A Hellenistic Full Moon Ritual Script

In this post, there is a script for a full moon ritual. The ritual is done with materials from the Hellenistic world.  The structure of the ritual is the purification, first movement, second movement, and license to depart. The ritual starts with an Orphic hymn, then goes to a chant, a simple request, some lines about the nature of full moons, the moon’s correspondences in hexameter, a declaration which has elements of a request, an explanation of the full moon, and the mention of some lunar characteristics, a myth in hexameter, a chant, and a license to depart. The correspondences span quite a few areas, from numbers, astrology, gods, vowels, characteristics, animals, planets, perfumes, incenses, melothesia, and stones. A few elements of the tradition have been omitted, such as angel names and spirit names associated with the Moon. Only a few lunar deities are included in the ritual. Compilations of the sources can be found in the books, The Complete Magician’s Tables and The Greek Qabalah. These two books used a number of primary sources. The ritual script is part of a series of four scripts for new moon and full moon rituals. For the full moon, there are two scripts, this one, which is Hellenistic, and a second modernistic astral magic ritual. The ritual outline follows, with the ritual script, and bibliography at the end of the post.

 

Ritual Outline

Purification

First Movement

Orphic Hymn to the Moon

First Chant to Selene

Request to the Moon

Statement on the Full Moon

The Moon’s Correspondences in Iambic Hexameter

Second Movement

Declarations on the Full Moon

Myths of Selene

Second Chant to Selene

License to Depart

 

 

A Hellenistic Full Moon Ritual

 

Purification

Take khernips that have been prepared. Sprinkle the khernips on the sacred space and altar while saying the following sentence three times:

“O theoi gnoisthe apotrofoi kakon.”

Then, light a candle, while saying:

“I light this sacred flame of which Hephastios is father and Hestia is mother.”

First Movement

Face the east.

“Today is (Date: Month/ Day/ Year). The Sun is in (Zodiac Sign). It is (Season). On this occasion of a Full Moon, I will call the celestial deity, the Moon.”

Read the Orphic Hymn to the Moon aloud.

Orphic Hymn to the Moon

“Hear, Goddess queen, diffusing silver light, bull-horn’d and wand’ring thro’ the gloom of Night.
With stars surrounded, and with circuit wide Night’s torch extending, thro’ the heav’ns you ride:
Female and Male with borrow’d rays you shine, and now full-orb’d, now tending to decline.
Mother of ages, fruit-producing Moon [Mene], whose amber orb makes Night’s reflected noon:
Lover of horses, splendid, queen of Night, all-seeing pow’r bedeck’d with starry light.
Lover of vigilance, the foe of strife, in peace rejoicing, and a prudent life:
Fair lamp of Night, its ornament and friend, who giv’st to Nature’s works their destin’d end.
Queen of the stars, all-wife Diana hail! Deck’d with a graceful robe and shining veil;
Come, blessed Goddess, prudent, starry, bright, come moony-lamp with chaste and splendid light,
Shine on these sacred rites with prosp’rous rays, and pleas’d accept thy suppliant’s mystic praise.”¹

Now chanting commences, with the name and vowel of the deity.

First Chant to Selene

“Selene, A, A, A

Selene A, A, A

Selene A A A

A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A.

Selene! lo Selene! lo Selene! lo Selene! lo Selene! lo Selene! lo!”

Now the request to Selene is read.

Request to the Moon

“Mighty, nearby silver moon, I offer you some precious things

offerings of fire, smoke, water, and salt, 

kind words of praise and mindful connectedness,

I give this/these(name of offerings). 

Next, I shall make three sets of requests.

First, I request you give me blessings.

Second, I request a better connection and understanding of all the things you rule in the human realm and beyond.

Third, I request you see to it that I am more considerate, caring, maternal, emotionally mature, nurturing, empathetic, sensitive, adaptable, cute, instinctive, and compassionate.

(Optional) I make a final, special request for (prosperity, help with my father’s illness, etc.) on this day and during this period when the Moon’s light is at its apex and soon begins to wane.”

The Statement on the Full Moon is read next.

Statement on the Full Moon

“From this full moon to the new moon, mighty Mene, please encourage release. Allow an decrease of activity. Help living things to reach their final phases,  late stages, ends, death, and rebirth.  Do all of this not only with nature but also with the unnecessary, negative, and harmful parts of my life. Further, do these three additional things, powerful Mene. First, allow all of my temporary endeavors, social events, pursuits, and all other forms of my activities that only applied to this lunar cycle to continue forth into their final stages. Second, help the endeavors of my mind’s activity during this time to make progress towards their ends when it is applicable. Third, permit the final manifestation of all important and valuable parts of my life that only applied to this lunar cycle.”

Next, the Moon’s Correspondences, which are in iambic hexameter, are read.

The Moon’s Correspondences in Iambic Hexameter

“Selene of the number 9, the Agrippan view

Other significant numbers, isopsephy

derived 304, 308, 309, and

334, 656, for the moon gods

In the Pythagorean dyad is Selene,

Hecate the triad, an additional part

Selene of the letter Alpha, the hard vowel A

Gamma by notarichon, A, A, A, A, A

It is astrology signs Cancer and Taurus

compassionate, nurturing, domestic they are

Selene, soon to embark on balsamic crescent

Selene at first, then Artemis, then Hecate,

The waxing moon to the waning moon, but many gods

such as Thoth and Khonsu, Mene, of the Near East

Egyptian Khonsu, full moon disk, crescent-shaped icon,

associated with animals like the falcon, baboon

Other cultures, Babylon’s Sin, of remote times

The Romans had Diana, Luna, and Juno

Others are the Celtic Arduinna, Hindu Chandra,

Also Heng-O, of the Chinese Taoist deities,

Oh Titan, powerful, ruling luminary,

Selene of matter, material, physical,

Sweet Luna, of women, motherhood, and children

corresponding to real animals like cats, camels,

frogs, toads, baboons, crabs, bats, hares, rabbits, otters, dogs,

sows, and catfish, but also imaginary

creatures like lemures and ghosts and many types of

birds such as doves, geese, swans, storks, and ospreys that fly

and don’t fly, but beyond animals there are plants

the correspondences such as crab-apple, hay, camphor,

cucumber, poppy, pumpkin, gourd, lettuce, melon,

watermelon, beetroot, reed, white sandalwood, lime

and natural magic plants such as almonds and

mugwort, hazel, moonwort, goosefoot, pomegranate,

mistletoe, peony, and alder, all-powerful

Of stones, moonstone, pearl, crystal, chalcedony

and as for metals, beautiful shiny silver

of perfumes and incenses such as camphor, aloes,

myrrh, jasmine, willow, black copal(lunar eclipse),

of course, all sweet virginal odors can be used

and odiferous roots and for incenses camphor,

jasmine, and white sandalwood. In the PGM,

the famed myrrh, otherwise they used aromatics

In melothesia, the lymphatic systems”

Second Movement

Now, the Declarations on the New Moon will be read.

Declarations on the New Moon

“This is a time of culmination and then a decrease of light to finality and endings. At this point of maximum light, the light begins to decrease. The waning phase starts and with it things will slow down, decrease, and reach final ends. 

During these next few weeks, I will continue my daily routines of sleeping, eating, and exercising. I will continue to live a healthy and balanced life. I will fulfill my societal obligations to my family and friends. I will also commit to doing a good job at work. In addition to all of these functions, I will work on getting rid of my (a characteristic), purging my (a characteristic or part of life), and releasing my (a characteristic).

The Moon will go through its phases, from Full Moon to Waning Gibbous, Third Quarter, and the Waning Crescent, and back to another New Moon. Then, to get back to another Full Moon, there will be a Waxing Crescent, a First Quarter, and a Waxing Gibbous.

Help me to be mindful of your waning phase, it’s effect on the sublunar realm, and your movements in the heavens.

Help me to see your archetypal qualities of love, compassion, nurturing, safety, giving, rearing, and caring in my daily life.

Give me your blessings. Give (specific request).

I request rest, purging, finality, and release as the waning phase progresses.”

The Myths of Selene will be read now.

Myths of Selene

“Hesiod said the following, when talking about Selene’s birth:² ‘And Theia, overcome in the embrace of Hyperion, brought forth the great Sun, and bright Moon, and Dawn, that shines for all that-dwell-on-the-earth, and for immortal gods, who occupy the broad sky.’ Hyperion was the Titan god of light. Theia was the Greek goddess of sight. The two had three children, Helios, Selene, and Eos.

Selene experienced love with a mortal. Once, Selene encountered Endymion. Endymion was a shepherd. Though a shepherd, Endymion had great physical beauty. Selene passed over the skies each night, and one night she observed Endymion taking care of his flocks. At the sight of the beautiful youth, Selene fell in love. She wanted to live with Endymion, but she was an immortal and he was a mortal. Zeus didn’t want to make Endymion an immortal, so he had Hypnos put him under an eternal sleep. That way, Endymion would not age or die as the years passed. Endymion resided in a cave on Mount Latmos, with eyes open, so that he could see his lover Selene every night as she passed through the sky.This is the myth of Selene and Endymion.” 

Next, read the Second Chant to Selene.

Second Chant to Selene

“Selene, A, A, A

Selene A, A, A

Selene A A A

A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A, A.

Selene! lo Selene! lo Selene! lo Selene! lo Selene! lo Selene! lo!”

Finally, read the License to Depart.

License to Depart

“Mighty Selene, oh eminent lunar deity, you are free to go back to your abode. The full moon ritual is over, celestial goddess. Thank you for your presence and blessings.”

Blow out the candles and extinguish the incense, and momentarily exit the space, even in a symbolic way, if not otherwise possible. Leave the offerings and clean up the space.

 

Click here for a set of infographics of the attached hymn for personal use.

 

Notes

1. The Orphic hymn to Selene is translated by Thomas Taylor.
2. Trans. Banks, J. Hesiod. Theogony. 374. <https://chs.harvard.edu/primary-source/hesiod-theogony-sb/>

 

Bibliography

1. Skinner, Stephen. The Complete Magician’s Tables. Golden Hoard Press. January 1, 2006.
2. Barry, Kieren. The Greek Qabalah. Weiser Books. January 15, 1999.
3. Trans. Banks, J. Hesiod. Theogony. 374. <https://chs.harvard.edu/primary-source/hesiod-theogony-sb/>

 

Photo Credits

1. The Moon in the sky. Photo by Midjourney. Prompts: silvery moonlight selene the goddess of the moon dances in a verdant landscape. Creator profile: @david.k9