PARE BLEVEN: ‘the Legends enacted in tho Vicoa systeries resemble those in tho Blousien myth of the descent of Kore (Persephone) into the Undervorld vhere she moots tho dreaded Lord of the shadeva (Pluto). These particular veri- Stion# of the Iegends are to be found aimest verbatim in tho Babylonian end earlicr Sumerian tablets, Aredia, in her quant for kmovledge, wished to pass by the gates of the lord of Deaths After having travelled for many eiles sho at last found the citrance to the Netherlands and tho Guardians that vere set upon the vevon Gates reaeved bar jevela and garments, saying: Waught may yo ring with yo fate thts our lend.! Neked and bound’ sho was trought before the Lord of the Shadevo, who wa Lucifer, his Hight shrouded in the darkness. ils recogtised fer ané Gostring ber for'tMs Quen vould have Laid down Kis might and dozinion ‘for her yet sha would not havo hia, sha, the sost beautiful of all crested things sev oaly uglinesa in le dark face, Thus it vas that sho was teken lind nado to kneel to Death's scourge. This scone may be secn dopicted in the paintings of the ville of the Mysteries in Pospeil. The pain of this Ehacticeront opencd her eyoe to the truth and aho knew the hidden viaden, sho perceived tla veil that covered the radiance of Lucifer, end sosing him to be Ehat whieh che sought they made Love end were ono. Ritualistic treatment of this legand starts with the entrancing repetition of challenge; question, enaver and caution as she goos through the soven gates and builds up to the expraacive catharsis and fulfillnent at the end. After tho vision of trua Imovledge the creation Legend is tolé im full: Disna vas the first ereated before all creation. In her vere all things out of fur fret darimess abe divided barself inte dorimess and Light. LusiZoR for trother end son, vas the Might and when Diana saw that tho Light was co poauti ful, tho Moht that vas hor other self, bor brother Lucifer, she yoarnod for it with exceoding Great dosire, wishing to recoive tho Might again inte hor darimoss, to avallow it up in rapture, in delight, Sho tresbled with desire. This desire vas the dam, byt Lucifer the Light fled from tor aad would not yielé to her wishos, Ho vas tho Light vhieh flies into the cost Gietant parts of Hoaven, the mouse which flies before the cat. Thus Diena wont to the fathrs of the beginning, to tho mottora, the opirits vitich wore bofere tio fret epirit end lasentod unto thea that she could not prevail Sith Luetfor and they praised har for ter courage. Tey told her that to rice ‘She must fall, to becone the giant of Goddesses abe must bocone Eortal end She ago, in the course of tine, when the world vas made, Diaia went on Dithy Gs had lucifer, vho had Zallen even into the inderverld, and Diana practiood Engle end scresry, vhence ore witches and fairies end goblina, ali that is Like mn, yet not Rortal. And this £t caso that Diana tool the form of a cat. far brother had @ cat whoa he loved above ali otter ereatwos, & fcirya fairy but ho did Ret Imows ‘Diona prevailed with ths oat end chanced fore with his.with him Ae sho Loy on her brother's bed sho assumed her om fora md co by Lucifir vacese va nother of herself upon the Earth, Dut whan in the Horning ho found thasthat fo tay by Mis olater end Light had been cengusred by darimeos, Lioi for vos W8S Gatresoly engrys Diana sang him a epoll, @ cong of poxer, and to vao i> = silent fo Bienes with har Imoviedgs of yitoherart go charsed him that ho yields 0 (0 ic loves Thia was tia frat fascination, sto kaned and sang od 1% vas soWas as Sho imoaing ef bees, the spinning wheel spinning lize. Sue spin tio livculives of all cen, all things wore spin fron the vhsol ef Dicna end Lucifer turnoc turned ‘tho wheel Tt econo to pasa that Diena asamed tho form of a double, Aradtay cst upon the Berth, Aredia was not known to the witches, the fairics ‘He elves and those that Guelt in dosort places, the Goblins ae they are i:‘She had much a passion for witchcraft and becese no powerful that toe grostnons could not be Raden and thus it eand 0 pass, ence at the noting of II the soreeresnos art Uairien, she declared thet she vould darken tho heavens and tum all the mice into sters and those who ware present said: {Tf thou canst do euch a strange thing, having risen to such pover, thou shalt be our Gueon.? Avadia vont into the street. Sho tool the bladder of an ox, and a pleco of witch money (vith such money ono can take the earth fron men's tracks), she Took the earth and vith it and many mico sho filled the bladder and blew it X{1l it burst and thare folloved a grest sarvol. Tio Earth vhich vas in the ‘ladder bocane the white moc above, and for throe cays thare vas Grest reine Tho mice becaze stars and the rain, Diaca became quocn of witches. She was ‘the cat who relit the star aice, the men and the rain. Aradia told har followers? "deten to the words of the Groat Mother, vho was of old called many nanos; Astarte; Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Coridveny Dana, Arianrhod, Bridoy Tals and by many other nanos, Whenever yo have need of anything, once in the month and better it be whon the soon is full, then shall yo asseuble in sose secret place and adore the spirit of mo vho ex Queen of all Vitcharies. There shall ye aasesble, ye vho are Zain to learn all sorcery. To these vill I teach things yet inimomn and as a sign that ye be truly fres ye shal! be naked in your rites end ye shall dance, sing, feast, aako susie and love, all in ny praise for I bring the costasy of tho spirit and aine also fs joy on Earth tor ny lew is love unto ali beings. Mine is the secret gate which opens tio oor of youth end mine i tho oup of the wine of Life and tho cauldren of all of tha Coddeacos that are for these aro tho Holy Grail of mortality. I on ‘the gracious Goddess who oives joy unto the heart of aan. Upon Barth I give tho knowledge of the spirit eternal and when I have conquered the Lord of Life and death and what Hes beyond thon vill I give poste end freedea and reunion vith those who have gone before for I an the Bother of all Living and ay Love is poured out upon the Earth, Hear yo ny vords for Tam the star goddess. Sha in the dust of whose foot are tho host of heaven, whose body encireleth the universe. I who en the beauty of the green Earth and the white moon szongst tho stare ‘and the mystery of the vators and the desire of the heart of man. Arise and cone ito mo for I en tho soul of Nature vhich giveth birth ‘to the Universe. rea ma all things proceed and wnto no ail things aust return and before ay fa0e Zor I'am the beloved of goda and mon. ‘Thine inmost atvine self shall be enfolded in tho rapture of tha infinite. Tharoforo let there be Doauty and strength, pover and coapasion, honour and bunility, mirth end Feveronce within you and thou who thinkost to cook zor me, Imov thy secking and yoarning shall avail thee not unleas thou know the mystery. ‘That if that which how seckest thou findest not within thoo, thou vilt never find it without thee, for I have boon with thoe from the beginning and X aa that Vaich is attained at the and of doaire." Hs LsGm@ oF THs ‘The legend is surther enactpd in the, second and third degreo initiation ‘of the Wicca. This particular legend is enacted inside the Magic Im Anctent tines our Lord, the Horned Ono, was, as ho still is, the consoler, the conforters But men knew hin as the dread Lord of shadova, lonely, stern and just. But our Lady, vho had never loved lncifer, the Horned Ono, upon the Earth and beneath the Eerth, would solve all mysteries even tho nysteries of Desth. So abe journeyed to tle Underworld, Tho guardians of the portals challenged her, "strip off thy garnents, Lay aside thy jovels for naught may ye bring with ye Into this ou Land," So the Groat crom was taken frou hor brov, the bracelets tres hor wists end het aoldlea, the poarl earingay the necklace of sera eroind tar neck, tho becrod girdle from about her waist and the covering of her body waa resoved end Sho wae bound ao all Living must be who ssck to enter the reslss of Death, tho Mighty One, and eho Jounayed vith tte gusrds of the portals fer a long tine ee Laat nacnna bona maanand sombre oe =Be ‘The guardians of the portals shoved her a great and ancient castle end took hor through the partals. Seated upon his ebon throne wee the terrifying throe-faced God of Light and Death and Darkness and such was hor beauty that Death stepped forvard frou his throne and melt and laid his svord and crow at her fect and Kissed her fect saying: "Blessed be thy fect that have brought thee in these vays. Abide vith me, but let me place my cold hand on thy heart.” And she replied: "I love thee not. Why doest thou cause all things that I Love and take delight in to fade and die?" MLady," replied Death, "tis age and fate, against which I am helpless. Ago causes all things to wither, but when men die at tho end of time I give thom rest and posse and strength, 90 thet they may returh. But you ~ you are lovely, Roturn not, abide with mes" But she answered: 'I love thee note men," said Death, "If you vill not receive my hand upon thy heart you nust eel to Deaths scourge." "It is Fate, better 20," she said end she kmelt. And Death scourged her tenderly and she cried, "I Imow the pangs of love," and Death raised her end said "Blessed Bo" and he gave her the five-fold kiss saying: "Thus only may you attain to joy and Imovledge." ‘And he taught her all the mysteries and returned to her the necklaco of stars which is tle cirele of rebirth and in the heavens is the seat of tho Goddess and sho taught him her mystery of the sacred cup which is the Holy Grail of Immortality and the cauldron of rebirth and the cauldron of insnir- ation and the thirteen pearls on the rim of the cauldron are the tears of the love of the Goddess for her hidden children of the Wicca, ‘They loved and were one, for there be three great mysteries in tho life of man, Magic controls them all. For to fulfil love you must return again fat tho same time end the same place as the loved one end you must meet and Inow end remember and love them again, but to be reborn you must die and to be made ready for a new body, and to die you must be born and without love you may not te born. And our Goddess returned through the portals of tte Underworld to ‘teach love and mirth,and happiness, and guardeth end cherishoth ber hidden children in this life. And in hor conquest of Death she teachoth tho way to have communion and even in this world she teecheth then tho mysteries of the Magic Cirele which is placed between the tvo worlds, the world of Gods and ‘the world of men. From original source documents (¢) 2005 Ordrine Scatere Stellae