A R A D I A Or The Gospel Of The Witches

(by Charles G. Leland)

 

 

CHAPTER I: How Diana Gave Birth To Aradia (Herodias)

 

"It is Diana! Lo! She rises crescented." -Keats' Endymion". Make more bright. The Star Queen's crescent on her marriage night."-Ibid. This is the Gospel (Vangelo) of the Witches:

 

DIANA greatly loved her brother LUCIFER, the god of the Sun and of the Moon, the god of Light (Splendour), who was so proud of his beauty, and who for his pride was driven from Paradise.  DIANA had by her brother a daughter, to whom they gave the name of  Aradia (i.e. Herodias). In those days there were on earth many rich and many poor. The rich made slaves of all the poor.

 

Page 4 (Excerpt from Diana speaking to Aradia) Translation

 

'Tis true indeed that thou a spirit art, But thou wert born but to become again a mortal; thou must go to earth below. To be a teacher unto women and men who fain would study witchcraft in thy school. Yet like Cain's daughter thou shalt never be, Nor like the race who have become at last Wicked and infamous from suffering, As are the Jews and wandering Zingari, Who are all thieves and knaves; Like unto them ye shall not be.

 

Page 16 (Excerpt: Entire invocation to Aradia)

 

Aradia! My Aradia! Thou who art daughter unto him who was. Most evil of all spirits, who of old   once reigned in hell when driven away from heaven, who by his sister did thy sire become, but as thy mother did repent her fault, and wished to mate thee to a spirit who should be benevolent, and not malevolent! Aradia, Aradia! I implore thee by the love which she did bear for thee!  And by the love which I too feel for thee! I pray thee grant the grace which I require! And if this grace be granted, may there be one of three signs distinctly clear to me: The hiss of a serpent, the light of a firefly, the sound of a frog! But if you do refuse this favour, then may you in future know no peace nor joy, and be obliged to seek me from afar, until you come to grant me my desire, in haste, and then thou may'est return again unto thy destiny.  Therewith Amen!