Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches

Before Gerald Gardner ever thought to write his first book, there was an explorer named Charles Leland, who felt he could discover and preserve the secrets of Italian Witchcraft. Leland's original quest was to make contact with practicing Italian Witches. After years of trying, he met one by the name of Maddelena, who imparted to him the secrets for which he was searching. These teachings have become Aradia or the Gospel of the Witches. Reportedly handed down in an oral tradition, Leland later translated and published the work in the late 1800s.