Exciting times are heading our way this week!
The Old Farmer’s Almanac, reports there will be…..A Supermoon, Blood moon, Blue moon and an eclipse on Wednesday, January 31st, 2018. I don’t know about you but this sounds like an ominous sign or maybe the moon goddesses all over the world have something very important to tell us? Here is the link to a great article by astronomer, Bob Berman on this amazing phenomenon, A Supermoon, Blue Moon, and Lunar Eclipse on January 31 Super Blue Blood Moon Eclipse
Well, since this is a special Supermoon appearing this week, I thought it would be a nifty time to write about some of these amazing moon goddesses.
One of the most famous and well known, ancient Asia minor goddess is Hekate or Hecate.
Hekate
Hekate is a potent three-headed goddess of the moon. She is also known as a light bearer.
Hekate is Thee major moon Goddess of witchcraft. She is also known as Queen of the Crossroads. She can morph into a black dog, femme fatal or an old crone. Sometimes she may shift into a black cat if the circumstances are required.
Hekate rules the spirit world and manages the place between the veil and our earthly world. She is able to unlock these realms with her skeleton key. She was known to the Greeks as Persephone’s handmaiden, however, her origins may have come from the Carians of Anatolia. In Lagina Hekate had many cults revering her greatness. Hekate is a goddess of justice for women that have been violated, she is a wise and powerful ruler of wisdom, magic, life, vengeance, travel, and renewal. She witnesses every crime. Hekate also is a protector of dogs. She is a natural Herbalist that can heal with her herbs and incantations. Her gemstone is Black Agate.
Today, she is still honored by many pagans and witches, under a full moon.
Here are some more Super Moon Goddesses.
Chang’e also known as Chang′ O, Lady
Chang′e is a Super moon goddess that dwells in the moon according to Chinese folklore. She lives on the moon alone. Legend dictates, that she had swallows The Elixir of immortality changing her into an immortal. This transformation made her very light in weight and shefloated all the way to the moon. Her familiars are a hare that stirs up the elixir and a three-legged toad. Her husband was Yi the Archer.
Chang′e is celebrated during China’s annual moon festival or Autumn moon festival, at this time she grants folks’ wishes. Many patrons light incense and light candles to honor this powerful moon goddess. Chang’e has been the namesake of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program.
Her gemstone is Jade.
Selene
Selene is known as a Super moon goddess. She was birthed from Titans. Her name means ‘light,’ and she is skilled in the art of magic. She is a effectual winged, moon goddess wearing her diadem. She is revered by witches, sorcerers, moon-gazers and magicians. Seleneis a stunning goddess and sometimes manifests as a cow.
Selene, rides in a chariot drawn by white horses pulling the moon across the heavens.
Every night this super goddess bathes in the ocean just before she rides her chariot int to sky. Since Selen is the moon, at times she hides from a dragon indicated by both, the new moon and the lunar eclipse. she has had many lovers and Endymion, the male version of Sleeping Beauty, the god Pan and the god Zeus. Her gemstones are moonstone and a moon rock, known as selenite. She may have had her own Minoan Moon cult.
Cerridwen
According to Welsh folklore she is a Super moon Goddess that represents the dark side of the goddess. the crone. Cerridwen is the keeper of The Cauldron of Knowledge and is very prophectic and wise. She is skilled in magic, she influences luck, fertility, poetry and music.
She with her husband Tagad Foel birthed, two children, one a hideous son, Afagddu or Morfran, and a lovely daughter, Creirwy.
Welsh legend mentions, The Cycle of Myths, In the Mabinogion, is the cycle of myths found in Welsh legend, Cerridwen brews up a potion in her magical cauldron to give to her son Afagddu (Morfran).
Her gemstones are Coral Agate and Aquamarine.
There are several other moon goddesses such as South America’s Chía. Africa’s Mawu and some well-known moon deities like Máni.
So the next time you look up to gaze at the stars and the moon, you just may spot one of your favorite lunar deities such as a glorious, Super, goddess or an old wise crone in the moon watching you.
Sources & References:
- “HECATE : Greek goddess of witchcraft, ghosts & magic ; mythology ; pictures : HEKATE”. Theoi.co
- R. S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek (2009), Brill, p. 399
- Smith, “Selene”; Kerenyi, pp. 196–197; Hammond, “SELENE” pp. 970–971; Hard, p. 46; Morford, pp. 64, 219–221.
- Shaughnessy, Edward L. (2014). Unearthing the Changes: Recently Discovered Manuscripts of the Yi Jing ( I Ching) and Related Texts. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 154. ISBN 0231533306.
- A. O. H. Jarman (ed.). Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin (University of Wales Press, 1982), 3.3.
- Ronald Hutton, The Pagan Religions of the Ancient British Isles: Their Nature and Legacy, Blackwell Publishing, 1993, p. 323
- The Old farmer’s Almanc online.
- All pictures free public domain, online at Wikipedia.
Val is a writer of enchanted tales, folklore and magic. Once chased by Vampire Pumpkins! 