The Holy Saints’ Chain is a fascinating divination tool. It gives a reading that resonates with the life path for those who consult it.
Many people are unknowingly familiar with a branch of Italian folk magic: “stregheria”; if not by name, by the various rituals such as wearing a coral horn to ward away evil. This term is closely related to the name for Italian witches, “strega.” They “walk the path of the Old Religion.” These are the gifts associated with those who practice it:
To bring success in love
To bless and consecrate
To speak with spirits
To know of hidden things
To call forth spirits
To know the Voice of the Wind
To possess the knowledge of transformation
To possess the knowledge of divination
To know and understand secret signs
To cure disease
To bring forth beauty
To have influence over wild beasts
To know the secrets of the hands
There is, however, another related branch of Italian folk magic called “streghoneria.” It has its origins in Roman Catholicism, not Paganism. Those who practice it are commonly from Southern Italy. They invoke saints and archangels for help in their daily lives. Part of this rich folk tradition is the divination tool known as the Holy Saints’ Chain: a thick chain with holy medals honoring the four archangels and saints.
The ritual begins when the diviner casts a protective magic circle of “holy white fire” around himself and the chain. He or she then prays over it and drops it onto a piece of velvet. By studying the pattern the chain and medals form, the diviner is able to determine which saint or archangel wishes to communicate. The chain is also used to answer Yes/No questions.
The client then receives a short message on how to honor the saint or archangel. Some examples of gratitude might involve observing the saints’ and archangels’ feast days, lighting a candle, and/or offering symbolic tokens.
You can further your knowledge by reading books we carry at Creative Medicine such as Italian Witchcraft: The Old Religion Of Southern Europe, by Raven Grimassi.
