What happens when Italian folk traditions cross the Atlantic? This video explores how Italian witchcraft, especially the healing practice of Segnature, has been reimagined, reinvented, and often misrepresented in the United States. From Leland’s Aradia to Wicca-inspired “Stregheria,” we’ll look at how Italian-American communities blended folklore, Catholic devotion, and Pagan spirituality to create new forms of practice. But are these the same as the vernacular traditions in Italy, or something entirely different?
This video is a recording of the paper I presented at the World Congress of the International Association for the History of Religions, held at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland.
Join me as we unpack the myths, the reinventions, and the cultural translations behind Italian witchcraft in America.
CONNECT & SUPPORT
MY COURSES https://drangelapuca.com/courses
WEBSITE & NEWSLETTER https://www.drangelapuca.com/#newsletter
BOOK A TUTORING OR A LECTURE https://drangelapuca.com/services
BECOME MY PATRON! https://www.patreon.com/angelapuca
SUPPORT ME ON KO-FI ️https://ko-fi.com/drangelapuca
ONE-OFF DONATIONS https://paypal.me/angelasymposium
JOIN MEMBERSHIPS https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPSbip_LX2AxbGeAQfLp-Ig/join
MY PODCAST https://open.spotify.com/show/2TKoWTGe6OKRokHN2zUIxM?si=dd9f50a734b14f86
MY MERCH https://drangelapuca.creator-spring.com/
FOLLOW ME
– YouTube (@drangelapuca)
– Instagram (@drangelapuca)
– TikTok (@drangelapuca)
– Twitter (@angelapuca11)
– Facebook (Dr Angela Puca)
RECOMMENDED READINGS
REFERENCES
Cox, J. L. (2007). From primitive to indigenous: The academic study of indigenous religions. Ashgate.
De Martino, E. (1961). Sud e magia. Feltrinelli.
Hall, S. (1990). Cultural identity and diaspora. In J. Rutherford (Ed.), Identity: Community, culture, difference (pp. 222–237). Lawrence & Wishart.
Hobsbawm, E., & Ranger, T. (Eds.). (1983). The invention of tradition. Cambridge University Press.
Leland, C. G. (1899). Aradia, or the gospel of the witches. David Nutt.
Magliocco, S. (2004). Witching culture: Folklore and neo-paganism in America. University of Pennsylvania Press.
Magliocco, S. (2009). Italian American stregheria and Wicca: Ethnic ambivalence in American neopaganism. In M. F. Strmiska (Ed.), Modern paganism in world cultures: Comparative perspectives (pp. 55–86). ABC-CLIO.
Magliocco, S. (2026, forthcoming). Wicca alla marinara: La stregoneria neopagana italiana nella diaspora nordamericana. In M. Castagnetto Alessio, S. Palmisano, & N. Pannofino (Eds.), Rinascite pagane: Una religione dall’età della ragione alla postmodernità (pp. 45–67). Mondadori.
Owen, S. (2011). The appropriation of Native American spirituality. Continuum.
Pike, S. M. (2001). Earthly bodies, magical selves: Contemporary pagans and the search for community. University of California Press.
MY SET-UP ️
– Canon 90D camera https://amzn.to/3yQclh0
– Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 https://amzn.to/3JjU1BS
– Teleprompter ️ https://amzn.to/3linWCB
– Shure SM7B Microphone ️ https://amzn.to/3Jm5IYK
– Microphone stand https://amzn.to/3FueJOn
– Lights https://amzn.to/3Zdk8k1
– DJI Wireless microphones https://amzn.to/3NWAVVQ
️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ️
Music by Erose MusicBand. Check them out!
00:00 Introduction by Dr Puca
01:58 Dr Suzanne Owen introduces Dr Puca
02:10 Lecture begins: Reclaiming Roots
02:24 Defining Segnature
04:00 Catholic framework and ritual gestures
05:44 Aradia and Italian witchcraft in America
06:45 Rise of Stregheria and diaspora identity
08:27 Magliocco’s ‘Wicca alla marinara’
10:54 Goddess figures reinterpreted
12:01 Italianate Wicca vs Segnature
14:08 Misrepresentation of Segnature
16:32 Authenticity and context
17:57 Towards a re-evaluation
19:20 Conclusion
20:51 Questions and Answers
29:29 Suzanne Owen: Pagan Religions in Five Minutes
Published on September 14, 2025
