Aradia by Craig Spencer

240 Pages
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications, Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd
Release Date: August 8, 2020

Nonfiction (Adult), Religion, Spirituality, Goddesses, Mythology, Celtic, Ogham

This book is a discussion and breakdown of Charles Godfrey Leland’s book, Aradia. He talks about symbolism and animals associated with Diana. He also includes information on the Etruscan Goddess Tana. The author makes the argument that Leland did not write the Gospel of Aradia because of inconsistencies and references to other books instead of including the information.

The book concludes with a couple of spells and a self-dedication. The book is informative, detailed, and well written. It also includes many notes and references. He also references Robert Graves, and his book The White Goddess. I have been using the Celtic tree calendar for over twenty years and found value in this book. If you are familiar with Celtic stories and the Goddess Diana, you will like this book.

A Modern Guide to Charles Godfrey Leland’s Gospel of the Witches-Aradia by Craig Spencer is a fresh version of timeless material first published in 1899. Mr. Spencer had his work cut out for him in updating this classic by Charles Godfrey Leland that gives the view of Italian Folk magic as told to him by hereditary Italian witches. The book is separated into two parts. Part One: The Gospel and the Revelations, contains the sections of Leland’s original work with the “Revelations” offered by the author as commentary. Part Two: Craig, or the Gospel According to This Witch is the author’s condensing of the material into a useable format that reveals the deeper meanings of this original grimoire.

The Introduction addresses the controversy around the authenticity of the “Gospel”, with some believing that Leland fabricated it all, others that there was indeed an authentic Strega (Italian Witch) named Maddelena that gave Leland authentic material; and yet a third that Maddelena herself, fabricated and embellished the material. Most believe the truth lay somewhere between the three. The take-away is that there is always some truth to be found in the stories and workings of the craft from a time period that none of us have experienced. This is one of the reasons I feel the work is very important for this century.

Mr. Spencer has taken on the work of translating text that had gone unused and placed each in the body of text where it allowed for deeper meaning and relevancy to the passages added to. Additionally, many of the sections that were originally translated into English, had been done so with a slant toward more poetic speech. These passages have been retranslated by the author, which lends the material to having more relevance in use in a modern era.

I especially appreciated the way in which the author parceled out the original sections of The Gospel of the Witch’s-Aradia and follows up with the Revelations commentary that puts into modern language what has been written, as well as the historical perspective.

…The Gospel has had such an influential and far-reaching impact on the shape of contemporary witchcraft, in all of its forms, that it becomes difficult to not consider this collection of texts to be relevant to every Craft practitioner today. Though the stories of the Gospels are set in times gone by, the Mysteries that they represent are truly eternal. For the contemporary witch, this collection of stories acts as our common myth cycles, and through the Revelations we are better able to understand the significance and the messages that these teachings have for all of us. 1.

Part Two: Craig, or the Gospel According to this Witch provides the reader with practical application and extracts of text that can be used to create a personal practice. The encouragement here is to not over embellish what is offered with modern overlays that do not enhance the workings and material. The intention is one of experience of what is given in its unique style and essence.

The first topic of this section is “Attending the Sabbats”. Gatherings of witches and the particulars of the rites held has long been a mystery of witchcraft and the stuff of misinformation and over dramatization. The author provides a framework to be used that is simple and versatile in its outline. He then takes each of these elements and spends some time in weaving the Gospels and their application to this framework.

These themes are:

Preparation of self

Preparation of space

Acts of worship

acts of magic

Works of inspiration

Works of the heart

“Revealed Cosmology: Beliefs Revealed From the Gospel Texts” provides the reader with the theology of the witch, origins, Divine connections, a code of ethics and more. The philosophical and practical nature of witchcraft in its simplest forms and those Deities who are prominent in devotion and honoring in the works of the witch.



Would I Recommend:

A Modern Guide to Charles Godfrey Leland’s Gospel of the Witches-Aradia by Craig Spencer is definitely a book that will either be of interest or not to the modern practitioner of witchcraft and witch. This is not because of any failing of this interpretation; but more a bias of preference that has long surrounded the original work by Leland. Preference in pantheon, tradition, beliefs that to be a witch one must be of hereditary lineage, cosmology and cultural bias have all factored into these biases.

I would recommend this book to those who wish to enhance their practice and using it as a text with the intention of open-mindedness in seeing from another time and history what has formed the basis of so much that we use in modern paganism. I appreciate the effort, thought and care Mr. Spencer put into A Modern Guide to Charles Godfrey Leland’s Gospel of the Witches-Aradia. Using this text in tandem with the original offering should be a required reading for any who are drawn to the path of the witch.



About Author Craig Spencer:

Craig Spencer is a Lancashire-born Anglo-Italian witch who practices Traditional Lancashire Witchcraft. In addition to practicing witchcraft and writing books, he is an integrated therapist and Reiki teacher. He earned a bachelor of science degree with honors from the University of Salford and a postgraduate certificate in education from the University of Central Lancashire. Craig can be found on Instagram @WitchcraftUnchained and Twitter @CraigSpencer90.



Footnotes:

Conclusion, Part One p. 186

Reviewed by Robin Fennelly of PaganPages.org
https://paganpages.org/emagazine/2020/09/01/book-review-a-modern-guide-to-charles-godfrey-lelands-gospel-of-the-witches-aradia-by-craig-spencer/

In 1899, Charles Godfrey Leland published Aradia, or Gospel of the Witches. Leland claimed that surviving covens of pagan-styled witches in Italy were the source of the document.

The work is a mishmash of beautiful, stirring poetry, and accounts that would curl the hair of many modern pagans and goddess worshipers. You see, the Gospel of the Witches primarily tells the story of the Goddess Diana and her horned companion Lucifer (sometimes considered cognate with Apollo).

The two conceive a daughter-goddess, Aradia, who is tasked with teaching humanity magic. With these magic lessons, Aradia also brings a message of hope and power to overthrow oppressors and blocks.

I won’t be reviewing the original Aradia, or Gospel of the Witches text, though it can be found freely available online or cheaply as an ebook.

Instead, today I look at Aradia: A Modern Guide to Charles Godfrey Leland's Gospel of the Witches by Craig Spencer. This modern author takes on the tough topic of this text, its origin and contents. Spencer’s book includes the full text of Aradia: Gospel of the Witches.

This book contextualizes the Gospel of the Witches into the framework of ancient history up until the industrial revolution. The author carefully follows threads slithering through Leland’s text, to tease out the underlying and very human yearnings beneath.

Following each passage, the author analyzes the original text. This includes explanations the relevant historical and mythological allusions, but also pokes at the

How does a witch and pagan begin to review this book? So much of the original Aradia is ineffable, hard to speak about, experiential and ecstatic. While most witches would not consider it an authoritative document, it’s been incredibly influential. I’ve held it near and dear over the years.

Looking at it from the perspective of historical and literary context, Spencer’s modern guide taught me to see Aradia from new angles.

It pleases me that Spencer staunchly allows the revolutionary overtones of the text to stand, and avoids arguing them away. Aradia, whenever and whenever it was originally written, emphasizes the rejection of tyranny and oppression.

More and more witches for whom this text is dear realize this nowadays. This, I think, makes Spencer’s book quite timely. I would recommend reading it for that alone, especially if you’ve never thought of Aradia in that context.

The author speculates too much at times, which tends to muddy the waters. While probably every portion of Aradia contains a hidden meaning of some sort, I found a few of Spencer’s theories farfetched.

Nevertheless, this is a great look at Aradia: Gospel of the Witches. I’m giving it five out of five stars. The flaws are there, but Spencer’s intuition and insight shine bright enough to make much of it a non-issue.
I recommend this book for witches interested in magical history, political activism, and goddess worship. I would suggest reading the original Aradia by itself before picking up Spencer’s book.

First thing first: I'm Italian and I was always thought Aradia was a hoax for a long list of historical reasons that I won't discuss here.
This was an interesting read even if it didn't challenge my own ideas. I learned something more and I appreciated how well researched and well written this book is.
I recommend it you want to know something more about this famous/infamous Gospel of the Witches
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Rating: {4/5 stars}

First Glance:
In my early witchy studies, I tried to get my hands on anything written by older sources in an effort to understand the foundation of what witchcraft had become. At that time, I was a Wiccan and read through the writings of Gerald Gardner, Dion Fortune, Doreen Valiente, and other Big Name Pagans.

I tried to read Aradia, Gospel of the Witches multiple times, but I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. From the random inclusion of Lucifer to the rambling stories, I just couldn’t see anything of value for my personal path in Leland’s work, especially as I have no ties to Italy or its traditions.

Thankfully, someone who has those ties has taken the time to retranslate and discuss Leland’s Aradia. I requested a copy of the book when I saw it was available, because I hoped this time someone had made the Gospel make some kind of sense.

Positive Bits:
I’ll start off by saying that Spencer made a good decision to write this book. Period. When you realize something is needed and you have the ability to provide it, I think it’s wise to step in and create a resource for others. He did a wonderful job on citing sources and noting where he changed the original translation (as well as why). It’s always a good sign when someone explains their process to you, because you can retrace their steps and see the clear delineation between points A and B.

Pointing out the Catholicism flavoring different portions of the Gospel makes the stories easier to follow. I hadn’t considered it before, but clearly local stories and folktales are colored by the cultures they live inside of; as those cultures change, so do the details of the stories. As I’ve never been Catholic, it was helpful to see the pieces that fit into the Catholic worldview separated and explained throughout the Gospel.

Spencer made sure his Part Two section included enough basic framework to point in the direction that Aradia’s witchcraft would travel without bogging it down in details. In “Attending the Sabbat”, he broke down ritual into individual portions that each tie together to form the great working. I’m always intrigued by new breakdowns of the ritual process, as the differences are often where a ritual’s magical flavor comes in.

Less Enjoyable Bits:
I disagree with the premise that witchcraft is inherently a religious act. In the Gospel, I can understand and agree with the idea that the witchcraft of Aradia is meant to be a religion. However, there are so many paths of witchcraft out there that don’t interact with any higher beings, focusing instead on the use of personal and elemental energies to perform spells and rituals. I feel it’s often easy to slip on blinders as a religious witch and fail to recognize this. (As a hard polytheist and animist, I get it.)

Other than that disagreement, I actually found no issue with this book. Spencer set out to provide a better translation and context for Leland’s Aradia, and he did so. Period. I didn’t find his revelations (i.e. interpretations) to be overly invested in a personal agenda or attitude. Instead, he took the time to explain any interpretations he had that didn’t line up with Leland’s original, and he included enough sources to make checking his work possible for those so inclined.

This is a wonderful look at a beloved translation of a popular witchcraft book.Aradia:Gospel of the witches is a long discussed text within the witchcraft community that garners as many opinions as their are witches who read it. For that that reason I believe an annotation of the text is both interesting and needed.
The author presents their opinions in a clear and concise way while allowing room for the reader to come to their own conclusions. Of particular interest to the practicing witch there are some spells Included based on the original text.
I will be buying a copy of this edition for myself and think it would be a good pick for any witch who doesn’t yet own a copy of Aradia.

I discovered Aradia and her teachings a long time ago, yet many questions remained unanswered. There are still a couple of mysteries after reading this book, but many, many of my doubts vanished. It is an easy book to follow, entertaining and thought provoking. There may be a couple of ideas I don't share with Spencer, but that's what religious texts are for: to make you talk and discuss.

A fascinating look at Charles Godfrey Leland’s 1899 book Aradia also known as the Gospel of the Witches. Craig Spencer masterfully breaks down Leland’s translation into a cleverly crafted and engaging text. Also included is some short magickal spells derived from the original text. This is perfect for those interested in Italian folk magick, Goddess worship and those who find Lelands book too daunting. If you are going to only read one book on the occult this year be sure it’s this one.

*eARC kindly provided by the publisher and Netgalley

I read Aradia a while back and was very excited to see this new edition. It did not disappoint and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Italian folklore and witchcraft.

To think there was Gospel for the poor, unloved, and unwanted in the past that was other than Christian, Islamic, or Judaic was a revelation for me! This book tells the story, gives practical ways to implement the teachings and offers a positive path forward.
The history of Lelands book Aradia is confusing but not anymore. Mr Spencer translates the Italian text into a more coherant and understandable and flowing story. Not only is Diana, Aradia and others discussed but also Apollo who has a relationship it seems with the story. This book is fascinating !
I was drawn in by the thought of the Goddess and God of old truly being caring and offering solace to those who didnt fit in. I felt more hopeful after reading this book. Having been frightened by the thoughts of Hell that were drilled into me as a child this wonderful story made me think twice about the possibilities of happiness both here and beyond.

Sorry for possible English mistakes!
This is an amazing book! If you want more to understand and even to use The Gospel of The Witches or Aradia then please read this text. After every chapter, ritual, story or myth...new reveleations are given which will offer you new insights about Aradia. Plus at the end of the book complete system of magic extracted from Leland's text is presented. Very, very interesting book! Thanks.