I was watching the odd YouTube video or two when I came across a mention of Aradia, The Gospel of the Witches. With something that bore a such a close resemblance to my own name, my curiosity was immediately piqued. I had to find out more, so I ordered a copy for myself.
Christianity is pretty clear on its views about witches, i.e. they are evil. Growing up in my small town Christian community, the Biblical aversion to anything related to witchcraft escalated to such extremes that I – along with several others, I hear – was reprimanded for reading the Harry Potter books in school (I cannot help but roll my eyes as I write this; the sheer hysterical irrationality of it all baffles me). Regardless, my Christian upbringing remained, and I did not know what I would encounter in the depths of The Gospel of the Witches – would I see spells and incantations? Malicious magical curses? Worship of the Devil himself?
The primary deity in The Gospel of the Witches is Diana, the Roman goddess of the Moon. Diana wished to have a child and tricked her brother Lucifer (the very same as per Christianity) into conceiving a child with her; that child was named Aradia and she was the first of the witches. Her mother sent her to earth to teach witchcraft to humankind.
Aradia’s birth might seem abhorrent by modern standards, but in ancient Greek and Roman mythology, incest was a rather common theme. Regardless, in The Gospel of the Witches, Diana does feel remorse for conceiving a child with her brother.
The Gospel of the Witches was compiled by Charles G. Leland in the late 1800s. He collected all the manuscripts and material he could find on this covert religion and assembled it into the product that I read. Leland makes it clear that his book is not the sacrosanct text for the religion, and there is most definitely more to it that remains obscured to most of humanity.
Upon reading this text I was surprised to find certain similarities with the Bible (simply writing this sentence is probably blasphemous, but there you have it). Here too, was a mention of turning water into wine, sympathy for the poor, and an overall emphasis on kindness. But unlike the Bible, The Gospel of the Witches stresses more on nature and the elements, with lots of invocations and benedictions revolving around the same.
However, the most marked difference between The Gospel of the Witches and the Bible is the gender reversal. In The Gospel of the Witches, the Messiah (i.e. Aradia) is female, and the blame for original sin, evil and corruption markedly points towards Man. What was interesting was not the placing of the blame upon men, but the fact that it struck me as being so abnormal – we don’t bat an eye when the same is said of women in Christian teachings (Eve being blamed for the sins of man, the woman’s ‘weakness’ bringing the curse of evil and corruption to all of humanity, etc. etc.). The complete and unapologetic role reversal was undeniably refreshing.
The sensational differences end here. Overall, The Gospel of the Witches primarily served as a refuge for those suffering under the class-driven oppression upheld in the Christian society of earlier centuries (note that Christianity does not propagate this, but rather in this case it was used to support the agenda of feudal lords; the Church benefitted from the same and therefore interpreted the Bible in the lords’ favour). Diana is the protector of the outcasts, the misfits and even certain criminals, with the operating belief being that “no human being is so bad as to be forsaken from some sort of divine protection” – Diana offers refuge, and a path towards forgiveness and peace.
Turns out, Aradia, The Gospel of the Witches was nothing like the Biblical description of witchcraft – there was no condoning of evil, mal-intent or cruelty, and certainly no devil-worship. Lucifer’s only appearance here is as the father of Aradia – beyond her birth his name doesn’t even make an appearance, let alone be worshipped. I found this gospel to be unremarkably normal as far as religions go, and I’m glad I had the chance to read it.
Work Cited
Leland, Charles G. Aradia, or The Gospel of the Witches. 1899. Print.
Very interesting. Always good to know the other side of the story so to speak.