Some believe Lucifer father of Witchcraft, is Hekate's shadow. Yet this great spirit has been demonized by man in these modern times to keep the masses in fear, to have them running back to a church. Which is nothing more than hypocrisy, lies, and a money laundering business. Ancient Italian witchcraft was rooted in a deep connection to nature, ancestral practices, and local deities. While Italian witchcraft varied across regions, there were some common elements that defined it.


The Etruscans and Early Traditions: Before the rise of the Roman Empire, the Etruscans, an ancient civilization in central Italy, practiced a form of religious and magical ritual. They believed in divination and the power of omens, often reading the entrails of sacrificed animals or interpreting the flight patterns of birds. Etruscan witchcraft also involved interactions with spirits, as well as invoking the aid of gods for protection, health, and prosperity. In ancient Italy, particularly among the Etruscans who inhabited central Italy before the rise of Rome, the Strega may have been a term for a wise woman or a practitioner of folk magic. The Etruscans had a complex religious system that involved communicating with gods and spirits, divination, and healing practices. The Strega was likely seen as a figure who could tap into these divine or spiritual forces.​ Etruscan religious practices included using augury (interpreting omens, especially bird signs), and streghe (plural for strega) were believed to know these supernatural realms. 


​Folk Magic and Herbalism: By the time of the Romans and beyond, witchcraft in Italy began to blend with folk traditions, and many witches were known as healers and herbalists. Plants and herbs were used for both medicinal and magical purposes. Certain plants, like mandrake and belladonna, were believed to possess magical properties, including the ability to curse or heal. The knowledge of these plants was passed down through generations, often secretly, since witchcraft was looked upon with suspicion and fear. As Rome grew and absorbed the surrounding cultures, including Etruscan beliefs, the idea of the Strega evolved. Roman society, though advanced, still maintained a deep belief in magic and the supernatural. They had a complex pantheon of gods and spirits that streghe could potentially interact with. Roman witches, or those who practiced magic, were often viewed with suspicion, especially if their practices were seen as contrary to Roman law or morality.


Deities and Spirits: Italian witches often invoked local gods, spirits, or ancestors in their practices. The Roman pantheon had a wide variety of gods and goddesses associated with different aspects of life, like healing, love, and the harvest. However, many witches would also work with "La Strega" (the witch), or spirits from the countryside, and often participated in rituals to honor these beings to ensure good harvests or favorable weather.


Superstition and Rituals: In addition to herbal medicine, ancient Italian witches practiced rituals that involved divination, charms, and spells to protect against the evil eye or malevolent spirits. In rural areas, people would often consult witches or wise women for their knowledge of the mystical world, especially when it came to love spells, fortune telling, and curing ailments. The "malocchio" (evil eye) was a pervasive belief, and many witches would perform specific incantations to ward off its effects.


The Witch Healer and Protector:  Despite the negative portrayal in later periods, the Strega was often viewed as a healer and protector of the community, especially in rural parts of Italy. In ancient times, streghe were often knowledgeable in herbalism, using plants for healing purposes, to treat ailments, or to safeguard against curses and illness. Many of the plants considered to be "magical," like mandrake or belladonna, were also used in early medicine. The Strega could also serve as a mediator between the natural and spiritual world. She would use divination, charms, and rituals to guide individuals through life's struggles—whether for love, prosperity, or protection from the evil eye.

Now let's begin with a modern version first, then I will work my way down. An occultist once rewrote about Hekate and Lucifer, which was taken from a past story of Diana and Lucifer. He states that Hekate, being the Queen of Hell, is the mother and lover of her son and consort Lucifer. Hekate remains dark and has given the light to her son Lucifer, which would explain why he is the Sun God.  Now there are many rituals and versions to follow the "path of the sun," which is an ancient and powerful path to learn. I have not confirmed which version is correct, but since many cultures across the globe have their personal gnosis of this ancient ritual, maybe the correct version doesn't exist but is a mere perspective of practice and belief systems.

The modern focus of Smith's triad is on a different path of darker witchcraft mixed with satanism and many practices involving the Qlipothic realms.  I found these rituals to be complex, and I prefer to seek more authentic practices of ancient Italian Witchcraft culture, which can be hard to discover because of the many influences of Christianity and Wicca distorting the truth.  I am not a follower of either of these practices, as I feel in America, much of the ancient practices and beliefs of Witchcraft have been whitewashed.

So, to move forward with the story of Diana and the myth that Grimassi Raven speaks of. The writer explains that Diana was created before creation and that within her all things existed, including a "light" that was her other half. Hekate is described as Barbello was in Liber Lilith (who was the Heavenly Adam, the Shekinah). He describes this as a duality. It gave me the impression Dianus (Lucifer) was born from necessity, being the light.  When Diana saw her other half (meaning her shadow) - saw the light, she wanted to swallow him up; he was so beautiful. She wanted the light back in her again. As Diana pursued Dianus (Lucifer), her brother, he fled from her and would not bow to her wishes. Diana was instructed by the higher Gods that if she wanted to be a Chief Goddess, she must fall. So Diana and her brother went to Earth and taught man witchcraft.  Now I've read in other literature that the art of the craft was to help people against the tyranny of the rich and those who rule over man, those who oppress us (which still exists today), which is Slavery. That is the intention of witchcraft and to protect the family and home. I use this regularly against this false government.

So to end the story, Dianus (Lucifer), her brother he loved his cat. Diana made a pact with the cat to become the cat, which she deceived her brother, so she could lie next to him to capture the light again. Once he discovered this trickery, he was angry, but she soon soothed his heart with songs of love, and he succumbed to his sister and lover. Now that Diana had conquered the light once again, she assumed her form, and Dianus became the mother to Aradia.  I understand why it was written this way, but I just don't agree with it because it implies she is the male aspect. I find it incorrect to say it is Dianus who is the mother of Aradia instead of Diana being the mother. Of course, that would prove the argument of "Heka and Hekate".  Nevertheless, I want to touch base on something. When Donald Tyson wrote the book "Liber Lilith," he took that story that was in two parts, the first was plagiarized from a book called "Lost Scriptures," and the other half was from the notes of Karl Steiger. In the first ten pages, when Tyson writes of Barbello and her child, I had the impression that her child was the child of the highest God (the creator) as he was born with the LIGHT IN HIM, which I now believe is the female, not male, creator. If that is true and Diana takes on her full form of Dianus, then that would make her the creator of the entire universe and imply she is a male and female aspect (such as Baphomet), and the first archon Samael is Lucifer, who we know today as her son and consort. Interesting thought, don't ya think?

Either way, that child had the light in him; he never knew it because his mother hid it from him. This story is similar to Barbello (in Liber Lilith) when she impregnated herself from the Creator (without his permission). It's confusing because the writer provides three names, all interchanging them; however, it's hard to know which story is true. Considering that other writers also interchange these names.  As people keep changing the stories, it becomes convoluted.  This is why I started to critically examine these stories. Many variations distort the truth, but my preference is for Diana and Lucifer when and how they became Hekate and Lucifer. I'm not sure, but some Egyptian books have both Heka and Hekate listed as primary powerful Gods, which I believe are one in the same.

Not to go off track too much, but I viewed Heka as the male aspect of Hekate, as every woman has a male aspect within her. Yet if I accept Hekate as light and dark aspects in one, then I view this two ways: 1) Hekate is the primary God of creation of both dark and light; this universe thrives off of female energy, and males are born from women. Men claim this world is a man's world (only within the physical realm). Otherwise, this world belongs to women (even the word man is within the word woMAN) because we females came first and gave birth to men. 2) Hekate could be the primary God of Darkness since it's her primary aspect; she rules the darkness and death, but within that, she can't be the Primary Creator of the Universe and all that exists because there are too many contradictions from those various stories. Overall, we could assume all Gods have light and dark aspects, just as we humans have light and shadow, which most of us repress instead of confronting. As for Aradia, you can read it for yourself, but the story has different variations as well. I needed to say all of this to express an argument, to think outside the box. However, I prefer HEKATE AS THE RULING GOD. I believe this universe is primarily female energy, and man came from woMAN, not the other way around.

Try to seek the truth of the roots of witchcraft, as it can be confusing when people are rewriting these stories. Either way, witchcraft was meant to spread all over the world, and many cultures have different variations of practice; just find what you're comfortable with. As the truth always has a darker side. Strega Witchcraft (also known as Stregoneria) is an Italian folk tradition of magic, witchcraft, and spirituality, primarily practiced in rural areas of Italy. The term strega means "witch" in Italian, and Stregoneria refers to the practices and beliefs associated with witches or wise women, often rooted in ancient traditions. It is a form of folk magic that blends elements of indigenous Italian spirituality, natural magic, and various influences from surrounding cultures, including Roman and Etruscan culture.