Selene

The Greek Goddess of the Full Moon, Selene is the daughter of Hyperion and Theia and one of the deities of light during the dynasty of the Titans.

She represents the full moon phase of the lunar cycle, along with Artemis (the crescent new moon) and Hecate (the waning moon). Like her brother Helius, she drives a chariot through the sky each night; hers is usually drawn by two horses.

By Zeus, she is the mother of Pandia (All-bright) and Ersa (Dew). By Endymion, she is the mother of fifty daughters, who represent the fifty lunar months that elapse between each Olympiad. The days of the full and new moon were set aside for her worship.

As the myth goes, Selene saw Endymion, a shepherd, asleep in a cave on Mt. Latmus one night. She fell in love with him, and began to neglect her duties to lie beside him as he slept. In some stories, Zeus grants Endymion perpetual sleep with perpetual youth, so that Selene would resume her duties. In others, Selene herself puts him to sleep.

Selene is often closely identified with Artemis and Hecate, both of whom are moon goddesses as well. It is said that this was the one the Triple Goddess Hecate was honored by when she was in the realm of heaven.

Painting of Selene and Endymion.