I'm proud to announce the release of Aradia: Gospel of the Witches, Retold! I worked for over seven years on this translation, demanding the best of myself for the project. But let me tell you a bit about the beginning...
When Charles Godfrey Leland's Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches was finally published in 1899, its effect was ground-breaking (one might even say earth-shattering).
It gave witches and historians the world over a path back to the Old Ways.
It gave the emerging witchcraft movement in Great Britain a taste of authenticity upon which to build.
It gave witches and historians the world over pause, as they considered the antiquity of the material, a debate that continues today.
The material was sparse, and, in some places, downright incorrect. It stood for a hundred years in that inaccurate state, until Mario Pazzaglini, Ph. D., published his translation. Even then, some essential questions were unresolved. This book offers a completed and corrected translation, at last, of one of the most important books about Italian witchcraft in these modern times.
Contributing to this undertaking are:
Patricia Della-Piana, a spiritual poet for some 50 years. A second-generation Italian-American, she is a goddess-worshiping strega. The author of The Goddess Book of Psalms and Devotions for the Witch, she continues her focus on the Dianic history of her faith with this work.
Gary R. Varner, a folklorist with a background in archeology and anthropology. He writes of the continuation of ancient traditions into contemporary society. His work attempts to show how universal mythology is, how valid folklore is from one country and one people to another. Here, he discusses the concept of threatening or coercing the gods, as it appears in Leland's original work.
Lori Bruno, a well-known Boston area strega, psychic, counselor, spiritual healer and medium. She was interviewed in People of the Earth by Ellen Everett-Hopman. Lori has written for the Llewellyn Magickal Almanac and the Spell-a-Day series. Reverend Bruno is the founder and Mother Elder of Our Lord and Lady of the Trinacrian Rose Church. Recently, she relocated to Salem, Massachusetts, where she continues to establish various programs that benefit her community and her world. Her blessing on this work is evidence of its accuracy.
The book will be listed on Amazon.com within a few weeks, but if you just can't wait, the ISBN is 978-0-557-23479-0, and you can preview and order it at http://stores.lulu.com/deliathecrone. It retails in print (soft cover) for $21.00 and by download for only $7.00.
The book will also be listed shortly with Bowker's Books-in-Print, at www.bowker.com, for your ordering convenience. Ordering can be accomplished directly through Bowker by calling 1-888-BOWKER2 (1-888-269-5372), Monday through Friday, between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm, Eastern Time.
