I grew up surrounded by Italians (and I love Italian food ever since), so learning more about their folk magic is close to my heart.

If you’re also interested, but are worried because you’re not Italian. Here is something from the book that could calm you. ”So what if you are not Italian? Immerse yourself and cultivate your interest in  Italian witchcraft, and everything else will follow. Learn how to cook Italian  food. If you’re not into cooking, learn how to order Italian food at a restaurant.  Learn the history. Learn the language. You don’t need to be fluent. All you need  is to be truly interested.”

At the start the author mentions that her family would never describe their practice as witchcraft or identify as witches. The magical is interwoven with the mundane. I appreciate the way how she talked about practice as being something that is evolving. It’s influnced by the people who came before. And it’s growing and changing with time.

The chapter about altars is very informative. It covers Ancestral altars, Saint or Deity altars and others. You learn where to set them up, why and what to include.

I absolutely loved the chapter about food. Food really is magick. There are a lot of recipes. Some of them are even traditional in our country (like lentils on New Year’s Day for prosperity). Italian witchcraft is food-centric. And to be honest, this book also inspired me to find new recipes and it awakened my love for baking and cooking.

The part about nature moved me very deeply. Especially the experiences with crows and ravens. There are chapters about superstitions, amulets and talismans, divination, daily and weekly rituals, spells and charms. The part about curses was very interesting for someone who doesn’t have a problem using blood and other fluids in spellwork.

There is a whole chapter on Malocchio, the evil eye. What it is, how to diagnose it, how to cure it and how to ward against it.

Italian witchcraft has a strong element of saint magic. I never read anything about it and it was fascinating to learn how to work with saints and how to punish them when they don’t help. There’s also great information about angels, madonnas and working with the ancestors. The whole part about Culto dei morti (Worship of the Dead) helped me see death in a new light. Death of loved ones in my family wasn’t always a peaceful transition and although I sensed them around as spirits, the way in which they departed changed how I felt. This book helped me find more peace with it and appreciate that they are not gone. They are still here and want to be part of our lives.