Liber Semeles: The Book of Semele (Libri Deorum: The Books of the Gods) Paperback – July 9, 2024

Semele. Thyone. Stimula. Earth Mother. Mortal girl. Goddess. Princess. Some call her a slut, even though every word for a woman who enjoys sex becomes derogatory. Some call her a virgin, even with her myths of desiring (and achieving) sex. Some call her a mother, even though her child was technically born by another. Some say she is a mortal who tried to see the face of a god - but they differ on whether this was mystical or foolish. Others say she was once an Earth goddess who descended to become a mortal princess. Others that she is someone who was once in the depths of the underworld but rose to high heaven.Who is she? Across her many incarnations, Semele can seem almost as paradoxical as the son she bore. But her incarnations speak to her mystery - who was she before her story was committed to paper? Who is she in the myths? Why is she so popular in opera? Why do modern Dionysians turn to her for everything from abortion, to climate change, to the Dionysian mysteries?Here is an attempt to answer these questions. Featuring the original sources from antiquity, her representation in opera and poetry after, and discussions about who Semele is, what she means to Dionysians, and what she means to all people. Here are the words, here is the story, here is the book of Semele. Read more