🌿 The Histories & Traditions of Stregheria: Italian Witchcraft and Folk Magic

marty mullenax
Oct 26
4 min read

Stregheria: Italian Witchcraft, Folk Magic & Aradia Tradition

By Marty Mullenax - Bull & Thorn

Stregheria—often called the “Old Religion” of Italy—is a fascinating blend of folklore, spirituality, and magical practice. Rooted in Italian and Sicilian folk traditions, Stregheria has evolved into a modern Pagan path that honors ancient deities, family heritage, and the wisdom of the strega (witch).

Beneath the mystical name lies a story of cultural identity, survival, and adaptation. What English-speaking Pagans today call Stregheria grew from the lived folk magic (stregoneria and benedicaria) of Italian families, shaped by centuries of faith, migration, and modern reinterpretation.

The term “Stregheria” comes from the Italian strega, meaning “witch.” While Italians typically use stregoneria for “witchcraft,” Stregheria became a preferred term among English-speaking Pagans in the late 20th century to distinguish folk-based spiritual witchcraft from the more negative connotations of stregoneria.

Italian folk magic was deeply intertwined with Catholicism. Villagers sought protection and healing through prayers, saints, herbs, and charms. Practices such as the malocchio (evil eye), the cimaruta (rue amulet), and benedicaria (blessing traditions) have ancient roots in Etruscan and Roman culture, later blending seamlessly with Christian faith.

When Italian immigrants came to America in the late 1800s and early 1900s, they brought these folk practices with them. In the United States, as Wicca began to spread, Italian-Americans like Raven Grimassi, Leo Martello, and Lori Bruno began exploring their ancestral magic—reviving it as Stregheria, a reconstructed form of Italian witchcraft.

Key Figures & Influences

Raven Grimassi (1951–2019)

Often called the father of modern Stregheria, Grimassi authored Ways of the Strega and Italian Witchcraft, claiming descent from an Aradian tradition of witchcraft. His writings helped bring Italian witchcraft into the broader Pagan revival.

Aradia & Leland’s Influence

In 1899, folklorist Charles Leland published Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches, claiming to reveal a Tuscan witch gospel centered on Aradia, daughter of Diana and Lucifer, who taught magic to the oppressed. Though its authenticity is debated, Leland’s book became a foundational mythos for modern Stregheria.

Scholars & Practitioners

Anthropologists like Sabina Magliocco and Luisa Del Giudice have studied living Italian folk traditions, clarifying the difference between folk Catholic magic and neo-Pagan Stregheria. Their work helps preserve the authenticity of Italy’s living magical heritage.

Traditions, Beliefs & Practices

Deities

Diana – the Moon Goddess, Queen of the Witches.
Lucifer / Dianus / Tanus – the God of Light, her consort.
Aradia – the witch-messiah who taught magic and liberation.

Core Practices

Ancestor Veneration: Honoring the dead and the family line.
Benedicaria: Healing and blessing through prayer and ritual.
Amulets & Charms: Protection against the evil eye and misfortune.
Seasonal Festivals: Some groups adapt the Wiccan Sabbats into Italian names and seasonal rites, aligning with agricultural cycles.

Catholic Blending

Stregheria coexists with Catholic faith in many folk traditions. It is not uncommon for a practitioner to pray to saints and light candles for the Madonna while also invoking Diana and the spirits of nature.

Many scholars agree there is no evidence of a continuous “Old Religion” from ancient Rome to modern witchcraft. Instead, Stregheria is a revivalist fusion—part genuine folk practice, part neo-Pagan reconstruction.

Modern practitioners are encouraged to honor their Italian roots with care, learning regional traditions, and avoiding romanticized myths. The goal is not to reconstruct an imagined ancient religion, but to continue the living lineage of Italian folk spirituality with integrity.

🕰️ Timeline: The Evolution of Stregheria & Italian Folk Magic

Era	Event / Development	Notes
Pre-Roman (Before 500 BCE)	Etruscan religion honors nature spirits and goddess cults.	Foundations for later magical folklore.
Roman Era (500 BCE – 400 CE)	Cults of Diana, Hecate, and household spirits (lares).	Magical rites and offerings tied to family and land.
Middle Ages (400–1500)	Rise of stregoneria; witch persecutions; folk healers blend Pagan and Christian practices.	Saints’ magic and folk blessing traditions take root.
Renaissance (1500–1700)	Cunning folk, wise women, and herbalists maintain local magic.	The “witch” becomes both healer and feared outsider.
19th Century	Italian folklore collected by scholars like Leland; Aradia myth emerges.	“Witchcraft” reframed as folk wisdom.
Italian Immigration (1880–1920)	Folk practices brought to America; families retain benedicaria and evil-eye charms.	Seeds of Italian-American magic planted.
Mid–20th Century	Wicca rises; Italian-Americans seek ancestral forms.	Birth of modern Stregheria.
1990s–2000s	Raven Grimassi publishes Stregheria teachings; online communities grow.	Italian Witchcraft gains global attention.
Today	Practitioners blend folk magic, ancestry, and neo-Pagan spirituality.	Revival meets cultural respect and scholarship.

🔮 Comparison: Italian Folk Magic vs. Neo-Pagan Wicca

Aspect	Italian Folk Magic / Stregoneria	Neo-Pagan Wicca / Stregheria
Roots	Regional folk Catholicism & rural traditions	20th-century Pagan revival inspired by folklore
Deities	Saints, angels, ancestors, Christ, Madonna	Diana, Aradia, Lucifer, Horned God
Focus	Healing, protection, family, blessing	Ritual, seasonal cycles, personal spirituality
Structure	Family or village-based	Coven or solitary with initiatory levels
Magic Type	Practical, results-oriented	Symbolic, ritual-based, spiritual transformation
Ritual Tools	Candles, holy water, medals, herbs	Athame, chalice, wand, pentacle
Language & Lore	Dialect prayers, Catholic symbols	English ritual language, Pagan symbolism
Outlook on Religion	Usually Christian, folk-Catholic	Neo-Pagan, Goddess/God duality
Modern Form	Living folk heritage	Reconstructed religion & magical system

Italian folk magic still thrives in small towns and immigrant homes. Charms against the malocchio, saint altars, and folk prayers continue to be passed down quietly through families.

In the modern Pagan world, Stregheria has become both a spiritual identity and a cultural revival. For Italian-Americans and seekers alike, it offers a bridge between ancestral devotion and magical practice.

Understanding Stregheria reminds us that witchcraft is not a monolith—it’s a tapestry woven from the spiritual lives of real people. Whether as a magical path or a study of cultural history, Stregheria celebrates heritage, healing, and the power of story.

As Bull & Thorn continues exploring the world’s diverse magical lineages, Stregheria stands as a profound example of how faith and folklore evolve together—rooted in the old, yet flowering anew in the modern world.

Stregheria is more than a revival—it’s a conversation across centuries between the living and the dead, the old world and the new. By studying it with both reverence and reason, we honor not only our magical ancestors but the communities that kept their light alive.