Craig Spencer - Aradia: A Modern Guide to Charles Godfrey Lelands Gospel of the Witches

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

Aradia: A Modern Guide to Charles Godfrey Lelands Gospel of the Witches 2020 by Craig Spencer.

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First e-book edition 2020

E-book ISBN: 9780738764788

Book design by Samantha Penn

Cover design by Shannon McKuhen

Cover illustration by Eric Hotz

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Spencer, Craig, author. | Leland, Charles Godfrey

Aradia. English.

Title: Aradia : a modern guide to Charles Godfrey Lelands Gospel of the

witches / Craig Spencer.

Description: First edition. | Woodbury, Minnesota : Llewellyn Worldwide,

Ltd, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: Craig

Spencers Aradia is a new translation of Charles Godfrey Lelands

original Italian text and includes a full reprint of Lelands own words

as well as notes, analysis, and commentary to help you better understand

the classic manuscript and the magical practices within its pages

Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020010510 (print) | LCCN 2020010511 (ebook) | ISBN

9780738764665 (paperback) | ISBN 9780738764788 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Leland, Charles Godfrey, 18241903. Aradia. |

WitchcraftItaly. | Diana (Roman deity)

Classification: LCC BF1584.I8 L438 2020 (print) | LCC BF1584.I8 (ebook) |

DDC 133.4/30945dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020010510

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020010511

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Manufactured in the United States of America

Contents

The Gospel and the Revelations

: How Diana Gave Birth to Aradia (Herodias)

: The Sabbat: Tregenda or Witch-MeetingHow to Consecrate the Supper

: How Diana Made the Stars and the Rain

: The Charm of the Stones Consecrated to Diana

: The Conjuration of the Lemon and Pins

: A Spell to Win Love

: To Find or Buy Anything, or to Have Good Fortune Thereby

: To Have a Good Vintage and Very Good Wine by the Aid of Diana

: Tana and Endamone, or Diana and Endymion

: Madonna Diana

: The House of the Wind

: Tana, The Moon-Goddess

: Diana and the Children

: The Goblin Messengers of Diana and Mercury

: Laverna

: Appendix: Comments on the Foregoing Texts

: The Children of Diana, or How the Fairies Were Born

: Diana, Queen of the Serpents, Giver of the Gift of Languages

: Diana as Giving Beauty and Restoring Strength

Craig, or the Gospel According to this Witch

: Beliefs Revealed from the Gospel Texts

This book is dedicated to:

My Nan for giving me my love of books and reading.

My Grandad for always teaching me the importance of
learning about history and referencing from books.

My Mum for always being there with support,
encouragement, and advice.

This book would not have been
possible without all of them. Thank you!

Also special acknowledgements to:

Maddalena Taluti and Charles Godfrey Leland
for preserving the text of Italian Witchcraft.

Heather Greene, Nicole Borneman, and the team at Llewellyn

for seeing the potential in this book and making it possible.

Introduction

Charles Godfrey Leland is a name that few occultists would be unfamiliar with, which is not surprising. After all, he is the man who has been dubbed by many as the Grandfather of Modern Witchcraft. The title itself is much deserved, as without one of his most famous texts, the Craft as it stands for many today would not exist in its current form. The work that I am talking about is Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches [of Italy.] Despite being a successful American author, it seems ironic that it is one of Lelands final works that has earned him such a position of immortality in our community.

Leland was truly a fascinating man. From the moment of his birth on August 15, 1824, he was exposed to the world of mystery and magic. According to Leland, his mother said that when he was born the nurse left him with a Bible, a key, and a knife on his breast, as well as lit candles, money, and a plate of salt at his head. These items were believed to bring about good fortune for young Leland as well as to make him a wizard.

Lelands mother appeared to believe that this rite was a sign of possible reincarnation. Leland said, My mothers opinion was that this was a very strong case of atavism, and that the mysterious ancestor had cropped out in me.

It would seem that these events in Lelands early years were a sign of things to come. Although he turned to journalism in 1853 and had a reasonably successful career, he would later find himself leaving this profession behind in favour of exploring folklore and the occult in 1869.

By 1886 Leland had heard of the existence of a manuscript setting forth the doctrines of Italian witchcraft

The book worked its way into the modern Craft revival, influencing the writings of Gerald Gardner and Doreen Valiente. These influences were most noticeable in Gardners Book of Shadows where they found themselves at home in a number of places, the most significant of these being in the opening of the Charge of the Goddess. The fact that the goddess is referred to as Aradia in most of the revivalist covens, at least in their inception, is a blatant reference to the Gospel text.

The fact that Leland named the Gospel after Aradia and not Diana is important. It was believed that the Gospel recorded the teachings that had been inherited by the Italian witches from when Aradia had walked the earth. In this sense, naming the Gospel after her seemed appropriate. It was also appropriate to focus on Aradia as the principal goddess during the time leading up to the Craft revival. The Witchcraft Act had not yet been repealed and people were in hiding because of their faith. The Gospel, much like a Bible, offered divine guidance and assurance that freedom was attainable through the practices of the Old Religion. The Gospel did not disappoint.