Mano a Mano Formo Questo Cérchio -Hand in Hand I form This circle- A study of Modern Witches in Italy and Creation of a Community Kjersti Hilden Smørvik A Dissertation for the Degree of Cand.Polit Department of Social Anthropology University of Oslo, Norway October 2004 1 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 6 OUTLINE OF THIS THESIS .................................................................................................................. 8 Part One 2. WICCA.................................................................................................................................................... 10 WHAT IS WICCA?..................................................................................................................................... 10 THE HISTORY OF AND INFLUENCES ON WICCA ....................................................................................... 15 3. ITALY ..................................................................................................................................................... 18 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 18 GENERAL HISTORY .................................................................................................................................. 19 THE CHURCH AND CATHOLICISM ............................................................................................................ 20 RELIGIOSITY IN ITALY TODAY................................................................................................................... 23 THE OCCULT IN ITALY .............................................................................................................................. 25 WOMEN AND FAMILY STRUCTURE ........................................................................................................... 27 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................ 29 4. METHOD................................................................................................................................................ 31 BACKGROUND FOR MY FIELDWORK AND CHOICE OF SITE....................................................................... 31 RESEARCH............................................................................................................................................... 32 METHOD................................................................................................................................................... 33 Meeting practitioners.......................................................................................................................... 35 Interviews............................................................................................................................................ 38 Participation ....................................................................................................................................... 39 Alternative sources of information...................................................................................................... 42 My position /Ethics ............................................................................................................................. 44 Representation .................................................................................................................................... 46 5. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ..................................................................................................... 47 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 47 THE STUDY OF RELIGION IN THE INDUSTRIAL AND WESTERN WORLD ..................................................... 48 MODERNITY ............................................................................................................................................. 49 LATE MODERNITY AND SELF-IDENTITY..................................................................................................... 51 COMMUNITY TODAY AND THE SEARCH FOR SECURITY............................................................................ 54 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................ 56 2 Part Two 6. THE RITUAL LIFE............................................................................................................................... 58 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 58 EQUINOX.................................................................................................................................................. 59 THE HOW, WHEN AND WHY OF RITUALS .................................................................................................. 63 THE EFFECT OF RITUAL............................................................................................................................ 67 ELEMENTS OF RITUAL .............................................................................................................................. 72 The pentacle........................................................................................................................................ 73 The altar.............................................................................................................................................. 73 The circle ............................................................................................................................................ 74 OTHER RITUALS ....................................................................................................................................... 76 PERFORMING RITUALS - SUCCESS AND FAILURES .................................................................................. 77 WHAT IS MAGIC?...................................................................................................................................... 79 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................ 81 7. ME AND WITCHCRAFT ..................................................................................................................... 83 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 83 BECOMING A WITCH ................................................................................................................................84 Lisa ..................................................................................................................................................... 85 Maria .................................................................................................................................................. 88 Clara................................................................................................................................................... 89 LEARNING TO BE A WITCH ....................................................................................................................... 91 WHAT IS BEING A WITCH? ....................................................................................................................... 92 MAGIC AS THERAPY ................................................................................................................................. 95 MAGICAL NAMES...................................................................................................................................... 98 HOW A NAME IS CHOSEN / HOW NAMES CHOOSE YOU............................................................................ 99 LEGITIMATION ........................................................................................................................................ 101 SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................................. 102 8. ME AND COMMUNITY.................................................................................................................... 104 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 104 SYMBOLIC COMMUNITY.......................................................................................................................... 108 CREATING A COMMUNITY....................................................................................................................... 110 HANDFASTING........................................................................................................................................ 115 HOW TO MEET........................................................................................................................................ 117 MAKING FRIENDS ................................................................................................................................... 120 INITIATIONS