Covenant of Aradia

The Covenant of Aradia below is taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

The Covenant of Aradia

Observe the times of the sacred gatherings, for therein is the foundation of the powers of Stregheria.

When good is done to you, then do good to another. If someone wishes to repay you for a kindness, then bind them to go out of their way to help three others, then this shall clear the debt.

Do not use the arts of Stregheria to appear powerful among others. Do not lower the standards of the Art and thereby bring contempt upon the Old ways.

Do not take the life of anything unless it is to preserve life, yours or another's.

Do not give your word of honour lightly, for you are bound by your words and by your oaths.

Do not accept any authority over you unless it is of the Gods. Instead, cooperate with others but do not be a slave and always preserve your honour. Give respect to others and expect respect in return.

Teach all who appear worthy and aid the continuance of the Old Religion.

Do not belittle another's religious beliefs, but simply state your own truths. Strive to be at peace with those who differ.

Do not purposely cause harm to another, unless it is to prevent true harm to yourself or another.

Strive to be compassionate to others, and to be aware of the hearts and minds of those around you.

Be true to your own understanding and turn away from those things which oppose the good in you, or are harmful to you. Hold reverence to all within Nature. Destroy nothing, scar nothing, waste nothing, live in harmony with Nature, for the ways of Nature are our own ways.

Remain open in your heart and in your mind to the Great Ones who created all that is, and to your brothers and sisters alike.

Words of Aradia: Concerning Love

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

Love is the gift of the spirit's blessings. It is the emanation of spirit within. Love is the Great Attainment.

Receive love when it is offered, and offer love regardless. Yet do not allow the duality of love to cause you despair. For love can lift up you heart and it can likewise drag it down.

Accept love in the manner in which is comes to you. Do not possess it, or attempt to control it or shape it. For love is free and shall come or go in its manner.

Words of Aradia: Concerning Sexuality

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

The sexual power of a man or a woman is the strongest power that may be raised from the body. The Christians teach that sexuality must be repressed, and thereby rob people of their personal power.

Do not be confused by the duality of sex, for it can be physical alone or it can be spiritual alone. It can also be both together.

Share your sexuality with whomever you may, in whatever manner you may. For all acts of love and pleasure are rituals to the Goddess and to the God.

It has been written that you shall be free, and so shall you be free in body, and mind and spirit.

Be not like the Christians who teach shame and modesty and false morality. Blessed are the free.

You have heard it said that homosexuality is unnatural, yet I say to you that heterosexuality is likewise unbalanced. Everything is masculine and feminine in essence, and all bear the divine spark of the God and Goddess within them. Realize this, and do not exalt the one above the other. A Strega must live with inner and outer harmony.

You have heard the Christians condemn adultery, and say that the spouse is the property of the other. Yet no one may rightly dictate the will of another. Do not confuse love with sex or sex with love.

Remember that pleasure belongs to everyone, and rightly so. Therefore harm no one through you own will, nor place you will above another's.

Words of Aradia: Concerning Marriage

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

When a man and a woman join their lives together through ritual, and the love which they share, then they are linked to each other in another life to come.

Yet being together, know that each of you must be alone. Understand that even though you are bound together, let this not be as captives.

There shall always be others with who each of you may desire to share a closeness, either physical or spiritual. This is as it should be. Let your love desire fullness of life for each other and also pleasure for each other. Honor each other with openness and honesty.

Because you have joined you lives together, you are sanctuary and comfort for each other. Together shall you stand in all things, for you are true friends.

You are together because of your love, and you remain for this reason. Yet if this reason for coming together is forgotten, or fades, then it is well to part if needs be such. You do not honor the joining by remaining without love. Neither do you honor each other.

Words of Aradia: Concerning the Earth

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

The Earth is the nurturing power of the Mother. She nourishes us and from the soil She returns that which we sow. She gives us healing herbs and herbs by which we work our magick. The very Earth gives us life, without which we would perish.

There is a healing power in the Earth and a vital force. We know that a wounded animal will lay against the Earth to heal its wounds. They understand, and we are one with them through our religion.

I have taught you the secrets of the circle, for therein is the secret of the power of the Earth. Everything that the world does it does in a circle. The Earth teaches us the doctrine of Cycles. The Sun, the Moon, and the seasons come and go and return again and again. Even so it is with the cycles of our own lives. The Earth teaches us just as Nature does for they are one. Earth is the body and Nature is the Spirit.

We must live in harmony with the Earth and with Nature. To do otherwise is to court disaster. The forces of the Earth are greater than any power we can safely master. To strive against these forces is foolish.

Do nothing to the Earth that shall take away from the purpose it serves in Nature, for this is the natural balance. And the Earth shall always move against us to restore itself.

Is the tiller greater than the soil he till? Is the family greater than the crops they help grow? Is not the life within the soil, and within the crops, our own? How shall we be without them? What you do to the Earth you do to yourself.

Do not think that we are greater than the Earth, or than Nature. For surely they shall both crumble and dissolve all that we shall erect. And there shall be floods and earthquakes, and hostile weather to show us our errors and teach us perspective.

Learning from other paths and finding truth

Last fall 2008, I gave an interview to Christopher Blackwell, the moderator of the Paganmen list. Christopher's next newsletter was mostly one on Heathenry or about those I have refered to as Norse Practioners. They have a list called HeathenNation. This list is a bit like our LaVecchia *was*. It is composed of many members who, while praticing the "same" tradition, may not think or do all the same things. Raven Grimassi gave an interview in Christopher's next newsletter.

Why am I on the Paganmen list? Because we are looking for Paganmen (and women) and a way to grow our tradition.

Why am I on the HeathenNation list? Because they are looking to create a common area for practitioners and advance their tradition.

Maybe some of you out there remember what those eMail lists of the early 90s were like. Maybe you all remember what the lists were like before the American Tanaric Clan united under Umbrea & after. Maybe you don't. But what I see on HeathenNation is the same type of stuff that "we" (either members on those first lists of the 90s or as a Clan or as members of LaVecchia who were sharing with a large Pagan/Streghe audience) went through. They are in a period of intense activity and development. The discussions on HeathenNation are as detailed and passionate as ours were. There are obviously groups of individuals who are more alike and aligned with each other than others. There are those who have "special interests" (carving or a facination with a "Russian" heathen, or scientific studies in archeaology or DNA) and there are those who are mythos maniacs - I love those folks. And sometimes the variety of folks on the list butt heads. But they talk. It looks like they mostly use their own secular names and not just pagan names, which I find facinating. They disagree, sometimes vehemently but usually in a detailed and respectful way. I watch them and I can see them learning and I remember what it was like for us... What to say? How to say it? How much of it to say to those who are not "your people". The difference I think is that their Way places critical importance on "troth". Truth, honesty, fortrightness. Say what you mean. Mean what you say. Respectfully. Doing honor to the Gods and to yourself and your "friends" (and this word is not used lightly). Any "Agendas" in these groups tend not to be hidden. The issues ... all of any of the issues... get placed on the table, discussed, worked out and through. These "Ways" (of interacting, of troth) are the ways that my birth family taught me. HeathenNation is definately NOT lacking in activity. But I ask myself will it last? Will they burn themselves out or will the activity rate continue? I think they will continue. I think this because they are composed of groups of larger groups (essentially their organizational approach is different than Clan but like LaVecchia without the malicious infighting). I think this because it seems that each group's link to their larger history seems stronger than what I saw on LaVecchia. I think their percieved strength of this link to their history is what allows them to feel strong enough not to *need* to take someone else (who's opinion may differ) "down". They do not seem to suffer from if "yours" is good then it diminishes "mine". Which was a lot of what seemed to go on, on LaVecchia. They are also more focused. They are not watered down by neoWiccans looking for Italian seasoning, all the while not sure how good the basil bush really is. They are fully commited to Heathenry, which while Pagan, is so very NOT Wicca. And this NOTWicca, aspect of Heathenry is what draws me to watch and learn. Again I think they will last. BUT only time will tell. What I want is to find a way to "get some of what they have" for US.

LaVecchia is quiet. Is it dead? Is Stregheria going to become either an underground pagan tradition or watered down Italian Wicca? I don't know. What I do know is that the lack of activity on LaVecchia makes me think that Raven's books on Italian Witchcraft created a pool of energy for people who were/are seeking. What I fear is that rather than finding a way to be true to "our" history, mythos, WAYS, that we have/are being drowned in a sea of watered down neoWicca. NeoWiccan for me is both a blessing and a curse. Did anyone see The Good Witch or The Good Witch's Garden on Hallmark this weekend? NeoWicca/NeoPaganism is a blessing because it brings our values into the mainstream and I think the mainstream needs MORE "Pagan" values. It is a curse because it waters down who and what we are so that the masses can understand and not be fearful. I think more and more that the key to our survival is to be unique, be specific, be who we are, right out there for everyone and anyone (Wiccan, neoWiccan, Pagan, Chritian, non-believer...) to see and let the cards fall where they may.

And this is why I have this blog. Because it is in this space that I can be WHO I am as a Strega. This is where I can put out the foundational tenants of our Ways. If others find this and are interested, Fine. If it is not for them, that is fine too. I am not looking to be popular, but true to what I know is true. How very "german/norse/heathen" of me. My maternal grandmother is probalby both proud of me and rolling in her Christian/Germanic grave.

GenJones

For YEARS I've been saying, "I'm not a Boomer." only to be told (usually smuggly) "Yes you are." And then I'd have to agree that technically I was born in what HAD been defined as the Baby Boom Generation.

It seems, now that we have president who is also "not a Boomer", that my plea not to be lumped in with Boomers and my opinion that in many ways I have more in commmon with GenXers finally has company.

There was a recent article in USToday (which I don't usually read, except when out of town on business trips because the hotel literally puts it on my doorstep) by Jonathan Pontell who indicates that I am Generation Jones. Who knew our Generation has its own website? This website claims, with much supporting data, that we aren't Boomers and we know we aren't GenXers

Pontell's USAToday article says that for GenJones "idealism trumps ideology" and "pragmatism is the guiding light". Wow. I would not said it that way but, once said, describing myself as a Pratical Idealist, is dead on. I am idealist. Painfully so. There is right, there is wrong, there is the way it is and the way it should be. But I am also a pragmatist. If I am going to argue my idealist point, I am going to do it with supporting data and a willingness to say that this is how *I* interpret the data. I am so GenJones.


Jonathan Pontell says:
"While the Boomers were out changing the world, Jonesers were still in elementary school — wide-eyed, not tie-dyed. That intense love-peace-change-the-world zeitgeist stirred our impressionable hearts. We yearned to express our own voice. By the time we came of age and could take the stage, though, a decade of convulsions had left the nation fatigued. During the game we'd been forced to watch from the sidelines, and passage into college and careers came only after the final gun had long since sounded."
and
"Our practical idealism was created by witnessing the often-unrealistic idealism of the 1960s. And we weren't engaged in that era's ideological battles; we were children playing with toys while Boomers argued about Vietnam. Our non-ideological pragmatism allows us to resolve intra-Boomer skirmishes and to bridge that volatile Boomer-GenXer divide."
and
"We can lead."

I'd say rather, now that we have kicked the last Boomer President out of the White House, we ARE leading.

As Pontell says: "Obama has The Jones. It permeates his biography and his philosophy. It's a crucial piece of his identity. His message and approach reverberate with GenJones themes."

But Obama didn't get there on his own, it was a large contingent of "practical idealists" who are also optimists, who helped put him there. Finally, GenJones has someone who really speaks their language.

In Stregheria, Aradia is an avatar an embodiment (as of a concept or philosophy) often in a person. Aradia, could be thought of as a flower child, protester, who belived in free love, kind of like a Boomer.

But Aradia's Words Concerning Life say: "We live upon the Earth because we are not prepared to live in the ways of spirit. We are not physical beings and this is why physical life is often difficult. It is not our way to disregard the physical, for we dwell within it. So it is best to live in harmony with the world. But for us to become involved in the physical as to disregard the spirit is likewise harmful. This binds us to rebirth and unhappiness."

Sounds like a practical idealist approach to me. Maybe Stregheria could have an appeal with other GenJones out there and a few practical idealistic Boomers & GenXers too.

Happy Howling - Lupercus

Early February, specifically Febuary 2nd, is time of Lupercus, when the Streghe (Pagan Tradition that has its origins in Italy) celebrate the Young God, the Golden Wolf. The days are getting longer, the light renews our hope of the coming rebirth, but chill air still bites and the earth remains in deep slumber.

I would have thought that Lupercus would have been one of the more complex ideas to breakdown into something understandable for a 5 year old. After all, Lupercus is a ritual that is quite unlike most Pagan rituals that fall at this point in the wheel of the year. Lupercus is the young adolescent: untamable, "immortal", bulletproof. He is powerful, wild, a little out of control and totally natural all at the same time, just like any hormone ridden young man. The image of this Great Golden Wolf, who is beneficial to humans, is a bit of a dichotomy even for adults to wrap their minds around. The wolf is something wild that humans feared in days past. The Wolf is after all a predator.

But opportunities arise when you least expect them.

My 5 year old daughter is a bit of a Sarah Heartburn/Drama Queen. One day, in an attempt to get both of us ready quickly for some event, we were taking a shower together. As in most rushed events, things went wrong and the water got a bit too hot then, over correcting, too cold and she went right over the top. She was whining and crying and screaming and well, Howling! Without conscious thought, out of my mouth comes: "My goodness that's a lot of noise for a little girl. You sound like a howling wolf. Does it make you feel better to howl?" and then I howled like a wolf.

Remember we are in the shower and you all know how the shower amplifies and improves the sound. So I howled while she continued to whine and cry until she finally tried it and, the sound reverberated off walls, driving all sense of troubleand pain from us and we were howling and laughing. There was a sense of primal joy that bubbled up from the depths of our souls as we let loose AAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOO! The world was a much better place. Everything after that was lighter, looser, fun and we made it where we needed to be on time.

So here we take the shock of the hot then cold water, the rush of panic, of upset and anger and tension; relieved and released by Howling. Amazing and it works on adults too! In thinking about it later with my conscious mind, I saw the similarities to the Lupercus ritual.

Weeks later I am combing my daughter's hair after her bath. She has straight fine, easily tangled hair and even with "No More Tangles" to spray in it. As I comb Sarah Heartburn kicks in and: "OW! Mommie you're are pulling my hair!" and "That hurts!" I don't say anything. I too have fine straight hair and remember giving my Mom hell when she combed my hair. So I just stop, spray some more "No More Tangles" and then my daughter turns to me and says "Let's howl like wolves!"

So we do. No more whining and crying about her hair instead we are smiling and laughing and all the troubles of the world just evaporate into the sound of howling. The strangest thing was that I had had a horrid day at work. I was emotionally exhausted, and taking comfort in doing domestic, Mommie things. But after the howling session I was feeling light and free and happy. Rather than just taking comfort in the evening domestic ritual I was able to enjoy it, savor it, because the weight of the world was gone and I felt alive, refreshed, renewed.

And this is exactly what celebrating Lupercus can teaach us.

A few days ago and at bathtime again we had let the dog in because it was cold outside. After her bath and while she is brushing her teeth, my daughter says: "Let's howl like wolves." By now she and I *know* that this is fun, it's a release from how the world usually works, it's powerful stuff. But we've never howled *with the dog* in the bathroom before. Well we start howling and smiling and howling. The dog is looking at us like we are stupid humans then, because we don't stop, she decides to howl with us. She is part Basset Hound and so she gets that low, rolling howl going and then releases it into the higher howl and my daughter and I just about loose it! This is GREAT stuff. So here we are 3 "girls" in the bathroom howling to beat the band.

Our howling allowed us to experience Lupercus as the God of the wild, untamable, primitive and primal part of us that we hold deep inside, hidden under our veneer of civilization. This is something with which our ancestors, who lived much closer to the wild, had a deep connection. It is something that is critical for us, as modern humans to be able to reconnect with, to regain. Look around at the modern world, look at the violence, the intensity, the extreme sports, the yearning to take SUVs to the mountain top and see that we as a society keenly feel the lack and are searching for that ancient, critical, wild, primal connection. Look at the enduring appeal of the Tarzan story and the power of Tarzan's "howl". I've always wondered if Disney knew what they were tapping into when they released Tarzan on video, February 2, 2000.

There is really something to this howling, this connecting with the primal in ourselves. This is what Lupercus celebrates.

We've been held down by the darkness of winter, or the weight of the world and howling enlivens us and pushes the weight of the world farther away. And folks, the wolves got it right because howling works best when you have friends!!!!!! I highly recommend it.

Happy Howling.

First Published in Raven's Call February-April 2001.

Year of the Golden Ox

Yes, I know Chinese Astrology isn't Streghe. But I find it interesting.

Take a look at what Chinese Astrology says about the coming year and President Obama.

Listening to the Soil

The soil has been calling to me. It’s probably been calling to me in my sleep because a few days ago when went for a run to Lowe’s to pick up supplies for our interior home improvements I also grabbed packets of vegetable seeds. This evening after all the other painting and scraping and interior work was done for the day and I was outside cleaning brushes I walked over to sad and empty vegetable garden area and the soil whispered loudly: “You MUST plant something in me. TODAY!”

I love playing in the dirt. For me it is a religious experience. I also find it calming and healing. I was a mess from the other work I had done that day. I had packets of seeds. I had daylight left, which was a miracle in its own right because lately my interior home improvements have gone on deep into the night. I had more than 20 large black garbage bags of sandy top soil that my singer, actor, husband salvaged from the set of a play, Macbeth at the Gate, in which the entire set was made of top soil, mixed with hay. I had bags of bald cypress mulch that were raked from a friend’s yard. So I thought : “Why not?”

I scrounged up all the seed packs, the new, the old, the saved from previous seasons, grabbed the amazing tool I recently found that is perfect for digging in my heavy clay soil. It’s not a shovel but more like a claw that you twist to break up the dirt. The vegetable garden area has been fallow since late summer. There is usually no excuse for letting a New Orleans’ garden lie fallow in the fall. This is a great time for planting. But the exterior of our house was being sanded and painted in September and October and then once the outside was done, we had work to do on the inside that kept us inside. So the only thing I got around to doing in the garden was pulling down and mulching the plants that were played out and had died. I’ve been doing what I call “growing dirt” for about 5 years. Now the very heavy clay soil is lighter and easier to work. But the combination of additional FREE and perfectly sandy soil and the right tool, made me more hopeful that these seeds would end up a happy harvest. I was also hoping that I could get the seeds into the ground before it got dark on me and that maybe I could sleep at night because the soil would stop calling to me.

I planted Dill, Fennel, a Mesclun mix, Radishes, Onions, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Cucumber, Snow Peas, Banana (or Hungarian) & Bell Peppers. I twisted the claw and planted Snow Peas along the sides in the back half of the garden with Radishes as an edge covering them with a new layer of the sandy soil. I mulched the walkway with the cypress mulch so that later when it gets mucky from watering I don’t come in with an inch of clay on my clogs. I twisted the claw and barely worked the dirt in the back center and dropped in cantaloupe seeds so that they can have a large area to spread and play as they grow. I lightly covered this with some left pine needle mulch my mom brought with her from the NorthShore. The pine needle mulch arrived the same time she brought the rampantly growing Blackberries she had dug up and stuck in pots hoping they would take. For years I have been trying to grow thornless blackberries from shoots purchased online, with no luck. I finally gave up and set aside a larger section of the vegetable garden for blackberries, figuring anyone who loves roses can deal with thorns. I have had little to no luck with tomatoes planted in the ground. So this time took 3 black plastic pots (left over from the blackberries) and sunk them into my clay soil and filled them with only the good sandy soil and planted Romas and Creoles. I twisted the claw and planted yellow bell peppers in one section and banana peppers in another. I worked from the back of the garden, where my blackberries are up against the back wall, forward planting and sprinkling cypress mulch to mark the walkways. The radishes, onions, dill and fennel are at the front of the garden. When I got to the gate, I realized that I didn’t have room for the honeydew, so I worked the area just outside the back of the fence where the blackberries are and planted the honeydew outside the fence, using 2 bags of dirt on them to make up for the fact that they weren’t being planted in an optimal location. I sprinkled some cypress mulch on them and hoped that they would grow strong before the fig tree fully leafs out.

I’m giving the fig tree once last chance before I get rid of it. It is an LSU Purple, supposedly bred to do well in our area. But while the tree has grown, and what fruit we get is large and delicious, and the tree actually has an early summer and early fall season, the harvests have been small. Last fall, partially to help make room for the ladders needed to sand and paint the house and partially to see if I could get the tree to send out branches where we could actually reach what fruit it produced, I cut the fig tree back hard. It has branch sprouts waiting to explode and I am hopeful, now that it knows this is its last chance, that this year will be bountiful.

It was just past dusk, a little before 6PM, when I finished planting. I had been at it for about 2 hours. The bags of cypress mulch were gone. Most of the seeds in the seed packets were planted. There was no room left to plant anything inside the fence. I had started out tired from a day of working inside and was physically tired but also rejuvenated from working in the soil. ("There is a healing power in the Earth and a vital force.") As I walked back and forth picking up bags and paper from the seed packets and putting the tool away I realized that it was very close to the dark of the moon. So I said a little prayer to the Dark Goddess and asked her to bless the seeds and make them strong and healthy and productive. I went inside to take the shower I had earned.

Later that beautiful, slightly cool evening, I went back outside to stand at the garden gate and look and listen. Even in the dark it was easy to tell the dark planted areas from the lighter mulched areas. The soil with the seeds tucked in was humming, happy and contented. I slept soundly.

Obama's Mama

My first husband was black. That's what his birth certificate said. His older brother was, again according to his birth certificate , black. His older sister was white. His younger brother white as well. His parents were of notable Free People of Color families from Natchitoches (Nack-a-tish was how they said it), LA. They came to New Orleans in their 20s. To look at any of them you would probably think Hispanic before you'd think black. Thick wavy black hair was a primary and beautiful family trait. But line their family up with other branches of the family tree and their history was easily deducible.

Obama's Mama was white. His father was a black African. So I wondered what does his birth certificate actually say? In Louisiana it would have said White or Black. In Hawaii it appears that it doesn't say either. It says his Mother was Caucasian and his Father was African.

If you ran into Obama, before he became famous, you'd probably say he was black. His family looks black. Michelle Robinson Obama's family looks black. I do not doubt, that despite his unusual upbringing by his interesting mother and amazing grandparents, he has had a African American experience in America. There is little anyone who appears black can do to avoid this not usually all good experience.

I am pleased and proud that Black Americans have Obama to look up to and inspire them. But I am also pleased and proud, as a white woman, that Obama's mama did the job she did raising him. It is my fervent hope that this unique cross cultural man and his family can bridge gaps and heal some of the wounds of history.

The Strangest Secret

You will, your thoughts, create your reality. This is the essence of magic. The rest are trappings. Oh the trappings are helpful. But You, your thoughts, are the key.

The following quotes are from The StrangestSecret by Earl Nightgale

Marcus Aurelius, the great Roman Emperor, said: "A man's life is what his thoughts make of it."

Disraeli said this: "Everything comes if a man will only wait ... a human being with a settled purpose must accomplish it, and nothing can resist a will that will stake even existence for its fulfillment."

William James said: "We need only in cold blood act as if the thing in question were real, and it will become infallibly real by growing into such a connection with our life that it will become real. It will become so knit with habit and emotion that our interests in it will be those which characterize belief." He continues, " ... only you must, then, really wish these things, and wish them exclusively, and not wish at the same time a hundred other incompatible things just as strongly."

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale put it this way: "If you think in negative terms, you will get negative results. If you think in positive terms, you will achieve positive results."

George Bernard Shaw said: "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, make them."

The Bible - Job 4:8, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap."
And
The Roman statesman, philosopher, orator Cicero: "As you have sown, so shall you reap.'

Dorothea Brande said: "Act as though it were impossible to fail,"

Where I've been

Provided because travel is a teaching and learning tool.


visited 47 states (94%)
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visited 21 states (9.33%)
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Interview with Raven Grimassi

Please see this interview with my initiators' teacher: Raven Grimassi.

I am honored to be able to say that I know and have spent quality time with Raven. I will always appreciate that he has shared with me the teachings he and his family have preserved from the past.

Thanks very much to Christoper Blackwell for the interview and for publishing it online for all to see.


Interview with Raven Grimassi Religious Writer, Lecturer and Witch
By Christopher Blackwell

Raven Grimassi brings to mind of a variety of things. Founder of the Aridian Tradition of Stregheria, a researcher of Italian Witchcraft, he has studied and practiced several Wiccan traditions. He has been a constant student and teacher. He refuses to call himself a scholar, despite lifelong study and prefers calling himself a religious writer. He freely shares what he has learned by both giving lectures and workshops on what he has learned.


Yet any attempt to pin him with a label usually sets you up to discover that he does not neatly fit into the box you tried to put him in. To some, he is controversial, at least when his opinion differs from theirs, nor does he back off from what his own studies seem to reveal.


Christopher: You got an early start on your study of Italian folk magic and Witchcraft?


Raven: Yes, I grew up under the influence of what I now call peasant witchcraft. My mother was a war bride who came to the U.S. from Italy at the close of World War II. She brought with her the basics of the tradition I that I learned. Other relatives in Italy were instrumental in revealing deeper levels, and from this I created the Aridian Tradition of Italian witch. This is the published material, which is different in many ways from what I teach my initiates, and I personally practice.


Christopher: You then explored several varieties of Wicca as it developed?


Raven: Yes, I first became aware of Wicca in the summer of 1969. I encountered a young woman who worked at an herb shop in San Diego. Through her I was introduced to a series of people, and later initiated into a coven. This group claimed descent from Gerald Gardner, but this eventually proved to be false.


I also studied Wicca under Lady Sara Cunningham in the 1970s. In time I was connected with a group calling itself Brittic Wicca, and I was initiated into this tradition. Years later I was asked to become guardian of a Book of Shadows from the Pictish-Gaelic belonging to a friend who facing an early death. This position required initiation and so it was done.


Christopher: Yet in the end you came back to Strega and developed your Arician Tradition


:Raven: Yes, and I guess the old saying is true that “there’s no place like home.” The Arician Tradition, unlike the Aridian Tradition, is an initiate system. My published material is Aridian, not Arician.


Christopher: You’ve been regarded as a controversial figure, particularly in connection with Italian Witchcraft. Why do you believe this is?


Raven: It’s true that some people are skeptical and critical of my writings on the Italian Craft. They’re a relatively small band of people compared against the number of loyal readers who continually support my work. But like most critics the skeptics are quite vocal. The members of one group took it upon themselves to generate a campaign against my writings in many forums on the Internet. Sadly, this is a campaign of misinformation and misrepresentation. And unfortunately there are some people who believe whatever they read on the Internet.


But I suppose this is the fate of anyone who is a public figure. For some reason certain people enjoy fabricating negative tales, and other people appear eager to believe the worst about another person.


So, I just keep on living my passion and writing about what I believe in. That seems to be a reasonable way to spend my days in this lifetime.


Christopher: Wicca and Witchcraft, the endless controversy over what each is and how they relate to each over and what they are becoming - this seems to be an endless argument in Wiccan circles. Perhaps you could give our readers a brief idea of your views?


Raven: Well, back in the 1960s, Wicca and Witchcraft were one and the same. The words were interchangeable. This seems to have divided sometime in the 1980s. Wicca began to be viewed as the religion and Witchcraft was depicted as a magical craft. The next phase ushered in the notion that Wicca was something new, and many people considered it to be the invention of Gerald Gardner and his cohorts. That’s not a view I share, but it does seem clear that he added elements that didn’t come with the original system.


I see Wicca as a British version of Witchcraft, and one that has evolved over the years. I see Witchcraft as the magical and spiritual tradition of a pre-Christian European sect. Every region in Europe had its “witch people” and I believe these individuals served as a sort of tribal priestess and priest, and as a form of shaman.


Christopher: I noted one of your books is about helping the eclectic Wiccan or Witch on how to get their new tradition organized and functional. Is this similar to the method you used in putting together your own Aridian Tradition of Strega?


Raven: In a sense I suppose it is. I am interested in foundational material, and I used this to construct the Aridian and Arician systems. This was also my approach to writing my new book, “Crafting Wiccan Traditions.” I gathered the foundational material and the commonality of Craft traditions, and organized it into the book. This way people can look at elements of the entire Craft and see how everything fits together and functions.


Christopher: You wrote a book that tried to explain some of the energies used in working magic. I don't think I have heard much on the whys and wherefores of energy work before.


Raven: Right, and it’s also that many people don’t seem to care why something works. They just want it to work. But you see, in knowing why something works you can construct your own rituals and spells. If you don’t know why, and you don’t understand the inner mechanism, then you’ll always be reliant upon the people who do.


Christopher: How can people learn more about you your books, your traditions and upcoming events and that you will lecture or give workshops at?


Raven: There are several Internet sources for this information

http://www.ravengrimassi.net
http://www.ravensloft.biz
http://www.stregheria.com


Christopher: Anything new on the horizon that you would to let our readers know about?


Raven: I do have two projects underway. One is a new book tentatively titled, “The Cauldron of Knowledge.” It’s about how to retrieve ancestral knowledge & wisdom through the memory passed to you in your DNA. The book will most likely be available in the Fall of 2009.


The other project is a book tentatively titled, “The Witches’ Lore: A Compendium of the Works of Charles Leland on Italian Witchcraft.” I’ve been writing this book for many years. In addition to presenting what Leland wrote about Italian Witchcraft in several of his books, I also present commentaries on the topics. This helps flesh them out more, and I also include ethnographic support for the things he wrote about.


Christopher: What would you like to see modern Pagans accomplish that we have not yet done?


Raven: Move from tribal to a “united nation” of tribes. You see, history tells us that tribes are easy to conquer because they fight among each other. This weakens them and diverts their resources. The ancient Romans knew this when they fought the Celts, and the U.S. cavalry knew this when they battled the American Indians. Well, today there are people who oppose Paganism and everything under that umbrella, and they also know the principle of divide and conquer.


I think it was Benjamin Franklin who once said, during a meeting to plan the Revolutionary War against Britain, “If we do not hang together then we shall certainly hang separately.”


That’s something to think about.


Christopher: Thank you for taking the time for this interview.


Raven: I appreciate the opportunity. So, thank you very much for making this happen.

Words of Aradia: Concerning Life

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

We live upon the Earth because we are not prepared to live in the ways of the spirit. We are not physical beings, and this is why physical life is often difficult.

It is not our way to disregard the physical, for we dwell within it. So it is best to live in harmony with the world. But for us to become involved in the physical so as to disregard the spirit is likewise harmful. This binds us to rebirth, and to unhappiness.

A Strega respects life and all living things. Life must not be taken without necessity. The purpose of physical life is to learn the higher ways of spirit through knowledge of the lower and to prepare our spirit for the existence for which it was created.

Charge of the God

This is taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

Hear you all the words of the God. By the fallen temple stone or in a forgotten glen, there shall you gather, all who seek to know my secret mysteries. I am He who guards and He who reveals all of these things.

I am the Lord of the earth and sky, of rocky cliffs, and forests deep and darkened. I was there when the world was new, and I taught you to hunt and to gather plants for food. Look within yourselves, for I am there. I am that strength upon which you draw in times of need. I am that which conquers fear. I am the hero and the fool. I am your longing to be free and your need to be bound.

In my love for you, I give up my life. I die but rise again. I prepare the path upon which you journey, going always on before you. For it is in becoming as you, that you become as me.

Hear the thunder, there am I. See the hawk and raven soar, there am I. See the great wolf and the stag appear in the forest clearing, there am I. Close your eyes at the end of your days, there I am, waiting by the temple stone.

Words of Aradia: Concerning the God & Goddess

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

Uni is the sacred name of the Great Goddess, She who is all Goddesses. Upon the Earth She is known as Fana, in the heavens She is Diana (the Moon) and in the Universe She is Tana.
Lakes, hills, streams and beaches are sacred places to the Goddess. The animals that are sacred to Her are dogs, owls, and cats. Her sacred plants are moonflowers and willows, lemons and apples.
She is all that is feminine. She is total beauty and love. She is the Divine Lover, Enchantress, Temptress and Mother. At times She is the Eternal Virgin , at times the Mother, but truly, She is free, loving, sexual, independent and powerful. She loves her followers with unequaled passion. She never forgets nor neglects Her own. She is generous and protective to all who love Her.

Tagni is the Great God who is all Gods. On Earth He is Faunus, in the heavens he is Janus (the Sun) and in the Universe He is Tanus.
All mountains are sacred to Tanus. His sacred animals are horses, wolves, woodpeckers and ravens. His sacred plants are the fig tree, oak, dogwood, laurel and the bean plant.
He is all that is masculine. He is strength and will. He is the power of fertility (which is shared with the Goddess) and the desire behind all creation. He is the source for all creation.
At times He is the hunter and provider and at times He is the destroyer. But truly, He is wise and powerful. He is the freedom of all things that are wild. He is loving and sexual, independent and powerful. He loves His followers with a demanding love. He protects and provides but He is stern and judgemental. He expect strict adherence to His ways and His laws. But He is always fair and just.
Faunus is the Eternal Child, for we see in Him the frolicsome Pan. Yet the noble side of Faunus can be seen in the grace of a beautiful stag in the forest. We can see His spiritual nature in the circling hawk and in the playful butting of young goats we can see the lighthearted Faunus. All of these are lesser reflections of Janus and Tanus in their own natures.

The Goddess is the balance to the God, and He is the balance to Her. Without the Goddess, the God would be a judge without compassion. He would be stern without understanding, He would control without loving.
Without the God, the Goddess would have compassion without direction, understanding without foundation, love without form. The God and Goddess complete each other, and together they are the One True Creator and Maintainer of the Universe.

Words of Aradia: Concerning The God

These words are taken directly from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

The God is known as the stern and demanding aspect of divinity. He is perceived as the death force that transforms. He is Lord of the Afterworld who restores and rests the soul, which is prepared for a new life. This is performed through the union of the God and the Goddess.

Yet there is duality in all things, and the God is also the vitality and strength. He is the Sun, the Lord of Light. He can give life or death through His activity. he ascends and vitalizes all living things, but in His journey He descends and brings darkness and cold. This is the Realm of Shadows, to which He carries all departed beings.

The God is desire to create, dwelling in the stage prior to creation. Through the attraction of the Goddess He is moved to create.

He is the Lord of the Heavens, clothed tin the Sun and bearing a golden rod. He is the Lord of the Earth, horned and hooved. He is the Lord of the Afterworld, dark, lonely, Stern and just. (Thus are the two faces of Janus.)

Through Him order is established and discipline mastered. He is the inner strength of the individual. He is the essence of inner strength and defense.
Yet He is also the warrior and the destroyer. He is the power and strength. All men bear His essence. He is all men.

There is a side of the God that can be seen by those who desire to love Him. It is a gentleness, a compassion, and an understanding. Hie gentleness comes from His awareness of His strength and power. His compassion is born of His understanding of justice.

The God is sexual desire and virility within the male. He is attraction, sensuality and sexuality. He is physical nature, just as the Goddess is spiritual nature.

In death, He is the comforter and the renewer. He is the great initiator and teacher. He rules the Afterworld and dispels the darkness with His presence. He is the illuminator and reveals all that is hidden. He scatters all falsehoods and establishes truth.

Feeling the Wheel Turn

There are those times in our lives were we can feel, see or hear our connection to the greater universe. What we have to do it learn how to look for this connection. We have to learn how to "be still and listen". Yeah, Yeah, I know. Easier said than done.

I remember going through a particularly bad time in my career. I had a boss that did not respect me, my technical knowledge or my experience. No matter what I did she was dissatisfied or did not understand what I was trying to communicate. Additionally many jobs in my field were being sent to other countries because staff in these countries were "lowest cost providers". Needless to say this was an unhappy and stressful time. But it wasn't just me she was making miserable. She had managed to make at least a hundred people scattered literally across the country almost as miserable as me. We all thanked our God(s) that she didn't work in the same location as most of us!

One morning, very early, when I was going to work, I looked up in the sky and there was the waning moon bright and clear in the sky next to Venus and Mars and I just knew that it would all work out. Not right away but when I saw the moon in the sky I just knew that the Gods had found a way to tell me everything would be alright. The equivalent of a celestial pat on the hand. My boss moved on to another position and was actually counseled on her approaches. We got a new boss, who wasn't much better but at least different and well, some of the pressure came off. And then I was actually able to move out of one division of the very large corporation I work for and into another division. They wanted me for ME. And I love my job.

Now I can feel the wheel turning again. At this point it feels like the shift is both more subtle and greater. I am changing. Not my circumstances. Me.

I have always been a go-getter. I have always striven to do my very best, beyond what is simply necessary. Sometimes this led me to miss out on other aspects of my life or just not to take the time to fully appreciate these other aspects. But now every day there is an opportunity to relish living and experiencing life and all the little things. Now it feels like something inside me has finally figured out how to work and stop and smell the roses, simultaneously. Time seems to have slowed down to allow this.

Is it because I have allowed this to happen and I wasn't allowing it before? Is it because I have finally found the sweet spot? Is it because I have "earned" it, in that twisted Puritanical or as my family would say "Germanic sense"? Or have I finally just relaxed into it? Or gotten old enough and had enough experience to unconsciously figure it out? I know I have not been consciously working on a "problem", seeking a solution and finding it. I know how to do this. I know what consciously finding a solution feels like. This is significantly different.

It finally feels like I can "put all of my weight down". For many years I think I was perched on the edge of my own life, cautiously waiting for the next hit. Prepared, strong, capable but not necessarily comfortable. Anytime it felt too comfortable was a time to worry about the next big thing. It doesn't feel like that anymore. It feels like I'm in the flow, swimming, but with the tide not against it. Moving and integrally connected to the web of life, a happy part of it not just grist in the wheel. And I like it.

Fall in New Orleans

Many of you live in places where the weather changing from summer to fall is bold, and obvious.

Here Fall is subtle.
The humidity drops.
The breezes blow.
The air is more active.

Some of the summer flowers that have died back in the heat of Summer return.
The Roses bloom again. The Chrysanthemums bud.
The Basil seeds that fell to the ground in the heat of summer, sprout.
The Lion's Tail blooms. The Camellias bud.
The Figs put out their second crop.
The Kumquats grow plumper and, later in the season, start to get orange.

The Live Oaks here are essentially evergreen.
But the Sycamore drops its large, brown, plate like leaves.
The Bald Cypress will begin to slowly
let is soft carpet of needles cover the ground.
The Crepe Myrtle leaves begin to turn blood red and slowly drop.
It will take months to before all the leaves are gone.

The light changes.
There is less of it, fewer hours.
The angle of the light is different and
so it is more likely to be polarized by the clouds.
Things brighten as a result of this polarized light.
Colors are more vibrant.
It’s a great deal like the flush of life that precedes human death.

Wheel of the Year

Streghe honor and revere Nature and Nature plays a huge part in defining the seasonal rituals. Our solar seasonal rituals fall at the standard pagan times for solar ritual. We have an established and integrated mythos that weaves through the seasons and differs slightly from the standard mythos associated with Wicca.

Winter Solstice: Goddess gives birth to the Child of Promise, the God, Janus Lord of two faces, Lord of Light.

Lupercus (Feb 2): The God grows, gains strength and proves himself, as the Sun waxes. We honor the Sun God as the Great Golden Wolf, Lupercus. We honor and celebrate our connection to the primal and wild.

Spring Equinox: We honor the death of the Wolf God and celebrate the return of the Goddess from the underworld and Her union with the Lord of the Forest, Kern. Seeds are blessed.

Lady's Day (May 1): We honor the return of the Goddess in Her fullness. The God turns His reign over to the Goddess.

Summer Solstice: We join ourselves to the power of the Nature. We celebrate the union of the God and Goddess. We align ourselves with the Elemental forces and work magic to protect the Earth.

Cornucopia (Aug 1): We celebrate the Gods' gift of Harvest. We consider what is good & full and as well as what is bad & empty and meditate on the reasons for all things. We send our wishes to the Gods.

Autumn Equinox: We honor the sacrifice of Kern, Lord of the Forest. Janus departs to the Underworld.

Shadowfest (Oct 31): The Goddess mourns the God and seeks Him in the Underworld so that She may understand the mystery of Death. She does not die, but goes before the Lord of Shadows and turns Her reign over to Him. Great mysteries are shared.

Hurricanes & Fall Blessings

The last week of August, the 29th to be exact, was to mark the 3rd Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Instead we got Hurricane Gustav, followed a week later by Hurricane Ike. Gustav formed on August 25th and made landfall in Louisiana west of the Mississippi River on September 1st. While Gustav was coming ashore, Ike was forming. We spent a week recovering from Gustav and another week watching Ike until it made landfall in Texas on September 13th. That, folks, makes 18 days of more than a little Hurricane stress. Even longer when we consider that Florida got Fay and the East Coast got Hanna. All this hurricane activity fell around a time of year that for most in South Louisiana is the marker for the turning point in our lives. We have PreKatrina lives and PostKatrina lives. So, here in New Orleans, when we woke up on September 14th to cool (by our standards) dry air with a hint of the coming fall, it was nothing short of a miraculous gift from the Gods.

The changing of the seasons here in New Orleans and South Louisiana is a subtle thing. Our weather isn't always subtle, but the change in seasons definitely is. Weather that would be considered summer in Minnesota or Montana or even Massachusetts, can start here as early as March and last until November. While in September we begin to hope for Fall, we rarely get a glimpse so soon and even more rarely so close to the Autumn Equinox. Since Nature is the Great Teacher, I am hopeful that this breath of fall from the Gods is a sign that this year's hurricane season is on its way out. Here's hoping the weather in your world speaks to you as well.

Words of Aradia: Concerning Rebirth

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

The human body will eventually fade away after the death experience. Yet the soul cannot be destroyed, nor is it subject to physical actions and restrictions.

After death of the body, the soul is still connected to its form for three days. For a period of seven days the soul is earthbound. After this it will be escorted by the Old Ones to the Moon Worlds.

For Strega the desire is to enter the world of Luna and be prepared for rebirth. The Strega also desires to be born among the loved ones that he or she knew in lives that have passed.

The ancient teachings tell us that the soul enters a cycle of seven lives through which it strives to be complete. Each cycle is followed by another until the soul is complete and physical life is no longer necessary.

The memory of a past live if often hidden from the present consciousness so that each live is unique. Yet the memory can be recalled if truly desired. The memory of each life is contained within the soul. The soul is the True Self. Each physical body (and personality) is only a garment worn by the soul. It is not important whether you are a man or a woman, for each is but a small lesson, and you shall be both many times.

The Law of Return governs the life experience and conditions in each new life. But beyond all of this is the realm of Tartaru, which is the abyss. Here are the Souls that are inclined toward evil. Here are they kept in restriction until the Great Ones decree their fate.

Death & Disney

I had to attend a funeral today. It made me think about my Lasa/Lare Shrine and my Grandmother and explaining death to a 5 year old.

My Gran died when he was 83 years old. She was a "Tough Cookie". Everything I learned about tenacity and thoroughness and principle I learned at my Gran's knee. She could also occasionally be a pill, so I remember this when I slip or when my daughter shows these tendencies. Any way, during Gran's on and off stays at the hospital for the last ~8 months of her life my 5 year old daughter and I would visit Gran. My daughter had visited Gran regularly before the hospital stays started but, we visited every other weekend while she was in the hospital. I say this so you will know that my daughter *knew* her great-grandmother. This was the first person that she has ever known who died. So this was a *BIG* deal.

Here is where I thank Disney. There isn't much death in Disney. There are only a few scenes where you actually *see* death happen. I can recall the Mom's death in Bambi (but you really hear and *feel* that death more than see it), the Dragon in Sleeping Beauty, Ursula in the Little Mermaid, (which we “zoomed past” for a long time because of the negative witch portrayal) and the Gorilla in Tarzan. The Gorilla is Tarzan's pseudo father so seeing his death has a bigger impact on the watcher. About the 4th or 5th time we sat through Tarzan, my daughter asked me right after the Gorilla dies, "Mommie why do your eyes close when you die?" Uhmmmmmmm (quick Mom-thinking here)... "Well 'cause you don't need you eyes when you are dead."

My daughter is a big anatomy and physiology fan she wants to know how everything works. She has a huge kid's book, 3 feet high with pictures of kid anatomy and we've covered a lot of the how your body works stuff. So it’s not totally off the wall for me to say: "When we die we don't need our eyes, or our hearts any more that's why we can give them to other people whose eyes or hearts don't work as well or are making them sick or unable to run and play or read books." Well that is, thankfully, enough for her at the time and the end of the discussion.

When Gran died, I had to find a way to tell my daughter. I also had to prepare her for any stuff that people could say to her about her Gran's death. So we had a little quiet time that evening and I told her that Gran had died. With small kids it is sometimes hard to know what they think so I went on: "Mommie thinks that when you die you go on to be a spirit. We don't need our bodies any more and so we become spirits." I don't say Angels. I intentionally use the more generic term Spirit. And I very specifically say *Mommie thinks*, because Dad thinks when you're done, you're done, that's it! Here is where I thank Disney again. "Do you know how Mulan lights the incense and then the Blue Spirits come out and find a way to help Mulan?" Yes, big head nodding she remembers this... Who can forget the Blue Ancestor popping out and Eddie Murphy as Mushu! "Well now Gran is a Blue Spirit." More head nodding and eyes lighting up in anknowledgement. O.K. I see that works. Whew!

New Orleans is a very old fashion town so we have a wake/visitation but only from 8-11 AM. Then there is the service at the funeral home by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Pastor and I sit through it thinking how glad I am not to believe the stuff. When the service is over at 11:30 I dash out to get my daughter from School. The Gods must have helped with the timing because I got to school right at 11:40 which was when I said I would be there and as I was driving on to the cemetery I dropped off of the Interstate with the funeral procession exactly 5 blocks behind me. So we go on to the burial. We watch as the casket is taken out and I tell my daughter that even though Gran doesn't need her body anymore we still put her body in a special box and in a special place because we loved Gran. That works, thankfully, for my very practical daughter.

There was a huge flower arrangement on the casket from children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and after the service all of the children and grandchildren and great Grandchildren take a flower or 2 out of the arrangement. Later, after gathering with close friends and family for lunch, hanging out and telling tales about Gran, we go home. My 5 year old holds the flowers as we drive and we decide where we are going to put them. She wants to put hers in the dining room. I have 2 roses and say I'm going to put them in "Mommie's special spot downstairs". She dutifully remembers which flowers go where and makes sure that they get to the special spot. The special spot is, of course, my Lasa Shrine. I don't push anything that evening. The kid has had a full day, but she watches as I light a candle before going upstairs.

A few days later, I'm digging through some pictures to find a picture of my Gran and PaPa to place in the Lasa Shrine. I find it and my daughter helps me take it downstairs and I put it next to the flowers. And we talk, for the first time really, about the Lasa Shrine. "You know how Mulan goes to a special house to light the incense for her ancestors? Well this is Mommie's special spot for her ancestors and now that Gran is a spirit I thought that we could put her picture here and light a candle for her." Eyes lighting up, she gets it (totally cool!), then "Mommie can *I* light the candle?". Sure kid. Thanks Disney.

Ever notice that the Fairy in Pinocchio is Blue? Traditionally the lasa/spirit light and the life in the light of the spirit flame is said to be blue. Disney either got lucky or really did their homework or had a Pagan link way back there. I’m envisioning a sort of a group of modern Age of Enlightenment type thinkers, not really Pagan but open to those sorts of ideas. Either way it’s nice to be able to use these mundane tools to help explain my path to my daughter.

Words of Aradia: Concerning Death

These words are taken from Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi:

Every beginning is also the ending of that which came before it. Every ending is likewise a beginning of that which is to follow. Coming and going are simply the two sides of the one journey.

Death is merely a change in awareness and of form. It is unfeared by the spirit, but often feared by the personality of the dying one. Yet the realm of death is like the dream worlds to which we journey in our sleep, and just as brief. Know that the spirit always moves to a higher state, and always toward the Light. The shadows of death can not keep us.

Upon dying we are purified by the elements as we rise into the ether. From life we go to dwell upon the Moon (within the Lunar and Astral Realms) and there await our return. In Luna we are given vitality and made strong again.

If the Great ones, who created all things, have seen within us the purity of Light, then shall we go forth to be forged by the Sun and taken to dwell among the stars, in our new divine form. If this is not to be, then shall we be given unto rebirth (according to our deeds) within the world of physical matter.

Teachers

Any one who wishes to become a student working toward initiation, must read the "Beginner's Training Manual" - Italian Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi. So if you have an interest, read this book completely, think about the concepts and have questions ready before you look for a teacher. It has been my experience that one cannot be a partial Strega or Stregone. One either is or is not. There are many paths, this is but one.

Studying with a teacher typically means being willing to start fresh. Please be aware that what is published is more of an "outer court" introduction to Stregheria. The initiate Ways are taught by the teacher, and they DO differ from the books. Everyone comes to a tradition with experience and history. Some come with unpleasant baggage from other traditions. Some come with a wealth of positive experiences that may be different from what we practice. Everyone starts anew.

One becomes a member by being initiated into the Tradition by a Priest or Priestess after having dedicated to our ways and completed a course of study. As a Mystery Tradition we can only be taught by a Priest or Priestess and yes, this does mean joining the "group". Stregheria is meant to be a complete system practiced in groups. So anything other than group participation takes us a step away from the Tradition - a Tradition we are sworn to keep.

If you've "read the manual" and are still interested, please leave your contact information and a brief introduction on the comment section of this post. The comments are not posted until they are moderated. So your information is private and reviewed only by me via the website and later, with your permission, by a very limited number of potential teachers.

Blessings in your search, Nola

An Interview with Nola

I recently gave and interview to Christopher Blackwell on Stregheria.
It is in the Mabon 2008 edition.

Stregheria, Arician Tradition
Interview with a Third Degree Priestess - By Christopher Blackwell

Men sometimes complain that in Wicca there is no real position of importance for men, that besides being outnumbered by woman, the men sometimes feel that they are not really needed.

However, there are traditions where the man's role is every bit as important as the woman's. I asked a high priestess of the Stregheria, Arician Tradition, if she might explain some of the differences between her tradition and Wicca.


Christopher: Tell us a bit about yourself and how long you have practiced this tradition.


Nola: Let's see... I'll try to keep it short. I live in New Orleans and have all my life. I've traveled quite extensively in North America, Mexico, Central America and Europe, but have yet to touch Asia, Australia, South America or Antarctica. In all my travels I have never found a place as wonderfully interesting as my hometown. It's the most European city in America and definitely has a unique vibe.

My college training is in the sciences and this scientific approach colors the way I look at things and learn. When I look at what quantum physics tells us today, I have to work really hard not to see the metaphysical connections. As Arthur C. Clarke said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." I work for one of the largest corporations in the world, am a wife, mom and post-Katrina community leader.

I've practiced this tradition since 1995.


Christopher: I believe that I have read that this tradition predates Wicca?


Nola: Our tradition’s thoughts on this are explained on the website above.

Something I believe should be clarified here is that Wicca is essentially a 20th century name so by definition almost all groups pre-date "Wicca". Every society/civilization called their religion by different names. Our tradition is based in a family tradition. The family tradition is documented back to the 14th Century. The links go back much farther. Our tradition has been extensively researched by its leaders and practitioners. It tends to attract those who want to dig deeply into the past and its practices. The last (academic) book I read with links to my tradition was Roman Religion and The Cult of Diana at Aricia by CMC Green. This book is not about our tradition but, as a practitioner, it is easy to see the historical links to what I have been taught. Oh and one other clarification our tradition is not a Roman tradition. It is pre-Roman, pagan in the “of the countryside” meaning of the word. It both pre-dates and was influenced by the Roman religion.

There are some who believe that what is practiced today by Pagans/Heathens/Wiccans is “neo”, a recreation or a creation based research and personal expression and that there is no such thing as a link to historical pagan past or a valid family tradition. We respect the rights of others to think this way. We can only hope that others respect that we see things differently.


Christopher: You mentioned that men have a very definite place in the cycle of yearly ceremonies in your tradition?


Nola: YES. Our year is divided in half. From May Day until Shadowfest the Goddess rules and the High Priestess leads the rituals. From Shadowfest until May Day the God rules and the High Priest leads the rituals. The leaders ritually give their reign over to the other at the appointed times. But that is not to say that the God or Goddess is not present when not ruling. In the winter, under the God's rule, it is quieter, more constrictive. In the silence She whispers in our ear. In the Summer, under Her rule, He calls us outside to work and play under the Sun. The Moon weaves in and out traversing the seasons, and in the lunar rites, He is there, shining light on Her. The lunar rituals are a bit more focused on the Goddess. The Solar rituals tell the story of the God and Goddess. We always have both icons on our altar to honor the balance between them. In our rituals men and women often come together to honor and bless each other.


Our deities are in an eternal dance and we are invited to dance with them. To enter this flow, the flow of Nature, of the moon and seasons, of the waxing and waning, we come to understand ourselves better, and see how we are aligned with the Gods. Through this alignment, we find divine rapport.


Our Tradition, Arician, is meant to be practiced in groups and is best practiced with an equal number of males and females. While we can practice as a solitary we cannot practice the Ways completely on our own. We understand the wholeness of Deity but because we are human we conceive of Deity as both male and female, God and Goddess. Nature is the Great Teacher who we look to for our understanding


Christopher: Not all groups use things like the Rede or or the Rule of Three. What does your tradition use for ethics?


Nola: We take personal responsibility for our thoughts and actions. We follow The Covenant of Aradia and we have our Basic Tenets of Belief and most importantly we have The Words of Aradia.

I suppose that the Rede's most direct correlations are in Aradia's Words Concerning the Law of Return: "Every act you perform will draw to itself three times the nature of the act (affecting us on three levels: soul, mind and body.) Such is the law. This affects not only the acts of each day but reaches into the future as well. Here the law establishes that those debts must be paid."

AND Concerning Freedom: "Freedom allows the mind body & spirit to be free of shame, guilt and restrictions… Freedom to act as you desire, harming no one by your deeds is the gift of Freedom."

But there are Words Concerning Nature, the Earth, Life, Death, Rebirth, The Gods, The Goddess, The God, Worship, Elements, The Astral plane, Magick, Christianity, Love, Sexuality, Marriage and others. The Words on each subject are few but when we take them and listen to the fact that Nature is the Great Teacher and integrate these with our mythos and celebrations around the wheel of the year, we can learn endless lessons.



Christopher: Do you use different seasonal celebrations than Wicca?


Nola: Yes and no. We all honor and revere Nature and Nature plays a huge part in defining the seasonal rituals. Our solar seasonal rituals fall at the standard pagan times for solar ritual. We have an established and integrated mythos that weaves through the seasons and differs slightly from the standard mythos associated with Wicca.

We have consorted deities, and they move through the year as one would expect: She gives birth to her child and lover at Winter Solstice. He grows, gains strength and proves himself, as the Sun waxes (Lupercus – Feb 2). They both mature (Spring Equinox). They come together at Lady's Day in May, and by Summer Equinox they wed, so that the Great Mother can bring forth the God’s gift of harvest (Aug 1). Later in that harvest, He is slain (the Slain God – Autumn Equinox) and departs to the Underworld; She mourns him, and follows, to understand the mystery of Death. She does not die, but goes before the Lord of Shadows and great mysteries are shared (Shadowfest – Oct). They couple, and bring forth the ever-reborn Child of Promise at the Winter Solstice. We also celebrate lunar rituals at each full moon.


Christopher: Does one have to have a particular ancestral background to be a member?


Nola: No. I freely admit that I was personally surprised to find what I had been looking for in an Italian tradition. I am not of Italian ancestry. In the New World many, if not most, are adopted or "Initiated" into our Tradition by a Priest or Priestess who can trace their Initiation to a particular blood-line.

Many traditions have the concept of reincarnation. Reincarnation is about your soul's path, not your genetics. Genetics help teach us the lessons we need to learn and can provide important links to our past. But our soul is not bound by the limitations of the physical. To paraphrase Aradia’s Words on Life: We are spiritual beings having a physical experience.


Christopher: Does becoming a member mean joining a group?


Nola: Eventually yes. What it means most is being willing to start fresh. Everyone comes to a tradition with experience and history. Some come with unpleasant baggage from other traditions. Some come with a wealth of positive experiences that may be different from what we practice. One must first find a teacher who will work with them. One studies with a teacher, or on a list with teachers (teachers are second degree and up.) One becomes a member by being initiated into the Tradition by a Priest or Priestess after having dedicated to our ways and completed a course of study. As a Mystery Tradition we can only be taught by a Priest or Priestess and yes, this does mean joining the "group". Stregheria is meant to be a complete system practiced in groups. So anything other than group participation takes us a step away from the Tradition - a Tradition we are sworn to keep.

Times as they are demand compromise. Our group practices as solitaries, remembering the group rites, and come together from all over the country to gather and circle as we can. Meanwhile, we stay linked via a Yahoo group and phone calls.


Christopher: How can our readers learn more?


Nola: Students of our Ways start with Raven Grimassi's books on Italian Witchcraft. Please be aware that what is published is more of an "outer court" introduction to Stregheria. The initiate Ways are taught by the teacher, and they DO differ from the books.


Christopher: What else would you like our readers to know about this tradition?


Nola: In a world where many enjoy doing their "own thing," our Tradition offers structure: it is a complete system, wherein everything has a purpose and reason. We can look across our mythos’ Wheel of the Year and see how we have come to this point. Our deities are consorted, so we never have to wonder who to invoke with whom. They rule realms - the earth, the heavens (sun & moon) and the Universe (stellar realm). Our Guardians watch over and guard us. Like Wiccans, our Tradition recognizes elementals and nature spirits. Our color associations are different, our tools are similar. It is rich and complete and works. It is a tradition that acknowledges, respects, and *requires* the contributions of male and female equally. It is a participatory system. One has to "do it" and not just read about it to know it. It does require a commitment and effort. It has been my experience that one cannot be a partial Streghe. One either is or is not. Over time and with practice the system lives within us, allowing us to perceive more clearly all that we endeavor.


Christopher: Thank you for your time and information.


Nola: Christopher, You are most welcome. It has been my pleasure.

PanGaia Interview with Raven Grimassi

Read it online.

Lupercus - synchronizing global rhythms

I hope all had a satisfying Lupercus experience.

While I did not do a ritual, Lupercus is meant to be done in GROUP, I was out on
the streets of New Orleans howling with the Mardi Gras crowds this weekend. It
is interesting to have Lupercus, Mardi Gras, Chinese New Year and the new moon
and even Super Tuesday so close together. I'm thinking of it as "synchronizing
global rhythms" and envisioning this as a good thing.

Find and embrace the wildness in you,

Happy Year of the Rat from a Rat

Fall 2005, Spring 2006

Perhaps you will recall the end of August 2005 and what happened in New Orleans. It was all over the news for weeks. But unless you’ve lived through this experience or visited in one of the many volunteer groups or came as a tourist and took the disaster tour, you have no idea what it was really like after the water let into our city by the failed levees was pumped out.

My family had to leave the city in September, 3 days after the storm. We floated and biked out and were rescued by my hero of a brother after tag team phone calls to Chicago, Kentucky and back to Louisiana. We ended up in Austin with in-laws. I returned 10 days later, after making sure our daughter was settled in a new school the day after Labor Day, purchasing a replacement truck for the one the drowned in the driveway and finding a place to stay with family friends so I could get back to work and begin recovering and rediscovering our lives.

We weren’t able to clean the bottom of our house out until October because a second storm caused the National Guard to literally kick in doors and make sure that people were *not* in the city. That would be NO people anywhere in the city.

At the end of 2005 November our lives here in New Orleans were pretty bleak. Everything in our yard was dead except the 2 larger trees and 2 camellia and the rose bushes. Everything had sat in 3 feet of brackish water for 10 days... There was nothing but brown grass, no flowers... no bushes..... nothing alive. Silt had dried to a fine cracked patchwork of crust on the sidewalks and driveways and it crackled the first time it was walked on. It was later either shoveled into what should have been lawns or gardens with a flat head shovel, or swept or hosed away into the drains. We had a mercifully after all that water, very dry November, There was very little chance of rain washing the crust away.

Everywhere in the city you could tell where in the city the water had been by the fact that all the grass and landscaping, while there, were dead brown looking like a drive through sepia photograph of real life. When the debris was hauled away all that was left was dirt. Talk about darkness. Nothing is sadder than a large dead magnolia tree, its large stiff leaves and flower buds brown on the branches.

But our bottom floor was gutted, our top and main living floor was undamaged, we had electricity in the house but no gas to heat it, my daughter’s school was open and the whole family including the dog who had ended up in California and the cat who escaped during our escape and had to be whispered home by my husband, were all back home.

So I planted nasturtium seeds and sweet peas in the bones of the back garden,
Petunias in a pot on the front porch,
Red Clover in our front yard and Rye Grass in my mother-in-law's yard next door…
Mustard, Dill, Coriander, Broccoli, Arugula, Leeks, Carrots, Kohlrabi ... in the vegetable garden.
As I dug in the vegetable garden the dirt looked great. Turns out that standing water is great for fixing nitrogen. And yes we tested the soil and it was fine.

By the spring of 2006 the nasturtiums are a roaming riot of color, yellows, orange, deep russets.
The sweet peas: pink and purple and white.
The mustard is huge! 3 foot long leaves.
The arugula has been great in salads for many weeks and is now going to seed in lovely pale cream flowers.
The carrots are up. The dill and coriander and parsley look great.
The leeks are skinny but growing.
The red clover is starting to bloom. The back yard doesn't look like a yard but a lovely meadow of red and yellow.
Salvia red, white and pink are coming up the yard because it has not been mowed... no lawnmowers, lawnmowers do not swim.... no yard workers for hire either.

Tomato plants have volunteered in one of our patio circle gardens.
Johnny Jump ups have jumped up in the same containers that they shared with now dead kumquats. Wait.... one of the kumquat sticks is starting to leaf.
Now instead of one large lantana we now have (coming up along the periphery of our meadow) 3 lantana plants.
The fig tree is in leaf. The grape is starting to show leaf buds.
Oregano popping up out of the cracks in my patio.
Spring is here and there is life leaping out of the ground.

Out of all that darkness... vibrancy.
Find it in your lives..... Hope. Live.
This is what the Spring Equinox celebration is all about.