D
Diana was the first created before all creation. In her were all things; out of herself, the first darkness, she divided herself into darkness and light. Dianus, her brother and son, herself and her other half, was the light.
And when Diana saw that the light was so beautiful, the light which was her other half, her brother Dianus, she yearned for it with exceedingly great desire. Wishing to receive the light again into her darkness, to swallow it up in rapture, in delight, she trembled with desire. This desire was the dawn.
But Dianus, the light, fled from her, and would not yield to her wishes. He was the light which flies into the most distant parts of heaven, the mouse which flies before the cat.
Then Diana went to the Fathers of the Beginning, to the Mothers, the Spirits who were before the first spirit, and lamented unto them that she could not prevail with Dianus. And they praised her for her courage; they told her that to rise she must fall; to become the chief of goddesses she must become a mortal.
And in the Ages, in the course of Time, when the World was made, Diana went on Earth, as did Dianus, who had descended, and Diana taught Magick and sorcery, whence came witches and Magickians, and all that is like man, yet not mortal.
And it came thus that Diana took the form of a cat. Her brother had a cat whom he loved beyond all creatures, and it slept every night on his bed. It was a cat beautiful beyond all other creatures: a fairy, but he did not know this.
Diana prevailed with the cat to change forms with her. So she lay with her brother, and in the darkness assumed her own form, and so by Dianus became the mother of Aradia. But when in the morning he found that he lay by his sister, and that light had been conquered by darkness, Dianus was extremely angry. But Diana sang to him a spell, a song of power, and he was silent. It was the song of the night which soothes to sleep, and he could say nothing.
So Diana with her wiles of Witchcraft so charmed him that he yielded to her love. This was the first fascination. She hummed the song which was as the buzzing of bees, and the spinning of a wheel: the spinning wheel spinning Life. She spun then the lives of Men, and all things were spun from the Wheel of Diana. And it was Dianus who turned the Wheel.
AN OFFERING TO DIANA
The following is one of the ancient ways in which offerings were made to the goddess of the Moon. If you would like to perform this timeless offering, then proceed as described.
First, an offering of any white woodland-type flower was placed before the statue of the goddess. The classic statue was the image of a beautiful woman, carrying a bow and quiver of arrows, with a dog at her feet. Upon her forehead, she wore a headband with a waxing crescent Moon upon it.
Next a wreath of these flowers was made and placed upon her head, like a crown. Then the invocation was given (English translation of the original Italian):
Beautiful Goddess of the bow, beautiful Goddess of the arrows, and of all dogs and hunting. You who awakens in the Stars of Heaven, when the Sun sinks in slumber.
You with the Moon upon your brow, who prefers the chase by Night, to hunting in the Day, with your Nymphs to the sound of the Horn. You are the Huntress, and the most Powerful. I pray that you will think of me, yet even for a moment, for I worship you!
Following this, the worshiper remained in silent prayer and praise for a few moments. After this, nine white stones or shells were placed before the statue, forming a crescent moon. The points of the crescent were placed toward the feet of the statue. Under the middle stone or shell was placed a symbol representing any desire or aid which was requested. In later times, a written request was often used.
Three torches were placed around the statue, forming a triangle (two behind, off to each side, and the third one in front). Incense of the Moon was often placed within the semicircle made by the stone or shell pattern. A typical moon incense would have been either wormwood and camphor, or cedar, sandalwood, and juniper.
To complete the magickal influences, the worshiper left the area immediately, and never spoke to anyone concerning this or her actions.