At the Gates of Dawn and Dusk

Book excerpt: The Saffron-Robed Goddess. Sister of Sun and Moon. Mother of the Morning Star and the Evening Star. To the Romans, She is Aurora. To the Greeks, She is Eos. The Goddess of the Dawn, she is linked to the most basic elements of creation itself: light, time, movement, birth, and death. Vivacious and lusty, She is a Goddess of renewal, dispenser of the dew which waters the fields every morning and the lover of many notable Gods, demigods, and mortals. Her sons, too, are honored here: Heosphoros and Hesperus in the Greek pantheon, Lucifer and Vesper in the Roman. They hold an unusual position in theology and poetry, understood to be the same being called by different names at different times, according to His function. Over time, He/They came to be associated with freedom and enlightenment, philosophy, love, and marriage. Daughters of primordial Night, Goddesses of Dusk and Sunset and Evening, the Hesperides live on an island beyond the western edge of the world, far out of the reach of ordinary mortals. Guardians of the treasures of the Gods, They keep watch over a Tree of Golden Apples and aid heroes on their epic quests. It is our hope that this anthology will begin to fill a notable gap in devotional literature. Through these poems, prayers, rites, and tales, we hope to awaken a renewed appreciation for Aurora, Eos, and the Hesperides; to inspire others to write and paint and sing and dance in Their honor; and to hear Their names spoken aloud once again in love and devotion.