Variations on a Strega

Recently there was an interesting conversation in a Streghe yahoo group.

I thought I'd offer my own take on the many variations of those who call their practice Stregheria or themselves Strega or Stregone or Streghe.

There are people who call themselves Streghe who are neopagan (Pagan-Wiccan/Roman) reconstructionists and do spell/ritual work based on the Gods of those traditions. If they have Wiccan tendencies they will more freely mix and match Gods & Goddess and influences from other paths. If they are more Roman in their tendencies the Gods and Goddesses and influence will be more specialized. These people may see Aradia as a historical person or as a Goddess. So there are at least 4 subgroups in this group:
Pagan-Wiccan - Aradia historical person
Pagan-Wiccan - Aradia Goddess
Roman Reconstruction - Aradia historical person
Roman Reconstruction - Aradia Goddess

There are people who call themselves Streghe who are essentially Catholic (more rarely Christian & not Catholic)and of Italian descent or Italian influence. Saint and Mary Worship is a part of this practice, as are things that aren't Catholic but of the Old Ways and left over from what "Nonna" or their great aunt or ... used to do. These people essentially Christian in their approach to life.

There are people who call themselves Streghe who are Pagan-Wiccan but who freely work with Saints and Mary and other semi-Christian folkways as well as other pagan Gods and Goddesses. These people may see Aradia as a historical person or as a Goddess. These people are essentially Pagan but use the Christian Mythos as freely as they use any other Mythos.

There are people who call themselves Streghe who work so hard to walk the line between Catholic/Christian and Pagan Old Ways that it is almost impossible to know how they will land on any issue. It is best to work with these individuals as if they are essentially Christian and then be surprised when they come down on the Pagan side of the fence.

There are people who call themselves Streghe who just practice folk magic with no religion attached to it. (This is also referred by some as Stregoneria.)

There are people who call themselves Streghe with a lineage of some sort and the practices that go with being in those clans, etc. These people have been either born into or adopted into a Streghe tradition. They have been intentionally trained and initiated into the Old Ways and have taken vows to teach and to hold the some secrets back from those who are not adopted/trained/initiated. I belong to this group. But freely interact with all others.