The Strega Tradition
The Everpresent Malocchio
by
Theresa C. Dintino
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Remedies Against the Malocchio (evil eye) for the Strega
In the light of the full moon, dig fennel
In the darkness of the new moon
Around your home, at all entrances
Plant fennels
In the fullness of the Solstice
Harvest Rue
In the darkness of the winter
Crush the leaves and seeds
Wear in a pouch around your neck always
–The Strega and the Dreamer
The ever present malocchio, the evil eye, or malocc’ for short, in the Abruzzi region of Italy, can afflict anyone at any time, in any place. According to Italian folk belief one can never be too careful. The symptoms are a sudden fever or unexplained illness, especially in children, babies or pregnant women. Pregnant women had better hide themselves well, for the eye so evil can inflict damage even through the womb, sometimes killing the unborn child. The main reason for this omnipotent scourge? Jealousy. Yes, jealousy and envy, the twin sisters of evil.
Even admiration can bring on the malocc’, since an eye so admiring can easily slip into envy. It is possible to curse someone without meaning to. Omnipresent, there is no place a person is safe from the malocc’. For this reason, “God bless you,” is uttered incessantly after praising someone. There is a need to demonstrate that no harm is intended as well as ward off any unintentional evil eye which may have been created simultaneously with the praise.
Malocchio is only a bit more predominant than the charms and customs against it. Forms of protection include the crossing of fingers or legs, and the famous hand gesture—the index and pinky fingers held out of a closed fist. Protective amulets are the horn of protection, horseshoes, red coral and the pendant called the cimaruta—a five-pronged branch of rue with charms hanging from each branch—and these are displayed in abundance everywhere.
Though it is mostly inflicted by others, you can also bring the malocc’ on yourself. Ostentation is not allowed. It brings great harm. People are jealous and envious by nature. It is best to avoid any kind of behavior that encourages these feelings.
The cure to malocc’ is a ritual performed by someone knowledgeable in magic. Oil is poured into water while chanting:
Ciglia Cigliamo
Coltello Tagliano
Manamelo a mare
These words are repeated with cutting movements, or the literal closing and opening of scissors. This ritual is repeated until the oil behaves as oil should when it enters water. The person is cured until the return of the malocc’.
The Strega—the wisewoman in the Italian tradition—is one of the people skilled at curing the malocc’. She knows the additional secret chant that is said low, under the breath, a knowledge passed secretly to her by her mentor on Christmas Eve.
The Strega checks for the presence of the malocchio by pouring olive oil into water. If the oil behaves the way it is supposed to when entering water, remaining in separate globules, there is no malocc’ but if it blends in and diffuses the malocc’ is indeed detected.
The separation of oil and water is the preferred state of affairs. That kind of tension is required to keep the balance. When they are blurred, the person has lost balance. The Strega works with her spells and incantations until oil behaves as it should behave when it enters water, until the tension is restored.
There is an Italian proverb which says: If envy were fever, the whole world would be in bed.
In the Italian belief system, it does not matter who has caused this malocc’ to occur. The belief is that the scourge of jealousy is so pervasive, there is no sense in understanding who caused it. Trying to find the source is seen as a waste of energy. The work at hand is only concerned with restoring equilibrium which exists only with this tension.
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