The Incantation of Circe

THE INCANTATION OF CIRCE, PAGE 3

...of the world, the eye of heaven, the mirror of nature, the architecture of the world-soul original: "animę mundi." In Neoplatonist philosophy, this is the vital force that connects the physical universe to the divine., and the seal of the high architect. I also call upon you, Moon. Behold, I stand before you. Bring forth, I pray, your divers, cranes, buzzards, storks, jackdaws, ducks, geese, and all other aquatic birds. Your snails, finches original: "ligurinos." Likely the European Greenfinch, associated here with the Moon's damp influence., web-footed creatures, salpas A type of sea-bream or fish known in antiquity for causing hallucinations if eaten., spiders, martens, ferrets original: "ictices, iuersas." Bruno likely refers to various small, agile predators or mustelids., lizards, and everything else of that kind: the bramble-toad, the frog, crabs, slugs, small-fishes original: "oſſolas." Potentially referring to a specific type of small bone-fish or a local name for a shellfish., and your other swimming things.

I call upon you: whom we name Hecate, Latona, Diana, Phoebe, Lucina, Trivia, the Three-Born, and the Triform Goddess. You who are agile, all-wandering, most beautiful, bright, white, chaste, unwed, modest, pious, merciful, and undefiled. The Huntress, honorable, spirited seeker, queen of heaven, governor of the spirits of the dead, goddess of night, ruler of the elements, nurse of the earth, nourisher of living things, mistress of the sea, mother of the dew, nurse of the air, guardian of the groves, mistress of the woods, tamer of Tartarus, most powerful pursuer of ghosts, and consort of Apollo. Be present: Menala, Euxina, Pisaea, Latona, Aventina These are various epithets and regional names for the Moon and Diana, relating to specific locations like Mount Maenalus or the Aventine Hill..

Behold, and to you, old Saturn, I raise myself. Bring (I ask by your power) your donkeys, oxen, camels, stags, moles, hares, mice, swine, basilisks, cats, monkeys, hyenas, catfish, mice The text repeats "mures" (mice), perhaps emphasizing their chthonic nature., toads, oryxes original: "origes." A type of large antelope., and all other terrestrial things of your kind. Bats, owls, hens, flies, cankerworms, locusts, cuckoos, and other birds of your kind. The eel, the octopus, the cuttlefish, the sponge...