Burn A Black Candle by Dee Norman

Description From NetGalley:

This is a beautifully illustrated introduction to a topic that has rarely been written about before: Italian American magic. Tarot and magic expert Dee Norman shares never-before-disclosed practices and rituals for personal wellbeing.

The Italian folklore tradition is one of the most ancient unbroken chains of wisdom on earth. Discover the previously unwritten secrets of an Italian American family’s magical tradition passed down from generation to generation. This spellbook provides easy, step-by-step introductions to the basics of authentic Italian American magical practice.

Discover how to:

• Run a magical household, including creating a family altar and connecting with your ancestors

• Enhance your wellbeing for self and family through Buona Fortuna

• Perform transformative candle magic

• Diagnose, cure and ward away malocchio

• Learn time-tested health remedies from relieving symptoms of viruses to maintaining healthy skin and sleep routines

• Develop your most important magical tool – your mind

• Master divination through cartomancy, dreams, pendulums and more

With Tarot and folk Italian magic expert Dee Norman as your guide, build your magical toolkit and discover one of humanity's longest-lasting traditions for good fortune, a happy home and self-care.

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My Review:

In case you don't already know, I am not a beginner witch. I have been practicing for almost 8 years. However, I am new to Italian folk magick. I started trying to get back to my roots and ancestry recently. So when this book became available on NetGalley, I literally saw it as a sign and jumped at the chance to review this book. I am so happy the publisher gave me a chance.

Now the reason I pointed out that I wasn't a beginner is because of the fact that the first third of this book is basic magick. While one should know the basics before attempting any niche magick, I found it frustrating to have to skim my way through so many chapters before getting to the specific Italian magick information. I am so glad I stuck it out as I found a lot of the content to be valuable. I learned more about certain saints which I really enjoyed. I also loved the many recipes and exercises throughout the book. I'm personally saving to buy a house so I personally loved the information about Saint Joseph and how to cleanse your house before officially moving in. I will definitely keep the new broom thing in mind.

I also learned more about some Catholic holidays. I was raised Catholic but it never felt fully right. However, Italian folk magick makes me feel more connected to it and makes me more willing to blend my beliefs and magickal practices. I'm very excited to try making my own Three Kings Salt next year.

The touches of the author's personal life also made this a heartwarming read. I enjoyed also seeing some real-life experiences and examples in the book mixed in. Definitely much preferred over just straight-up reference books.

Overall, I think this is a great read for those new to Italian folk magick or even magick in general. There are a lot of great exercises and great stories to read. I am definitely planning on buying my own copy when the book officially releases!