She is a timeless spiritual entity, embodying Kore in her power, Aphrodite in her beauty, and Diana in her courage an love of wild places. She was sent to Earth as prophetess of the religion of witchcraft, with the mission of protecting women from oppressions of feudalism. She came to teach them the mystical and healing arts. She represents there own shadow, which might be scary, but makes them stronger and wiser in the end. With her broomstave of power, her cloak of mystery, and her knowledge of every plant, she gave fright to the Inquisition. Aradia taught women how to invoke the full moon at midnight, sprinkle salt from a red bag while asking favours of the Goddess. With quiet authority, she proclaims ”Never Again the Burning”
In 1899, American folklorist Charles Godfrey Leland published what he believed was a manuscript outlining a secret Italian witch cult based out of Tuscany. “Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches” is a collection of texts, rituals, spells, and mythology detailing this supposed hidden tradition. Leland had a witch informant named “Maddalena” who supplied him with the Italian manuscript. He believed this represented a vanishing tradition which had been a continuation from the Etruscans and felt that his discovery had confirmed that the worship of Diana had been existent and contemporary with Christianity throughout the Middle Ages.
“The Gospel” details a counter religion to Roman Catholicism, pulling from both Roman Catholic and Roman Pagan mythology. It establishes a cosmology in which the Goddess Diana is the primordial creator of the universe. Diana, the Goddess of the Witches, creates “the heavens, the stars and rains”, and eventually splits herself into two, darkness and light. This action gives birth to her brother/son, Lucifer (light-bringer), god of the Sun. Upon seeing his beauty, Diana turns herself into a cat and seduces him. She chases him (as the sun and moon are often described as doing) and the two beget Aradia. This cosmogony is in stark opposition to most, with its establishment of the divine feminine as the ultimate creator.
In 1899, American folklorist Charles Godfrey Leland published what he believed was a manuscript outlining a secret Italian witch cult based out of Tuscany. “Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches” is a collection of texts, rituals, spells, and mythology detailing this supposed hidden tradition. Leland had a witch informant named “Maddalena” who supplied him with the Italian manuscript. He believed this represented a vanishing tradition which had been a continuation from the Etruscans and felt that his discovery had confirmed that the worship of Diana had been existent and contemporary with Christianity throughout the Middle Ages.
“The Gospel” details a counter religion to Roman Catholicism, pulling from both Roman Catholic and Roman Pagan mythology. It establishes a cosmology in which the Goddess Diana is the primordial creator of the universe. Diana, the Goddess of the Witches, creates “the heavens, the stars and rains”, and eventually splits herself into two, darkness and light. This action gives birth to her brother/son, Lucifer (light-bringer), god of the Sun. Upon seeing his beauty, Diana turns herself into a cat and seduces him. She chases him (as the sun and moon are often described as doing) and the two beget Aradia. This cosmogony is in stark opposition to most, with its establishment of the divine feminine as the ultimate creator.
The folklorist Sabina Magliocco has theorized that prior to being used in Leland’s Gospel, Aradia was originally a supernatural figure in Italian Folklore, who was later merged with other folklore figures such as sa Rejusta of Sardinia. By the High Middle Ages, this figure seems to have become attached to the train of nymphs of Diana, Now also seen as a host of spirits flying through the night sky across the Italian countryside.
Although Raven Grimassi has since suggested that the origin of the legend was actually the 14th Century folkloric figure of Aradia di Toscana (Aradaia of Tuscany) who generated a revival of witchcraft within the oppresses peasant class of medieval Italy and brought about a return to the “Old Religion” in Italy
The 14th Century folkloric version resonates best with me, Aradia was “born” in 1313 in Volterra, a town in northern Italy. There, she lived and taught throughout the latter half of the 14th century, speaking of an “Age of Reason” that would soon replace the “Age of the Son.”
Aradia was a woman who, “traveled far and wide, teaching and preaching the religion of old times, the religion of Diana, the Queen of the Fairies and 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 worshiped her, calling her La Bella Pellegrina (the beautiful pilgrim).”
“Stregoni, stregoni sulla terra. Bella strega Aradia.”
“Witches, witches on earth. Beautiful witch Aradia.”
To research more on her I would recommend the books by Raven Grimassi.
So many Blessings
Mystic Mana 
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