Sicilian folk magic is a rich and vibrant tradition that has been practiced in the southern Italian region of Sicily for centuries. This form of magic combines elements of Catholicism, ancient pagan beliefs, and folklore to create unique rituals and practices. One of the main elements of Sicilian folk magic is the belief in the evil eye, or "malocchio." It is believed that certain individuals have the ability to project a harmful gaze that can bring misfortune, illness, and even death to others. To protect themselves from the evil eye, Sicilians use various talismans and rituals. One common practice is the wearing of a special amulet, called a "cornicello," which is often shaped like a small horn.
Not necessarily. The larger problem here is not what word is used, but how. It’s about forging a deep, authentic relationship with the people and the land that these words come from. And for Italian-Americans in particular, it’s about strengthening our relationship with our ancestors while respecting their other descendants. When anglophones (and American anglophones in particular) use the word ‘Stregheria’, they are engaging in a kind of exotification and cultural appropriation. Swapping one word for another will not necessarily eliminate those deeper issues.
Removing these traditions from their Christian framework is not only historically inaccurate, but, as scholar Sabina Magliocco writes, it does violence to the way practitioners of living traditions perceive themselves. It reveals itself in the form of a headache and can only be cured by someone gifted with healing abilities, usually a woman who whispers a secret prayer.
One common practice is the wearing of a special amulet, called a "cornicello," which is often shaped like a small horn. It is believed that the cornicello can deflect the gaze of the evil eye and bring good luck. Another important aspect of Sicilian folk magic is the use of spells and curses.
Witch’s Brew- A Living Strega Who Mixes her Own Brand of Folk Magic
I first met Lori Bruno fifteen years ago while working as a reporter in Salem, Massachusetts’s, covering the so-called Witch City’s mix of art, maritime history along with its vibrant pagan community. At the time Bruno, 68, was introduced to me as a true Italian strega, one who practiced Sicilian witchcraft. Bruno, had just opened a new shop in town and I was asked to cover it for a story. Having grown up in a religious home where even the Smurfs were forbidden for their mystical influence, I had some negative preconceived ideas about witchcraft. But, during a sit-down visit to her home, Bruno quickly won me over. With her broad smile and Boston accent, she felt instantly familiar, like a long-lost Italian relative I’d never met. She called me, “Bella”, made me tea and we chatted for hours in her kitchen about our common southern Italian roots and strange Italian superstitions.
When my editor at Italian America recently assigned me a story on La Befana I joked that I knew the real-life Befana and offered to call her up. An online search yielded Bruno’s phone number, and soon we were chatting like no time had passed. These days- after a covid-induced hiatus- the eighty one year old witch is back to giving psychic readings and running her Salem shop Magika that sells books, candles, and other new age merchandise.
It’s no surprise the long-time witch is thriving. Bruno’s combination of grandmotherly warmth, Italian folk magic and psychic ability has garnered her much attention through the past five decades including a spread in The Wall Street Journal ten years ago during the housing crisis, when she was hired by new home-owners to perform cleansing rituals on foreclosed homes believed to hold bad vibes.
A second-generation Italian whose parents hailed from Sicily and Naples, Bruno grew up in Brooklyn in the 1950’s in a neighborhood rich in cultural diversity. Immigrant neighbors, many of them Italian, would regularly come to her house to visit her mother who was known for her healing powers. “She would take away headaches and say prayers for the Evil Eye,” Bruno recalls. “She would do readings and tell people about the dead.”
Bruno’s own first supernatural experience came at age 12 when she looked over at a classmate in school and suddenly experienced a vision accompanied by a cold chill.
“Her lower back looked gray,” Bruno recalls. “I went home and told my mom and she said that little girl had cancer of the kidneys.”
Over the years, Bruno has built up her psychic albitites, using them to help the community. After working for NASA for nearly ten years in the 1960’s creating technical drawings, she gave up her career and devoted herself fulltime to psychic service. Since then, she has worked with police to find missing people, counseled married couples and cast fertility spells for barren women.
Several years ago, a woman came to her unable to conceive and asked for help having a baby boy. Bruno accompanied her to a fertility treatment. “The doctor came in and I was giving her unsalted cashews,” Bruno remembers, adding, “have you noticed cashews look like a fetus?” While the doctor performed treatment, Bruno casts a spell she believes helped the woman conceive.
“She had a boy,” She concludes. “I am the child’s godmother. [The couple] is Christian but they have a Strega Nona.”
Are You a Good Witch or a Bad Witch?
Bruno’s healing practices are a witch’s brew of cultural beliefs; Roman, Egyptian and Catholic statues all fill her Salem home. A typical work day may include prayers to Michael the Archangel, the Egyptian goddess Isis, or the Black Madonna, a dark-skinned version of the virgin Mary that many believe holds unique healing powers. Bruno keeps a lit candle in front of the Black Madonna at all times and prays regularly to “the great mother”, before performing healing rituals.
Bruno attributes her healing powers to her Sicilian roots. The island’s cultural diversity through the centuries, she says, has made it fertile ground for magic. “At one time Sicily was a mix of Jews and Italians,” she reflects. “The Jews know all about bad magic, good magic. On the kabbalistic tree of light witchcraft exists in the first three triads. Low magic works with earth currents and herbs. When you want to learn more, you climb the ladder. My family learned more.”
According to Bruno, two kinds of magic were practiced in Italy with the earliest recorded references to witchcraft dating to the sixteenth century when many -mostly peasants-were put to death for their beliefs. Benandanti, Bruno says, is magicfocused on healing and blessing people; historically, those who practiced it blessed crops, marriages, babies being born. Melandante, on the other hand, focuses on inflicting harm on others. One of the most well-known Italian superstitions, malocchio, or the Evil Eye is believed to be brought on by an insincere compliment when someone secretly envies another’s qualities or possessions. It reveals itself in the form of a headache and can only be cured by someone gifted with healing abilities, usually a woman who whispers a secret prayer.
As a healer, Bruno has often helped relieve people of malocchio. The process she says involves pouring three drops of olive oil into a bowl along with a sprinkle of salt. She then punctures the drops of oil with a lit match and waits for the oil to form a line or a circle, which indicates the gender of the person who brought on the bad luck. The person is then blessed with a secret prayer. In Italy, Bruno says, the most superstitious have learned to ward off the evil eye before it happens, wearing talismans or making the symbol of horns with their hand.
I’m not sure how I feel about the Evil Eye, but I know I carry superstitions of my own. The last time I saw Lori Bruno for our kitchen interview, I remember being surprised when at the end, she took down a painted Italian pitcher from a shelf and handed it to me as a parting gift. Convinced the vessel may hold some secret spell, I left it on the “free” table in the newspaper’s employee break room.
These days, I like to think I’m a little more open-minded. Having never experienced a psychic reading, I decided recently to give it a try and asked Bruno for a phone consult.
The results were amazingly right-on. After giving a creepily good read of my love life, she honed in on other things, saying “You will always be creative. I see things growing all around you.” Then, at the end, in typical Strega Nona style, she added, “I love you, Honey. God Bless.”
La Befana, Italy’s Witch of Winter
Who needs Santa Claus, the stodgy old man on the sleigh when there’s an Italian witch on a broomstick to brings presents to the bambini? La Befana, according to age-old Italian legend and tradition, makes her appearance on January 6, the day the Wise Men are believed to have arrived at baby Jesus’ manger. This day, known as The Feast of the Epiphany, is a national holiday and marks the end of twelve days of Christmas and New Years’ festivities.
The Night of La Befana was mentioned as early as 1549 in a poem by Agnolo Firenzuola where she was portrayed as an ugly old woman flying over houses on a broomstick, entering through the chimneys and leaving sweets for good children, or garlic and coal for bad ones.
La Befana’s roots are a mix of pagan and Christian beliefs. Some scholars believe her story originated with the Roman festival of Saturnalia, a pagan celebration starting just before the winter solstice. At the end of Saturnalia, Romans went to the Temple of Juno on the Capitoline Hill to have their fortunes read by an old crone.
Others point to her Christian roots. “Her name derives from the word for epiphany, Epifania,” says Art History professor Rocky Ruggiero. “Legend has it that she showed the three magi hospitality on their way to Bethlehem.”
According to folklore, La Befana was invited to join the Wise Men on their journey to find the Christ child, but declined their invitation, choosing to stay home and attend to her housework. Later, when she realized the child’s importance, she regretted her decision. Legend has it that ever since she’s roamed the earth searching for the Wise Men, rewarding good children and gently admonishing the bad.
Unlike Santa Claus (Or Babbo Natale as he’s called in Italy) La Befana has been a holiday tradition in Italy since the 13 th century. Though some Italians embrace the American tradition of Santa Claus, Christmas in Italy is far less commercialized, and La Befana remains a more popular figure. Her arrival on January 6 th is celebrated with traditional Italian foods such as panettone and special cakes and cookies called befani. In honor of the Three Wise Men, Italians go to church and enjoy spending the day with family. Children who have been good receive candy, and those who’ve misbehaved get lumps of coal – or these days, more likely, black rock candy.
La Befana is most associated with Rome and central Italy but the custom spread to the rest of the country during the 20th century. Today there are festivals throughout Italy, including a four day festival from January 2-6 in in Urbania in Le Marche region, and a large Befana Christmas market in Rome’s Piazza Navona.
Salem strega Lori Bruno feels a special kinship to La Befana, reaching out to her when she encounters a mother or child in need. “Now that I’m a grandmother I talk to her; I say Befana we need you to help the children.”
Welcome to Italian Folk Magic, a website devoted to the magic, music, and spirituality of Italy and Italian America—with a special emphasis on Southern Italy and Sicily. Written by Mallorie Vaudoise.
Sicilians have a long history of using magical spells to bring about desired outcomes, such as love, fertility, and protection. These spells often involve the use of herbs, candles, and sacred objects, and are passed down through generations. However, Sicilian folk magic also includes the use of curses and hexes, which are believed to have the power to bring harm or misfortune to someone. In addition to spells and talismans, Sicilian folk magic also incorporates the power of saints and religious icons. Many Sicilians turn to saints such as St. Lucy or St. Agatha for protection and guidance in their magical practices. They may light candles or set up altars dedicated to these saints in order to seek their intercession. Overall, Sicilian folk magic reflects the diverse cultural and religious influences of the region. It combines elements of Catholicism, ancient paganism, and local folklore to create a unique and powerful system of magical practices. Today, Sicilian folk magic continues to be practiced by many in the region and has even gained popularity outside of Sicily as people become more interested in exploring alternative forms of spirituality..
Reviews for "The Role of the Moon in Sicilian Folk Magic"
1. John - 2 stars: I was really excited to try out "Sicilian folk magic" as I had heard positive reviews about it. However, I was highly disappointed with the overall experience. The storyline was confusing and lacked depth, making it difficult for me to connect with the characters. Additionally, the pacing of the movie was slow, and I found myself getting bored at several points. The visuals were also underwhelming, failing to captivate my attention. Overall, "Sicilian folk magic" did not live up to my expectations, and I would not recommend it to others.
2. Sarah - 3 stars: As a fan of magical movies, I was intrigued by "Sicilian folk magic." Unfortunately, it fell short in several aspects. The acting was mediocre, with some performances feeling forced and lacking authenticity. The plot, although unique, was not executed well, leaving several loose ends and confusing moments. I also found the overall production quality to be subpar, with poor editing and sound design. While I appreciate the effort put into the film, I cannot fully endorse "Sicilian folk magic" as a must-watch.
3. Emily - 2.5 stars: I had high hopes for "Sicilian folk magic" but was left disappointed. The storytelling was disjointed and confusing, making it challenging to follow the plot. The characters lacked depth and development, making it difficult to feel invested in their journey. The pacing was also off, with scenes feeling unnecessarily long or rushed. Although the visuals were aesthetically pleasing, they couldn't compensate for the film's overall shortcomings. I would only recommend "Sicilian folk magic" to those with a strong interest in folk magic or Italian culture, as they may find it more enjoyable than I did.
4. Michael - 2 stars: "Sicilian folk magic" had a promising premise, but it failed to deliver. The film felt disjointed, with a jumbled storyline that left me confused and frustrated. The acting was inconsistent, with some performances feeling forced or unconvincing. Additionally, the pacing was uneven, leaving me bored during some parts and overwhelmed during others. The lack of character development also made it challenging to engage with the story on an emotional level. Overall, "Sicilian folk magic" left me disappointed and wishing for more coherence and depth.