Stregoneria and the Future of Streghe Pages

As many of you know, Stregoneria is a relatively modern term denoting Italian and Italian American folk magic.  Being a folk magic framework, it is not a religious practice, though many of its enthusiasts are Catholics or Pagans of some kind. In several ways, it is comparable to Hoodoo and Brujeria, though this is still being researched.  As is the identical case with Stregheria (and yes, I am rolling my eyes right now), it translates (more or less) to "witchcraft."  The frustrating thing about this terminology is that the later, Stregheria, is hard to separate from Neo Pagan, Gardenian influenced Wicca and the efforts of writers like Raven Gramassi.   And while there is nothing wrong with said influences or paths, I prefer to work and practice and write within a folk magic perspective.  This has always been the case, since this blog was created in 2010.

In the past I have been able to proceed, using Stregheria to denote witchcraft and folk magic with an Italian or Italian American slant. But lately, I find it's hard to write the above word without implying Diana-based or Neo Pagan Wicca.  And I've increasingly inspired these associations by using the word Stregheria.  It should also be fairly obvious that I work with Gnostic and Catholic saints, energies and terms associated with a Judeo Christian paradigm and the lwa and orisha of Vodou, Santeria and what we're calling African Diaspora.  I am, at heart, a folk magician, who enjoys animism and spirits of various paths.  I am not a Pagan or a Christian, per se, though I do have some Gnostic slants in my worldview.  And the older I become, the more traveled and cultured and experienced I become in folk systems, the more I discover that Italian American magic is not my exclusive influence, neither in writing or daily practice..

So what does this mean for Streghe Pages?

I'd like to write for a larger group of readers.  I'll always search for ways to educate others about Italian and Italian American folk magic, but I'm also very interested in Brujeria and Hoodoo, as well as Conjure and Root Work.  I'd like open other avenues, moving forward.  In the next week, I'll be reviewing this blog and revamping the name, URL and style. Streghe Pages will live on.  That is guaranteed.The entries with an inherent Italian basis will continue to be linked in the page marked The Strega Diaries at the upper right.  This will continue to educate readers on Italian folk magic and organize a resource.  All upcoming entries, of course, will be added to the main page first, but archived and collected in The Strega Diaries, if they pertain to Italian and Italian American magic, for easy reference. 

Santa Morte: Holy Death in Eurpoe

 

Growing up in an Italian-American family I saw a lot of death. Most of my aunts and uncles were geriatric so there was a funeral every six months. They died of cancer, of pneumonia, of calculated risks. When that happened everyone came. We had relatives in distance states who would fly in for the occasion. I remember the funeral home most of all, an old Italian place in a rusty part of town. Everything about it depressed me, the carpet, the lights, the eternally overcast sky. Nothing ever changed at Rossi's.

I preferred the churches and cemeteries, high ceilings and open sky, a promise of lunch afterwords. Catholic churches rarely depressed me, not even the older ones with their darker windows and stony floors. Recently I stumbled across some Italian churches built specifically for the dead. Santa Maria dell'Orazione e Morte is probably the most famous, carved with skull motifs and winged time pieces. Similar shrines appear elsewhere in Italy, built to house friars and corpses of the abandoned or unknown. We could say death was familiar to the people who visited and built these churches. They were used to it, considering the shear number of plague victims throughout Europe.

Consider the following images from Santa Maria Della Concezione where an order of 4,000 dead monks line the walls. Now look a little closer at the photo to the right, depicting a tall skeleton with scythe and scales. Does any of this seem familiar? Could it be an ancestress, a forerunner of Mexico's death saint Santisima Muerte, the arcane spectre we know from botanica windows and head shops?  Shortly after researching this, I began spotting references to Italian death sprites like Dea Mors and the Greek Fate Atropos.  In most stories they were linked to Europe's dark Carnivals and a more obsucre figure from European legend called Santa Morte, or Saint Death. 

　

Most of what we know about Holy Death (Santisima Muerte) comes from Brujeria (Mexican Witchcraft) and Curanderismo. She is a product of syncreticism, believed to be linked to the Aztec spirit Mictecacihuatl. According to tradition, she is the archangel of death. Like the Madonna, she arrives in a variety of forms, each petitioned for different needs. La Blanca (White) has the power to heal and existed before Genesis.  La Roja (Red) is called upon for romantic endeavors, being the form she took when Adam and Eve made love in the Garden. She is also petioned for financial needs. La Negra (Black) is the form she took once Cain killed Abel.  She is petitioned for defense, murder and protection.

More recently, I became the student of a woman raised in an Italian folkloric tradition.  She agreed to teach me her family's blend of Stregheria.  One summer afternoon she mentioned "The Lady of Silence."  As it turns out, this Lady is one and the same with Santa Morte.  My teacher even referred to her as the Angel of Death.  While she isn't featured in every form of Stregheria, we do refer to her in our own, where she sits on my altar as The Lady of Silence.  What can  I tell you about this folk saint as she's petioned by Italian witches?  Very little.  Due to traditional Stregheria's renown security, we take special measures to preserve any symbolism and structure from traditions who might adapt them and misrepresent the stories or rituals in translation.  I can tell you that The Lady entertains her own fresh symbolism and a place in our credo. 

Concerning her influence over Santisima Muerte and Latin America, consider Spain's invasion of Mexico. Could it be possible that The Lady of Silence, a relic of Europe's Carnivals, influenced Brujeria and our modern understanding of Santisima Muerte? I think it's very likely, and find myself viewing her--and my family's customs--in a fuller, brighter light. Furthermore, if anyone works with this saint or has any additional texts, I'd love to hear from you. Please contact me or leave a note below.

Madonna del Granato

(Originally published February 20, 2012)

Recently I began searching for a Madonna to place on my ancestor altar. I had a few interesting leads but the form that spoke to me was one "Madonna del Granato," the Madonna with the pomegranate. As a fan of syncreticism, I found special value in this apparition, a Mary tied to my patron Hera.
As a child I grew very attached to Hera.  She was a very resourceful female, unwilling to turn a blind eye when someone harmed her. As a teenager, I found this protection extended to her children.

Mary, like Hera and Juno, has been called the Queen of Heaven. She is synchronized with many ancient spirits including the huntress Diana. Her various apparitions appeared in many countries throughout the world and in Capaccio, Italy there is a church near Hera's Argonaut-built temple where she is called the Madonna del Granato. In ancient times Hera was depicted with her favorite fruit, the pomegranate, a symbol of fertility and promise. Predictably, when the pagans of present day Capaccio and Paestrum converted to Christianity, they applied the red fruit to Mary and the Madonna del Granato was born.

As a strega, this Madonna is particularly interesting to me. She represents a link to my ancestors and the powers of nature ruled by Hera. I've only begun to work with this spirit and I hope to share more with you later. Please leave comments or private e-mails if this topic appeals to yo

Jesus as Magician

(Originally published December 10, 2011)

For two thousand years Jesus has been invoked to protect the home, the family and the individual. He has been nailed to your wall and worn about your neck.  He is a living spell, a Word of Power and--according to some--a magician.

     For twenty four years I avoided him.  The trouble was everyone had an opinion I was supposed to subscribe to.  Jesus is lord, Jesus is King, Jesus runs the show, etc.  I never had room to interpret him myself.  I never made time to examine the kind eyes, the liberal agenda and the obvious metaphysics of his life. He was born of a virgin, cured the blind, raised the dead and drove off spirits.  Jesus also performs the highest goal of ceremonial magicians, unleashing his divinity.

     There were also ancient claims to Jesus's mystical life.  If we're to believe an Egyptian bowl from Alexandria (evidently conceived between the 2nd century BCE  and 1AD), the first written reference to Jesus describes a magician.  Interestingly enough, an enemy of Christianity named Celsus wrote an account between the 2nd and 3rd Centuries describing Jesus as a magician who learned his skills in Egypt, where the bowl was found.

     Modern evidence suggests that Jesus is a synchronized deity based on "god men" like Horus, Mythras and Heracles.  I couldn't agree more.  Jesus has many roles.  He can help you understand the mystic's life better than most modern magicians.  He can teach you tolerance.  He can help make you aware of spirit and acknowledge your inner-divinity.   Jesus's associations are diverse: he is associated with the sun, the color white, blood, the cross and the color 3.  In Santeria, Jesus is synchronized with Obatala, the creator of human form.

Frequently Asked Questions

(Originally published November 11, 2011)

"Are you Wiccan?  Is that how I say that?"  Many times people are surprised when I say no.  I'm also not a Pagan in the modern sense.  I'm an animist.  What's the difference?  For one, Neo-Pagans work within a pantheon of gods while animists work with spirits and energy.  As an animist I make no classifications between deities like Zeus and Catholic saints.  Spirit is spirit.  There are spirits and elemental energies presiding over your favorite plant and gemstone.  Tools and pendants can be charged as independent allies.  I'm not about to box myself in and work with only one group of energies.  I'm not the kind of girl who likes putting the universe in boxes: the Goddess, the God, etc, etc,  It doesn't work for me.  Animism feels more organic to me; it feels real.  At this point it's more of a nature than a religion as it fits into mundane life.

    "What is Stregheria?"  If you've been reading this blog at all you'll know that Stregheria is the Italian word for witchcraft.  It is not (as some people claim) the Italian version of Wicca.  But while witchcraft is not a religion it can be taught, practiced or celebrated as a tradition.

     "Is Stregheria hereditary?"  Some people will tell you they learned their craft from a grandmother or parent.  I don't doubt this is often true.  In my case, I grew up with very religious, conservative parents.  Witchcraft was always an interest whose origin I couldn't pinpoint.  As I grew older I learned to open myself to the knowledge of my ancestors, whose memories and experiences with things like herb lore, folk magic and mysticism have always been apart of me.

  "Are you Catholic?"   I enjoy Catholic imagery.  It appeals to me.  I love rosaries and religious pendants.  My working room is decked with images of saints. None of this is because I'm Catholic but because it keeps me closer to my ancestors.  My ancestors were involved with the same saints.  They pulled them from several sources.  I can't help but feel they helped instill this in me.