Aradia

Aradia, was born of Lucifer and Diana on earth in 1313. She was sent by her mother to reteach witchcraft to the people. When Aradia first brought the Old Religion to the people of Italy, she taught her followers the secrets of the Earth, the Moon, and the Stars. With the beginning of the persecution of witches in Italy, the Religion split. Each group was entrusted with one section of the mysteries. The Triad Traditions; they are known seperately as the Janarra, the Tanarra, and the Fanara.

THE GIFTS OF ARADIA
To bring success in love.
To bless and consecrate.
To speak with spirits.
To know of hidding things.
To call forth spirits.
To know the Voice of the Wind.
To possess the knowledge of transformation.
To possess the knowledge of divination.
To know and understand secret signs.
To cure disease.
To bring forth beauty.
To have influence over whild beasts.
To know the secrets of the hands.

"When I shall have departed from this world, whenever ye have need of anything,
once in the month, and when the moon is full, ye shall assemble in some desert place,
or in a forest all together join to adore the potent spirit of your queen, my mother, great Diana. She who fain would learn all sorcery yet has not won its deepest secrets, then my mother will teach her, in truth all things as yet unknown. And ye shall all be freed from slavery, and so ye shall be free in everything; and as the sign that ye are truly free, ye shall be naked in your rites, both men and women also."

From: 'Aradia: the Gospel of Witches' by Charles Leland

   According to 'Aradia:Gospel of the Witches', Leland writes: "Then having obtained a pilgrim's dress, she traveled far and wide, teaching and preaching the religion of old times, the religion of Diana, the Queen of the Fairies and of the Moon, the goddess of the poor and the oppressed. And the fame of her wisdom and beauty went forth over all the land, and people worshipped her, calling her La Bella Pellegrina (the              beautiful pilgrim)."
   In 'To Ride A Silver Broomstick' by Silver RavenWolf, Aradia is noted as being: Italian Goddess sworn to protect her people against the aggression of masculine faith and its persecutors during the reign of Medieval terror. Silver RavenWolf also states that 'the symbol of Aradia is the red garter.'
   According to the Bible, Mark 6:14-29; Aradia is a corruption of Herodias who was identified with Diana, and who was directly responsible for the death of John the Baptist.

Invocation to Aradia

Hail, Aradia! From the Amalthean horn
Pour forth thy store of love; I lowly bend
Before thee, I adore thee to the end
With loving sacrifice thy shrine adorn.
Thy foot is to my lip, my prayer upborns
Upon the rising incense-smoke; then spend
Thine ancient love, O Mighty One, descend
To aid me, who without thee am forlorn.

from The Witches' Goddess, by Janet and Stewart Farrar