Motion Source Goddesses - Selu, Selene

Selu is the main goddess of magic but she is often mixed up with Hekate who controls access to the forms of the heavenly bodies but does not animate them like Selu.

Druid Goddess Comparisons

Hecate from Sardinia

Hekate

Life Source Goddess (Outer Layer)

Symbols: under-dome, arms across or on stomach to form under-dome shape

Epithet: (none known yet)

Life Manifestation Goddess Pillar Figurine from Israel (700-600 BCE)

Ayu (Inanna, Ishtar, Astarte, Artemis, Hathor) 

Life Connective Goddess (Middle Layer) 

Symbols: crescent moon, wings, bees, hands just under breasts

Epithet: Reed-Boat, Opener, one of the "Controllers" (along with eagle-vultures)

Willendorf Venus with acorn hat

Asher (Asherah, Venus)

Life Manifestation Goddess (Inner Layer)

Symbols: hands on breasts with upward angled arms

Epithet: (none known yet)

Minoan Hecate Figurines

Selu (Salu, Selene)

Motion Source Goddess (Outer Layer)

Symbol: glowing things, heavenly bodies in the night sky. Air, feathers, song birds, Hands pointing upward

Epithet: (none known yet)

Selene found on a woman's wrist in the "House of the Golden Bracelet" from Pompeii (70 CE).
Sela (Selene = "Powers of Sela") found on a woman's wrist in the "House of the Golden Bracelet" from Pompeii (70 CE). Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 14268
Selene found on a woman's wrist in the "House of the Golden Bracelet" from Pompeii (70 CE).
Sela (Selene = "Powers of Sela") found on a woman's wrist in the "House of the Golden Bracelet" from Pompeii (70 CE). Notice her raised arms holding up the night skyshell. The bracelet itself is a snake which represents the power of life and death. The magical motion powers typically represented the powers of fate.
Naples Archaeological Museum. Inventory number 14268

Sela, Salu, Selu, Selene

(July 3, 2022) The motion source goddess Sela is not a moon goddess but is a celestial light goddess representing stars, moon, planets, and souls. (The word "celestial" probably derives from Sela). The word "Selene" with its /n/ ending means "Powers (plural) of Sela" in Akkadian. She represents the hidden power source which made things move. Besides the heavenly bodies, emotions were also a hidden source thought to be generated by a person's inner souls  which also thought of as celestial lights (divine sparks) like the stars. Disembodied souls reside in the place of the dead which was thought to be the underdome under the earth plane. The life source goddess Hekate represents the underdome as a place.

Akkadian has two similar but different spellings for Selu representing her two different roles.  (upcoming Lexicon, version 4):

ŠL [Akkadian šalu, šelû] goddess Selu, concealed, concealed-one, concealed place (noun), concealing (participle), to conceal, to be concealed (verb) -  Selu or Salu the celestial light  motion source goddess representing the celestial light of stars, moon, planets, and a person’s inner spark (spirit). She represents the concealed powers of emotions to move things. Emotions were thought to be generated by a person's inner souls or inner lights which are a celestial light (divine spark) like the stars. Disembodied souls  reside in the place of the dead which was thought to be the under-dome, the sky shell under the earth plane which as a place is represented by the life source goddess Hekate. Šelû seems to be the source word for Hebrew “sheol."
SL [Akkadian sâlu, sala’u, selȗ, šelȗ, sulû, sullû] – goddess Selu, aroma (noun), to offer aromas (verb) - aromas as a wind/breath/spirit phenomena are an offering from magic-crafters. Aromas can also be bait. The goddess Selu (Selene) is the feminine motion source goddess. She is represented by the planet Mercury as the fastest planet.

Greek writer Hesiod (500 BCE) in his Theogony said this about the goddess Selene stating in line 371 (the "clear" adjective should be translated as "glowing": 

And Theia (celestial light) was subject in love to Hyperion (high watchers, divine sparks of consciousness) and bore great Helius (Sun) and clear Selene and Eos (Dawn) who shines upon all that are on earth and upon the deathless Gods who live in the wide heaven.Online at: https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D371

Despite this early mention here in Hesiod (and in Homer) no Greek temples were devoted to Selene indicating her foreign origin.

Minoan Goddess Selu Figurines at Heraklion Museum

Minoan Goddess Sela Figurines at Heraklion Museum with girl for scale.

(September 2, 2022) This picture shows Minoan goddess Selu (Selene) figurines with their upraised hands behind the little girl to show their scale. This picture was taken in the Minoan Archaeological Museum in Heraklion Crete. 

These goddesses are a mix of colors and hand directions to indicate how Selu's motion powers are being applied.  The red statuettes with hands towards each other indicate her motion power is being applied to the life powers, pushing the fertility fluids through the life network. In contrast, the white statuettes with hands forward indicate her motion powers are being applied to the winds to move boats and bring rain.

The Kfar Varadim Bronze Ritual Bowl.  Iron Age II, 9th century BCE, H: 3; Diam: 14 cm, Israel Antiquities Authority Accession number: IAA 1999-842. (from  http://museum.imj.org.il/imagine/galleries/viewItemE.asp?case=14&itemNum=375137)

Above map copied from Nijboar (2008) 

Mauzizao Sannibale says this about this rare silver fluted bowl in his review of the artistic similarities between Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean:
"The fluted bowl is another example of a ceremonial vase of eastern origin, adopted and reproduced in Etruria. Used only by the king and his officials in the Assyrian court, it became a symbol of rank in aristocratic Etruscan banquets and was employed symbolically in banquets of the dead and of the ancestors. The few imported examples can be identified by the dense fluting that became less pronounce and more widely spaced in the locally produced versions. In the Regoline-Galassi tomb, apart from an (this) example in silver there were also eleven bronze fluted bowls attached with nails to the walls of the main burial chamber and  possibly the antechamber. " (photo and quote from Sannibale 2016) 

Selu Mentioned on Kfar Varadim Bronze Ritual Bowl out of Israel 650 BCE

(Feb 12, 2023) This bowl was found in 1995 within an early Iron Age II archaeological layer in a burial cave. This cave was located in northern Galilee 10 miles (17 km) northeast of Acre and a few miles north of the Jezreel valley (Alexandre 2002a). In 1997 this bowl was cleaned and it was found to contain an inscription (Alexandre 2002b).  The bowl’s deposit layer of Iron Age II dates it to between 1000 and 600 BCE.  The Etruscans exported these sorts of ritual bowls between 750 and 600 BCE.

The letters on this bronze fluted serving bowl are a mix of Philistine and Israelite meaning it was written locally on a ritual bowl imported from Eturia. The language of the text is Akkadian. It reads: 

Translation in Akkadian

(Read right to left. Capital letters on foil Small letters are inferred Inner vowels)
  1. U  SeLu  E  ḪaBu  Nu  Ṣu  Mu  Le'u (Levant Text 3)

In English. 

  1. When Selu is not bringing passions for revelations activate fertility-fluids with astrological-powers

Selu is the Motion source goddess who represents the spark of animation (soul) as the source of emotions/motions and the glow of the heavenly bodies. Her masculine complement is the full moon god Su. The "revelations" mentioned in the text are the manifestations of invisible life forms provided by the life powers. For a form to be manifested it must be triggered by fertility fluids which in turn must be pushed though the channels of the life network either by emotion magic or astrological powers.

References

Sass, B. (2005) The Alphabet at the Turn of the Millennium. Tel Aviv. Emery and Claire Yass Publications in Archeology

Alexandre Y. (2002a) The Iron Age Assemblage from Cave 3 at Kefar Veradim. In Gall 2002:53-63

Alexandre Y. (2002b) A Fluted Bronze Bowl with a Canannite – Early Phoenician Inscription from Kefar Veradim. in Gal 2002:65-74

Israel Museum - Online at http://museum.imj.org.il/imagine/galleries/viewItemE.asp?case=14&itemNum=375137

 Nijboar, A.J. (2008) Italy and the Levant during the late Bronze and Iron Ages (1200-750/700 BCE) Online at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288952305_Italy_and_the_levant_during_the_late_bronze_and_iron_age_1200-750700_B_C

Sannibale, Mauzizao (2016) The Etruscan Orientalizing: The View from the Regolini-Galassi Tomb, In Assyrian to Iberia – Art and Culture in the Iron Age. Joan Aruz and Michael Seymour editors. Online at: https://www.academia.edu/36162300/The_Etruscan_Orientalizing_The_View_from_the_Regolini_Galassi_Tomb_in_Assyria_to_Iberia_Art_and_Culture_in_the_Iron_Age_edited_by_Joan_Aruz_and_Michael_Seymour_The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art_Symposia_New_York_The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art_2016_pp_296_315?email_work_card=title

(Obsolete) Olmsted, D. (Dec 3, 2020) Late Philistine/Phoenician Kfar Veradim Ritual Bowl Text Mentions How Astrological Fate is Overcoming Emotion Magic (730 BCE). Online at: https://www.academia.edu/44626186/Late_Philistine_Phoenician_Kfar_Veradim_Ritual_Bowl_Text_Mentions_How_Astrological_Fate_is_Overcoming_Emotion_Magic_730_BCE

Piacenza Liver Right Inner Section 5 (500 BCE)

Translation in Akkadian (Celt Text 1.6.5)

(read right to left. Capital letters on object. Small letters are inferred Inner vowels)
  1. ŠeLu  NeZu  
  2. Ṭu  PaSu

In English

  1. Selu (Selene) is emptying
  2. Thu of light
Right Side of Hathor statuette found on the floor of the Hathor temple at the turquoise mine at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai
 Image from Butin 1932.
Left Side of Hathor statuette found on the floor of the Hathor temple at the turquoise mine at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai
These letters are too indistinct in this left side image to properly identify. Image from Butin 1932.

Aegean Graffiti on Sinai Serabit el-Khadim Hathor Statuette Blames Goddess Selu (Sinai Text 5.3)

(Jan 29, 2023) This red sandstone statuette was found on the floor of the Hathor temple at the turquoise mine at Serabit el-Khadim in the Sinai. It is blaming the life-priests with their grilled meat fat (aroma) offerings to Hathor (the feminine connective life power of the Ancient Pagan Paradigm).

Top Text in Akkadian (right to left reading)

  1. selȗ mâ’u mu a

In English

  1. Selu is pushing away these fertility-fluids

Bottom Text in Akkadian (right to left reading)

  1. bu zu du

In English

  1. Nourishments are being eliminated by the life-powers

Drawing of Gerster inscription from Rainey (1975). Letter assignments added by Olmsted.

Drawing of Gerster inscription (Sinai 376) from Rainey (1975). Letter assignments added by Olmsted.

Photo from page 65 from Gerster (1961)

Gerster (Bir Nasb) Inscription Mentions Motion-Magic is Due to Planets

(Jan 13, 2023) The Gerster inscription found at a Sinai copper ore mine only 5 miles from Serabit el-Khadim.  The text reads:

In Akkadian (top to bottom,  right to left, Sinai Text 7)


  1. Tu Ku RaBu
  2. A Zu Mu (Letter "M" is Minoan Linear A)
  3. Tu Qu DaBu  Y (Letter "Y" is Minoan Linear A with bottom half rubbed out)  
  4. Qu L'u U ("U" is the verb here)

In English


  1. Motion-Magic is due to the authorities (planets)
  2. They are eliminating the water 
  3. Threading magic (from life-priests) does not affect the connections (of the network)
  4. Threading is because of the astrological-powers

This promotion of the magival motion powers over the life powers is Phoenician and not Israelite

References


Gerster, George (1961) Sinai, Land der Offenbarung. Frankfurt a.M. u.a., Büchergilde Gutenberg
Rainey A.F. (1975) Notes on Some Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions . Israel Exploration Journal Vol 25 No. 2/3 pages 106-111
Minoan Linear A Malia Tablet Listing Ritual Supplies to Eliminate Misery
Linear A text reads left to right. Sign assignments by Olmsted. Minoan Malia Tablet HT 12 (Text Page 24 of Godart, L., and Olivier, J-P (1970).  https://cefael.efa.gr/detail.php?site_id=1&actionID=page&serie_id=EtCret&volume_number=21&issue_number=1&ce=cdgbj3h4otm6j6qpia2490ld6elpsapb&sp=60

 Malia Tablet HT 12 (Minoan Text 6)

(November 25, 2022) The text reads:

  1. For the elimination of Su’s miseries. Correspondences
  2. for respect 5, and for thread-powers 5.
  3. For the activity-powers of Su's Breather (Thesu) 1
  4. liquorice-root, and 30 emotional-purifications. For the life-powers 
  5. 5. For Salu (Selene) 3. For the elimination-powers 1.
  6. For Su-powers not affecting the Revealer by not affecting Hu 50.

In Akkadian

  1. zu su wa še 10
  2. ḥīya 5 qi 5
  3. ṣi si zaqa 1
  4. šušu 30 zīku du
  5. 5 šalu 3 zi 1
  6. si ya na Ḫu ya 50
This child's Punic gravestone with text found at Cirta (ancient Constantine, Algeria).
This child's Punic gravestone with text found at Cirta (ancient Constantine, Algeria). It is now in the Louvre Museum in France. So far the word "Tanit" has not yet appeared in any properly translated Phoenician or Punic text. The image of "Tanit" is actually the goddess Sela.
Photo from Carol Raddato via Wikimedia Commons at: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Punic_stele_with_a_crescent_moon_and_the_sign_of_the_Phoenician_goddess_of_fertility_Tanit,_found_in_Cirta_(ancient_Constantine,_Algeria),_around_300-200_BC,_Louvre_Lens,_France_(26329653164).jpg

Punic Child Gravestone Text Blames Drought on Human Anger Overcoming Divine Powers (170 BCE)

(September 5, 2022) The top image of this gravestone is that of the full moon god Su traveling across the sky-dome at night. The bottom image is of his feminine partner Selu representing the spirits of the underworld.  

Translation in Akkadian (Med Text 28)

(read right to left on stone. Capital letters on stone. Inner vowels inferred)
  1. IA DâNu Ya. Be'u IH R[2]
  2. AGu NaDu Re'u. BaDu A Gi NuNu
  3. Bu Ne'u Gi. Du Re'u IA. Ru NuNu
  4. Su Ma'u A. IA Bu R[ ]

In English

  1. Yahu (IA or YA) is not being judged. The nest [missing verb] Yahu 
  2. Anger is throwing down the shepherds (magic crafters).  The evening makes anarchic their emotional-energy
  3. Nourishments (fertility fluids) are affected by emotional-energy. Life-Manifestations are being shepherded by Yahu (IA or YA). The eagle-vultures are anarchic.
  4. Su is being pushed away by that. Yahu's (IA or YA) nourishments are [missing words]

The goddess Selu (Selene = "powers of Selu") shown at the bottom of this gravestone is the goddess of the underworld where resides the spirits of the dead and unborn. Both Selu and Su are source deities of the magical motion powers. Su mainly represents the motions generated by the astrological heavens while Selu represents the motions generated by emotions. She is the main goddess of emotion magic but is often mixed up with Hekate who creates the spirits but does not animate them.

Minoan Phaistos Disk with Sign Assignments
Minoan Phaistos Disk with Sign Assignments
Image shows the Minoan Phaistos Disk with phonetic sign assignments by Olmsted. Sign assignment charts here.

Back Side (Side A) of Phaistos Disk Mentions Selu

(August 11, 2022) The motion powers have two sources, the motions of the heavenly bodies, and inner human emotions whose control is emotion magic. This side blames human emotion magic but one argument blames humans directly while the other blames the magical intermediary of owls.

Translation into Akkadian

  1. ru guri ša na ya 
  2. lu Ḫu
  3. rāṣi panu
  4. rāṣi gagu šâṭu mi
  5. za na
  6. rāṣi panu
  7. ru guri ša na ya 
  8. lu Ḫu
  9. rāṣi panu
  10. rāṣi gaṣṣu bi gu ya
  11. mu i’u wa
  12. pu nu ta
  13. reta ki Ḫu
  14. na wa Su
  15. šela ya
  16. rāṣi gagu šâṭu mi
  17. ki Ḫu
  18. šela ya 

 Into English

  1. Eagle-vulture assault-powers don't reveal correspondences.
  2. Lacking is Hu.
  3. The upper-region-powers are being winnowed.
  4. The cloistered upper-region is being ignored by the fertility-fluid-powers
  5. which is eliminating the Revealer (Yahu).
  6. The upper-region-powers are being winnowed.
  7. Eagle-vulture assault-powers don't reveal correspondences.
  8. without Hu.
  9. The upper-region is being winnowed.
  10. The deathly upper-region-powers do not affect the energy nourishment powers
  11. Fertility-fluids cause misery for Yahu (I’)
  12. Nourishments are revealing the magic-crafters.
  13. The setter (of the network) is involved with Hu.
  14. The Revealer (Yahu) is making miserable Su.
  15. Sela (Selene) is not affected.
  16. The cloistered upper-region-powers are being ignored by the fertility-fluid-powers
  17. which are due to Hu.
  18. Sela (Selene) is not affected.

References

Olmsted, D.D. (September 17, 2021) Translation of the Minoan Phaistos Disk in Alphabetic Akkadian (Updated). Humanities Commons Permanent URL http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/wez0-xn05 . Online at: https://www.academia.edu/52698125/Translation_of_the_Minoan_Phaistos_Disk_in_Alphabetic_Akkadian_Update
Translated Roman-Jewish War Silver Half Shekel Coin from Jerusalem
Translated Roman-Jewish War Silver Half Shekel Coin from Jerusalem
Coin is unprovenanced. 

(Feb 18, 2023)

Chalice Side Translation (Lev 31.1)

In Akkadian

(read right to left)
  1. (center) Ša Gi
  2. ŠaQu  _  Zu  IŠaRu   ALu (Horizontal line is a word divider)

In English

  1. Similar Energies:
  2. The maximal-amount of emanations are from the "righteousness of Alu" (God)

(When used alone "righteousness of Alu" is the word "Israel" as the "righteous-ones of God"

Pomegranate Side Translation (Lev 31.2)

In Akkadian

(read right to left)
  1.  IRu  Ṣu  ŠeLu.  IKu  EṬu  Da.  Ṣu  Še  E

In English

  1. Astrological-powers are being activated by Selu. The irrigated-field (life-network) is the boundary of life-manifestations.  Activation does not make them the same.