The Goddess Diana

Areas of Influence: Diana was the Goddess of the hunt and wild animals. She later took over from
Luna as the Roman Goddess of the moon.
Despite having no children of her own she is also considered to be a fertility Goddess, worshiped
by woman trying to get pregnant and those who wish for an easy labour.
Her trinity of gods included Egeria the water nymph and Virvius the woodland God.
Originally she was Queen of the open sky and possible a sun Goddess in addition to being a moon
Goddess as her name means light or bright sky. She is also known as "Lady of the beasts."
Men fought to the death to for the honour of becoming one of her priests.
She was also said to be the Goddess of slaves and the lower classes who could seek sanctuary in her
temples.
Origins and Genealogy: Her parents were Jupiter and Latona and she had a twin brother, Apollo.
In the Pagan tradition she is also said to have had a daughter Aradia who became queen of the
witches.
Strengths: Independence and physical strength.
Weaknesses: Disliked men, she was so determined to guard her chastity that she was very vengeful
if she felt this was under attack.
Greek Equivalent: Artemis

Symbolism
Diana is often depicted as a beautiful, young, Goddess clad in a short tunic and hunting boots
carrying a bow and set of arrows. She is accompanied by a deer or hunting dogs. There are several
artworks where this Goddess is illustrated with a crescent moon on her forehead.
Sacred Animal: Deer, bears and hunting dogs.
Sacred Plants: Apple, balm, beech, jasmine, mugwort, oak trees, vervain, and wormwood.
Festivals: Her festival was celebrated on August 13th
Temple: In Rome her main place of worship was the Aventine Temple. There was also a sacred
grove of trees on the banks of Lake Nemi. To learn more about this Grove and it's bloody past click
on the link to go to an excellent article by Ludovico Pisani.

Diana's Archetype's
The Child of Nature
This stereotype feels most at home outside bonding and communicating with the forces of nature.
The child of nature is often emotionally very sensitive and prefers solace and the company of
animals to being with people. They are often independent and physically fit.
The shadow aspect abuses animals and destroys the environment around them.
Diana embodies this role as she is the goddess of wild animals. As the huntress she becomes the

shadow attribute of this stereotype, killing the animals and attacking anyone who tries to take away
her dignity.
The Virgin
This archetype represents the desire to remain sexually pure and uncorrupt, maintaining your energy
for other projects. It can also symbolise a deep desire to create brand new ideas and methods of
working.
The shadow virgin, resists her sexuality due to fear and revolution of sex and the loss of innocence
it symbolizes.
Diana the Roman Goddess like her Greek counterpart protects and cherishes her chastity.
Please follow this link to the Archetypes page to discover which other Goddess Archetypes resonate
with you.

How to work With These Archetypes

The Child of Nature:
To have this particular archetype you need more than a love of nature. Your health and well-being is
affected if you are unable to spend time outside working with animals, plants and other nature
spirits. Your idea of hell is likely to be working in a busy office in the centre of town.
People who possess the shadow aspect are cruel to animals and have no interest in preserving the
natural world.
The Virgin:
This Virgin is one of your main archetypes, if you are continually preserving your vital energies, for
spiritual pursuits.
The virgin may also represent a desire to explore virgin territory; inventing refreshing, new ideas
and ways of doing things. Call upon this Goddess if you need assistance with this.
On the shadow side, fear and disgust caused by bad past experiences could be preventing you from
exploring your sexuality.