Parents: Helios and Perse

Story: Circe was a powerful sorceress who lived on the island of Aeaea. When Odysseus's men arrived at her island during their long journey home from Troy, Circe welcomed them with a feast — then used her magic to transform them into pigs. Odysseus set out to rescue his men, and with the help of Hermes, who gave him a magical herb called moly to resist her spells, he confronted Circe and forced her to restore his crew. Impressed by his courage, Circe became an ally and lover to Odysseus. He and his men stayed on her island for a full year, and before they left, Circe gave Odysseus crucial advice for the dangers ahead — including how to survive the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis.

Circe's Island: Circe's island of Aeaea was a place of strange beauty and hidden danger. Her palace sat in a clearing in the woods, surrounded by wolves and lions — not wild beasts, but men she had previously transformed with her magic. When Odysseus's scouting party arrived, Circe invited them to a feast and mixed powerful drugs into their food. With a touch of her wand, she transformed them into pigs, though they kept their human minds — aware of what had happened but unable to do anything about it. Only Eurylochus, who had stayed outside out of suspicion, escaped to warn Odysseus.

Circe's Wisdom: After Odysseus resisted her magic and won her respect, Circe proved to be one of his most valuable allies. She advised him to travel to the very edge of the Underworld to consult the blind prophet Tiresias about how to get home. She told him how to survive the Sirens — by plugging his crew's ears with beeswax and having himself tied to the mast so he could hear their song without being lured to his death. She warned him about Scylla and Charybdis, and told him not to touch the sacred cattle of Helios on the island of Thrinacia. Odysseus followed most of her advice, but when his starving crew killed Helios's cattle, Zeus destroyed their ship, killing everyone except Odysseus.

Symbol: Magic wand, potions, pigs.

Represents: Sorcery, transformation, and the power of knowledge.