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This time, we are traveling from Mesopotamia to Ancient Greece to examine the lunar trinity of Artemis, Selene, and Hecate.
Artemis, Selene, and Hecate are all goddesses from Ancient Greek mythology. Each is associated with different aspects of the moon and feminine power. Although they all relate to the moon, their personalities and duties are quite different.
Artemis, Goddess of the hunt and protector of women and children
She was a youthful and fierce goddess. Artemis, the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo, was often portrayed as a fearless, young, and independent woman with a bow and a stag.
She could be dangerous and a fearless defender of women and children, which is ironic, as all her life she remained a chaste maiden. Women in antiquity worshipped this goddess and called upon her for all kinds of women’s troubles, from infertility to unwanted pregnancies, or when children were conceived and born out of wedlock. Artemis never judged and protected them all.
Many temples all over Greece were built in her honor. But her main temple was situated in Ephesus (modern-day Turkey) and was so impressive that it counted as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.
The building work started around 550B.C. under the watchful eye of the Cretan architect Chersiphon. The main construction phase (with various interruptions) took over 200 years! But no wonder, as this vast temple was 115 meters long and 55 meters wide (roughly 377 by 180 feet). It had 127 columns, each standing about 18 meters (60 feet) tall.
The temple at Ephesus was a hub for ancient pilgrims, similar to Lourdes today and no doubt good for the local economy. Renowned artists of the time would see it as an honor to add to its glory and worked mostly for free. Only the materials were paid for by wealthy donors, one of them was the fabulously wealthy King Croesus.
Every year, there was a pompous ceremony to thank her for guiding the Greeks to victory over the Persians at Marathon (490 B.C.) The temple’s first incarnation sadly did not last too long as it was burned down in 356 BC by a man named Herostratus, who sought fame for the act of arson.
After being rebuilt, it was more impressive than ever. Its glory lasted until 262 A.D. when the temple was ultimately destroyed by the Goths. Today Ephesus is still a tourist attraction and a hugely important archaeological site. It is a shame that only a single standing column is all that remains of this once glorious temple.
Artemis symbolizes purity, nature, freedom, and feminine strength.
Selene, Goddess of the Full Moon, light and time
Selene is the personification of the moon itself. She is often depicted as a beautiful woman in her prime, driving a chariot across the sky, much like her brother, Helios, who is connected to the sun. Her beauty and luminous presence symbolize the brightness of the moon at night.
The God Pan was besotted with her, but Selene only had eyes for the mortal Endymion, a beautiful young man. But the Gods did not approve and sent Endymion to die. But he was allowed to choose his own death, and he chose eternal sleep to preserve his impeccable beauty. Selene’s love did not die with him, and she regularly visits him and gazes at his beautiful face.
Another version describes that Selene and Endymion had 50 children, counting the full moons between the Olympic Games. Officially started in 776 B.C. and most likely copied from the Minoan Bull Jumping competitions, which also took place every 50 Full Moons, Selene’s Minoan counterpart was called Pasiphae, Queen of Crete and mother of the Minotaur.
In any case, Selene is best known as the goddess of love, romance, and sexuality. Women who lost lovers and yearned to win them back would call upon Selene’s help as they did with anything else connected to love, sex, and fertility. Selene was also called to help sufferers of epilepsy, addiction, and other ‘moon-related’ ailments.
Selene symbolizes Light, Romance, Eternal Love, Infatuation, and Sexuality
Hecate, goddess of witchcraft and magic
Hecate was a powerful, mysterious goddess who ruled over magic, spells, and the boundaries between the worlds. She is often depicted holding torches or keys, symbolizing her role as a guide through darkness and her connection to the underworld. Hecate is closely tied to the darker aspects of the moon and is a protector of witches and those practicing magic. She is also associated with crossroads and transitions, both literal and metaphorical.
Despite the general bad press, Hecate was a healer, and her priestesses were skilled herbalists. This tradition lingered until the Middle Ages when ‘herb women’ were the local healthcare facilitators. The Catholic Church got rid of them and burned many innocent healers at the stake, calling them ‘witches’. The church leader’s main accusation: No woman or person, as there were also a few male healers involved, should have the power to heal; only God can do this.
Hecate symbolizes Sorcery, Magic, Healing, and Wisdom
Why is a trinity so often associated with Gods?
Many religions celebrate the Number 3, seen as a spiritual number representing balance, harmony, and the cycle of life (birth/life/death or past/present/future).
In the Celtic tradition, their triple know (triquetra symbol) is associated with the interplay of earth, water, and sky, as well as the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit. The alchemists show 3 as the number of transformation, purification, and enlightenment.
The 3 sides of the moon :
Nowadays we often refer to these 3 goddesses as Maiden- Woman -Crone.
The young, independent maiden Artemis represents the Waxing Moon
The beautiful Selene represents the Full Moon and
The old crone Hecate represents the Waning Moon followed by a short period of no moon – the New Moon.
But this is actually a rather new way of describing them, dating only back to the 1940s when the writer Robert Graves mentioned this theory. The Ancient Greeks did not categorize them in this way. But they did connect all three deities to the moon, and in their world, Artemis rules the earth, Selene the heaven, and Hecate the underworld.
Next time we will visit Isis, the Egyptian goddess of magic, healing, and fertility.
