Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

LOSNA

Old Etruscan name for the Moon Goddess in mother form, which has been alleged to have been later adopted by the Strega.

The Etruscans apparently also knew her as Tana and Leukothea. Losna was literally the moon itself, and the early Etruscans believed it to be a living Goddess. Apparently Losna is the moon as a living entity, rather than a Goddess of the moon. Leukothea was an aspect of the moon Goddess associated with the ocean and the tides. Therefore, Leukothea is a Goddess of the power of the moon, or the light of the moon (which, to the Etruscans, was the same thing).

The full moon is associated with Losna. Tana is the name used to denote the Great Goddess who encompasses all aspects. Therefore, Tana is the universal aspect of the Goddess. In early Etruscan times she was called Uni, which means "The One Goddess."

This is an interpretation heavily tainted by Wiccan beliefs.

see also: ARADIA

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc