A Realistic Understanding of What Reconnection Looks Like

If you’re looking for a way to reconnect to your Italian American culture and ancestral roots, this blog is for you. Maybe you are someone who knows their family is Italian but the culture, superstitions, Italian American folk magic and beliefs were lost over time.

Reconnection is not an easy journey as some may make it out to be online and in this age of social media.

The Truth About Reconnection and Culture

Italian American culture needs to be lived, the folk practice needs to be understood and most importantly the very fabric of being Italian American is woven into our way of practicing Catholicism.

I may sounds like a live laugh love sign…. but the best way to describe it, is as follows faith, family and folk beliefs.

With much understanding and dedication, you can reconnect to your ancestors roots and you can immerse yourself in the very culture in which they came from because I’m going to show you and teach you here at High Priestess Chelsea!

I grew up in a big Italian American family and maintaining our culture and traditions is really important to us and it’s my purpose to keep and preserve our lived traditions and culture.

Understand the Differences Between Italians and Italian Americans

It’s important to differentiate in your journey of reconnection - are you reconnecting to Italian culture or Italian American culture - as these are two vastly different things and are not the same.

I will be teaching and covering here on my blogs, podcasts and social media the Italian American culture as I do not feel a need or sense to reconnect to my traditional Italian roots.

My culture is from my immigrant family that worked so hard to blend in with the United States and therefore, Italian American culture was born and it’s what I know best as I was born and raised within it.

We Will Cover in This Blog:

In this blog you will gain a better understanding of what reconnection looks like and what it truly means to be Italian American - with taking it a step further and uncovering what Italian American Folk Magic actually is. Here are some topics we will be covering:

What Is Italian American Folk Magic?
Ancestors and Italian American Folk Magic
The Role of Saints in Folk Practice
Why Italian American Folk Magic is Not Witchcraft
How You Can Start Reconnecting

High Priestess Chelsea Removing Il Malocchio off of a client using Italian American Folk Magic and Superstiton

What Is Italian American Folk Magic?

Italian American Folk Magic isn’t something you’ll often find in books. It’s old school traditions and methods for spiritual healing and magic and is older than the Catholic faith itself.

When Italians were forced into conversion of Catholicism they hid their spiritual practices and methods of removing spiritual illnesses (such as the evil eye) and hid it under the guise of Catholicism to not be ostracized from their communities.

We will practice our magic and cures while calling upon Saints and La Madonna in the same breathe - and they answer.

Italian American Folk Magic vs. Italian Folk Magic

Italian American Folk Magic lives in kitchens, it’s passed on through word of mouth, we practice at the feet of saints. It’s a tradition rooted in Southern Italian customs brought over by immigrants and kept alive in Italian American households, often without being formally named.

We differ from traditional Italian Folk Magic because like every diaspora - we had to adapt and change as our family migrated to the United States.

Is Italian American Folk Magic Closed?

Some parts of Italian American Folk Magic are open and anyone can adopt these superstitions and traditions with respect and reverence but we DO need to recognize that some of it is also closed.

Some part of this tradition needs to be passed down, taught and initiated through a teacher and mentor.

Those that truly follow the ways of Italian American Folk Magic have a duty to their communities and families to heal, help protect and provide spiritual guidance under the umbrella of Folk Catholicism.

Those of us that cure spiritual illnesses are chosen by our ancestors, saints and La Madonna to carry on these traditions. It cannot just be passed to anyone - you have to be chosen to do so.

For example: learning the removal of the evil eye can only be passed down on midnight at Christmas Eve and there is a secret prayer you need to be taught - timing, feast days and holidays are the most spiritually charged time of the year for us and so many initiations and magic will occur based on the calendar of the Catholic Faith!

Anything I teach here on my podcast and blog will be open for all to use but keep in mind, not everything is available to everyone.

High Priestess Chelsea’s Italian American Folk Magic - Curing the Evil Eye Photo, 2025

Ancestors and Italian American Folk Magic

It’s important to understand that not every Italian or Italian American ancestor practiced folk magic and that’s okay.

Italian American folk magic is a specific thread within a much larger cultural tapestry. Some families held tight to their superstitions, prayers, and rituals.

Others let those practices fade, and embraced a more devout religious and traditional take on Catholicism, or focused on survival over spirituality. And some may have simply never practiced these traditions to begin with.

Not All Italians Practiced Italian Folk Magic

I do not want to paint a picture for you that ALL Italians were practicing folk magic - because this just isn’t the truth.

Italian folk peoples kept their practice hidden because of the fear of being exiled and ostracized from their communities - because why?

Because of Catholicism! Most people will tell you this goes against the very fabric of what the church and religion of Catholicism was built on.

For example as I discussed on my latest podcast episode on Italian American Folk Magic with my dad, my Italian American grandmother never had Italian American traditions or culture - it was learned by her marrying into an Italian American family who kept their culture, folk magic and superstitions close to them.

While your ancestors never practiced, it doesn’t mean you cant pick up and learn.

A Deeper Look Into Italian American Folk Magic

Folk magic is often tied to region, class, and circumstance passed down orally, practiced quietly, and often hidden in plain sight. So while your ancestors may not have practiced this form of magic, that doesn’t make your connection to them any less meaningful.

Reconnecting to your roots doesn’t mean recreating something that was never there. It means honoring your family as they were, and choosing what traditions old or new to help you feel spiritually and culturally connected.

My personal opinion and what I teach is, if your ancestors never practiced this form of magic - I would never honor them with it. It doesn’t mean you can’t practice it for yourself but do not use magic as a form to honor ancestors that could have been and most likely were devout Catholic and possibly against something like this.

Honor them through traditions they did, food they used to eat and by speaking to them outloud and never forgetting their memory - this is what I do!

High Priestess Chelsea’s St Michael Statue, 2025.

The Role of Saints in Folk Practice

Another thing to be said about Italian American Folk Magic is that you can not bypass the Catholic Faith that’s embedded into this practice. You can choose to not believe in the institution of the church but the Catholic faith has to be respected alongside of the practice - as Saints, Mother Mary (La Madonna) and God are very present in our magic and superstitions.

Catholicism in Italian Folk Magic

Most Italian American Folk Practitioners were and are devout in their Catholic faith. For example: my Great Aunt Jean (who was the Italian American Folk Women of my family) considered herself very Catholic, she just never went to church.

She celebrated her faith in different ways by honoring Saint Calogero at his feast day and bringing her saints statue to the hospital when people she cared for fell ill.

We don’t get to bypass the Catholic religion or take it out of it’s context in Italian Folk Magic which we often find people doing online today because they are uncomfortable with religion. This erases the very fabric of which these folk practices are built on and a point I wanted to make before we dive into Saints!

Saints as Guides into Italian American Folk Magic

Uncommon fact about Italian American Folk Magic is that the Saints and La Madonna are the gatekeepers of our practice and we honor them throughout our daily life, in our kitchens and on our sacred spaces within our homes for them.

In Italian American Folk Magic, saints are more than religious icons they are powerful divine beings, protectors, and intercessors. They exist at the crossroads of faith and folk tradition, where the divine meets the everyday.

Most of our ancestors didn’t see a divide between “religion” and “magic.” Saints were part of daily life: you prayed to Saint Anthony to find something lost, lit a candle to Saint Michael for protection, or placed a Saint Joseph Statue upside down in the ground outside your house if you were looking to sell your home - letting him know youa re ready to leave. These weren’t just devotions they are spiritual contracts rooted in belief, trust, and reciprocity.

Saints and Initiated Italian American Folk Pracitioners

Those of us initiated into Italian American Folk Practices, have the gift of saints being able to work through us and most of us have familial patron saints that follow our families lines and lineages.

For example: I specialize in curing the malocchio and spiritual afflictions such as hexes, curses and love sickness - Saint Michael and Saint Raphael are saints that are honored and venerated throughout my household and work through me to help assist the community around me and my own family.

Each saint has their own domain, personality, and power. In Italian American Folk practice, they’re treated like extended family or trusted guides - we speak to them, petition them, thank them, and sometimes even bargain with them.

They are often invoked alongside rituals, prayers, and home remedies to aid in healing, protection, love, or justice. It’s not uncommon to find saints on home altars next to glasses of water, ancestral photos, and handwritten petitions which is evidence of a tradition that blurs the line between church and kitchen table.

Italian woman curing and removing a spiritual affliction though Italian Folk belief.

Why Italian American Folk Magic is Not Witchcraft

Italian American Folk Magic is not witchcraft - let’s talk about it. First and foremost understanding terms in which we are using to identify ourselves, beliefs and practices are VERY important and often left out of the conversation.

The Definition of Witchcraft and It’s Origins

Let’s define what witchcraft is by the Merriam Webster dictionary definition: witch·craft - rituals and practices that incorporate belief in magic.

“Witchcraft has its roots in the Old English period (pre-1150). It was formed as a compound word, "wiccecræft", by combining the Old English words "wicce" (witch) and "cræft" (craft). The masculine form was "wicca". “ (Origin and history of witchcraft, Etymonline) Witchcraft is a newer term to the sphere of practicing magic while folk magic is older than this term itself.

Another lense we need to look at this through is that witchcraft and magic are not synonymous or interchangeable words. Witchcraft is the practice OF MAGIC - while magic can be many things.

We have many different forms of practices of magic ranginging from witchcraft, ancient magic, sorcery, folk magic and so much more. Just because someone practices magic, doesn’t mean they identify as a witch. Magic can be found throughout many different cultures and time periods that predate the use and existence of the word witch.

The Italian American Cultural Perspective on the Term “Witchcraft”

The third lense, Italian Folk Practitioners would never have or will call themselves witches because of the Italian connotation and meaning of the word from a cultural point of view.

Calling someone a witch in Italian American culture is of the highest insult which insinuates the person is evil, ugly and has underlying tones of this person meaning you harm.

My Italian American grandmother would often refer to women as witches if she despised them or was accusing them of being a really horrible person. Culturally, this word is used as derogatory and if an Italian American is calling you a witch - it’s an insult.

My family that practiced would have never categorized this as witchcraft as they just saw this as them practicing their religion and Catholic faith - that is exactly what folk magic is.

My Personal Take on Folk Magic and Witchcratft

Now don’t get it twisted because many people do not like when I state that Italian American Folk Magic is not witchcraft and take this as me saying I look down upon those that practice witchcraft or use the term.

I want to be absolutely clear: I hold no issue whatsoever with individuals who identify as witches or who practice magic. more power to you.

However, I do take issue when elements of my ancestral folk traditions are removed from their cultural and religious context particularly when this stems from a lack of education around the practice, its terminology, and its historical roots.

This becomes especially concerning when the Catholic faith, which is deeply woven into the fabric of many Italian folk traditions, is bypassed or erased in the process.

People the practice magic are not always witches and you will find many folk peoples do not use this term based on these three different lenses I described above! I hope this helps give a better understanding to Italian American Folk Magic and the reasons why I would never consider using the term witch.

My Grandmother Grace Guagliardo who reconnected to her Italian American culture as a young mother and woman as discussed in my podcast with my dad.

How You Can Start Reconnecting

Now that we have a better understanding of Italian American Folk Magic and our ancestors - let’s get to the real question?

How do we connect in a way that isn’t appropriating and taking Italian American culture out of context? The journey to reconnection is supposed to be a fun experience and as long as you have the correct understanding as to why you wish to reconnect and are willing to learn about the Italian American culture, beliefs and superstitions - you are already half way there!

Here are a few tips I recommend to start your reconnection journey…

Step #1: Ask Questions About Your Family

The best piece of advice I can give is start diving deep into your family’s history - ask people that are still alive today what grandma was doing in the kitchen, where is her sauce recipe and what traditions did our family used to do. It’s best to do this while people are still alive and are able to pass down their memories and information = this is how my family and I pieced back together traditions that were lost over time.

People die, people leave the family and move on but it doesn’t mean you can’t pick back up where they left off = you just have to take the first brave step in doing so. Have those conversations and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Steps #2: Saint Anthony the Patron Saint of Those That Are Lost and Lost Items

It’s time to jump back into the Catholic Religion and one Saint I LOVE to recommend to others is the infamous Saint Anthony. He is that patron saint of those that are lost, are trying to find their way and the saint of lost items. One of the most venerated and beloved Saints (especially amongst Italians).

Maybe it’s time you petition this Saint and ask him to help you find your way back to the traditions of your family that is lost - he can help with the reconnection and draw you to the right places to learn or pieces of information that may have been lost over time.

Step #3: Learn From and Support Other Italian Folk Peoples

The next step would be to immerse yourself entirely in the ways of the Italian Americans and that’s by following people and learning from those that are Italian American!

We are a very proud group of people who are more than willing to share our culture, food and beliefs. You are already in the right place as my platforms are dedicated to the preservation and understanding of Italian American Culture and Folk Magic.

🕯️ Closing Thoughts

Reconnecting with our roots isn’t about perfectly recreating the past it’s about remembering that our stories didn’t begin with us. Whether your family practiced Italian American folk magic openly, quietly, or not at all, the desire to honor your lineage is powerful in itself.

The saints, the superstitions, the culture - they’re part of a living tradition, passed down not through books, but through memory, love, and the ordinary moments that become sacred when seen through the eyes of devotion. You don’t need to know everything to begin. Start with a candle. A prayer. A photo of a grandparent. Ask questions. Listen deeply. The path back to your ancestors may not be straight, but it’s yours to walk and they’re always closer than you think.

With love and protection,

High Priestess Chelsea

🎥 Watch: Italian Folk Magic in My Family: Stories of Saints, Italian Magic, Superstition, and Culture

In my latest YouTube Video, my dad and I reflect on my path to Italian American Folk Magic, talk about reconnection, our experiences with saints and so much more.

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Reclaiming Italian American Heritage: A Guide to Folk Magic, Superstition, and Ancestral Faith