Aradia

Gospel Of The Witches

TO WIN LOVE

When a wizard, a worshipper of Diana, one who worships the Moon, desires the love of a

woman, he can change her into the form of a dog, when she, forgetting who she is, and all things besides, will at once come to his house, and there, when by him, take on again her natural form and remain with him. And when it is time for her to depart, she will again become a dog and go home, where she will turn into a girl. And she will remember nothing of what has taken place, or at least but little or mere fragments, which will seem as a confused dream. And she will take the form of a dog because Diana has ever a dog by her side.

And this is the spell to be repeated by him who would bring a love to his home.

(The beginning of this spell seems to be merely a prose introduction explaining the nature of the ceremony)

Today is Friday, and I wish to rise very early, not having been able to sleep all night,

having seen a very beautiful girl, the daughter of a rich lord, whom I dare not hope to win. Were she poor, I could gain her with money; but as she is rich, I have no hope to do so. Therefore will I conjure Diana to aid me.

Diana, beautiful Diana!

Who art indeed as good as beautiful,

By all the worship I have given thee,

And all the joy of love which thou hast known,

I do implore thee to aid me in my love!

What thou wilt tis true

Thou canst ever do:

And if the grace I seek thoult grant to me,

Then call, I pray, they daughter ,

And send her to the bedside of the girl,

And give that girl the likeness of a dog,

And make her then come to me in my room,

But when she once has entered it, I pray

That she may reassume her human form,

As beautiful as eer she was before,

And may I then make love to her until

Our souls with joy are fully satisfied.

Then by the aid of the great Fairy Queen

And of her daughter, fair ,

May she be turned into a dog again,

And then to human form as once before!

Thus it will come to pass that the girl as a dog will return to her home unseen and

unsuspected, for thus will it be affected by ; and the girl will think it is all a dream, because she will have been enchanted by .

CHAPTER VII

TO FIND OR BUY ANYTHING, OR TO HAVE GOOD FORTUNE THEREBY

The man or woman who, when about to go forth into the town, would fain be free from

danger or risk of an accident, or to have good fortune in buying, as, for instance, if a scholar hopes that he may find some rare old book or manuscript for sale very cheaply, or if any one wishes to buy anything very desirable or to find bargains or rarities. This scongiurazione serves for good health, cheerfulness of heart, and absence of evil or the overcoming enmity. These are words of gold unto the believer.

Tis Tuesday now, and at an early hour

I fain would turn good fortune to myself,

Firstly at home and then when I go forth,

And with the aid of beautiful Diana

I pray for luck ere I do leave this house!

First with three drops of oil I do remove

All evil influence, and I humbly pray,

O beautiful Diana, unto thee

That thou wilt take it all away from me,

And send it all to my worst enemy!

When the evil fortune

Is taken from me,

Ill cast it out to the middle of the street

And if thou wilt grant me this favour,

O beautiful Diana,

Every bell in my house shall merrily ring!

Then well contented

I will go forth to roam,

Because I shall be sure that with thy aid

I shall discover ere I return

Some fine and ancient books,

And at a moderate price.

And thou shalt find the man,

The one who owns the book,

And thou thyself wilt go

And put it in his mind,

Inspiring him to know

What tis that thou wouldst find

And move him into doing

All that thou dost require.

Or if a manuscript

Written in ancient days,

Thoult gain it all the same,

It shall come in thy way,

And thus at little cost.

Thou shalt buy what thou wilt

By great Dianas aid.

The foregoing was obtained, after some delay, in reply to a query as to what conjuration

would be required before going forth, to make sure that one should find for sale some rare book, or other object desired, at a very moderate price. Therefore the invocation has been so worded as to make it applicable to literary finds; but those who wish to buy anything whatever on equally favorable terms, have but to vary the request, retaining the introduction,