What is Diana the Goddess of? And is she the same as Fauna?

Margaret:
    'Diana is most definitely a Goddess of the forests, a nature Goddess, as is Fauna. And people sometimes think these two are the same. They are not.

We used afternoons and evenings to make contact with the many other deities beyond those whose names are given to days of the week. We increased our work, more so since the local vicar said we worshipped the devil, and that female Gods do not exist.
    We knew he was wrong. So time was spent in the temple with the many different Goddesses, like Demeter and Rhea and Hera. I hope Athena did not hear the vicar's remarks. She let me see what happened to those who show her disrespect. It is not pleasant.
    And among the early encounters were the Goddesses Diana and Fauna.

According to the Bible, God entrusted Adam and his descendants with the stewardship of all the animal kingdoms. God never told Adam about the Mistresses of the Animals. Moses said ignore such other Gods, they are demons.
    That attitude is a big mistake, they are the guardians of nature and Diana is one of those Goddesses you do not want to upset. She is frighteningly awesome in the realms beyond, but her influence can and does pierce our own dimension. The old wives' tale of death from her arrows is not so far from the truth.

Diana is often depicted as carrying a bow, which she does, and they call her the Huntress. 
    People have assumed she hunts animals.

Diana sets tests. I found this out early on.
    That evening a brilliant green light entered the temple. A figure appeared in the corner of the room, on the right hand side of the altar. She seemed to float. She is not as slight as say, Selene or Aphrodite, this Goddess has broad shoulders, muscular, she is well-built but not fat. She has an open air tanned ruddiness to her face. 
    I noticed she wore a garland around her head. 
    She was dressed in a green tunic and ankle boots, and I also noticed she carried on her shoulder what looked like a quiver full of arrows. She stared at us for a few moments, silent. Then she walked around the temple. I felt the temple tingling. It was a beautiful sensation.
    "Thank you for inviting me into your temple. Are you both sincere?"
    She speaks so sternly and hard I began to shake.
    "You will come with me."
    

She pulled me from the temple and next I was standing on a forest path. Diana in front of me looking stern. She pointed to one side.
    "Go and stand by that tree."
    She pointed to a very large tree with a wide trunk and I pushed through the ferns and bramble and moved close to the trunk, facing her. I watched, horrified, as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and aimed her bow at me. Then something golden flashed toward me and thudded into the tree, three inches from my ear. I was scared stiff, but one after another she loosed four more arrows around me. Then stopped and strode toward me.
    "Come deeper into the forest. Come along!" She said and grabbed my wrist. But something was telling me, no more, you're in far enough.
    "The man is holding onto you. Make him let go!" 

Then she had her very, very strong hand over my right arm and was tugging to pull my hand from Nica's. But then after a while she stopped.
    "Stand by that tree again."
    Oh no!
    And she shot two more arrows. Then came and grabbed me again.
    "You must let go of his hand!" And she really pulled me, and I thought I was slithering from Nica's grasp. Then suddenly I was back in the temple and Nica spoke and said I was okay, and not to worry he had hold of me. But then she pulled me back again.
    "I shall try once more to get you to come deeper into the forest," and she gave me such a tug. Then let go and suddenly her stern face broadened into a smile.
    " Although you are frightened you have faced up to my arrows and will not let go of the man. I am pleased you have proved yourselves."

I followed her back along the forest path. She is so awesome. She talked as we walked: "You should shun noisy crowded places and try to get into the country every day." 
    And then we were back in the temple, as very gradually she faded away. 
    I felt in total awe of her.

*

In modern times the Biblical tale of Adam and his responsibilities for the animal kingdoms is laughed at by science since Darwin's theory of evolution. However, there remains much debate on the issue of cruelty to animals and nature. Those who work in the countryside set about tearing down trees and forests to make paper and wardrobes and tables. Others enjoy  'field sports' and hunters claim theirs is the best way to control and manage the rural environment. Those who oppose them argue that nature has its own balance, and that in the age of hypermarkets hunters merely seek sadistic pleasure from the suffering and death of a frightened animal.

Industry and commerce do their best to distance emotion from necessity and argue the case for testing products first on animals to make certain of safety before trying them on humans. But there are others still, hidden away in such laboratories as I had seen with Asclepius, behind high fences and high security who experiment with live animals in the name of Research and Development, with no particular aim in mind other than what might happen if...
    But not, however, what might happen when.
    As I said, after that experience in the animal labs with Asclepius the rights and wrongs of the contents of Hades' cages never again upset me. For that is where many of them end up, if they're lucky. 
    It's difficult to imagine but really, there are worse places to be sent to than Hades' correctional facility. Places that make him seem kind. 

But before that time, such people have to face Diana. 
    She is as fierce, frightening and deadly as any of the monstrous deities.