Gardner's first novel came about as the result of a dream, or rather a series of dreams, in which he seemed to be in charge of constructing a defensive wall in order to repel invaders. He suspected that it may have been a memory from a previous lifetime somewhere in the Mediterranean or Middle East. The dreams were so vivid that Gardner was inspired to write A Goddess Arrives. The novel is based on the historical invasion of Cyprus by the Egyptians in 1450 & tells of how they were ultimately repulsed. The heroine of the story, Dayonis, is described as a witch, but she seems to need animal & in some cases human sacrifices in her rituals. Was published at the end of 1939, just after Gardner's initiation into the Craft. It shows that he was interested in witchcraft and ritual previous to that time, although he was forced to change some of his ideas, for example about human & animal sacrifice, when he actually met some witches in person.