In Praise of Amazonia


"CELEBRATING HER MANY MYSTERIES"

“In Her Service”

  • This motto reflects the daily affirmation of our religious path. Yet, what does "In Her Service" have to do with the idea of "Amazonia"? They are in truth - one whole of Her changing face, always revealing yet another aspect of Her power and Her mystery.

  • We honor our "Queen of the Amazons" as our Lady Diana - She of the Wildwoods, Diana of Ephesus—Mother of us all, Diana Lucifera— Mistress of all the Elements, and finally, as Diana of Hecate, Queen of all the Witches.


  • A DIANIC PERSPECTIVE COMPLEAT on Polarity and Magic

  • A DIANIC PHILOSOPHER'S GARDEN on the Labrys and Aradia


    What is a "Dianic Witch"?

  • "As daughters and sons of Diana, we are proud of our many-faceted Dianic Wiccan religion. In Her Greek aspect as Artemis, legions of Amazons worshipped Her as their Queen. And today, Her daughters and sons rise up again, to sing Her name!

  • This joy of serving Her extends to everything that we do. Our pride and joy in being a Dianic Witch, who celebrates Her through the mysteries of magic and Her sacred rites of worship, extends to an attitude of that can only come from Her empowerment."

  • In Her Service, Blessed Be, Lady Paulette )O(

  • We are a Mystery tradition, celebrating the inner mysteries of Lady Diana. We celebrate Her in many guises, and in each aspect She shares a different source of energy with us. As in days of old, ours is an oral mystery tradition, with laws, traditions, and customs transferred through initiatory teachings and practices.

  • As Diana of the Wildwoods, we celebrate our instinctive, intuitive nature, exploring the beginning stages of feminine power. This power – at times wild and at times civilized, serves as a transition into Diana of Ephesus. This nurturing phase gives us strength to enjoy our empowerment, in all its expressions. Diana Lucifera, having mastered the secrets of the universe, acts as a doorway of transformation, into Diana of Hecate, She who completes this Divine Circle of Power.

  • "Diana (or her Greek counterpart, Artemis) is a portrayal of a strong woman. She shows how women (and men) of strength can accomplish what they want and what they need, from their own personal power. She shows that power cannot be taken away by anyone else unless you let them. Most importantly, her self-awareness of this power enables her to do all of these things, and be unafraid in the process. These are qualities that my spiritual self wants to embody, and pass along to the other realms of my world. Not to just be somebody, but also to discover how to be and remain true to myself. When I embrace my power, I can help others to do the same. This is the path of Diana." --- Osprey of the Red Feri

  • We serve her through the observance of the Olde Religion. Why? Certainly not because they’re “ancient” or somehow “mystical”. Like a good “classic” we cherish the lessons, traditional teachings, and customs of the Olde Ways. And this means being guided by positive standards that promote personal growth and wisdom that have stood the tests of time and experience.

  • In this way we honor the Goddess within ourselves, enjoying the strength that comes from being members of a collective that has Lady Diana as our guide. This society of sisters and brothers allows us to appreciate our transformations through that “knowledge” given from our Mother to us, Her Daughters and Sons.

  • We also celebrate our tradition of the Vestal Virgins and the Communal Hearth. "This Worship of Vesta, in use by the Hetrusci long before Dionysius Halicarnasseus tells us that the Latines had an old Vestal Temple at Alba --- before the founding of Rome and 400 years before the ancestors of Romulus brought the sacred fire from Troy." *

    For as Keepers of Vesta's Sacred Flame, which purges ignorance (as Ego) from all society, we continue to keep Her divine flame (of Clarity) eternally lit. This flame symbolizes the divine light of She that burns within, always encouraging us to be a bit stronger, yet knowing when to bend in the wind.

  • Ours is an oracle tradition as well, for the path to wisdom often lies in the visions, dreams, and messages that the Divine Ones wish to impart to us. We take the gift of Ompalos, that Gaea gave to Themis and shared with the Pythias, in order that we may give voice to our Ancestor's prophetic will.

    OUR TRADITIONAL PATH

  • We follow the Wiccan tradition because we practice the Craft of the Wise. And who is better to teach us than Diana, Queen of all the Witches? Our path shuns any superficial approach to learning, concentrating on developing witches with high standards of conduct through the teachings of the Elders that have come before us.

  • Our tradition encourages women and men to challenge themselves in different areas through appreciation, understanding, and shared experiences. The Sanctuary is a sacred place where we can concentrate on Her Mysteries, honoring the feminine divine that is our true source of power for us all.

  • As women, we've all experienced abuse, hurt, and emotional scarring from "being female". Women who join the Sanctuary are looking for that "special something" ---personal empowerment, embracing the Goddess within, celebrating the sacred self. During this never-ending journey, she can count on discarding negative habits the limit her growth and development. Sometimes this can be frightening, for re-building our self-image takes a great deal of strength, energy, and committment. But the sense of accomplishment that comes from this process is not an isolated series of actions. For our Kori's have their sisters and brothers, their HPS, and most important of all - their Goddess to encourage and guide her along the way.

  • Furthermore, men have become crippled and constrained by gender identification issues. By gathering together in a supportive place to honor Her, our brothers can begin a process of self-transformation and healing.

  • We see energy as a continous sprial of Life - organic and moving to the internal rhythms of Mother Gaea. As such, we do not accept the static view of energy as a "dual polarity of opposites". The pulse of nature is not "male/female", "dark/light", or any other combination of pairs. Nature can be-and often is asexual - Life springing from itself. Many Pagan religious traditions celebrate such deities - Ra, Athena, Neith; just to name a few. Nature can be hermaphroditic as well. Our Pagan history and mythos surrounds us with visions of Time and Season as a vibrant ebb and flow of Divine Energy, moving in many directions simutaneously. Viewing energy as a duality prevents us from appreciating the non-linear, cyclic aspects of Life. Our Horned One can be honored at any time, individually or mated with his Goddess, as both Her son and consort, whenever is necessary-needed-and desired.

  • Source: * www.thenewtonproject.sussex.ac.uk

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