Who is Aradia?
Aradia was born in Volterra, Italy in the early part of the 14th century. Even as a child, there was a sense of spirit about her, and her parents believed that she might someday become a Catholic nun, themselves being of the Catholic faith. Her Aunt had other ideas, for she was of the Old Religion.
In the course of time, the aunt was hired to care for Aradia, and she began to tutor the young child in the old Ways. Aradia listened with great interest to the tales of forgotten gods and ancient spirits. Her spirit grew and she understood the inner truths of these stories. Then, on her 13th birthday, Aradia was initiated into the Old Religion. Something inside of her then awoke and she began to remember other realities.
Up in the hills of Nemi, near the lake upon whose shores the ancient temple of Diana had stood, Aradia sat and listened to the inner voices. A voice spoke to her, telling her to open her eyes and look upon the sky. It was then that she noticed that the sky had begun to darken, but the afternoon had not yet passed. The voice spoke again and whispered the word "Moonshadow".
Looking about her, she saw the beauty of all things, and the equality of all things. She understood and with the enlightenment that had come upon her, Aradia opened her heart and mind to the vastness of all she perceived.
It is said that she heard a "voice" that told her that she was chosen to fulfill a quest, and that she must challenge the established order of things, and provide hope to those who were enslaved by the wealthy nobility.
She decided not to return to her home, and was taken in among the outlaw camps that were hidden in the woods. Here she learned of the sorrows of those who lived in slavery, and listened to tales of cruelty and evil task masters. She learned also of the hypocrisy of the Church, which aided the nobles in controlling the peasants.
Aradia began to contemplate the plight of the peasants who labored for the wealthy lords. She embraced their sorrow and was moved with compassion for them. In the months that followed, she began to go among the villages to heal and counsel the people, giving them comfort and hope.
The people came to love her, and they called her "the Beautiful Pilgrim". Her fame spread throughout the towns and villages, and she began to teach the Old Religion.
Aradia came to be known as the Holy Strega, a spiritual teacher and wise woman. Her natural healing abilities and her knowledge of herbal potions was legendary during her time. During her brief time as a holy woman among the peasant people, Aradia came to be regarded as the daughter of the Goddess Diana, and after her disappearance many people worshipped her as a goddess herself.
It was not long before the Church became aware of her, and the priests who were accompanied by a group of soldiers confronted her. Aradia rebuked them for the hypocrisy of the Church, and she was arrested for heresy. When it was learned that she wanted to free the peasants from servitude, she was also charged with treason against the kingdom.
While awaiting execution in prison, an earthquake toppled the structure and the word spread that Aradia had died. Later she appeared in the outlaw camp and chose a small group of followers to accompany her on a journey. In the months that followed, Aradia initiated them and taught them all the secrets of the Old Ways.
One day, she announced that she must leave them, and she presented them with a set of nine scrolls. Aradia departed to the east and was never seen again. Her followers began to form groves throughout the Kingdom of Naples, and the Church was greatly concerned over the revival of the Old Religion. In time the followers of Aradia were hunted down by the soldiers and the scrolls of Aradia were captured and given over to the Church.
The last few remaining survivors of Aradia's original followers took refuge in the town of Benevento, and began to teach the Old Ways there once more. Benevento had once been the main gathering place for the Strega, and the town was a sanctuary for the followers of the Old Religion. One of Aradia's disciples wrote down all that she could remember of Aradia's teachings. She had once lived in the home of a noble family and was taught to read and write. What she preserved has come to be called "The Words of Aradia".
In the final instructions to her followers, she asked them to remember her through a sacred meal of wine and cakes, and to always keep to the Old Ways. She told them to gather together when the Moon was full and to worship the Great Goddess. She told them that they must be free when they came together, and that as a sign of their freedom, they were to be naked in their rites, to celebrate in joy and to make love with one another.
Above all things, Aradia stressed the seeking and obtaining of an inner and outer balance. She spoke of the equality of the masculine and feminine in an age where this was unwelcome. Aradia challenged the authority of the Church and the "right" of the wealthy nobility to oppress the peasants. This behavior brought her many enemies and eventually resulted in her arrest for heresy and treason.
She suffered humiliation and torture at the hands of her captors, but never lost sight of her spiritual quest. In prison, she used her sexual power over men to secure her escape. She did not allow herself to become a victim of their power over her, but instead used hers against them.
Aradia used her entire being as a tool for self-empowerment. She employed her intellect and spiritual nature when she spoke with friends and enemies alike. She used her feminine instincts and sexuality as a resource upon which to establish power over those who sought to control her. Aradia employed magick as a tool for self-empowerment, to reach beyond to her full potential.
To her, the totality of a person, both experimentally and potentially, had to be nurtured and brought into fullness. This is what the Church most feared, and was the real reason for the persecutions of witches. Men basically fear a woman's sexual power over them and seek to control it, harnessing it for their own use. (If she denies it to him, she is called a bitch. If she shares it with anyone but him, she is called a slut)
Aradia is the image of the powerful female witch. She is bold, independent, sexual, confident and self-empowered. In 14th century Italy, Aradia taught hope and personal empowerment to an oppressed peasant population. She taught them freedom and openness in a time when the Church taught them shame and guilt. She gave peasants hope and self-worth, in an age that offered them only slavery and servitude. She taught them how to discover their roots, and to remember who they were, so they could start to live the lives of the people they truly were. She returned their heritage and pride to them, teaching them that they did not simply labor for the fancy of the wealthy.
In the course of time, the aunt was hired to care for Aradia, and she began to tutor the young child in the old Ways. Aradia listened with great interest to the tales of forgotten gods and ancient spirits. Her spirit grew and she understood the inner truths of these stories. Then, on her 13th birthday, Aradia was initiated into the Old Religion. Something inside of her then awoke and she began to remember other realities.
Up in the hills of Nemi, near the lake upon whose shores the ancient temple of Diana had stood, Aradia sat and listened to the inner voices. A voice spoke to her, telling her to open her eyes and look upon the sky. It was then that she noticed that the sky had begun to darken, but the afternoon had not yet passed. The voice spoke again and whispered the word "Moonshadow".
Looking about her, she saw the beauty of all things, and the equality of all things. She understood and with the enlightenment that had come upon her, Aradia opened her heart and mind to the vastness of all she perceived.
It is said that she heard a "voice" that told her that she was chosen to fulfill a quest, and that she must challenge the established order of things, and provide hope to those who were enslaved by the wealthy nobility.
She decided not to return to her home, and was taken in among the outlaw camps that were hidden in the woods. Here she learned of the sorrows of those who lived in slavery, and listened to tales of cruelty and evil task masters. She learned also of the hypocrisy of the Church, which aided the nobles in controlling the peasants.
Aradia began to contemplate the plight of the peasants who labored for the wealthy lords. She embraced their sorrow and was moved with compassion for them. In the months that followed, she began to go among the villages to heal and counsel the people, giving them comfort and hope.
The people came to love her, and they called her "the Beautiful Pilgrim". Her fame spread throughout the towns and villages, and she began to teach the Old Religion.
Aradia came to be known as the Holy Strega, a spiritual teacher and wise woman. Her natural healing abilities and her knowledge of herbal potions was legendary during her time. During her brief time as a holy woman among the peasant people, Aradia came to be regarded as the daughter of the Goddess Diana, and after her disappearance many people worshipped her as a goddess herself.
It was not long before the Church became aware of her, and the priests who were accompanied by a group of soldiers confronted her. Aradia rebuked them for the hypocrisy of the Church, and she was arrested for heresy. When it was learned that she wanted to free the peasants from servitude, she was also charged with treason against the kingdom.
While awaiting execution in prison, an earthquake toppled the structure and the word spread that Aradia had died. Later she appeared in the outlaw camp and chose a small group of followers to accompany her on a journey. In the months that followed, Aradia initiated them and taught them all the secrets of the Old Ways.
One day, she announced that she must leave them, and she presented them with a set of nine scrolls. Aradia departed to the east and was never seen again. Her followers began to form groves throughout the Kingdom of Naples, and the Church was greatly concerned over the revival of the Old Religion. In time the followers of Aradia were hunted down by the soldiers and the scrolls of Aradia were captured and given over to the Church.
The last few remaining survivors of Aradia's original followers took refuge in the town of Benevento, and began to teach the Old Ways there once more. Benevento had once been the main gathering place for the Strega, and the town was a sanctuary for the followers of the Old Religion. One of Aradia's disciples wrote down all that she could remember of Aradia's teachings. She had once lived in the home of a noble family and was taught to read and write. What she preserved has come to be called "The Words of Aradia".
In the final instructions to her followers, she asked them to remember her through a sacred meal of wine and cakes, and to always keep to the Old Ways. She told them to gather together when the Moon was full and to worship the Great Goddess. She told them that they must be free when they came together, and that as a sign of their freedom, they were to be naked in their rites, to celebrate in joy and to make love with one another.
Above all things, Aradia stressed the seeking and obtaining of an inner and outer balance. She spoke of the equality of the masculine and feminine in an age where this was unwelcome. Aradia challenged the authority of the Church and the "right" of the wealthy nobility to oppress the peasants. This behavior brought her many enemies and eventually resulted in her arrest for heresy and treason.
She suffered humiliation and torture at the hands of her captors, but never lost sight of her spiritual quest. In prison, she used her sexual power over men to secure her escape. She did not allow herself to become a victim of their power over her, but instead used hers against them.
Aradia used her entire being as a tool for self-empowerment. She employed her intellect and spiritual nature when she spoke with friends and enemies alike. She used her feminine instincts and sexuality as a resource upon which to establish power over those who sought to control her. Aradia employed magick as a tool for self-empowerment, to reach beyond to her full potential.
To her, the totality of a person, both experimentally and potentially, had to be nurtured and brought into fullness. This is what the Church most feared, and was the real reason for the persecutions of witches. Men basically fear a woman's sexual power over them and seek to control it, harnessing it for their own use. (If she denies it to him, she is called a bitch. If she shares it with anyone but him, she is called a slut)
Aradia is the image of the powerful female witch. She is bold, independent, sexual, confident and self-empowered. In 14th century Italy, Aradia taught hope and personal empowerment to an oppressed peasant population. She taught them freedom and openness in a time when the Church taught them shame and guilt. She gave peasants hope and self-worth, in an age that offered them only slavery and servitude. She taught them how to discover their roots, and to remember who they were, so they could start to live the lives of the people they truly were. She returned their heritage and pride to them, teaching them that they did not simply labor for the fancy of the wealthy.