Aradia

Gospel Of The Witches

is being run, as the moon becomes warm she casts off one garment after another, till she is naked and then stops, and then when dressed the race begins again.

As the vast storm cloud falls in glittering drops, even so the great myths of the olden time are broken up into small fairy tales, and as these drops in turn reunite.

On silent lake or streamlet lone as Villon hath it, even so minor myths are again formed

from the fallen waters. In this story we clearly have the dog made by Vulcan and the wolf -

Jupiter settled the question by petrifying them - as you may read in Julius Pollux his fifth book, or any other on mythology.

Which hunting hound, as well is known,

Was changed by Jupiter to stone.

It is remarkable that in this story the moon is compared to an onion. The onion, says

Friedrich, was, on account of its many skins, among the Egyptians the emblem and hieroglyph of the many formed moon, whose different phases are so clearly seen I the root when it is cut through, also because its growth or decrease corresponds with that of the planet. Therefore it was dedicated to Isis, the Moon Goddess. And for this reason the onion was so holy as to be regarded as having in itself something of deity; for which reason Juvenal remarks that the Egyptians were happy people to have gods growing in their gardens.

CHAPTER XV

LAVERNA

The following very curious tale, with the incantation, was not in the text of the Vangelo,

but it very evidently belongs to the cycle or series of legends connected with it. Diana is declared to be the protectress of all outcasts, those to whom the night is their day, consequently of thieves; and Laverna, as we may learn from Horace and Plautus, was pre-eminently the patroness of pilfering and all rascality. In this story she also appears as a witch and humorist.

It was given to me as a tradition of Virgil, who often appears as one familiar with the

marvelous and hidden lore of the olden time.

It happened on a time that Virgil, who knew all things hidden or magical, he who was a

magician and poet, having heard a speech (or oration) by a famous talker who had not much in him, was asked what he thought of it. And he replied, It seems to me to be impossible to tell whether it was all introduction or all conclusion; certainly there was no body in it. It was like certain fish of whom one is in doubt whether they are all head or all tail, or only head and tail; or the goddess Laverna, of whom no one ever know whether she was all head or all body, or neither or both.

Then the emperor inquired who this deity might be, for he had never heard of her.

And Virgil replied, Among the gods or spirits who were of ancient times - may they be

ever favorable to us! Among them (was) one female who was the craftiest and most knavish of them all. She was called Laverna. She was a thief, and very little known to the other deities, who were honest and dignified, for she was rarely in heaven or in the country of the fairies.

She was almost always on earth, among thieves, pickpockets, and panders - she lived in

darkness.

Once it happened that she went (to a mortal), a great priest in the form and guise of a very beautiful stately priestess (of some goddess), and said to him: -

You have an estate which I wish to buy. I intend to build on it a temple to (our) God. I

swear to you on my body that I will pay thee within a year

Therefore the priest transferred to her the estate.

And very soon Laverna had sold off all the crops, grain, cattle, wood, and poultry. There

was not left the value of four farthings.

But on the day fixed for payment there was no Laverna to be seen. The fair goddess was far away, and had left her creditor in the lurch!

At the same time Laverna went to a great lord and bought of him a castle, well furnished

within and broad rich lands without.

But this time she swore on her head to pay in full in six months.

And as she had done by the priest, so she acted to the lord of the castle, and stole and sold every stick, furniture, cattle, men, and mice - there was not left wherewith to feed a fly.

Then the priest and the lord, finding out who this was, appealed to the gods, complaining

that they had been robbed by a goddess.

And it was soon made known to them all that this was Laverna.

Therefore she was called to judgment before all the gods.