...which played a major role in the evolution of neopaganism in the nineteen- fifties and sixties. He claimed it was a collection of genuine beliefs and practices of a group of Italian witches, the central figure being the goddess Aradia. According to Leland, Aradia was the daughter of Diana—the Roman goddess of the moon—and Lucifer, whom he described as a god of the sun. Aradia was said to have been sent to Earth where she became the first witch, and taught the craft to her followers.
When I first started my apprenticeship, I spent a lot of time in the store room flipping through books and studying the illustrations. Which, inevitably, led to long nights reading and researching the text. I first came across Aradia when I was twenty years old, and I remember being fascinated by it—the parallels between Lucifer and Apollo, Aradia and Lilith. There is also a persistent theme of faith as an act of rebellion against oppressors, and more than anything, that idea has lingered with me.