Saturday, July 7, 2018

Strega

John Michael should be proud of himself.  with the below sentence he managed to sound just like the three Jesuit's (Father K, Father H, and Father H) who spent so much time in the 1960's responding to my questions in a manner that made me ask why I asked them.  I smiled when I drew this comparison and hope that, should JMG read this, he will be flattered (as well he should be).

The quote itself is pretty simple and a response to a request for a suggestion on book that outlines "Witchcraft":  The response:
that the material this book covers has precisely nothing in common with what the vast majority of today's self-proclaimed witches do. If you have something else in mind, well, let's discuss the meaning of that much-vexed word "witchcraft" and go from there.
I spent time last night thinking about just what the hell the reason is behind my current curiosity about an effectively extinct practice.  As it was a Friday and the match between my physical "pooped" and my mental "let's go" was at an equilibrium point that allowed relaxing on the couch with a glass of brown stuff and just thinking.

What I mean by witchcraft is trying to chase the shadow of what was lost. 

The previously mentioned Jesuits were a cantankerous crowd, and I am fairly certain that they were banished to the frontier of civilization that was Northern Utah in the 1960's for their less than slavish questioning of dogma.  I remember listening (actually eavesdropping) on a conversation between one of the old Italian women who was talking to Father H about witches (Strega).  She was contrite about it, he told her that it was fine.

So I have always harbored a curiosity about witches.  For a long time it was buried in the exigencies of molecular biology and parenthood. Now being older and having time on my hands, I am indulging that curiosity.

I have tried a couple of books now.  They suck.  It seems that most of the movements that claim modern witch-hood are a bunch of make-believe pulled out of the author's nether regions. 

What did the witches who the pre-1900 CE Christians so fervently hunted, repressed and killed know?  I have a sneaking hunch that a lot of their practice can be found at the local naturopathy med school

But what else is there?  I will try this book that JMG did suggest. 

The Cunning Man's Handbook: The Practice of English Folk Magic 1550-1900

I'll get back to you.

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