SELENE

Book of the Goddess, by Anna Livia Plurabelle, [© 2002 Anna Livia Plurabelle, All rights reserved], at sacred-texts.com

I.

The gleaming stars all about the shining moon
Hide their bright faces, when full-orbed and splendid
In the sky she floats, flooding the shadowed earth
With clear silver light.

Now rose the moon, full and silver,
While round stood the maidens, as at a shrine.
Thus sometimes, the women, tender footed,
Dance in measure round the fair altar,
Crushing the fine bloom of the grass.

Come hither moon goddess, Selene, come,
And in golden goblets pour richest nectar
All mixed in most ethereal perfection,
Thus to delight us.

III.

This many are the days
Since our moon mother
Yonder in the west
Appeared, still small;
When but a short space yet remained
Till she was fully grown,
This many days we have waited.
We have come to the appointed time.
My children,
All my children,
Will make offerings.
My mother, moon,
All my children will clothe you with offerings.
When you have arrayed yourselves in these,
With your waters,
Your seeds
You will bless all my children.
All your good fortune
You will grant to them all.
To this end, My mother:
May I finish my road;
May I grow old;
May you bless me with life.

IV.

Sweet voiced Muses, daughters of the Goddess,
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 arises 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, shining team,
Drives on her long-maned horses at full speed,
At eventide 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 women.
Hail, white-armed goddess, bright Selene,
Mild, bright-tressed queen!

V.

Lovely Goddess of the bow!
Lovely Goddess of the arrows!
Of all hounds and of all hunting
Thou who wakest in starry heaven
When the sun is sunk in slumber
Thou with moon upon they forehead,
Who the chase by night preferrest
Unto hunting in the daylight,
With thy nymphs unto the music
Of the horn--thyself the huntress,
And most powerful: I pray thee
Think, although but for an instant,
Upon us who pray unto thee!

VI.

"Luna! Diana! Selene!
Queen of all enchantresses
And of the dark night,
And of all nature,
Of the stars and of the moon,
And of all fate or fortune!
Thou who rulest the tide,
Who shinest by night on the sea,
Casting light upon the waters;
Thou who art mistress of the ocean
In thy boat made like a crescent,
Crescent moon-bark brightly gleaming,
Ever smiling high in heaven,
Sailing too on earth, reflected
In the ocean, on its water;
We implore thee give this sleeper,
Give unto this good woman
The great gift of understanding
What all creatures say while talking!"

VI.

O Selene, who brought me from the rest of last night
Unto the joyous light of this day,
Be Thou bringing me from the new light of this day
Unto the guiding light of eternity.
Oh! from the new light of this day
Unto the guiding light of eternity.

VII.

In name of the Holy Spirit of the Goddess,
In name of the Mother of the Grove of peace,
In name of Persephone who took death off us,
Oh! in name of the Three who shield us in every need,
If well thou hast found us tonight,
Seven times better may thou leave us without harm,
Thou bright white Moon of the seasons,
Bright white Moon of the seasons.

VIII.

Beauteous fair one of grace
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Beauteous guidant of the sky;
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Beauteous fair one of grace.
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Beauteous guidant of the stars;
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Beauteous loved one of my heart.
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Beauteous guidant of the clouds;
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Beauteous dear one of the heavens!

IX.

She of my love is the new moon,
The Goddess of life illumining her;
Be mine a good purpose
Towards each creature in the creation.
Be my prayer, O Goddess,
In accord with Thy sanctifying;
Be my heart, O Goddess,
In accord with Thy loving care.
Be my deed on land
In accord with Thy satisfying;
Be my wish on sea
In accord with Thy directing.
Be my hope on high
In accord with Thy requiring;
Be my purpose below
In accord with Thy satisfying.
Let my desire, O Goddess,
Seek after Thy repose;
Be my rest, O Goddess,
With Thy tranquillity.

X.

Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Guiding jewel of gentleness!
I am bending to thee my knee,
I am offering thee my love.
I am bending to thee my knee,
I am giving thee my hand,
I am lifting to thee mine eye,
O new moon of the seasons.
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Joyful maiden of my love!
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Joyful maiden of the graces!
Thou art travelling in thy course,
Thou art steering the full tides;
Thou art illuming to us thy face,
O new moon of the seasons.
Thou queen-maiden of guidance,
Thou queen-maiden of good fortune,
Thou queen-maiden my beloved,
Thou new moon of the seasons!

When I see the new moon,
It becomes me to lift mine eye,
It becomes me to bend my knee,
It becomes me to bow my head,
Giving thee praise, thou moon of guidance,
That I have seen thee again,
That I have seen the new moon,
The lovely leader of the way.
Many a one has passed beyond
In the time between the two moons,
Though I am still enjoying earth,
Thou moon of moons and of blessings!

When I see the new moon,
It becomes me to say my rune;
It becomes me to praise the Being of life
For Her kindness and Her goodness;
Seeing how many have gone hence
Over the black river of the abyss,
Since last thy countenance shone on me,
Thou new moon of the heavens!

I am lifting to thee my hands,
I am bowing to thee my head,
I am giving thee my love,
Thou glorious jewel of all the ages.
I am raising to thee mine eye,
I am bending to thee my head,
I am offering thee my love,
Thou new moon of all the ages!
There, see, the new moon,
The Queen of life blessing her;
Fragrant be every night
Whereon she shall shine!
Be her luster full
To each one in need;
Be her course complete
To each one beset.
Be her light above
With every one in straits;
Be her guidance below
With every one in need.
May the moon of moons
Be coming through thick clouds
On me and on every one
Coming through dark tears.
May the Goddesses' hand on me dwell
In every strait that me befalls,
Now and till the hour of my death,
And till the day of my resurrection.

XI.

Hail unto thee,
Jewel of the night!
Beauty of the heavens,
Jewel of the night!
Mother of the stars,
Jewel of the night!
Fosterling of the sun,
Jewel of the night!
Majesty of the stars,
Jewel of the night!
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Jewel of guidance in the night!
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Jewel of guidance on the billows!
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Jewel of guidance on the ocean!
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Jewel of guidance of the virtues!
Hail to thee, thou new moon,
Jewel of guidance of my love!
Thou jewel of heaven!
May thy light be fair to me!
May thy course be smooth to me!
If good to me is thy beginning,
Seven times better be thine end,
Thou fair moon of the seasons,
Thou great lamp of grace!
She Who created thee
Created me likewise;
She Who gave thee weight and light
Gave to me life and death,
And the joy of the seven satisfactions,
Thou great lamp of grace,
Thou fair moon of the seasons.