#raven grimassi

[sagescented]

For countless centuries, people have regarded specific places in special ways [… These] Sacred places are always regarded as separate from the profane or mundane […] The ancient idea of sacred space is linked to the practice of marking it out and sealing it off from other spaces. Sacred space exists due to the forces that first created it, and enclosing it within markers helps to preserve it as well as to draw attention to its precise location.

From Grimoire of the Thorn-Blooded Witch: Mastering the Five Arts of Old World Witchery, published 2014; Raven Grimassi (My Review Here) (My Ko-Fi Here)

[songsofbloodandwater]

"The subconscious mind is equally not us but is half of our consciousness. It's at home in the so-called dream world where anything is possible. People don't think of this consciousness as being them (at least not in the same way as they do the conscious mind). Instead, they tend to regard it as the generator of dreams and the brooder of personal issues that influence emotions and behavior. People appear to believe that they experience the subconscious rather than it being half of the total mind they possess and through which they must operate as sentient animated beings. In other words, they regard the subconscious mind as a program running in the conscious mind (instead of it being a distinct mind of its own).

The Witch, as a Mystic, joins the conscious and subconscious minds together into a single mind that's not dominated by either one. It's not a third consciousness; it's an undivided one working as a single unit at all times."

— Grimoire of the Thorn-Blooded Witch: Mastering the Five Arts of Old World Witchery by Raven Grimassi (2014)

[santoschristos]

“The Witch can gaze clearly into the dark hidden corners of the human psyche just as the full moon can light up the darkness of night.” — Raven Grimassi Astronomy witch by Mahaboka

[starthereligious]

Italian Folk Magic: Open or Closed?

Hi. My name's Star, and I am a Sicilian Catholic and Italian folk practitioner.

I often see the book Italian Folk Magic by Mary Grace-Fahrun circulated as the one source for Italian folk magic. It was a good beginner resource for me just because I could point and say "oh hey my grandparents do that!", but I wouldn't really recommend it beyond that-- mainly because it just... made up a lot of shit? But I digress.

There is a section of Italian Folk Magic that addresses the few reading who are not Italian. It says that they are welcome to practice. Grace-Fahrun compares non-Italians practicing to Westerners liking anime. And... I don't think those two are quite comparable?

First off, Italian folk magic is inseparable from Catholicism. Catholicism is a closed religion. Unlike Protestant denominations, you can't just switch to being Catholic at any time. There is a very specific conversion process-- you must be baptized, take your first Communion/Eucharist, and eventually, be confirmed as a Catholic under supervision of a priest.

Secondly, it does depend on what practice you're talking about. There are three main practices in IFM-- Stregheria, Stregoneria, and Benedicaria.

Stregheria is just some shit someone made up. In "Italian Witchcraft", published 1995, Raven Grimassi claims to be part of an ancient Italian tradition that quickly falls apart if you do any further research. With that being said, I don't see why you couldn't practice it? I just don't understand why you would.

Stregoneria is a modern term. In Catholic Italy, nobody would ever call themselves strege, or witches, as the word has demonic connotations in Italy-- but it is used to describe a very specific hereditary practice. Stregoneria is a tradition passed down very specifically from one practitioner, a maga/mago, to the next. This specific practice is closed, as it's typically passed down through generations.

Benedicaria is closed. It's a very regional combination of herbalism, folk healing, and prayer that you need to be a devout Catholic to practice.

That being said, there are plenty of herb correspondences and superstitions from Italian tradition that you could incorporate into your practice! But that's a post for later.

learn more! [1] [2]

[buy me a coffee]

[silverthornwitchery]

Lookin into the tradition and beliefs held by Raven Grimassi + the Aridian tradition (though maybe not historically accurate in a widely-held Italian belief sense), it definetly SHAPES my world view, and I feel it's where my goddess, my God, and ancestors have lead me to.

I see a lot of overlap with my Celtic and Germanic paths, lots and lots of syncretism, and it feels like the puzzle pieces are finally fitting together.

My syncretisms at the moment:

Diana >> Druantia/Arduinna/Abnoba/Flidais >> Freyja/Frigg

Dianus(Stag, aka Kern) >>> Cernunnos >>> Freyr

Dianus(Wolf, aka Lupercus) >>> Lugus >>> Woden

This is very very barebones and not the full extent but it's been on my mind lately. Especially Lupercus-Woden

[voraciouskingdom]

“The Witch can gaze clearly into the dark hidden corners of the human psyche just as the full moon can light up the darkness of night” - Raven Grimassi

🌙💙🌙

[talonabraxas]

'Lady Mandrake' Golden Age series

Atelier Arabesque Due of its anthropomorphic roots, halfway between the plant and animal worlds, the mandrake has been associated with magic, witchcraft and the supernatural. Since ancient times, the mandrake was believed to have miraculous powers. In ancient Greece, the mandrake, especially the root, was believed to be the plant par excellence of Hecate, the ‘Lady of the Underworld’, and was also identified with Selene, the goddess of the Moon. The Mandrake was regarded as a symbol of good fortune, the fascinating medieval folklore attributed both lethal and curative powers to the plant. Mandrake Roots by Zhen Huang Birds do it, bees do it Even Mandragora roots do it Let's do it, let's fall in love The Mandrake as a Familiar The mandrake was seen during Medieval times as a sort of anthropomorphic vegetable – a plant that was also human-like. Therefore whoever possessed the mandrake also possessed a powerful familiar spirit to do his or her magical bidding.

[traegorn]

Do you know any good resources on Stregheria/pre-christian Italian practices?

I know you yourself don’t follow it, but you’re the most witchy person I know on tumblr and so might have a clue where to start looking. It’s incredibly difficult to weed for historically accurate information on this kind of stuff

Uh, are we talking about Raven Grimassi stuff? All I know is I get real Margaret Murray vibes from the whole thing.

@magpiewitchery - feel like chiming in?

[coinandcandle]

Hello there! I was wondering, do you happen to have any resources on Italian folk magic or witchcraft? I am a baby witch of Italian heritage and have been trying to reconnect with some of my family’s old practices, but finding information is surprisingly difficult or ends up dipping into Roman paganism which I’m not sure is the same thing or not. Thank you!

I am also of Italian heritage and it has been a struggle to find anything on Italian folk magic that isn't just Wicca with parmesan sprinkled on it!!

I will say that Raven Grimassi has been quoted often for Italian witchcraft but from what I know he just sorta created his own thing (or based it on personal beliefs) and marketed that as traditional Italian witchcraft.

A lot of Italian folk magic is going to involve Christianity, so be prepared for that. It is also going to be reminiscent of roman paganism because that's just how culture works; it melds together over time and the religions and beliefs of the past never fully disappear.

I would look into Italian cunningfolk/folk healers as well as Italian folk medicine and folklore. Also, try to contact people who practice Italian folk magic.

I'm part of a discord server dedicated to folk magic of all sorts called the Woodland Folk server and here are some of the resources they have about Italian folklore:

kitchenofmae's Helpful Tips & Resource Reccomendations for Italian Folk Magic

They also have a downloadable pdf of Mary-Grace Fahrun's Italian Folk Magic: Rue's Kitchen Witchery and The Tradition of Segnature. Underground Indigenous Practices in Italy

If you practice or know someone who practices Italian folk magic please link your/their accounts!

[thelonecalzone]

The Unaired Two-Page Conversation

I think we're past the point of possible spoilers, so as promised: the 2pg book conversation that was cut for time (and realism). Originally, I was experimenting with "unsent" books as part of the conversations, but I thought it would ultimately be too confusing and opted not to use that, so anything you see with a strikethrough is an "unsent" book.

(If this text formatting is ultra zany and hard to read, someone please tell me and I'll make it more regular. Allison is Blue, Patty is Red... for reasons... 🫠)

Allison: It’s Lonely at the Center of the Earth, by Zoe Thorogood

Patty: Not Here, by Hieu Minh Nguyen

Allison: Tell Me Everything, by Minka Kelly

Patty: Daily Rituals, by Phoebe Garnsworthy

Patty: Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, ZZ Packer

Patty: Crime, by Irvine Welsh

Allison: Without Me? by Chelle Bliss

Allison: Exciting Times, by Naoise Dolan

Patty: Not Without You, by Harriet Evans

Patty: The Page Turner, by David Leavitt

Allison: I Got a Job and It Wasn’t That Bad, by Scott Dikkers

Patty: Really Moving On, by Pierre Jeanty

Patty: What Kind of Job Can a Monkey Do? by Sato Akira

Allison: Hey Rick! Don’t Be So Rude! by Alyssa Thompson

Patty: I Like Monkeys, by Peter Hansard

Allison: So You Like Me Too, by OPR

Patty: The Miseducation of Cameron Post, by Emily M. Danforth

Allison: Just Say Yes, by Niobia Bryant

Patty: Yes, Chef, by Marcus Samuelsson

Patty: Get to the Point, by Joel Schwartzberg

Allison: I Miss You, by Pat Thomas

Allison: Without You, by Saskia Sarginson

Allison: You’re, by Keisha Ervin

Allison: I Got My Dream Job and So Can You, by Pete Leibman 

Patty: Super Spy, by Matt Kindt

Allison: The Librarian Spy, by Madeline Martin

Patty: For the Love of Books, by Graham Tarrant

Allison: Reminds Me of You, by Retno Handini

Allison: For the Thrill of It, by Simon Baatz

Patty: Run Towards the Danger, by Sarah Polley

Allison: Risking it All, by Tessa Bailey

Patty: Risk (With Me), by Sue Wilder

Patty: Ambitious Girl, by Meena Harris

Allison: Yeah, Right, by Jim and Helen Fox

Patty: The Follow-Through Factor: Getting from Doubt to Done, by Gene C. Hayden

Allison: A Stroke of Dumb Luck, by Shiloh Walker

Patty: Credit Where Credit is Due, by Frank Casey

Allison: Optimists Die First, by Susin Neilsen

Patty: The Price of Immortality, by Peter Ward

Allison: Death Visits the Hair Salon, by Amy Anderson

Patty: Murder in the Library, by Katie Gayle

Allison: Sounds Like Fun, by Bryan Moriarty

Patty: I Have More Fun With You Than Anybody, by Lige Clark

Patty: Certifiably Insane, by Arthur W. Bahr

Allison: Charming as a Verb, by Ben Philippe

Patty: How Do You Manage? by John Nicholson

Allison: Liquor, by Poppy Z. Brite

Patty: Hardly Know Her, by Laura Lippman

Allison: Don’t Be Gross, by Barbara Bakos

Patty: It’s Just Anatomy! by Ellen

Allison: Rough Transition, by Patrick Kelley

Patty: Some Girls Like it Rough, by Marlo Peterson

Allison: What Sort of Girls Were They? by Petrea Leslie

Patty: Girls with Bright Futures, by Tracy Dobmeier

Allison: I’m a Little Ghost and I Like the Dark, by Lynda Kimmel

Patty: Dark As the Grave Wherein My Friend Is Laid, by Malcolm Lowrey

Allison: Murder in the Dark, by Simon R. Green

Patty: My Job Was To Bring The Shovel, by Randall M. Rueff

Allison: The Complete Accomplice, by Steve Aylett

Patty: The Magician’s Assistant, by Ann Patchett

Allison: The Witch’s Familiar, by Raven Grimassi

Patty: Witch Minion, by Lissa Kasey

Allison: These Witches Don’t Burn, by Isabel Sterling

Patty: The Drowning Kind, by Jennifer McMahon

Allison: A Touch Morbid, by Leah Clifford

Patty: Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize, by Margo Rabb

Allison: I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight, by James Hold

Patty: Whiskey, Words, and a Shovel, by R. H. Sin

Allison: Sounds Perfect, by Ashley Boren

Patty: How I Made a Friend, Daniel Georges

Allison: Good For You (Between the Lines), by Tammara Webber

Patty: We’re Very Good Friends, by P.K. Hallinan

Allison: Sounds Fake, But Okay, by Sarah Costello

Patty: What If It’s True? by Charles Martin

Allison: What If It Wasn’t? by Ivan Itch

Patty: Why Do You Care? by Saju Skaria

Allison: I’m Fine and Neither Are You, by Camille Pagán

Allison: The Replacement Part, by Nora Wylde

Patty: Just a Friend, by Ashley Nicole

Allison: How to Kill Your Best Friend, by Lexie Elliott

Patty: You’re All Just Jealous of My Jetpack, by Tom Gauld

Allison: Dead Jealous, by Sharon Jones

Patty: You’ve Got to Have Friends, by Delbert George Fitzpenfield Anthony

Allison: Everything I Need I Get From You, by Kaitlyn Tiffany

Allison: Among Other Things, by Robert Long Foreman

Allison: Truths I Learned from Sam, ​​by Kristin Butcher

Patty: The Idiot King, by Patty Jansen

Allison: He Helped Me Climb the Mountain, by Betty E. Wright

Patty: The Man Who Pushed His Wife off a Cliff, by Will D. Burn

Patty: Men are Trash, by Salman Faris 

Patty: And That’s Why I Think I Prefer A Rainbow Horse, by Tiarra Nazario

Patty: Sam Houston’s Wife, by William Seale

Allison: What About Her, by Emma Tharpe

Patty: Amelia Bedelia Sleeps Over, by Herman Parish

Patty: The Undead in my Bed, by Katie McAlister

Allison: Sleeping with the Enemy, by Nancy Price

Allison: How Could You Do That?! by Laura Schlessinger

Allison: How Could You Murder Us? by Charae Lewis

Allison: Why Her? by Nicki Koziarz

Allison: I Hate You, Don’t Leave Me, by Jerold J. Kreisman

Patty: I Was Joking, Of Course, by Paul Jennings

Allison: Liar, by Tate James

Patty: What if I Say the Wrong Thing? by Verna A Myers

Allison: Don’t Look Back, by Josh Lanyon

Patty: Come Back, by Sally Crosiar

Patty: SHIT, by Shahnon Ahmad

Patty: Barbie: It Takes Two, by Grace Baranowski

Allison: I Changed My Mind, by Jimmy Evans

Allison: Allison Hewitt Is Trapped, by Madeleine Roux

Patty: Are You Still There, by Sara Lynn Schreeger

Patty: Wait for Me, by Caroline Leech

Allison: Look Back, by Tatsuki Fujimoto

[cygnus-cypres777]

"We are the possibilities and the unshattered dream, we are what gives life magick." - Raven Grimassi

[sagescented]

There are timeless things that refuse to remain silent and unknown. They speak through human vessels, even those that are flawed [… They] will not be denied; [they] will not be muted.

From Grimoire of the Thorn-Blooded Witch: Mastering the Five Arts of Old World Witchery, published 2014; Raven Grimassi (My Review Here) (My Ko-Fi Here)

[songsofbloodandwater]

The Mysteries of The Rose

"The rose reveals the portal that opens into the center of all things. This center is symbolized by the rose blossom." — Raven Grimassi in Grimoire of the Thorn-Blooded Witch.

The system I use in my personal practice is based not only on the dual concept of Blood and Water, but also on the pursuit of what I now shall call The Mysteries of The Rose. This system is informed by hereditary practices, ancestral veneration and the aid and perspectives of other practitioners.

One of the books that, much to my surprise, manages to match some of the beliefs that sum up this system, is Grimoire of the Thorn-Blooded Witch, where the author describes 'Five levels' of training in witchcraft, and acquiring mastery over each as 'gathering a thorn'. Personally, I view it slightly different. What I see are six, not five, skills that a successful practitioner should hone, and I see it less like levels (complete and perfect mastery being unachievable) and more like Doors that one crosses (into an ongoing process).

Then, the Doors to the Mysteries are sixfold, as six petals surrounding the center, and these doors are: herbalism and greencraft, magic, and stonecraft, mediumship, mysticism, and seership. Five of these match exactly the ones described by Grimassi, with the sixth being the addition of stonecraft. A skill, and a Door, to Spirits that are often misrepresented, or underrepresented, in witchcraft, if not forgotten and left aside completely.

These Doors are also divided in two sets of Threes. The First Set involves daily practices that define the present, tangible life of the witch, the Second Set involve Ties with the Other, with the Intangible, Spiritual world. Finally, a cross over the rose blossom represents, among other things, the Intersectedness of these skills. How none of them must be practiced in isolation, and instead, must be studied side by side, with each one supporting the others, to allow the practitioner a holistic view that connects past, present and future, and all manners of being: animal, vegetal and mineral.

The Crossed Rose then, symbolizes The Blood Of The Witch, in it's capacity to carry wisdom over generations, aswell as across different states of being. This is the Center of my practice.

[windvexer]

What do you know about Raven Grimassi? I came across some of his books while doing research today, and am curious if you have an opinion on him.

We do not currently discuss books or authors.