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The Triple Goddesses
Artemis Goddess of the crescent new moon
Name | Artemis
Role | goddess of the hunt and protector of children
Symbols | bow, deer
Artemis in Greek Mythology
The goddess Artemis played an intriguing role in Greek mythology and religion. She was known as the "Mistress of Animals" and the protectress of
children, but she was also a huntress and the goddess who could bring death with her arrows. Myths such as the one about Niobe show Artemis as a strong willed and powerful goddess, a female who could punish injustices against the gods with ferocious and deadly accuracy. Artemis was the daughter of Leto and Zeus (the ruler of the Greek gods). Together with her twin brother Apollo she enjoyed the status and privileges of an Olympian. And as an Olympian goddess, Artemis was free to pursue her interests, and was often found frolicking in the forests, accompanied by a band of nymphs.
Myths of the Maiden Goddess
Myths and legends show that the goddess Artemis was aloof and free-spirited, and not constrained by husband or hearth. Her independent nature is further reinforced in a very important way, for in mythology and religion, the goddess remained eternally a virgin. Indeed, those who in some way compromised her strict requirements for chastity were severely punished by the maiden goddess.
There are several tales that describe the swift and terrible retribution of Artemis. One of the most revealing of these stories involves the youth Actaeon. In addition, Artemis was also responsible for punishing the nymph Callisto. In myth, Callisto was at one point a follower of the virgin goddess, but when she became involved in an affair with the god Zeus, Artemis had her revenge on the unfortunate nymph.
The Moon Goddess
In myth, Artemis is sometimes identified with Selene, the Greek goddess of the moon. Indeed, this association between Artemis and the moon is revealed in one of the epithets used to describe the goddess - Phoebe ("the bright one").
The goddess Artemis was known as Diana in Roman mythology.
Selene goddess of the full moonSelene is known as the Greek goddess of the moon, and more specifically the full moon, the second member of the triad composed of Artemis (crescent new moon) and Hecate [Phoebe(waning moon)]. She is commonly described as a beautiful woman with a pale or white face, dressed in flowing white or silver robes and wearing an upturned crescent moon on her head. Some sources claim she also carries a torch and others suggest that she bears two large white wings from her back.
After bathing in the ocean, she rides in a silver chariot across the night sky, pulled by white horses in some stories, by white oxen in others. She is also often depicted riding a horse or a bull. She glows with a soft silvery light as she travels across the heavens, sending her soft light to the sleeping earth below.
She and her brother Helius, the god of the sun, often frame mythical scenes, giving an indication of the passage of time. Because both the Sun and Moon affect the temperature of the air, pestilential diseases and death are attributed to them. For this reason as well they are closely associated with Apollo and Artemis, both known as healers.
Selene's Roman counterpart is the goddess Luna, but she has also been mistakenly identified as Artemis (Diana), Cynthia, and Phoebe.
By far the most well-known myth in regards to Selene is her love affair with the mortal, Endymion. Some stories call him the King of Elis, the city he founded, but the majority of them call him a shepard who was spotted while tending his flock on Mount Latmos one evening as Selene rode across the sky in her silver chariot. Struck by his beauty she came to earth to be with him. In some stories Zeus was angered that Selene was abandoning her duty and to punish her, he cast Endymion into an everlasting sleep. Others claim that Selene asked Zeus to give Endymion perpetual youth by putting him into a neverending slumber, for she prefered to kiss and caress him rather than the more intimate interludes and wished to keep him forever. Still others speak of Endymion as the son of Zeus and the nymph Calyce and he asked his father to sleep forever for he feared to age. But even in his everlasting sleep, he and Selene had 50 daughters.
Pan, an ugly god that had goat legs, a tail, beard and horns, was known to seduce many nymphs including Echo and Eupheme, but by far his greates conquest was that of the goddess Selene. Some stories claim that she succumbed to his wishes in exchange for a fine fleece. Others claim that Pan disguised his deformed form within white fleeces. She rode on his back and allowed Pan to do as he wished.
Phoebe (hecate) goddess of the waning moon
Phoebe was a Titan, one of the original (that is, pre-classical) 14. She and Atlas were given dominion over the Moon, whose planetary power is that of Enchantment, and the second day of the week was their's. So, Phoebe is another Moon Goddess, her name means Bright Moon. She was the mother of Leto and Asteria through her brother Coeus(Intelligence). There was another Phoebe, a human priestess, who figures briefly in the story of Castor and Pollux. Anyway, it's Phoebe who was the grandmother of Artemis and Apollo, and her name became surnames for both twins.
Here is some more info:
Hecate was a reappearance of Phoebe, a moon goddess herself, who appeared in the dark of the moon. So Phoebe and Hecate are one and the same.
Places
Wild areas, forests, borders, city walls and doorways, crossroads, and graveyards are all associated with Hecate at various times.
It is often stated that the moon is sacred to Hecate.
Queen of ghosts
Queen of Ghosts is a title associated with Hecate due to the belief that she can both prevent harm from leaving, but also allow harm to enter from the spirit world.Hecate thus has a role and special power in graveyards and at crossroads.She guards the "ways and paths that cross". Her association with graveyards also played a large part in the idea of Hecate as a lunar goddess.
Goddess of sorcery
In the so-called "Chaldean Oracles" that were edited in Alexandria, she was also associated with a serpentine maze around a spiral, known as Hecate's wheel.
The goddess of sorcery or magic is Hecate's most common modern title.
Goddess of the crossroads
Hecate had a special role at three-way crossroads, where the Greeks set poles with masks of each of her heads facing in different directions
The crossroad aspect of Hecate stems from her original sphere as a goddess of the wilderness and untamed areas. This led to sacrifice to assure safe travel into these areas. This role is similar to lesser Hermes, that is, a god of liminal points or boundaries.
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