although it's energy is thought to last from about three days before the actual full moon to about three days after, and it is associated with the Mother Goddesses, including Danu, Ceridwen, Gaia, Aphrodite and Isis. It is after the first quarter of the Moon that she is seen as a pregnant woman, growing rounder and rounder every day, until she becomes the true full moon; and it is then that she becomes asociated with Selene and Luna, nurturing, passiate, and healing with a strength and power to manifest goals and bring matters to fruition.

That shining sphere, beaming so softly, sending rays of magickal light down to Earth, sets a mood, inspiring lovers and breathing creativity into poets, leaving them no alternative but to write praises to her mysterious beauty. The Moon is nothing short of miraculous. She shows herself in many aspects, and when the time comes that she appears full, she is known by her name as Goddess of the full Moon; that name is Selene.

Selene was the Greek Goddess of the Full Moon and of Solutions. She was known as the second aspect of the Moon; the full moon, representing the lover and bride. If someone had a problem, it was Selene that he would turn to, and she would show him the logical solution to his problem.

Selene was the daughter of the God Hyperion and the Goddess Theia. Her brother was Helios, the God of the Sun, and Eos, her sister, was the Goddess of the Dawn.

Since Selene was a Moon Goddess and Helios, her brother, the Sun God, they were often associated with Apollo and Artemis, because they were healers, and thus worshipping them seemed the logical way to prevent diseases or death.

Selene was known as a great beauty, just as the Moon was so very beautiful. Homer, in his Hymn to Selene 2, described Selene, the Moon: "From her immortal head a radiance is shown from heaven and embraces earth; and great is the beauty that arises from her shining light."

Selene has been envisioned as a beautiful adult woman, wearing a golden crown, appearing gentle, quiet and secure in the knowledge of her power.

Another account shows her wearing silver robes and wings, made from a fabric that reflects the rays of the moonlight; on her forehead sits a silver crown shaped like a crescent, turning it's point upward toward the heavens, and when she is seen travelling, it is in her chariot, drawn by two beautiful white horses.

There were many loves in Selene's life. She was wooed and won by Zeus and by Pan, the woodland God, who was very much in love with her; but the story that is most well known is recounted in the Homeric Hymn to Selene and her beloved Endymion, who lies in eternal sleep.

The Homeric Hymn tells of how Selene fell in love with King Endymion of Elis, an extremely handsome man, who was given a chance by Zeus to become immortal. In order to do that, though, he had to remain eternally asleep. Selene showed her love by visiting Endymion nightly while he slept.

Mystery, love, nurturing, and pregnancy all belong to the full moon. Selene cares for it, for she is a part of it, living for the time when she can once again shine so brightly, her moonbeams dancing gleefully, lighting up the evening sky. I think everyone feels the magick of a Full Moon, when things just seem to happen for no known reason. But we know better, don't we; for we know it is Selene, sending out her warm passionate nature for all to share.