The
Ancient Ones of Strega
Strega is very old and predates the Roman Pantheon since most of its dieties
are Etruscan and from native tribes and ancestor worship in Italy, Sicily,
Sardinia and surrounding islands. The first, primal force is known as Uni--yes,
that's right--universe comes from this name. She is the all consuming
mother--the primal womb. From this womb came the Grigori-the Ancient Ones-the
watchtowers, those here time before time. The Grigori have leaders; the ones a
witch calls to open the gates of power in each direction.
In the North, we call Tago-he is the guardian of the North and represents
the element of Earth. He is calm, steady, strong and brings stability to the
circle/ritual. The North is masculine and the color is green or brown.
In The East, we call Alpena-she is the guardian of the East and represents
the element of Air. She is soft, ethereal, thoughtful, and brings logic and
order to the circle/ritual. The East is Feminine and the color is white or
yellow.
In the South, we call Settrano-he is the guardian of the South and
represents the element of Fire. He is passionate, impulsive, can be violent,
and is the one element one must be careful with. The South is masculine and the
color is red or orange.
In the West, we call Meana-she is the guardian of the West and represents
the element of Water. She is emotional, compassionate, and also is the portal
of the underworld. She represents the Crone as Meana/Umbria.
In Strega, there are three types of witches the Tannic, Jannic, and Fannic
witches. Each one specializes in a particular adept in witchcraft. These
traditions are in Italian, mainstream Strega. Sicilian Strega does not have
these and much is combined into the other. In other words, Sicilian Witches do
it all.
The
Tradition of The Witches of Tana
In Tuscany, Northern Italy and Genoa, as well as the middle regions of Italy,
usually have the Tannic witches. These are witches which specialize in moon
Magick and spell craft. The are the witches of legends and the evil eye is
their specialty. The use olive oil, keys, scissors, herbs (particularly rue.
and fava beans) and are the keepers of the Mythos of Aradia. Aradia, born
August 13, 1313, revived the old religion in these regions. She is revered
as" La Bella Pilgrima," and is considered a Goddess for these practitioners.
The Goddess Diana's Name is Tana and the God's name is Tanus.
The
Tradition of the Witches of Jana
The Witches of Jana and her consort Janus can be found in the middle part of
Italy in Latium and areas around Rome. They are astrologers and use the stars
to create spells, divine the future and journey into the other worlds. They are
the Shamans and have much in common with Native American Shamans. Janus, the
Two faced God, was incorporated directly into the Roman Pantheon as well as the
month of January. They are the diviners--tarot, runes, stones, beans, seeds and
mysterious configurations and types of all kinds of divination are their
realms.
The
Tradition of the Witches of Fana
The witches of Fana and her consort Faunus are in the southern part of Italy
and Sardinia. The lines of each tradition are not tightly drawn and one tradition
may use, consult, and practice any one or all of the others. Faunus is linked
with Pan and suffered the same fate as Diana and Artemis. These witches are the
caretakers of the earth and use lei lines, power spots, large megalith stones,
ruins, and other magnetic phenomena of the earth. They are the herbalists of
Strega although all traditions have basic knowledge of herbs for spell use and
for healing, these witches are the wise women of the village. They are the
doctors and consult with Jannic witches on the use of herbs for physical
healing.
The
Sicilian Tradition
Sicily deserves a paper all Her own. She is the most mysterious of all-and
kept in strict secrecy. One thing I can say, There is no such thing as one
"Sicilian Tradition." Every family has its own rituals, spells, initiation
ceremonies, some with degrees and some not. I cannot answer for all Sicilians.
I can only answer for mine. My family is old, very old. We come from the town
of Port Embeclo on the very southern wide part of Sicily. My mother's family
came from Benevento and her father from Sardinia and Tuscany. My blood line is
very mixed with French, Gypsy, Italian and Sicilian blood lines. When I visited
Italy and Sicily, I found grave markers with our family names engraved with the
pentacle and the sign of the Walnut tree, In Sicily the chimerrota and
pentacle, vines of rue and fennel engraved on the tombstones and more. Believe
me when I tell you, no one would speak about these things. I will speak of my
family traditions in another paper.