| Starhawk's New Moon Chant for Diana: "Waxing, | | | | "the Goddess grew in importance and the role of the |
| waxing, growing, growing, Diana's power is flowing, | | | | God shrank into obscurity". |
| flowing." | | | | This was however NOT the birth of the Dianic |
| Growth of the pagan movement during the mid 20th | | | | Tradition in its modern sense. Unbeknown to many, |
| Century was strongly supported by the rapidly | | | | and unrecognized by most, Egyptologist, folklorist and |
| escalating feminist movement of that time. The | | | | anthropologist Margaret Murray (1863-1963) should be |
| 1950s marked a 100 years of campaigning for | | | | credited with the early formation of the Dianic |
| women's rights and the refusal to be treated by | | | | Tradition. Murray published "The Witch-Cult in |
| society as second rate citizens. Women were | | | | Western Europe" in 1921. In this work, she examined |
| asserting their rights and finding their voices. Some | | | | the Inquisition documents and argued that Witchcraft |
| went as far as to cut men out of their lives totally. | | | | could be traced to pre-Christian times and appeared |
| Commune-style, female only communities emerged. | | | | to be the ancient religion of Western Europe. She |
| These communities were creative, non-hierarchical, | | | | went on to explain the evidence that Diana, the |
| spontaneous, non-violent, pro-earth, and pro-woman. | | | | feminine Roman deity, was worshiped throughout |
| Spiritually, there was no compatibility with the | | | | Europe in "Dianic cults." |
| hierarchical patriarchal mainstream religions of the | | | | Murray later published "The God of the Witches" in |
| world. Gardner's "Witchcraft Today" published in 1951 | | | | 1933 and "The Divine King of England" in 1954, which |
| resulted in increasing the awareness of Witchcraft. | | | | claimed that most of British royalty had been |
| The principle of a Goddess, whose consort is the | | | | members of the Dianic Cult. Murray died at age 100 in |
| God, appealed to most pagans as it offered respite | | | | 1963, the same year her autobiography was |
| from the patriarchy of the mainstream religions. Even | | | | released, My First Hundred Years. Murray was a close |
| so, some feminists were not willing to accept any | | | | friend of Gerald Gardner. |
| form of masculinity in their spiritual path. For them | | | | |