A Lasa
1
Among the cliffs and scrubby moors of northern Italy there dwell today descendants of an ancient people whose stubborn and exotic mystery has provoked historians to conflict, linguists to despair, archeologists to poetry, and poets to philosophy. 'For almost two thousand years the astounding secret of their existence was kept without living whisper save in the anachronistic echoes, recorded for the first time in this book, of 'Tuscan Catholic peasant voices calling through unbroken generations upon the pagan deities of their remarkable ancestors.
Margery Silvers
Foreword to Charles Leland's Etruscan Magic & Occult Remedies
(1963 reprint of 1892 text)
It is midnight and in the woods, beneath the Full Moon, kneels a lovely young woman. In her hands she holds a small red flannel bag filled with salt and containing a special amulet. She carries wine and water, and with them she blesses herself, tracing a pentagram upon her body. Looking up toward the Moon, she calls out and identifies herself as a daughter of Aradia.' A gentle breeze lifts her hair softly away from her shoulders, and as moonlight filters down through the leaves of the forest, she is tenderly embraced by a goddess. The religion that she practices, and the magick that she possesses, is ancient and powerful. She is one who is called a Strega, and her arts have been passed to her through timeless generations.'
The Strega are the Witches of Italy, and there is much that is still secretive about them. The openness of the New Age is not yet a part of their culture, and they continue to practice the Old Ways of pre-Christian European religion. In a formal sense, theirs is the Old Religion, known in Italy as La Vecchia Religione. The art of Witchcraft itself, in Italian, is called Stregheria. Among themselves, the Strega simply refer to their religion as "La Vecchia" or sometimes as "The Ways."
Italian is a Latin language, and employs the use of gender in its word and sentence structure. A female Witch is called a Strega, a male is called a Stregone, and the plural for Witches is Streghe. In modern times some Witches prefer the use of the words Maga for female and Mago for male, although this applies more to users of magick than to Witches in general. For the purposes of simplification, in this book I have elected to use the word Strega to encompass all of these. In other words, no gender is meant to be represented by the word Strega, and it will apply to practitioners of "the Old Religion" in general, both in the singular and plural.
In Italy, and in American cities with large Italian populations, Witches of the "old school" can still be found. In almost every city or village, someone can point you to a Strega who can cast or cure the Malocchio (the "evil eye"), or use olive oil and herbs to heal or to divine the future. In the heart of the Strega, the "spirits of old" live on, for theirs is an ancient belief. Sit quietly and they will tell you tales of the Elven Race, and of the Lasa who are known as The Old Ones. You will learn of the sacredness of fire, and of the forces behind Nature. The voice of the wind shall whisper to you as the Strega speak, and you shall know and understand.
The old beliefs of pre-Christian Europe live on among these people. Theirs is still a world in which charms and amulets can attract or banish. Secret hand gestures can invoke protection or draw power. Incantations are taught as an art, with emphasis upon meter and tonal quality. Signs and omens are read in the clouds and in the flight of birds. The future is revealed in drops of olive oil upon the surface of consecrated water, or in visions appearing within crystals. The crescent-crowned Goddess and the stag-horned God of the early Clans are still worshipped by the Strega. They are known by many names among the Witch Clans: Fana and Faunus, Jana and Janus, Tana and Tanus. The most common names for the God and Goddess of Italian Witchcraft are Diana and Dianus. The most ancient names are Uni and Tagni.
Nature is viewed as the manifestation of spiritual forces or laws. Magick is the art of understanding the interplay between these forces, and the ways in which they can be influenced. This hidden "mechanism" behind the Physical World (dimension) is animated, and kept in order, by a host of spirits and deities. Ancient techniques have been preserved through which the "favor" of these beings can be acquired, and personal desires can be granted. This usually involves various offerings and rites designed to connect with the entity that has influence over the things that you desire.
Figure 1 The Cimaruta
In northern Italy lies the region of Toscana, or Tuscany. In this area dwell the descendants of an ancient people related to the Etruscans. It is here that the Old Religion of Italy has been preserved by Witches, who have passed down their Craft through unbroken lines for countless generations. The Craft Tradition in Tuscany is quite unique, even by Italian standards. In it we can see the remnants of early Etruscan religious belief. The myths of Tuscan Witchcraft are largely those of spirits who were once Etruscan Gods. The magick of Tuscany is one of Pagan simplicity, and bears little resemblance to modern ceremonial practices.
Tuscan Witches believe that their Craft is a legacy that must be passed on to at least one other person before they die. If they do not accomplish this, it is said to interfere with the proper advancement of future lives. In the Tuscan structure, a Witch is reborn in human form many times, becoming more and more powerful. Eventually the individual may become a powerful spirit or possibly even a demi-god.
The magickal focus is largely upon spells, omens, and natural objects. These are employed in amulets, talismans, charm bags, and divination (see Figure 1). Natural actions such as a "falling star" or fruit dropping from a branch may be employed in spells. Here an incantation might be recited, linking the falling action to a wish that someone may fall in love, or perhaps that an enemy might "fall."
Ritual circles are seldom used for spell casting or other works of magick. A large flat rock within a field would serve adequately for any Tuscan Witch. Symbols might be laid out in patterns around power objects placed upon the flat rock, and the Witch's wand (the primary tool of Tuscan Witches) would be passed over them, forming ritual gestures. Metered tonal chants are always employed in every act of magick, which is one of the most cherished arts of Tuscan Witchcraft.
The religious focus of this tradition is upon the God Tagni and the Goddess Uni. The universe that they rule is comprised of sixteen "houses," four in each of the four quarters. The gods of destiny dwell in the north. In the east are the major gods, in the south dwell the astral entities, and in the West dwell the beings of the Underworld. Tagni and Uni also rule over a hierarchy of powerful spirits that exert power and influence over the Earth.
The list that follows will show most of these "spirits" and the "gods" with whom they actually correspond.
Tuscan Teramo Nortia Aplu Losna Turanna Pano Maso Silviano Esta Faflon Tuscan Greek/Roman Greek/Roman Tesana Aurora Mercury Aeolus Fortuna Spulviero Faunus Fanio Apollo Alpena Flora Diana/Luna Vulcan Tituno Venus Verbius Verbio Pan Eros Dusio Mars Janus Silvanus Jano Fate Meana Vesta Bacchus
These spirits/deities are evoked for many purposes and are more a part of everyday life in Tuscany than would most likely be true of other Craft regions. The lore of Tuscany is so pervasive that even the average Christian is knowledgeable in it.
Teramo is a messenger spirit who is evoked to carry requests to the gods and to aid in the sending of spells. Losna is the spirit of the Moon, and is evoked to aid in all works of magick. Turanna has influence over matters of love. In the Old Religion of Tuscany everything is the result of either a spirit's or a god's action, or that of a Witch. That is one reason why everyday life is so closely tied to the Old Ways.
As in most Craft Traditions, the basic elemental forces are revered, and living entities are associated with the seemingly magickal properties of the elements. Likewise, Nature is seen to be filled with spirits that inhabit objects and places. The Fauni and Silvani are spirits of the woods. Monachetto are Gnome-like spirits, and the Linchetto are elven spirits.
In Tuscan Witchcraft, the north quarter is a place of great power. The Elemental Beings of the North are called Pala. In the South are the Settiano, who are spirits of Elemental Fire. In the West are the Manii, who are spirits of Elemental Water, and in the East are the Bellarie who are spirits of Elemental Air. In the early lore, the Lasa were also spirits associated with the Underworld. Through the interaction of these beings, vegetation flourishes, rains fall, and life cycles continue. These spirits are the inner forces of Nature.
Closely linked to the belief in these spirits is a large tradition of magickal cures, incantations, spells, and rites for attracting love, banishing evil, and assuring physical comforts. All of these have been passed down through old family lines, where the belief that Witches are born again to their descendants is quite strong. Even though much of this lore is known to non-Witches, the secrets of the practical art are closely guarded by hereditary family Traditions.
The Strega believe in Clan spirits known as the Lare, who protect the homes and families of the Strega. They also preserve the family bloodlines and traditions. The Lare assist the Strega to be reborn again among those whom they have known and loved in the previous life. Small Lare shrines are set in the west or the east part of the home, and offerings are made there on important family occasions, such as births, deaths, marriages, and so on.
Traditionally candles are lighted and offerings of wine, milk, and honey are placed in a single bowl before the Lare shrine. In earlier times, these spirits were known as the Lasa, and were considered to be the first spirits known upon the earth.
There are many different types of spirits in Italian folklore. Some of the most common and widely known are the Folletto. All Folletto travel in the wind, and can be seen at play, causing swirls in the dust (or "knots of winds" in Italian). They are said to be somewhat like butterflies, and are almost always moving about. Traditionally, the Folletto are known to be friendly toward humans, but can be mischievous and annoying at times. It is not uncommon for the Folletto to lift up a woman's dress in the wind, or knock over objects with a sudden gust. They are magickal beings, and have a particular attraction to sexual situations. In northern Italy, certain Folletto are called the Basadone (woman-kisser[s]) and are known to steal kisses from women with a passing breeze. The female spirit is known as a Folletti, which is also the term for the group as a whole.
Another type of Folletto is a spirit called the Linchetto. Actually they belong to the Elven Race, and are specifically night elves. Linchetto are native to the Tuscan region of Italy, which was once the old Etruscan Kingdom. These elves are said to cause "nightmares" and odd noises in the night. Linchetto hate disorder and will not dwell in any such element. One old technique to drive away the Linchetto was to spill seeds upon the floor surrounding the bed. The night elf would come and try to pick up the seeds, usually leaving in frustration. Another technique was to place a lock of curly hair over the bed. The Linchetto would try all night to straighten it, then flee in despair.
The Italian Fata are spirits of the woods and water. They are beautiful, gentle, and kind. The Fata are excellent shape-shifters, and often appear in human or animal form. There are many legends in which someone has stopped to help an animal or an old person, only to discover a Fata. Those who helped a Fata in disguise were always richly rewarded, but anyone who was cruel to them was in grave danger. The Lauru is a Folletto spirit with black twinkling eyes, long curly hair, and clothes of the finest velvet. They are said to be mischievous, but when treated with respect may reveal hidden treasure or winning lottery numbers.
Italian folklore also extends to inanimate objects, which are believed to contain power. Among the most common are keys made of gold or silver, scissors, horseshoes, pearls, and coral (especially red coral). Other objects such as a clove of garlic, a red ribbon, a pair of crossed straight pins, and a pinch of salt can all be employed to provide protection. In the chapters that follow, all of these aspects of Stregheria are expanded upon in greater detail, along with many other unique traditions left to us through the rich legacy of Italian Witchcraft.
ENDNOTES
1. Aradia was a Strega who lived and taught in Italy during the fourteenth century. She was largely responsible for the revival of Witchcraft in Italy during the Middle Ages. See chapter 20, "The Strega's Story" for further information.
2. See chapter 2, "Italian Witchcraft" for historical evidence of the antiquity and survival of Italian Witchcraft.