NEW! Escape to Umbria, Italy! May 20 - 27, 2027
Ancestral Folk Magick Retreat
This page will update as new information becomes available!
Italy isn't shy when it comes to folk magick traditions. Neither is the rest of the world! This course will explore a variety of folk traditions through the ages, not just Italian ones.
This unique workshop focuses on the folk practices and traditions used by our ancestors from pre-Christian times through to the modern era.
Course highlights
Experience daily immersive lessons with expert tutelage in a patient and helpful style.
The workshop portion of your adventure in Italy delves into:
- How magick was ingrained in daily life and used through the ages,
- What caused the witch hysteria,
- Folk customs going underground and adapted into Catholicism,
- The tools and symbols commonly used to avert evil and wickedness,
- How seasonal celebrations became the holidays celebrated today,
- Magickal plants and their historic uses,
- How to incorporate folk magick into your daily life.
- Bonus! Private psychic readings with Jeanette during free time.
Your stay - Casa della Zia in Umbria, Italy
Take a step back in time on our all-inclusive journey!
The 800 year old stone-walled fortress village of Vallo di Nera, surrounded by the lush Italian countryside, has secreted away artisans, restaurants and friendly neighbors that your personal Italian-American guide, Jessica Vecchione, will introduce you to during your retreat.
Guests stay in Jessica's private home or the cozy village hotel (3 min. walk) and discover authentic Italian living in the tranquility of Casa della Zia, a traditional stone home with exquisite old-world craftmanship. It's the perfect blend of elegance and comfort for you to create unforgettable memories and immerse yourself in the daily life and culture of this ancient village. Your adventure includes:
- Rome airport transfers,
- Accommodations in Jessica's home,
- Meals and beverages (including alcohol),
- Open coffee tab at Bordone Cafe in Vallo di Nera
- Excursions and admission fees,
- Bonus! You don't need to know Italian - Jessica is our translator.
Not included: airfare, personal purchases out & about and dinner on our last evening out on the town.
Tours, Excursions & Activities
Tour rustic towns like Spoleto, Trevi, Scheggino & Todi.
- Experience ancient and historical sites including the piazza where the first woman healer was tried and executed for witchcraft, then visit a garden planted in her memory (pending),
- Feast on local cuisine, fresh handmade meals and regional drinks, maybe an olive oil or wine tasting,
- A weed walk in Vallo di Nera to view magickal herbs still growing in the landscape,
- Watch & eat focaccia made in a 200 year old wood-fired oven at Casa Della Zia,
- Immerse yourself in a hands-on Italian cooking class where we eat what we make & take home the recipes.
Every corner turned reveals vibrant, wholesome, unforgettable and out-of-this-world deliciousness for the body, mind and soul.
Plus, there's personal time for:
- Shopping,
- Hiking,
- Exploring the village and nearby towns,
- An optional empowering psychic reading from Jeanette,
- Relaxing in the rural Umbrian countryside!
All within the stunning region of Umbria, the green heart of Italy.
2027 Itinerary coming soon!
Your Instructor
Your Instructor
Your Instructor
Workshop is led by Sicilian-American Jeanette "Jet" Platania-Harper, a hereditary witch & psychic and accomplished artist. Her spiritual practice focuses on her familial training, folk magick, honoring her ancestors and the Greco-Sicilian goddess Hekate. Jeanette owns Aunt Jet's, an enchanted emporium, in Delhi NY.
Your Hostess
Your Instructor
Your Instructor
Jessica Vecchione, is an
Italian-American who's family is from, and still resides in, Umbria, Italy. Jessica's spent many summers throughout her life in Umbria so she knows all the cool places to visit. Jessica's your hostess, guide, driver, translator and the owner of Casa della Zia in Vallo di Nera.