Traditional Italian practices vs. Italian-American Witchcraft / Stregheria

It is important to understand that they are NOT by any stretch of the imagination interchangeable. ~Rue

source: Spells, Saints, and Streghe: Witchcraft, Folk Magic, and Healing in Italy

"There is a rich body of ethnographic data on folk magical practices and beliefs from Italy, but for the most part Italian-American Witches have not drawn from this in re-creating their traditions."

"... the socio-economic context and worldview of contemporary North American Pagans and Italian peasants are worlds apart. The motifs of self-actualization and fulfillment, the environmental bent, even the "harm none" ethic of contemporary revival Witchcraft are very different from the worldview of Italian peasants."

"It is profoundly ironic that Italian-American Witchcraft revivalists, beginning with Martello, interpret amulets against the evil eye as emblems of belonging to the witch cult, when in practice they are intended to repel witches."

"The ethnographic record is rich with instances of manipulative or aggressive magic ... an important part of Italian folk magic, these spells are entirely absent from Italian-American revivalist literature, as modern Witches are likely to find them both unethical and disturbing."