Quick Specs
- Author: Raven Grimassi
- Format: Paperback, 276 pages
- Publisher: Crossed Crow Books, 2026
- Best for: Stregheria, Italian folk magic, Book of Shadows for the Strega path
Stregheria and the Old Religion of Italy
Stregheria, the Italian folk witchcraft tradition, centers on a theology rooted in Diana, goddess of the moon and hunt, and Dianus, her consort, alongside veneration of the Lare, the ancestral spirits of the hearth. Unlike many northern European witchcraft traditions, Stregheria developed in the context of pre-Christian Italian religion, the folk practices of the Italian peninsula, and the complex syncretism that followed Roman Catholic influence. Raven Grimassi devoted decades of his life to documenting, preserving, and practicing this tradition, producing the most widely read body of scholarship on Italian witchcraft in the English language.
A Grimoire of Italian Witchcraft represents Grimassi’s effort to create a complete, usable Book of Shadows for the Strega path: a working magical text rather than a survey or historical overview. The 276-page volume includes incantations, practical spells, seasonal rituals, and the spiritual framework that underlies Italian witchcraft as Grimassi understood and transmitted it. Published posthumously through Crossed Crow Books, it stands as one of his most practical contributions to the tradition he spent his life articulating.
Raven Grimassi’s Legacy in Italian Witchcraft
Raven Grimassi, who passed in 2019, was a foundational author in the modern revival of Italian folk witchcraft. His earlier works, Ways of the Strega and Italian Witchcraft, introduced Stregheria to a broad English-speaking audience and remain standard references on the tradition. This grimoire takes a different approach: rather than explaining the tradition from the outside, it provides working tools for practitioners who have already committed to the path. The distinction matters for buyers: if you are new to Stregheria, begin with his introductory titles; this grimoire assumes foundational knowledge and builds from there.
Practitioners coming to Italian witchcraft from broader spellcraft and witchcraft traditions will find the Stregheria framework both familiar and distinctively Italian. The emphasis on ancestral veneration, the Lare, seasonal rites tied to the Italian agricultural calendar, and the specific mythology of Diana and Aradia gives the practice a regional character that separates it clearly from Wicca or general neo-paganism.
How to Use Grimoire of Italian Witchcraft
Three steps for beginning practical work with this Italian witchcraft grimoire.
- Ground in the Theology First
Read the introductory chapters on Stregheria and Diana worship before attempting any practical work. Grimassi grounds every spell in the theology and seasonal framework of the Old Religion, which gives context to the forms.
- Work the Incantations as Written
Work through the incantations as written in Italian before translating. The phonetic tradition of Italian witchcraft treats spoken word as a living vehicle of power, and Grimassi preserves the original forms throughout.
- Build a Strega Altar
Build a simple altar following Grimassi’s Stregheria guidelines, including representations of Diana and Dianus. Document your workings in a personal Book of Shadows alongside this grimoire to track patterns over time.
The Tarot Fellow Standard
I stock this title because Raven Grimassi’s work on Italian witchcraft has no real peer in the English language, and a posthumous grimoire of this scope deserves a place in every Strega practitioner’s library. It’s a working magical text, not a memoir or retrospective, and it delivers what it promises: a practical Book of Shadows for the Italian path. Browse my esoteric and occult books to explore related titles across the Western magical tradition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Raven Grimassi was a foundational scholar and practitioner of Italian witchcraft who wrote extensively on Stregheria. He passed in 2019, and his work remains the most widely referenced body of scholarship on the Italian path.
Stregheria is the Italian folk witchcraft tradition centered on Diana, Dianus, and the Lare, the ancestral spirits of the hearth. It blends pre-Christian Italian religion with regional folk magic practices of the Italian peninsula.
This grimoire is a complete Book of Shadows with incantations, seasonal rituals, spells, and the spiritual framework of the Strega path. It goes beyond his introductory works to provide a full working magical reference.
Yes. The book includes both the theological context of Italian witchcraft and practical spellwork. Readers without prior knowledge of Italian folk magic will benefit from reading Grimassi’s introductory texts as a companion first.
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