THE LIVING TEMPLE OF DIANA

The Living Temple of Diana exists within all of us, it is effectively our own living temple however as priests/esses to Diana we empower our living temples with the power of God Herself, known to us as Diana. We see the living temple as existing in three parts: the primal soul (our root to Gaia and the mysteries of the underworld), the ego soul (our connection to our reality), and the higher soul (our connection to all things of a spiritual nature, including God Herself). By seeking the discipline of Diana we seek the individual mysteries of each soul, explore our greater connection to them, heal our souls and our bodies, and empower them through Diana. This discipline is essentially a living, breathing, and shamanic tool for us to become connected to the greater power of the cosmos, all worlds, and the divinity within.
We believe that Diana is all things, and all things are Diana. We ourselves are Diana, and therefor we are Gods as well. Through the study of the discipline we learn of our own godhood, our own power, heal ourselves on all levels, and become the living representation of our priesthood.
We are seekers, healers, witches, shamanic practitioners, priests and priestesses of the cosmic. We are those who seek to become disciplined, those who seek to fulfill our potential as human beings and spiritual people, and those who seek to become part of the energy of the universe and change not to fight it.

The Wheel of the Year in our Tradition
Within The Living Temple of Diana we view the sabbat cycle as a continuation of the evolution of the soul. Each sabbat offers a unique experience for us as priests to connect with Gaia and the Universe through ecstatic and shamanic exploration. The Living Temple of Diana believes that when we look at the energy presented by the sabbat cycle and shift the view from a fertility based wheel to an ecstatic based wheel we can harness both the energies of Gaia and the energies of the Universe. The following are brief explanations of each sabbat according to our temple.

Samhain- Ancestors

During Samahain we celebrate and commune with our ancestors. Ancestors within the Living Temple of Diana are seen as not only those of our blood but those of the spiritual nature as well. We enter trance, open the doorways to the underworld, invite the ancestors in to the sacred space, and then celebrate life and existence through ecstatic dance and song. Samhain marks the time of the year when the 'veil' that separates our world from that of the spirit is at its thinnest. We believe that through trance and ecstatic expression we can unite the two worlds, hold or observe oracle rites, and call upon our ancestors of both blood and soul to celebrate life, death, and the journey between.

Yule- Mothers Night

At Yule we celebrate the birth of the light by connecting to the great God Herself. We observe a meditation and trance in which we relive our creation myth, honoring both the darkness of creation, and the first sacrifice of the light. We enter trance where we accept the darkness and search through the darkness to find our own form of inner light. Yule within The Living Temple of Diana is seen as the night to seek inspiration for life and path, share our inspiration with others, and to empower that which we are inspired to seek discipline in. This is a time to not only receive the blessings of creation from God Herself but also to see the light within, set and bless goals for the coming year, and to celebrate the creative force of the universe as God Herself created herself and the light.

Candlemass (Imbolc)- Aradia's Night

During candlemass we celebrate the divine avatar Aradia as a bringer of light, wisdom, discipline, success, and sovereignty to all things. Within our practices we choose to see ourselves as Gods within the great macrocosm of the universe, we honor this truth by lighting candles, chanting the sacred names of Aradia, invoking her wisdom as a guide through all transformation, and then honor ourselves as extensions of divinity by performing the sacred Crown of Sovereignty ritual. Within the living temple we also see this as a time for new initiations, the reinstatement of personal vowes for our own quest for sovereignty.

Ostara- The Birth of the Light

On Ostara we observe the beginning of the light, the second act of creation. According to our creation myth after God Herself creates her self she longs for companionship to which she creates the light. Ostara marks the time when the light is birthed into the cosmos and Diana begins her chase for the light. This is a heavy shamanic ritual in which we chant, dance, and honor the sacred act of creation from a singular body. We celebrate by planting the seeds of our own life, set new motivations and plans into action, and observe the creative potential within.

Beltaine- The Day of Resonance in all worlds

At Beltane we celebrate the ending of the chase for light, and the awareness that the light is within, no longer searching for the light, but seeing it as that which is within. During our practices we open the veil and invite spirits, guides, and ancestors from all worlds to join us in the sacred rites of unification. The rituals take place through-out the day, and conclude with a large ritual in the evening where we make offerings to the spirits of worlds as an act of honoring them for aiding and guiding us upon our paths. Celebrations then ensue in which we chant, dance, and sing honoring the spirits, the Gods, and ourselves.

Litha- The Day of Splendour

During our litha rituals we honor the light within. On Litha we celebrate the light as a force which fosters strength, enlightenment, creation, and inspiration. The ritual is held during the day and we draw down the power of the Sun, cleanse ourselves, generate life-force within, and seek enlightenment.

Lammas- Gaia's Day

Lammas is perhaps one of the most involved holy-days for members of the Living Temple of Diana as a heavy significance is placed on giving back to the earth, volunteerism, and the baking/making of offerings. This all-day celebration requires members to wake up at the crack of dawn, spend time in meditation to align ourselves with the “greater good”, commune with spirits, and align our three souls. Members then spend the next several hours doing volunteer work to either help feed the poor, clean up and reclaim nature space, or to work with the youth or elderly. Upon the completion of the ritual of volunteerism, members then meet and hold feast in honor of the bounty of the earth, offerings are made from recycled materials, and then circle is cast and ritual is held in honor of the earth mother.

Mabon- Watchers Day

Mabon is a time in which members honor the guardians. We celebrate their influence, power, and sheer force as we explore their realms through shamanic trance. During the trance experience we invoke the guardians, make offerings unto them, receive blessings and empowerment through them, and then we erect the living temple within the sacred space and dance, chant, and sing to empower the temple.

The Creation Myth
The Creation of Everything which came from Nothing
In the beginning there was nothingness. The recesses of space and time, the stars composing the galaxies, the constellations that guide the weary ships as they sale the oceans-all not yet born. Nothingness composed all things and if we were there to look into the nothingness we find its heart , known to our reality as true nothingness.
Birthed from this nothingness the guardians of all realms began to churn as if thousands of black holes filled the expanses, the result of nothingness eventually collapsing, imploding, exploding, and expanding under the pressure and weight of itself.
The guardians hummed as they moved in chaos and turmoil amongst the nothing and from that humm the first tone was born, the first sound of all the cosmos was created. From nothing, manifestation. This creation, this tone- sang unto the chaos and the nothing and from that tone consciousness was formed, consciousness- the first thought of the Goddess. As the nothing swirled and hummed, absorbing and exploding into itself, as the tone sang across the nothingness, the first breath of the Goddess was taken, and from the birth of consciousness she took her first act of creation: the birth of herself.
The goddess became the darkness of the spaces between all things, the deepest mystery of all things, the first thing and everything from the nothingness. As the guardians moved and churned they collected and shaped the first of all things, and the first of all things that which is everything knew that she was all things, she knew that she was the guardians and that they were her.
The darkness so wanted a companion and from that desire the second of all things was created, light. Through the birth of light the darkness was defined and she saw herself for the first time. The Goddess who was the darkness was devoid the light as now she was defined as a singular force, and as she was the void, she craved that which defined her and she chased the first light, her first desire, her first consort, her first creation.
She chased and chased the light from darkest recess of the darkness to darkest recess of the darkness until she realized that the light was in fact defined by the darkness, and that within her the light existed, not that without the light she would not exist. She embraced the light and from her pleasure the great orgasm became all things within the everything, the first act of worship to the Goddess was performed by the Goddess- that of love and pleasure.
Millions of other lights were created, the essence of all things within the everything, planets and cosmos erected as the wave of vibration swept through the darkness as the light was shred into countless pieces. Light exploding into other light, the first expression of sacrifice.
The Goddess, the first singular force, the darkness that surrounded the light that defined the darkness, the first thing of everything, she who is pregnant always, perpetually creating, chasing, destroying. She who is the expression of the great churning of the guardians, she who is the consciousness of the guardians and therefor the guardians are her. From her all things were created, the Goddess, the great mother/father, Diana the free, Diana the sovereign, Diana the everything.

And thus all things were manifest as parts of the great expression and we make our prayer.
Holy mother, in you we live, move, and have our being,
From you all things emerged and unto you all things return.

The Living Temple of Diana
The Brief History of the Dianic Tradition

In Antiquity
The history of the Dianic tradition can be traced back before the 'Golden Age' of the ancient civilization. Diana is but one name for the Goddess. When man and women first took the steps towards consciousness they were presented with the task of answering some big questions, one of which was “where do we come from?” What we must remember about mankind during this stage was that there was a limited range of communication and language, so they had to feel, theorize, and connect to concepts that they understood. When they asked the question, “where do we come from?” they only knew that the nights sky was full of brilliant stars, the plants grew from the ground, and that the females of our species gave birth to children, we theorize that everything else was based on impulse and instinct.
Thus the concept of deity was manifested in the minds of mankind. Some people looked up at the sky and said 'There!' where as others looked below their feet at the soil and said 'Their!' and as a result the first myths were created. Anthropology tells us that the first form of divinity to mankind was actually a Goddess. As mankind evolved and worshiped the Goddess of fertility and harvest they soon began to realize that they needed to hunt and thus the Goddess was given a consort, the Horned God of the beasts.
Mankind painted caves with images of the sky and a successful hunt thus giving birth to one of the first acts of magick. We know this practice to be called 'Sympathetic Magick' which is to say that those who practiced this magick were effectively painting, enacting, and imitating their desired result.
As we formed language skills over time we began to create communities and those communities created civilizations. From these civilizations the Gods known to us of the ancient pantheons were born. Cults dedicated to each of the Gods sprang up all across the world. These cults were formed of priests and followers who would dedicate their lives to the worship and practices sacred to these Gods.
Originally we knew Diana as a 'Frame God' which is a term used to describe a specific set of deities that were celestial in nature, heavenly bodies that maintained a certain dominion over heaven and earth surviving in their aspects as other God's fell from the schema. Diana was seen as a truly sacred and mysterious Goddess as mankind saw her as a reflection of the heavenly world. Diana was the representation of the sovereignty, impassibility, supremacy of the heavenly world and it's impartial nature in regards to the secular matters of culture and civilization.
Diana was known as the Goddess of freedom, nature, fate, and the succession of kings. From these beliefs the cults of Diana were created, temples were erected to her and thus the Dianic tradition was first born. Of her cults several stand out as pivotal centers of ancient civilization, the temple at Nemi being one of them. In the Arcacian forest of the Roman empire a cult center was created where the worship of Diana was carried out by freed slaves who sought sanctuary in her temple, as once they stepped foot on the temple grounds they were considered free men. The temple had a ruling king known as the Rex Nemorensis which means king of the grove in Latin.
In what we now call Turkey in modern time there was perhaps one of the most beautiful sites built to the Goddess, the temple of Artemis at Ephesus. The temple is known to be one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and was a cultural cornerstone in the ancient world as Ephesus was the second largest city in the world at the time. Within the structure a giant statue was erected, and on the top of the statues head was a meteorite, said to be the stone that Zeus tricked his father into eating.
The cults and temples of the ancient world dedicated to Diana were known for having men, women, and transgendered people as priests. This was an uncommon occurrence at the time, and priests of Diana known as the Megabyzose who were known for cross dressing practices flocked to the temple at Ephesus as they were outcaste by the rest of the Latin world. The temples of Diana became refuge for the down trodden, the outcaste, and as we see in Nemi through a relationship with Diana even a slave could become a king.
Through the Spread of Christianity
Eventually a smaller cult of Jewish people began to grow larger and in time would undergo a transformation that would change the shape of the world. As the 'Golden age' ended as the Emperor Constantine became the first Christian ruler of Rome. As the ways of the previous age began to end the cults of the Goddess went underground, assuming new names and practices, eventually being absorbed into larger more hard to stamp out cults such as the Cult of Isis, which by that time had spread from Alexandria to Rome. The great religious wars began and entire civilizations were being converted in an effort to unite all people into one set belief system, with the hope of being able to control the masses. Those who had practiced and honored the ancient Gods were often pillaged and taken over by war lords, by becoming christian often this fate was diverted, other times villages were forced to convert for fear of penalty of death. At this point the worship of a Goddess was almost non-existant in the western world and the Gods of old became the devils and demons of the worlds fastest growing religion. Men and Women alike were now exposed to the tyranny of a ruling class of warlords and were in constant fear of the invading tribes from the north. Rome eventually fell and as it did mankind was plunged into the dark ages.
Eventually the church recognized that people were still honoring the Goddesses of the old days, but were doing so privately or with small groups. Seeing that this was a practice that there was not going to be easy to end they decided to introduce the Virgin Mary was a point of worship to the masses, and thus the Goddess was reborn to her followers and to this day many of the prayers and church practices surrounding the virgin are derived from the revived practices of Goddess worship.
The following several hundred years would be wrought with Holy wars and disease. The practices of magic would become the arts of science and the world would enter a phase in which piety and purity were strictly adhered to for fear that the ruling God would condemn people to an afterlife full of fire and brimstone.
The Modern Worship of the Goddess
In the 1940's several small groups emerged from the landscape of northern Europe who claimed to be covens and secret societies dedicated to the Goddess. This coming out was due in part to public attention and religious freedom bills that were being introduced all over the world. New religions were born and the neo-pagan movement was created.
During the 1960's and 70's many women were attracted to Goddess worship as the women's rights movement gained political power. One of the most notable and well known lines within the tradition “Dianic Wicca” was forged from this movement by Z.Budapest- a noted feminist and pagan leader. From her work several influential books were written and many women were given freedom from patriarchal society.
Several other traditions were born from this movement and the neo-pagan umbrella became the identifying marker for the fastest growing religious movement in the modern world.
The Modern Dianic Tradition and the Birth of the Living Temple
The Dianic Tradition is composed of several different lines with little that unites it as far as practices go. What does seam to unite the various lines within the tradition is the worship of Diana as a singular creative force. Feminism within the tradition is actually quite rare outside of the seperatist line of Z. Budapest. We recognize this line as a line of the tradition, however it is quite different from the other lines due to the nature of the practice. There are Six known lines of the Dianic Tradition at the moment, however the majority of the tradition feels secrecy is the best way to go in this matter.
The Living Temple of Diana is a branch within the Tradition that blends shamanic practices and spiritual development with the traditional core philosophies of the Dianic Tradition. The Living Temple is a term coined for the inner temple which resides within each of us. The inner temple is comprised of several parts most notably the 'Three Souls' which are similar in nature to the chakra system, but are recognized as three major parts of the human consciousness and subconsciousness. The living temple of Diana is a line that works to heal deep personal wounds, empower the three souls, harness the power of creation and universal vibration, explore realms of being and consciousness through shamanic and ecstatic states, and we strive to cultivate sovereignty within our priesthood.
Much of the tradition's practices are comprised of several different takes on spirituality. Blending Buddhism, British Traditional Wicca, Hellenic, Stregha, Huna, and of course the Dianic core. These combined practices are designed to help the seeker find the creative power of God Herself within, maintain control and boundaries within the spiritual and mundane worlds, harness pure energy from the universe for use in magick, healing, and empowerment, and to empower the soul through a guided evolutionary process. We are a lineage of self possession, strength, power, and of the sovereign.
The Living Temple of Diana
An Emerging Shamanic & Witchcraft Priesthood
“And you who seek to know Me, know that the seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.” -Doreen Valiente, The charge of the Goddess

Within the walls of the living temple we find the very essence of our beloved Goddess Diana. As the temple grows, looks within its self, searches the inner and outer mysteries of creation, we find that the living temple is but a vessel for the message, power, and sovereignty of the Goddess. The living temple is the greatest gift that the Goddess has given us for it is us, it is within each of us and regardless of sex, age, gender identity, or past - we too may seek it within.
Through various shamanic and ecstatic trance experiences, education, and dedication the mysteries of this emerging shamanic tradition began to unfold. The mysteries of the Great Diana and her cult of followers are recognized as one of the oldest living spiritual traditions on earth. Spoken of in rhyme and secrecy throughout the expanses of time the Goddess has never left us, but instead the practice of her mysteries went underground.
There is in reality no definitive link to the ancient mysteries aside from a few teachings that were absorbed into other spiritual traditions such as the Isian Brotherhood, the Catholic church in its introduction of the Virgin Mary, and passages from occult texts such as The Golden Bough by James Fazier. We can not claim that the practices of the Dianic faith are those from antiquity, however we can say that the message behind the practices never died but have taken on many names and forms as it expressed its self throughout time. The Goddess never left us.
We in the Dianic tradition understand that history tells us that there were several independent forms of worship to Diana, all with their own set of mysteries but only connected by a single thread, the Goddess herself. Some of the sects saw her as the Goddess of Women, where as others saw her as the spirit of independence and freedom, and further more others saw her as one name for many Goddesses, the all mother, the creator of all things. Within the great umbrella that became coined as Dianic many beautiful traditions were born and in our modern times that tradition continues.
The Living temple of Diana strives to cultivate the mysteries of Diana the all mother, the Goddess that was the first thing, that is everything, the Goddess of independence and sovereignty that needed no one else to manifest and create the universe. We seek to find these mysteries within to cultivate the singular point of creation within ourselves staying true to one of our most sacred teachings: “ We were born whole with no missing pieces, we need no one to complete us, no one to define us or our magick, for those mysteries are all within.
The Living Temple of Diana is a modern interpretation of these teachings. We look upon the world as worshipers and witches of the Goddess that we call Diana, or God Herself. Within our workings we take an active roll in the development of the soul and do not recognize gender or gender identity as a definitive place within these practices. We recognize that our soul knows no gender and that the laws of polarity have many forms, not just that of gender. Within the Living Temple we find God Herself and we identify ourselves as unique extensions of her force. We see the Goddess in all things and within all people. We choose to seek our own identity, our own definition so that we may break the chains that bind us so that we may become truly free. The Living Temple of Diana is a shamanic priesthood of witches who honor and work with God Herself to restore the power of sovereignty within ourselves as we learn to truly become the heirs to her thrown.
At the core of our ways are the following philosophies.
As members of the priesthood we seek to breakdown the barriers that seperate all life.
As members of the priesthood we choose to carry within ourselves the messages of God Herself.
We are but extensions of the power and message, of the will and force of God Herself.
Nature is not merely the green and blue Earth but all of the cosmos.
God Herself, known to us by the name of Diana, created herself and in this act all things.
Polarity is light and dark not male and female, we as members of the Priesthood seek to find this balance within.
We as members of the priesthood strive to resonate with all things, thus resonating with God Herself and as such recognizing the vibrations around us.
We are oracles, seers, shamanic priests and priestesses, and as such our magick is a reflection of our journey into the hidden and unseen.
We seek to explore the inner worlds as we construct the living temple within, choosing to look within the darkness so that we may become enlightened.
We are of free will and ultimate freedom, we choose to work with others instead of dominating them or allowing them to dominate us. There is no Alpha, there is no Omega, merely souls upon a path.
Our ways are not greater than those of others, simply different.
We walk between the worlds, choosing discipline in practice so that we may dance with the spirits in all places.
We choose to enliven the elements within ourselves, creating partnership with those known to us as Guardians so that through this work we may find the hidden mysteries within.
We choose to dedicate our lives to the study and work of witchcraft and prophesy, love and empowerment.
We honor that the Living Temple needs no building of brick and mortar to be constructed, but that the Living Temple is that which is within.
We are active members of the greater occult and pagan community finding strength in the tribe of other seekers.
Through our practices we empower ourselves, our wills, and our magick as it is our right as those of the Living Temple- so sayeth the Goddess.
FAQs
How do I become a member of the Living Temple of Diana?
Those who are members of the Living Temple of Diana are initiated into a priesthood of followers to the God Herself. If you are interested in joining please note that you will have to meet and circle with the current priesthood and may be required to take a course before being accepted into the priesthood study. Those who are invited into the training must take part in all of the rituals before initiation. If you have previous craft experience and are interested in joining the priesthood please e-mail Devin.
Does it cost anything?
Nope! The only cost that may be incured is for The People's Witchcraft course that those perspective members may be required to take who require more training before the priesthood. Other than that you will may be expected to pay for ritual attire.
For more information visit our Website .