| DIANA In Italy the old religion of Stregheria (Italian) embraced goddess Diana as Queen of the Witches; witches being the wise women healers of the time. |
Goddesses of the World
| In ancient Rome, the goddess Diana was honored as the mother of the wild animals. In those days, the European countries were heavily forested. All the woodlands were sacred to Diana, especially oak groves. Diana was praised for her strength and athletic grace; her skill as a huntress was unsurpassed. Hunting skills were especially important to humans at this time, because they relied on meat as the main source of nourishment, especially in winter. Some statues show Diana with many breasts on her torso, symbolizing her ability to feed all creatures. Diana is also a moon goddess. The changing moon reflects the changing cycles of nature, and as a goddess of wild, natural places, Diana is closely associated with nature. The cycles of the moon influence all growing things, plants, animals, and humans alike. Diana reminds us of our connection with these cycles. Diana’s beauty made her the object of many a man's love, but she preferred to be free and chose no man as her mate. Everyone respected her choice but one. Actaeon so wanted Diana that he disguised himself in a deer skin and antlers, then hid behind a oak tree a spied on her while she bathed. Diana was not fooled and in a fury, allowed her hunting dogs to tear him to pieces. Some people believe that this story describes a hunting ritual preformed at the beginning of winter to ensure there will be food, rather than a warning about the hot temper of an angry goddess. Actaeon symbolizes the stag that men hope they would find in the forest, since in those days they hunted stag for meat during the winter months. They prayed to Diana to help their hunting dogs catch the stags, just as the dogs caught the unlucky Actaeon. Worship of Diana, goddess of hunting and the moon, extended across Europe. She was still believed to rule the wild forest until the middle ages. Then many people forgot she was a goddess and called queen of the witches instead. They had forgotten that she symbolized the earth's ability to provide for all of its creatures, even in the coldest, harshest winter. |
