The
Paths of Strega
There are the familiar "Sabbats' or Paths in Stregheria that one finds
in Modern Wicca, but they are celebrated with different names and different
reasons, although some are very similar. Let's begin with the first one.
La
Festa del Umbria
October 31
This is the first Path on the wheel of the year and called the Feast of the
Shadows. Stregas celebrate death as in most cultures at this time. We take
special care of our ancestor shrines and communicate with the dead on this
night. We use scrying mirrors, crystal balls and tarot cards to divine the
future and perhaps receive a message from one of our dead relatives. Although
in Wicca, this is the New Year, and in most modern Wiccan and modern Stregan
traditions, it is also celebrated at this time, in most family traditions. We
also recount the myth of the Descent of the Goddess at this time. Nature is
made ready for sleep as the Goddess descends into Hades.
La
Festa del Inverno
December 21/22
The Winter Solstice is celebrated with great rejoicing and is similar to
Yule with lights, trees, holly, and all the trimmings. Called the feast of
Winter, it celebrates the birth of the Child of Promise and is acted out with
much fanfare in Hades since the Goddess is still with Dis and gives birth. The
child is brought forth by a messenger from Hades and the world rejoices once
more.
La
Festa De Lupercus
February 2
The Feast of the Wolf bears no resemblance to the Celtic Imbolc or feast of
Brigid. On this day the Lord of Misrule claims his own. He is called Lupercus,
the Lord of Light, the Golden Wolf, born of the the Goddess and Dis/Janus. We
all celebrate and feast, make love and act "like a pack of wolves,"
cavorting in forests, woods, and having a grand old time.
Equinozio
Della Primavera
March 21/22
The Spring Equinox marks the beginning of Spring as in most traditions and
The Goddess returns to the light of the Earth from Hades. Her son/lover
Lupercus/Janus is already born and an adolescent--not yet ready for her, but
growing fast. In the different traditions of Strega, the names can be many, in
Northern traditions we have Tana/Jana/ Fana and corresponding names for the God
Tanus/Janus/Fanus and in Sicilian traditions Diana and Dianus with Losna as the
Full Moon and different intonations of Diana as Maiden and Crone. We also act
out the Myth of the Ascent of the Goddess.
La
Giornata di La Donna
May 1
This is called Lady's Day, May Day, Tana's Day in some Traditions, Diana's
Day and Beltane in the Celtic traditions. It is the day of full sexual
maturation of the God and Goddess. The Maypole, symbol of this union-celebrated
even in Modern times in the Catholic Church as May Day and dedicated to our
Blessed Virgin-Mary. It was discontinued in the l950's as too pagan--so true!!
Many handfastings are done on this day, especially in the Streghan tradition
and a must in Sicilian traditions.
La
Festa Dell'Estate
June 21
Summer Fest is about the same as the Celtic Midsummer and we pay homage to
the Folletti, or fairies. We also honor the union of the God and Goddess whose
marriage is now well established and all of nature is in full bloom. The
solstice also marks the beginning of the end of the reign of the God and as He
grows older and weaker, we mark his passage. We also mark the struggle between
light and darkness. Fennel represents Light and Sorghum represents darkness.
Cornucopia
July 31/August 1
Everyone is familiar with the horn of plenty and most of us know that this
is the first of three harvests. This holiday celebrates the bounty and fruits
of the earth. It is a genuine harvest celebration. In it, however, we
acknowledge the coming death of the God and he will soon take his place in the
underworld as Dis. His counterpart, Lugh, also anticipates his death in the
funeral games played in Celtic regions at Lughnassad.
Equinozio
Di Autunno
September 21
The second harvest and transforms the Lord of Light into the Lord of Shadows
and as Dis, he will rule in the underworld and guide souls to rebirth, rest,
and renewal. In all paths, the Mythos is retold and told again. Strega is part
drama and part ritual. The Lord returns to Dis and the Descent of the Lady will
begin the Mythos all over again at La Festa Del Umbria.
The
Esbats
On the new, full, and dark moons, Steghans like any other witch honors the
moon. There can be an elaborate ceremony with signs, rites of union, moon
signs, long speeches, drawing down the moon on a priest or priestess, or a
simple white rose and praise to Diana(or Tana, Jana, Fana) which lasts a few
minutes. On the new moon-we begin spells, on the full moon-we energize them,
and on the waning moon,-we hope they come to fruition-perhaps on the next full
moon. It is the same for us as with others who are Pagan, Wiccan, or Streghan.