Aradia was born of Diana and Apollo and was made mortal to teach the people about witchcraft, healing herbs, spells and the Goddess and God. She was with the poor and those persecuted by the church. The ritual was done on a full moon with the Triple Goddess of Aradia, Diana, and Trivia. I had a white, red and black candles. The incense was lavender and elderberry. I wore a ritual gown with amber jewelry. I had an image of Aradia and pictures of Diana and Trivia. I lit the candles and incense and meditated quietly. I felt a presence that told me to be a voice. I teach and I think it was to be a voice for my students, but also a voice for those who could not speak or be heard. She told me I could learn many things if I would but listen. I feel compassion for the lost and afraid and want to reach out to them. I found my magical name and felt liberated by the new name. The exploration took a while but I felt more deeply involved in the study and felt a change come over me. She is truly present and all around me. I spent mostly time with Aradia but also want to know Diana and Trivia or, in the Greek, Hecate. I claimed to be a "witch" for 20 years and didn't really practice it. I just claimed the name "witch". I think going through the lesson, I realized that I wasn't really practicing, I was just playing the part. There is more to being a witch than just claiming the name and wearing the jewelry and other attire. I think going through the lesson and participating in the other groups helped me know what it means to be a witch and it is a deep commitment to transformation with the Goddess and others on the path. She can change my life and I want to be open enough to let Her do that. Researching the herbs, stones, and essential oils for the deity was exciting. There are so many things out there to learn and so many spells to practice. I am excited about knowing the Goddess and God and learning about the correspondences, phases of the moon, doing spells and learning more about the sacred circle.