Aither

Always untamed Aither, elevated in a high place,

Of Zeus's power.

Ruler of the firmament and magnificent part of, 

The Stars, the Moon and the effulgent Sun,

Aflame with Aither's power to tame all,

Whose substance ejects and breathes life.

Prime element of the cosmos, the power of fiery illumination.

Accompanied by radiant stars, like splendid flowers.

Hear self act through Self.

May Self's structure be always innocuous, serene, and tame.

Orpheus, Initiation Through Aither, (Krokos Offering),

New English Interpretation after Thomas Taylor, by The Editor of ClassicalPhilosophy.org, Chichester, England, 2025.

For this initiation, I have turned to paraphrase, seeking once more to recapture the spiritual path; yet in doing so, the original hexameter and later rhyme have fallen away. The dramatic intensity of a Homeric narrative style has also been softened, as I believe these changes better capture the essence of the original Orphic initiations.

The editor of Classical Philosophy.org