Diana - Goddess Of The Hunt.

Diana - Diana Nemorensis - Diana Of The Wood
(The Celtic words dianna and diona, mean 'divine' and 'brilliant' respectively.)

Diana, Roman Goddess of the Hunt, her Greek counterpart is Artemis, from whom she acquires some of her aspects.

On the northern shores of Lake Nemi, Diana's Mirror, in Italy, stood the sacred grove and sanctuary of the Goddess Diana.

The Goddess Diana, is the Huntress and Goddess or fertility, childbirth and the wild woodlands and associated with the constellation of Ursa Major. She is also associated with fire festivals, her title Vesta, indicates a perpetual holy fire in her sanctuary. Her annual festival, held on August 13th, where she is invoked to protect the harvest from autumn storms, is the middle of summer, when the sun is at its hottest. Diana is often depicted holding a torch, a symbolic reminder of the fiery nature of the Goddess.

Several other deities are associated with Diana at Lake Nemi, Egeria, the Nymph of the Lake and Virbius, who, legend states, was the Greek hero Hippolytus. Diana also had in attendance, The Sacrificial King or King of the Sacred Rites. He was required to pluck a branch of a certain tree, often identified as Virgil's 'Golden Bough', and slay his predecessor before taking up his office. Whereupon he becomes the High Priest/Husband/Lover of the Goddess. He holds this office until he himself is slain by a more craftier or stronger challenger, a remainder of the Birth, Death, Rebirth cycle of nature.

Prayer To Diana

Lovely Goddess of the bow!
Lovely Goddess of the arrows!
Of all hounds and of all hunting
Thou who wakest in starry heaven
When the sun is sunk in slumber
Thou with moon upon they forehead,
Who the chase by night preferrest
Unto hunting in the daylight,
With thy nymphs unto the music
Of the horn-thyself the huntress,
And most powerful: I pray thee
Think, although but for an instant,
Upon us who pray unto thee!

Correspondences

Animal: Dog
Astral Body:
Body:
Colour:
Day: Monday, Friday
Festivals: Festival of Diana - February 12th, August 13th, Nov 22nd
Flower:
Gems:
Minerals:
Month: November
Musical Instrument:
Perfume:
Tarot:
Tree:
Weapon: Bow

[Image: Correggio]