Lucy’s name means “light”, with the same root as “lucid” which means “clear, radiant, and understandable.” Saint Lucy can shed light on any situation and will clear away any and all confusion. She can also keep a close watch on your enemies.
Saint Lucy’s was martyred under the rule of Diocletian. Refusing to turn her back on her faith, her eyes were put out as part of his torture. Lucy is the Patron Saint of the blind and of those with eye problems. Statues of Saint Lucy generally depict her holding a dish with two eyes on it, both a reminder of the sight that was taken from her and for the light she can shed on matters that aren’t clear. She is also almost always depicted carrying a palm branch, a symbol of her unwavering faith.
If you are plagued by self-doubt, depression, anxiety, confusion……or simply don’t know where to turn, Saint Lucy is a powerful ally. She will lift your spirits and clear away the veil of confusion. She can be called on to heal more than eye problems, as she miraculously cured her own mother of terminal illness. She is a two-headed worker, meaning she will clear away trouble and confusion and firmly remove anything standing in your path. She is a strong advocate in enemy work. Many times the first sign that an enemy is working against us is a general feeling of confusion and a sense of emotional paralysis that you just can’t put your finger on. Don’t wait for it to get worse, Call on Saint Lucy for help immediately.
Saint Lucy favors women. Legend has it that she was betrayed by her fiancé. He is rumored to be the very one that turned her over to Diocletian to face torture and death. She will always side with the woman in relationships and home matters and can be petitioned to help with an unfaithful spouse or lover. In matters of divorce, she will ALWAYS side with the wife.
You can make a simple but powerful blessing oil to use as an offering to Saint Lucy and for your own use. Here is a traditional Appalachian recipe:
· Olive oil
· Frankincense
· Myrrh
· Angelica
· Eyebright (also known as euphrasia)
· Sage
· Sweet Woodruff (wild baby’s breath) *Some call this “Master of the Woods”, but in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it’s known as Woodruff, Sweet Woodruff, or wild Baby’s Breath. It’s scientific name is Galium odoratum.
Place your ingredients in an amber colored bottle and store in a cool dark place. I prefer to let all of my oils “work” for a full moon cycle before I use them, but if you need it asap, don’t be afraid to use it immediately (this is practical hoodoo!)
You can use the essential oil of the herb or the actual herb. My only caution is: Don’t purchase mass produced conjure oils. If you absolutely want to buy oils vs. make them, there are plenty of professional conjure workers out there who will properly prepare high-quality oils for you at nearly the same cost as the “warehouse” type suppliers. Most of them are very generous with their time, knowledge, and services.
This is a mild, pleasant, sweet and woodsy smelling, oil that you can use to anoint yourself and anything that you want to dedicate to Saint Lucy. It makes a wonderful offering when petitioning Saint Lucy. Use this oil to anoint prayer cards, medallions, candles and statues. Your imagination is your only limit!
Anne was the mother of the Virgin Mary. As exemplar of a pious mother, the intercession of Saint Anne can be requested by women to grant access and happiness in marriage.
(Above: St. Anne and a young Virgin Mary.)
Medieval Folk-Ritual
Every morning upon waking, for the duration of the pregnancy, the petitioner will dip her finger in olive oil and draw three circles around her stomach. She will also prepare a small sachet containing a white ribbon with her name written on it, the petals from one carnation, some lavender, a pinch of sugar, a pearl, a lock of recently cut hair, and an eat of wheat. The sachet must then be put under the mattress, approximately at the position where the stomach rests during sleep. The petitioner will say the following words in the prayer while circling the stomach:
“Three divinities form the Holy Trinity, and make one God. These three circles protect the life and development of a new being who will come into the world in the will of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Please grant that all the beauty, intelligence, strength, and wisdom center upon this new being, and that blessed Saint Anne help me during labor. Please grant that this fruit of love will be protected in the same way as you helped your daughter the Virgin Mary, and that with your protection and my humble desire this being will become an example of virtue. Holy Trinity, be abundant in your divine benediction of this humble servant and ensure that the life engendered within me starts with your blessing.”
(Above: A Maria Bambina statue, or an infant Virgin Mary.)
The Offering
Once the baby is born, the petitioner will light a small candle every day, for forty days. The sachet will have to be thrown into the sea or a river. To protect the baby, the mother will lace the cot with a ribbon, onto which the name of the baby, a cross, and the words “Saint Anne” will be written.
Source: Saints: The Chosen Few. By Manuela Dunn-Mascetti. 1994. pg. 175.
I am interested in the Sicilian and Italian traditions! Can you direct me as to where to learn more about this/explain the basics of this practice? Thank you so much- your blog is great:)
Italian Witchcraft and Folklore
Hey! That’s wonderful! They’re surprisingly difficult to find any accurate information on! My best resources are the article by Sabina Magliocco titled Witchcraft, healing, and vernacular magic in Italy, a less reliable article (that mixes witch-lore and folk magic all together) by J.B. Andrews called Neapolitan Witchcraft, and Carlo Ginzburg’s book The Night Battlesabout the benandanti in Friuli (Northeastern region of Italy).
If anyone knows any other sources feel free to list them!
Italian witch lore is very old, as there have been legends of witches in this region for a very long, accountable period. The word strega (witch) most likely comes from the Latin strix (screech owl) which witches were thought to take the shape of in the night. The practice of witchcraft is called stregoneria, a male witch is a stregone, and a female witch is a strega. There are more legends of Italian witches in the south (particularly near Naples). One of the most famous is the story of the witches of Benevento, who convened beneath a walnut tree on a hill therein, and danced and worshiped the Devil. This tree was supposedly cut down.
There is a popular image of a witch who arises among Christian tradition in Italy, even still today. This witch is called Old Befana or Bella Befana(Bruta Befana, Bella Befana or Vecchia Befana) who is a good witch who lived alone in a small cottage. One day, three wise men knocked on her door. “Behold! The child of God is born, (yada yada) we’re going to find him and bring him gifts! Will you join us Old Befana?” Now, Old Befana was glad to hear the news and excited to meet the new babe and give it what gifts she could. However, she was not one to shuck her responsibilities so she said she would have to wait until her chores were completed. They agreed and she saw them off, before finishing her cleaning. Once her duties were completed, she packed up her presents for the babe, hopped promptly onto the broom she had just finished sweeping with, and flew out the chimney into the cold night. However, they had not told her how to find them again! Not wanting to deny the boy his gifts, she decided to give some to all the little children she passed on her way, as any might be the new born child of God. Every year on that same night, Old Befana rides out on her broom and deposits gifts for little children, in hopes that one day she will finally find the baby Jesus and give him the presents she has been holding all this time.
In southern Italy, many of the tales of witches (streghe) and folk healers (fattucchiere, or ‘fixers’) tell of the songs they sing to work their magic. Unfortunately, this seems to be all anyone knows on the subject, and I can’t find any references or information on these songs! In lore, the witches of both benevolent and malefic natures are closely related or interchangeable with more faerie-like spirits. The Janare of Naples/Janas of Sardinia (lit. followers of Diana) are magical women said to live in Neolithic shaft tombs and are expert weavers and spinners. They sometimes intermarry with humans, but are very different from the cogas (or little cooks) of Sardinia, who are malefic witches that cook and eat their victims.
Most folk magic in Italy has died out, even in many of the rural areas. What is documented and what remains is all, unsurprisingly, Catholic magic. Much of it draws to saints, prayers, and Catholic holy tools. One name for this form of magic is benedicaria. However, much of it seems more agricultural or magical and less religious in nature. There is no point assuming this other source is pagan, because we could never prove where almost of any of it originated.
Most witchcraft you will find today in Italy, especially in urbanized areas, is of a New Age or Neo-pagan persuasion. Neo-Wicca is about the best you can hope to find, and even that is comparatively rare to that found in Great Britain, Australia, and the U.S.
In conversations about Italian magic and witchcraft, Raven Grimassi’s book Italian Witchcraft tends to come up. THIS BOOK IS UTTER BULLSHIT. HOGWASH. STUFF AND NONSENSE. It’s almost literally just Neo-Wicca with different names and some made up information. I’m not exaggerating. If you have this book, it’s better off as kindling than on your bookshelf. Just saying. Charles Leland’s book Aradia: The Gospel of the Witches is a pretty piece of poetry, and perhaps has some truths in it, but it can never be relied upon. His source is not credible, and the information doesn’t add up well. It is a beautiful book, but not an accurate account of Italian magic or witchcraft.
Here are a few blog posts I have made relating to Italian witchcraft and folk magic:
