The Etruscans cared a great deal more about the afterworld than about life on this earth, so they built magnificent tombs which they sometimes decorated with exquisitely detailed wall paintings and sometimes stocked with a lifetime supply of household goods. The burial items accompanying the dead person in the tomb consisted of objects related to clothing, personal ornaments, weapons and table services; those objects that survivors wanted to place in the burial in order to indicate the dead's social status. They believed that the pleasures of life on earth could continue after death and felt it essential that the living gain the good-will of the Gods in order to enjoy their afterlife. The 'stories' about the gods were unimportant; religion's function in the Etruscan times was to maintain a stable relationship between their gods and their community.

Central to the Etruscan idea of deity was the notion of 'manus' or 'numen', or power, which they believed to underlie all of creation and which manifested itself to humans as the gods. Manus became concentrated in certain places and could be harnessed to assist humans. Those who could discern the motions of this power, who could tap into it, would be in touch with the divine and would be favored in their lives. This is a principle in many philosophies and religions. Consciousness of this power is not enough: one must possess the wisdom to become a conduit for it.

The Etruscans were the most god-fearing people of their time. All ritual and religious observances were based on the division of the heavens. This division enabled the priests to decipher and understand the signs the gods had sent. The division of the universe also was used in the planning of cities and temples. Each segment of the Etruscan universe was identified with a chief god or goddess, who had a specific area of influence. Their universe was divided into three major forces: the heavens, the earth and the underworld. In the North, East and NorthEast dwelled the highest deities, those Gods most favorable to man. These were the most powerful and advisory gods. In the East also dwelled the Gods of Wisdom. In the South the Gods of earth and nature ruled. In the West dwelled the Gods of the Underworld and misfortune.

With the overthrow of Paganism at the hand of the Christians, Magickal practices and Dianic cults such as that of the King of the Woods at Nemi were outlawed. Priestesses of Diana took refuge in isolated villages near Lake Nemi and the temple of Diana fell into ruins. Christianized Romans looked down upon the country dwellers, whom they viewed as simpletons. Yet it was here in these rural villages that the Old Religion of Italy was maintained, separate and independent of Christianity.

The persecution of Witches in Italy did not become violent until the late fourteenth century, and even then the Church struck out mainly against organized groups. Solitary village witches were generally tolerated, continuing the roles of village healer and counselor; thus Italian Witchcraft remained relatively intact throughout the Middle Ages.

In Italian, there are different words for witch/magickian/sorcerer: Strega (stray-gah); Stregone (stray-go-nay) ; Mago (mah-joh); and Maga (mah-jah). Strega means female Witch; Stregone means male Witch; Mago means magician and Maga means sorceress. The Italian words for Witchcraft are Stregheria (stray-gare-e-ah); Stregoneria (stray-go-neer-ee-ah) and Magia (mah-jee-ah). The Italian word for coven is Boschetto (boss-ket-oh), which means grove or Congrega.

In fourteenth-century Italy, a Wise Woman who called herself Aradia brought about a revival of the Old Religion, La Vecchia Religione. From her efforts there arose three separate Traditions, which were originally one. These Traditions are known as the Fanarra, Janarra, and Tanarra. Collectively they are referred to as the Triad Traditions. The Fanarra are centered in northern Italy and are known as the Keepers of the Earth Mysteries. The Janarra and Tanarra occupy central Italy. The Janarra are the Keepers of the Lunar Mysteries and the Tanarra are the Keepers of the Stellar Mysteries. Today, there are many traditions of Stregheria: Silvani (found in Naples, Florence, Palmero and Messina), Benandanti (found in the Fruili region and in north and northeast Italy), Luperci, Cavellini, Umbrean (found in North America), Italian Fairy, Sicilian Fairy, Nemaic, and Trinacrian (found in Sicily).

The Aridian Tradition, originally established in North America as a branch of the Tanarra, is based upon a blending of the Triad Traditions and Wicca. This is the tradition found in Grimassi's book, 'Ways of the Strega'. The Aridian name is derived from an old Italian village called Arida. The original followers of Aradia were said to come from this village, and the name was chosen as a connection with the Old Country. Material may be added to a ritual, or an oral teaching may be expanded, but nothing of the original may ever be removed. Because situations change with time, the Laws do allow us to add and adapt, as needs be. When looking over the material, it is easy to see the different time Periods, and needs of the people, reflected in the rituals and Teachings.

What we call the Lare today, were, in early Etruscan times called the Lasa. In Stregheria, the Lare represent not only ancient family ties, but the spirits who protect and preserve the Old Religion and its followers. The Lasa were the spirits of the West (ancestral ties) and the Lare were spirits of the East (preservation of Ways). The Lare are centered on the family and its doings and have strong ties to actual ancestors. The Lare would be included in birthdays and other family events. The Lasa are less 'domestic' and their roots are in all of humanity.

Once the shrine is established in the home, it is necessary to approach the shrine with awareness. Light a candle and incense and leave an offering. Milk, wine and honey are placed in a single bowl as an offering. Why these three items? My best guess: The Lare protect the homes and families, and offerings are made on births/deaths/marriages and other important family occasions. Honey is symbol of wisdom and bees produce honey by an elaborate and mystifying process. To me honey would represent self-improvement and dedication. Wine would symbolize blood. Milk would seen to symbolize the mother aspect, nurturing and protective.

The Magickal focus is largely upon spells, omens and natural objects. These are used as amulets, talismans, charms and divinations. Ritual circles are seldom used for spell casting or other works of Magick. As in most Craft traditions, the basic elemental forces are revered and living entities are associated with the Magickal properties of the elements. Italian folklore also extends to inanimate objects, which are believed to contain power. Among the most common are keys made of gold or silver, scissors, horseshoes, pearls, red ribbon and salt.

There are a lot of differences between USA Witches and Italian Witches. These differences are due to the different history, the different traditions, and different beliefs. We in the US live 2,500 miles from Italy, and the 'Italian Way' we learn from books is the 'USA Way to Italian Way'. Not that this is a bad thing, but there are differences. The 'Wiccan' rede was NEVER part of the Italian Witches belief, and was not part of the Witchery born in Italy. In Italy you will NEVER hear a witch talk about 'karma', because that concept is an Oriental concept that arrived in Italy in the current century. In a similar way, you will never hear of 'tantra', 'i ching', 'chakra', 'yoga', or any other concept that was NOT present in Italy in the 13th century. There appear to be 180-200 different dialects in Italy and each dialect has its own spells, beliefs, traditions, and clans.