9. Εἰς Σελήνην, θυμίαμα ἀρώματα.
To Selene
Divine connection: aromatics
Κλῦθι, θεὰ βασίλεια, φαεσφόρε, δῖα Σελήνη,
I call the light-bearing Goddess, Queen[1] Selene[2],
ταυρόκερως Μήνη, νυκτιδρόμε, ἠεροφοῖτι,
Bull-horned[3] Moon, roaming each night through the sky[4],
ἐννυχία, δαιδοῦχε, κόρη, εὐάστερε, Μήνη,
Night’s torchbearing daughter, beautiful, celestial Moon.
αὐξομένη καὶ λειπομένη, θῆλύς τε καὶ ἄρσην,
Growing and waning in power, female, and also male,
αὐγάστειρα, φίλιππε, χρόνου μῆτερ, φερέκαρπε,
Starry light, lover of horses, Mother of time, bringing fruition[5].
ἠλεκτρίς, βαρύθυμε, καταυγάστειρα, νυχία,
Electric amber[6] deep-seated power, pure starry light of night,
πανδερκής, φιλάγρυπνε, καλοῖς ἄστροισι βρύουσα,
All-seeing, fond of the sleepless, beautiful, astral, swollen,
ἡσυχίηι χαίρουσα καὶ εὐφρόνηι ὀλβιομοίρωι,
Silently charming and wise, bestow a whole life fate.
λαμπετίη, χαριδῶτι, τελεσφόρε, νυκτὸς ἄγαλμα,
Joy-giving lamplight, fulfilling night’s glory,
ἀστράρχη, τανύπεπλ', ἑλικοδρόμε, πάνσοφε κούρη,
Astral foundation, with a long-robed, twining course, all-wise Daughter,
ἐλθέ, μάκαιρ', εὔφρων, εὐάστερε, φέγγεϊ τρισσῶι
Come, blessed, wise, starry three-fold[7] light,
λαμπομένη, σῴζουσα νέους ἱκέτας σέο κούρη.
Lamplit power, Savior of these new suppliants, thou, Daughter.
[1] Basileia means ruler, Queen, the “basis.”
[2] Selene may be translated as “synchronized (Σ) + Hellenes (ελήνη)” because the new crescent moon (aka month) synchronized the calendar (aka kalends) of the Hellenic world.
[3] The moon is called bull-horned because it resembles horns in its waxing and waning phases.
Moon can be literally translated as medium (Μ) + central (ή) + tipping-point (ν) + center (η).
The 27-day moon cycle and its powers are inextricably linked to the 27-day menstrual cycle of women (from which the name menstrual is taken) and the progression of pregnancy. (It is possible that there is also a link to the 27-letter Greek alphabet, comprised of letters that correspond to the numbers 1-9, 10-90, and 100-900.)
In “Eight Months Child,”Hippocrates tracks a pregnancy according to the number of moon phases. Hippocrates IX, Loeb Classical Library (ed. Henderson), p.77.
[4] The moon’s path and position vary considerably based on its phases and the seasons of the year. For a clear explanation of the moon’s varying path, see this webpage by Karen Masters: http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/legal-information/46-our-solar-system/the-moon/observing-the-moon/128-how-does-the-position-of-moonrise-and-moonset-change-intermediate
[5] Cicero writes that: "Again the moon…emits many streams of influence, which supply animal creatures with nourishment and stimulate their growth and which cause plants to flourish and attain maturity.”
Cicero, De Natura Deorum Vol. XIX, ps. 172-173 (trans. Rackham, Loeb Classical Library, 1933)
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cicero/de_Natura_Deorum/2A*.html
[6] Amber is a magnetically-charged fossil. The moon sometimes appears amber in color and has a demonstrable magnetic pull on the tides.
[7] Waxing, full, waning.