Post by Lady Motevia on Jul 13, 2011 14:07:19 GMT -5
The Cimaruta is a very old protectioncharm stemming from the Italian Old Religion and is used by Strega today. "The traditional cimaruta is fashioned after the image of a sprig of rue, which is an herb that is highly featured in Italian magic and lore. The branch of the rue is divided into three stems symbolizing the triformis goddess Diana. Rue is one of the sacred herbs of this goddess. Various charms appear on the rue design and each one bears its own meaning (as we shall explore later in this article). The primary symbols are the moon, serpent, and key. These represent the goddess in her triple form as Hecate (the key), Diana (the moon) and Proserpina (the serpent). This ancient grouping of the goddess appears in the ancient writings of such figures as Lucan. Ovid and Horace also feature the goddess Diana in their writings related to witchcraft." ~Raven Grimassi
The Cimaruta Charm is said to not really be one singular charm, but a compilation of multiple charms. The most common design used today is taken from one created in the 19th century:
Some people believe that the Cimaruta was used to ward off the "Evil Eye" and protect a home from witchcraft, such as during the arrival of a new baby. However, it seems that this was really not the case and this fable was actually created by the Catholic church. Instead, it was most likely used as a form of witchcraft by followers of the Old Religion. The Catholic church also took this symbol and added their own elements to it, but it's also known that the elements were used in Roman folklore before the rise of Catholicism, so that may not actually be true either.
Basically, no one knows for certain where the Cimaruta came from and what it's original intended purpose was. But it is still used today as a solid form of protection, like the pentacle. It's also worn by witches to symbolize their devotion to Diana as followers of Stregheria.
www.stregheria.com/Cimaruta-Article.htm
www.fabrisia.com/cimaruta.htm
The Cimaruta Charm is said to not really be one singular charm, but a compilation of multiple charms. The most common design used today is taken from one created in the 19th century:
Some people believe that the Cimaruta was used to ward off the "Evil Eye" and protect a home from witchcraft, such as during the arrival of a new baby. However, it seems that this was really not the case and this fable was actually created by the Catholic church. Instead, it was most likely used as a form of witchcraft by followers of the Old Religion. The Catholic church also took this symbol and added their own elements to it, but it's also known that the elements were used in Roman folklore before the rise of Catholicism, so that may not actually be true either.
Basically, no one knows for certain where the Cimaruta came from and what it's original intended purpose was. But it is still used today as a solid form of protection, like the pentacle. It's also worn by witches to symbolize their devotion to Diana as followers of Stregheria.
www.stregheria.com/Cimaruta-Article.htm
www.fabrisia.com/cimaruta.htm