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Burn a Black Candle: An Italian American Grimoire
This is a beautifully illustrated introduction to a topic that has rarely been written about 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
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.
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
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.
336 pages, Hardcover
Published September 13, 2022
51 people are currently reading
379 people want to read
About the author
Dee Norman
10 books9 followersDee Norman is a witch who grew up in her family’s Italian American magical tradition and is the author of Burn a Black Candle: An Italian American Grimoire.
She has been a student of cartomancy since the mid-eighties and is the creator of the Emblemata Lenormand oracle deck. She is also a card reader with clients around the globe.
Throughout the past 20 years, she has been using her professional experience as an adult educator to develop and present workshops on Tarot, Lenormand, and a variety of magical topics.
When not tending her household altar or paging through grimoires, she likes to play creepy video games and explore amateur cryptography with her daughter. Find out more about her projects and read her blog at www.blackcandlecottage.com.
She has been a student of cartomancy since the mid-eighties and is the creator of the Emblemata Lenormand oracle deck. She is also a card reader with clients around the globe.
Throughout the past 20 years, she has been using her professional experience as an adult educator to develop and present workshops on Tarot, Lenormand, and a variety of magical topics.
When not tending her household altar or paging through grimoires, she likes to play creepy video games and explore amateur cryptography with her daughter. Find out more about her projects and read her blog at www.blackcandlecottage.com.
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November 10, 2022
Book Review: 'Burn A Black Candle – An Italian American Grimoire'* by Dee Norman
Publisher: Watkins
Release Date: 13th September, 2022
About the Author
Dee Norman grew up in her family’s Italian American magical tradition. She currently lives, with her family, in Tennessee. For the past twenty years she has created and presented workshops on tarot, Lenormand and other practical magic topics. As a professional card reader, since 1997, she has provided readings for clients around the world. Impressively, Dee has also been a High Priestess for three teaching covens and created the Occult Observatory.
About the Book
Here’s the blurb:
“Discover the previously unwritten secrets of Italian Folklore Tradition passed down from generation to generation.
This spell book provides easy, step-by-step introduction 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 (evil eye).
Develop your most important magical tool: your mind.
Master divination through cartomancy, dreams, pendulums and more.
With Tarot and Italian folk 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.
My Thoughts
The book starts with an introduction to Dee and her upbringing/family life. Along with her Italian heritage she discusses her relationship with magick.
With the subtitle, An Italian American Grimoire, it’s good to have the context surrounding Dee’s upbringing and background in terms of her magick. It’s important and sets the tone for the rest of the book.
Similarly, Dee mentioned her family’s magick was entwined with Catholic beliefs (Saints and other Catholic symbolism). Catholicism and Italian folk magick seem to be inextricably linked. It is something I have come across before in, The Practical Book of Witchcraft by Pamela Ball. There is a lot more to magick and witchcraft in terms of its links to Catholicism. I enjoy learning more about it, however it’s not something I’m ready to add to my practice. Dee acknowledges this idea in the introduction to her book, saying that the parts related to Catholicism are an aspect of her practice so she felt it important to include them, however, they can be skipped. Personally, it’s one of the reasons I wanted to read this book; I want to learn more about Italian folk magick and witchcraft as it’s part of my ancestry.
Next, Dee explained a little bit about Italy’s history and the immigration of Italians to America. It was interesting for me because this early immigration is when my great, great, Grandad would have immigrated to England from Livorno, Tuscany. Again, I feel like it’s important to have that context when reading a book like this.
In terms of the book in general it was well organised with sections and headings. Each chapter offers theory; why and how things are done or practiced in the Italian/American tradition, then the practical, with clear instructions explaining how to carry out the spells or rituals.
The book is good for beginners in folk magick; it covers some of the basics in the magical toolkit section (candle colours and herbal correspondences). However, the book is also perfect for seasoned witches or folk magick practitioners wanting to learn more about Italian specific correspondences and beliefs. For example, I wanted to learn as much as I could about how Italian practitioners work, and there was a section on working with magick and getting in the right ‘head-space’. Using a technique, similar to visualisation, called ‘attention, focus, concentration’ as a way to work spells was a nice insight into Italian/American traditions. I won’t explain the theory behind it because, obviously, you’ll have to read the book for that. It was something I appreciated because it was simple, and simple magick, that you work yourself, is often the best.
Another section I enjoyed was about dream-work and how we have symbols, that are personal to us, appear in our dreams. Dee explained how you can work out what those symbols are, learn about them and understand and interpret them. It definitely intrigued me because I do dreamwork myself (although I have got a little lax with it recently) and this was the encouragement I needed to get back to it and explore my personal dream symbols.
A lot of witch books talk about altars and how to create one. Dee included some lovely ideas for small and simple altars to incorporate into your home. To me it was like purposefully decorating or organising small pockets of magick around your home. One example was creating an altar in a plant pot. It inspired me to create something along those lines with an air plant that I have in a glass jar.
I also loved the idea of a bookshelf altar because that’s what my altar has always been. It started on the top of my small bookshelf and grew from that. My books are one of the biggest aspects of my craft, so the whole bookshelf became my altar.
As I mentioned, the book explores working with Saints. This is not something that interests me at the moment and it’s not something I see myself adding to my practice. However, I do understand why Italian Witches and Folk Magick practitioners choose to do this, even if they don’t consider themselves Catholic. Dee explains her reasoning for doing so, but also explains that if working with Saints is not something you connect with then that’s fine.
As well as Saints she explores connecting with your ancestors. Doing anscentral work and working with other deities is something I feel more comfortable with. These chapters were very well explained and not at all overwhelming for beginners. The exercises were useful and overall I felt very reassured to practice ancestral magick.
The most interesting chapter for me was about the Malocchio or the evil eye, and the following chapter on protection. I’ve always had a fascination with the evil eye and I already knew a lot about it, but I enjoy reading other beliefs surrounding it. Dee explains it clearly; what it is, how it works, along with ways to detect and cure it. It’s all very practical and not over the top, as some people can tend to be with this topic.
The protection spells were simple yet enshrined in history and folk magick. The use of simple items for protection (black candle, salt and basil) are explained in detail usually with a personal anecdote attached.
A few things I didn’t connect with as much are the Italian celebrations mentioned towards the end of the book. Dee explains how her family would usually honour various celebrations, however, they were very much specific to her family. Although I enjoyed reading them, I didn’t have that personal connection with them and therefore wouldn’t feel comfortable replicating them.
Final Thoughts
One of my absolute favourite things about this book was the personal nature of it. I always love a witchy book that is personal; that draws on and relates to the author’s life and personal practice. This book is genuinely personal and Dee shares so much of herself and her family with the reader. It feels much more authentic to read about the Craft ,and especially Folk Magick, in this way.
I was curious as to why Dee (or the publishers) decided to go with the title, ‘Burn A Black Candle’. It does become obvious. The book features candle magick, particularly spells and rituals that involve burning a black candle. I have a lot of small black candles which I use a lot. However, the book inspired me to have a bigger black candle to burn regularly. The magick surrounding the black candle, in the book, was really easy and I loved the simplicity of it.
Even though the subtitle refers to the book as an Italian/American grimoire, I see it more as exploring Italian folklore and Italian magick mixed with the personal anecdotes from Dee’s family beliefs.
I enjoyed the book and the simplicity of the magick in it. It’s a reminder that your Craft doesn’t have to be complicated to get results. I’m excited to incorporate a lot of the ideas into my own Craft and connect with some of my Italian heritage.
*Book was gifted by the publisher, Watkins, in exchange for a review. [Note: I read an advanced reader’s / uncorrected proof copy of the book therefore their may be some differences in the finalised published copy.]
Publisher: Watkins
Release Date: 13th September, 2022
About the Author
Dee Norman grew up in her family’s Italian American magical tradition. She currently lives, with her family, in Tennessee. For the past twenty years she has created and presented workshops on tarot, Lenormand and other practical magic topics. As a professional card reader, since 1997, she has provided readings for clients around the world. Impressively, Dee has also been a High Priestess for three teaching covens and created the Occult Observatory.
About the Book
Here’s the blurb:
“Discover the previously unwritten secrets of Italian Folklore Tradition passed down from generation to generation.
This spell book provides easy, step-by-step introduction 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 (evil eye).
Develop your most important magical tool: your mind.
Master divination through cartomancy, dreams, pendulums and more.
With Tarot and Italian folk 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.
My Thoughts
The book starts with an introduction to Dee and her upbringing/family life. Along with her Italian heritage she discusses her relationship with magick.
With the subtitle, An Italian American Grimoire, it’s good to have the context surrounding Dee’s upbringing and background in terms of her magick. It’s important and sets the tone for the rest of the book.
Similarly, Dee mentioned her family’s magick was entwined with Catholic beliefs (Saints and other Catholic symbolism). Catholicism and Italian folk magick seem to be inextricably linked. It is something I have come across before in, The Practical Book of Witchcraft by Pamela Ball. There is a lot more to magick and witchcraft in terms of its links to Catholicism. I enjoy learning more about it, however it’s not something I’m ready to add to my practice. Dee acknowledges this idea in the introduction to her book, saying that the parts related to Catholicism are an aspect of her practice so she felt it important to include them, however, they can be skipped. Personally, it’s one of the reasons I wanted to read this book; I want to learn more about Italian folk magick and witchcraft as it’s part of my ancestry.
Next, Dee explained a little bit about Italy’s history and the immigration of Italians to America. It was interesting for me because this early immigration is when my great, great, Grandad would have immigrated to England from Livorno, Tuscany. Again, I feel like it’s important to have that context when reading a book like this.
In terms of the book in general it was well organised with sections and headings. Each chapter offers theory; why and how things are done or practiced in the Italian/American tradition, then the practical, with clear instructions explaining how to carry out the spells or rituals.
The book is good for beginners in folk magick; it covers some of the basics in the magical toolkit section (candle colours and herbal correspondences). However, the book is also perfect for seasoned witches or folk magick practitioners wanting to learn more about Italian specific correspondences and beliefs. For example, I wanted to learn as much as I could about how Italian practitioners work, and there was a section on working with magick and getting in the right ‘head-space’. Using a technique, similar to visualisation, called ‘attention, focus, concentration’ as a way to work spells was a nice insight into Italian/American traditions. I won’t explain the theory behind it because, obviously, you’ll have to read the book for that. It was something I appreciated because it was simple, and simple magick, that you work yourself, is often the best.
Another section I enjoyed was about dream-work and how we have symbols, that are personal to us, appear in our dreams. Dee explained how you can work out what those symbols are, learn about them and understand and interpret them. It definitely intrigued me because I do dreamwork myself (although I have got a little lax with it recently) and this was the encouragement I needed to get back to it and explore my personal dream symbols.
A lot of witch books talk about altars and how to create one. Dee included some lovely ideas for small and simple altars to incorporate into your home. To me it was like purposefully decorating or organising small pockets of magick around your home. One example was creating an altar in a plant pot. It inspired me to create something along those lines with an air plant that I have in a glass jar.
I also loved the idea of a bookshelf altar because that’s what my altar has always been. It started on the top of my small bookshelf and grew from that. My books are one of the biggest aspects of my craft, so the whole bookshelf became my altar.
As I mentioned, the book explores working with Saints. This is not something that interests me at the moment and it’s not something I see myself adding to my practice. However, I do understand why Italian Witches and Folk Magick practitioners choose to do this, even if they don’t consider themselves Catholic. Dee explains her reasoning for doing so, but also explains that if working with Saints is not something you connect with then that’s fine.
As well as Saints she explores connecting with your ancestors. Doing anscentral work and working with other deities is something I feel more comfortable with. These chapters were very well explained and not at all overwhelming for beginners. The exercises were useful and overall I felt very reassured to practice ancestral magick.
The most interesting chapter for me was about the Malocchio or the evil eye, and the following chapter on protection. I’ve always had a fascination with the evil eye and I already knew a lot about it, but I enjoy reading other beliefs surrounding it. Dee explains it clearly; what it is, how it works, along with ways to detect and cure it. It’s all very practical and not over the top, as some people can tend to be with this topic.
The protection spells were simple yet enshrined in history and folk magick. The use of simple items for protection (black candle, salt and basil) are explained in detail usually with a personal anecdote attached.
A few things I didn’t connect with as much are the Italian celebrations mentioned towards the end of the book. Dee explains how her family would usually honour various celebrations, however, they were very much specific to her family. Although I enjoyed reading them, I didn’t have that personal connection with them and therefore wouldn’t feel comfortable replicating them.
Final Thoughts
One of my absolute favourite things about this book was the personal nature of it. I always love a witchy book that is personal; that draws on and relates to the author’s life and personal practice. This book is genuinely personal and Dee shares so much of herself and her family with the reader. It feels much more authentic to read about the Craft ,and especially Folk Magick, in this way.
I was curious as to why Dee (or the publishers) decided to go with the title, ‘Burn A Black Candle’. It does become obvious. The book features candle magick, particularly spells and rituals that involve burning a black candle. I have a lot of small black candles which I use a lot. However, the book inspired me to have a bigger black candle to burn regularly. The magick surrounding the black candle, in the book, was really easy and I loved the simplicity of it.
Even though the subtitle refers to the book as an Italian/American grimoire, I see it more as exploring Italian folklore and Italian magick mixed with the personal anecdotes from Dee’s family beliefs.
I enjoyed the book and the simplicity of the magick in it. It’s a reminder that your Craft doesn’t have to be complicated to get results. I’m excited to incorporate a lot of the ideas into my own Craft and connect with some of my Italian heritage.
*Book was gifted by the publisher, Watkins, in exchange for a review. [Note: I read an advanced reader’s / uncorrected proof copy of the book therefore their may be some differences in the finalised published copy.]
January 20, 2023
This book met me at the right time; the author's warm, inviting tone made the information easy to digest and the snippets of how magic threaded its way into her personal life made this a delightful read. It is very accessible and more catered towards baby witches (I say this affectionately!) so more experienced practitioners may not glean as much knowledge but this book is still worth picking up for a pleasant reading experience :)
dnf
June 1, 2024Read and skimmed May 25 - June 1, 2024 but decided to abandon it.
The book is beautiful and contains some wonderful stories and superstitions.
I do not, nor am I interested in, practicing magic, which is the only reason I am not finishing the book.
The book is beautiful and contains some wonderful stories and superstitions.
I do not, nor am I interested in, practicing magic, which is the only reason I am not finishing the book.
August 21, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was very,very well done.
I an not Italian and don't incorporate Italian traditions into my witchcraft but this was a very interesting and informative read. The cover and title caught my eye right away, and I absolutely love the way this book is formated. It goes back and forth with stories from the authors childhood and family along with sharing traditions and knowledge about incorporating those into witchcraft and spirituality. The information inside is useful for anyone, and the formatting and illustrations makes it easy to read. This would be a good thing to have on hand for reference. I would highly reccomend this to anyone looking to incorporate folk traditions with their witchcraft, particularly if you are drawn to Italian traditions.
This was very,very well done.
I an not Italian and don't incorporate Italian traditions into my witchcraft but this was a very interesting and informative read. The cover and title caught my eye right away, and I absolutely love the way this book is formated. It goes back and forth with stories from the authors childhood and family along with sharing traditions and knowledge about incorporating those into witchcraft and spirituality. The information inside is useful for anyone, and the formatting and illustrations makes it easy to read. This would be a good thing to have on hand for reference. I would highly reccomend this to anyone looking to incorporate folk traditions with their witchcraft, particularly if you are drawn to Italian traditions.
May 25, 2022
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!
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!
September 2, 2022
Burn a Black Candle by Dee Norman is a wonderfully personal and yet widely applicable look at Italian American Magic as a practice and living culture.
What Worked for Me
1. Excellent workings and spells in almost ever section of the book that can be preformed with little to no need for obtaining materials one wouldn't likely already have..
2. The Author's personal stories throughout the work gave the book a warm and inviting feeling without overshadowing the practical and informative sections.
3. Lovely illustrations and section divisions
4. Acknowledgement that one can cast the evil eye without intention and that return to sender workings can cause undue harm.
What Didn't work as well for me
1. There were not quite the number of safety tips and reminders I expect from a working book. This was especially true in the candle magic section.
2. In Sections mentioning working with spirits or Fey there weren't particularly strong warnings or advice for what to do when a being has a negative response to being contacted for a type of working or at all.
Who Would I recommend this book for?
Burn a Black Candle by Dee Norman is an excellent read for non witches for an easy to read introduction to the idea of magic while at the same time being a good book for witches at all stages of their magical journey looking to delve into an Italian American view of of practical magical workings.
What Worked for Me
1. Excellent workings and spells in almost ever section of the book that can be preformed with little to no need for obtaining materials one wouldn't likely already have..
2. The Author's personal stories throughout the work gave the book a warm and inviting feeling without overshadowing the practical and informative sections.
3. Lovely illustrations and section divisions
4. Acknowledgement that one can cast the evil eye without intention and that return to sender workings can cause undue harm.
What Didn't work as well for me
1. There were not quite the number of safety tips and reminders I expect from a working book. This was especially true in the candle magic section.
2. In Sections mentioning working with spirits or Fey there weren't particularly strong warnings or advice for what to do when a being has a negative response to being contacted for a type of working or at all.
Who Would I recommend this book for?
Burn a Black Candle by Dee Norman is an excellent read for non witches for an easy to read introduction to the idea of magic while at the same time being a good book for witches at all stages of their magical journey looking to delve into an Italian American view of of practical magical workings.
Read
August 27, 2022I requested this book from NetGalley because I wanted to learn about Italian American Witchcraft. I am not Italian and I really wasn't sure what the book would cover.
I was not expecting to learn as much as I did from this. I had no idea how much magic was in Catholicism. I had no idea how many different parts there are to praying the rosary. I didn't know how many saints there are. It was so interesting and charming.
I enjoyed Dee's tone in her writing. It felt very warm and friendly.
I don't want to give away too much of what you will learn from this book but I found it informative and interesting. That's not something I can usually say about books in the witchcraft genre.
My criticism would be that I think the blurb should include that the book does cover a lot of Catholic-influenced information. I think in the witchcraft community some people really don't want to touch any form of Christianity so that would be a good thing to disclose before someone buys this title.
That being said, as an atheist I still liked this book and it taught me things I will never forget.
I would recommend this book to people who are coming into witchcraft from a Catholic background or a Christian background and want to marry those two things together in their practice.
It's also great if you are not from that background at all and you want to know more about it.
I was not expecting to learn as much as I did from this. I had no idea how much magic was in Catholicism. I had no idea how many different parts there are to praying the rosary. I didn't know how many saints there are. It was so interesting and charming.
I enjoyed Dee's tone in her writing. It felt very warm and friendly.
I don't want to give away too much of what you will learn from this book but I found it informative and interesting. That's not something I can usually say about books in the witchcraft genre.
My criticism would be that I think the blurb should include that the book does cover a lot of Catholic-influenced information. I think in the witchcraft community some people really don't want to touch any form of Christianity so that would be a good thing to disclose before someone buys this title.
That being said, as an atheist I still liked this book and it taught me things I will never forget.
I would recommend this book to people who are coming into witchcraft from a Catholic background or a Christian background and want to marry those two things together in their practice.
It's also great if you are not from that background at all and you want to know more about it.
September 15, 2022
A Must Have
I appreciate the fact that Dee Norman acknowledges her ancestors in the beginning of this book. Very respectful thing to do.
Dee discusses Italian-American Magic, their difference and some background information on each. She states that our most important magical tool is our mind keeping a magical diary. She explains that when you are performing magic, the goal is to concentrate your will and then bring the force of your will to bear upon the situation, and the physical tools that we use, such as candles, herbs and images, assist the process but our mind is what commands our personal influence and manipulates the powers at hand.
The author emphasize that our mind is our most important magical tool, however, there are many physical items that can assist us with our magical work and she list and discusses several in this book. Many of such tools are candle, herbs, magical powders, salts, oils and many others. She provides exercises for building our own magical tools.
This is a book well worth anyone having in their physical library. It is an all-around go to book dealing with almost any subject dealing with the art of candle burning, from belief, tools, altars, cleansing, and other subjects about caring for your items. Highly recommend.
I appreciate the fact that Dee Norman acknowledges her ancestors in the beginning of this book. Very respectful thing to do.
Dee discusses Italian-American Magic, their difference and some background information on each. She states that our most important magical tool is our mind keeping a magical diary. She explains that when you are performing magic, the goal is to concentrate your will and then bring the force of your will to bear upon the situation, and the physical tools that we use, such as candles, herbs and images, assist the process but our mind is what commands our personal influence and manipulates the powers at hand.
The author emphasize that our mind is our most important magical tool, however, there are many physical items that can assist us with our magical work and she list and discusses several in this book. Many of such tools are candle, herbs, magical powders, salts, oils and many others. She provides exercises for building our own magical tools.
This is a book well worth anyone having in their physical library. It is an all-around go to book dealing with almost any subject dealing with the art of candle burning, from belief, tools, altars, cleansing, and other subjects about caring for your items. Highly recommend.
May 31, 2022
This book shares some great content about the practice of Italian magicking. It provides an introduction to magic, which you can gloss over if you’re an experienced practitioner, and go straight to the content you’re looking for. So whether you’re new to magick or an experienced, this book has something for everyone. The thing I love the most is how the author brings together her Italian Heritage with her Catholic beliefs. So many people believe you can’t do both, but many do. With the author’s tone, you’re not just reading about magick, you’re reading the notes of a friend who is sharing her life and memories with you, making this even more meaningful.
I love learning about how others practice and whenever I see a new book about magickal practices in another culture, I HAVE to read it. Often I find much more than just a few tidbits of interest, because these authors often share their heritage, their ancestresses and more. This book hit all the right spots and shared so much that I want this to become a series of with the author, of Magick around the World. You need a copy for your bookshelf!
I love learning about how others practice and whenever I see a new book about magickal practices in another culture, I HAVE to read it. Often I find much more than just a few tidbits of interest, because these authors often share their heritage, their ancestresses and more. This book hit all the right spots and shared so much that I want this to become a series of with the author, of Magick around the World. You need a copy for your bookshelf!
June 8, 2022
I really enjoyed reading this book. Its contents is clear, to the point and well explained. Dee also shares a lot of stories throughout which helps to add great context to the magic that she presents (which is refered to in the book as magia practica/practical magic and lavoro spirituale/spirital work throughout).
Those already familiar with Italian magic and customs will find information that they are familiar with, but there are also plenty to variations to enjoy and new ideas for working. Those who are already familiar with magic in general can probably skip the basics at the front of the book, however it was great to see that it was included for those less familiar. The book really works for all experience levels.
If I did have a con for this book I would probably say, as did another reviewer, that the use of the word Grimoire in the title may be a little misleading as to how the book is presented.
Overall I think the book offers great value to a wide range of readers and it is very enjoyable and informative.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Those already familiar with Italian magic and customs will find information that they are familiar with, but there are also plenty to variations to enjoy and new ideas for working. Those who are already familiar with magic in general can probably skip the basics at the front of the book, however it was great to see that it was included for those less familiar. The book really works for all experience levels.
If I did have a con for this book I would probably say, as did another reviewer, that the use of the word Grimoire in the title may be a little misleading as to how the book is presented.
Overall I think the book offers great value to a wide range of readers and it is very enjoyable and informative.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 21, 2022
Burn a Black Candle by Dee Norman looks at Witchcraft from an Italian American lens. She shows the magic that is incorporated in her culture through passed down lore. The traditions, superstitions and religiously linked practices that she learned from her grandmother and her mother growing up. They didn't necessarily call it witchcraft, but Dee shows these cultural traditions are definitely a kind of magic.
Lots of simple practices you can incorporate into your life with day to day objects like candles and salt.
Lots of influences from Catholicism and saints, but not in a heavy handed way. Dee makes it easy to adapt or incorporate as much of the religious elements as you feel comfortable, but they are a major part of the book and her magical practice.
The book has a very conversational tone, like your speaking with a friend. It's easy to digest and Dee keeps you engaged with the content. It was refreshing and I really enjoyed it.
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Lots of simple practices you can incorporate into your life with day to day objects like candles and salt.
Lots of influences from Catholicism and saints, but not in a heavy handed way. Dee makes it easy to adapt or incorporate as much of the religious elements as you feel comfortable, but they are a major part of the book and her magical practice.
The book has a very conversational tone, like your speaking with a friend. It's easy to digest and Dee keeps you engaged with the content. It was refreshing and I really enjoyed it.
.
June 28, 2025
I rarely buy books anymore, but I had to buy a copy of this for my personal library.
I skipped over this book many times at my local library, because, well, I'm not Italian!
I am, however, a Catholic. I was born Catholic, raised Catholic, attended Catholic school, and married in the Catholic Church, but my husband and I no longer associate with the institution of the Church. I love core teachings and beliefs of the Catholic faith, and for years, I've been seeking a guide to incorporate the saints and catholic mysticism into my practice.
So, I finally decided to pick this book up and it fit exactly what I was looking for! This is a really beautiful and personal guide that I connected with immediately. I actually have seen some of these traditions in practice while visiting the homes of my Italian-American friends. Thank you for sharing it with us.
I skipped over this book many times at my local library, because, well, I'm not Italian!
I am, however, a Catholic. I was born Catholic, raised Catholic, attended Catholic school, and married in the Catholic Church, but my husband and I no longer associate with the institution of the Church. I love core teachings and beliefs of the Catholic faith, and for years, I've been seeking a guide to incorporate the saints and catholic mysticism into my practice.
So, I finally decided to pick this book up and it fit exactly what I was looking for! This is a really beautiful and personal guide that I connected with immediately. I actually have seen some of these traditions in practice while visiting the homes of my Italian-American friends. Thank you for sharing it with us.
June 23, 2022
I really enjoyed this a found it really interesting. This is the first time iv read a book likes this I’m always really enjoying fiction witch books but never informational.
As a beginner I found this book really insightful and interesting I never tried any of this things in this but I found it really enjoyable to learn about magic pacifically Italian folk magic.
I liked reading about the author’s personal life and learning things about catholic holidays (I’m personally not religious)
Overall I found this a enjoyable and and interesting read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy for a honest review
As a beginner I found this book really insightful and interesting I never tried any of this things in this but I found it really enjoyable to learn about magic pacifically Italian folk magic.
I liked reading about the author’s personal life and learning things about catholic holidays (I’m personally not religious)
Overall I found this a enjoyable and and interesting read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a review copy for a honest review
June 17, 2022
When I saw this title, I was excited. I have always felt a connection between my spiritual practice and my Italian heritage. My son and I have a whole host of kitchen witch traditions around our Sunday marinara time. This helped me take something that felt more intuitive and develop it based on folklore and heritage. I'm not exactly sure I would call it a grimoire, but it was an excellent look at Italian Folk Magic and culture. I am excited to use the book to help deepen my son's Italian roots.
May 9, 2024
A continual read for me. I fully read a few chapters, then skimmed the rest of the book, now reading chapter by chapter. You may or may not agree with what the author writes or who the author is, and she acknowledges that. I do enjoy and am interested in her writings, information, and research on various “things” people do because of family ritual or tradition. She kind of gives an overview, then gets to specifics while reviewing what she has already mentioned. Very informative, some giggles here and there and nods of the head in agreement mixed with reading about new things.
June 7, 2022
I enjoyed this book, but was left somewhat confused by it being an 'Italian American Grimoire' - there was a small part at the beginning that spoke about Norman's life and her nationality but other than that I'm not quite sure why it was branded like this.
There's a lot of information in here, and it's beautifully illustrated but I can't help but think it's misleading due to the title.
There's a lot of information in here, and it's beautifully illustrated but I can't help but think it's misleading due to the title.
October 8, 2022
Fantastic read! I loved seeing where the author’s experiences growing up Italian and mine intersected (and sometimes diverged!) Well-written, clear, with so many great meditation and folk magic activities to practice. This book is going right on the shelf of books I’ll reference over and over.
October 8, 2023
love this so much
April 9, 2024
I always considered my mum superstitious. I never thought that some of her practices could be considered folk magic, but this book made me change my mind. I'm originally Italian and I grew up knowing and sometimes using myself many of the practices featured in the book, especially the ones against the Evil Eye. At some point in the book there's also some sort of pendulum divination to predict the gender of a baby and I know for a fact that my grandma uses a similar practice. The contents of the book felt overall very familiar and this made the reading experience a true pleasure.
I would recommend this book to everyone who has Italian ancestors or a strong interest in Italian-American folk magick.
It's important to note that this book has chapters dedicated to working with Saints and some practices have a Christian imprint, which might rub some people the wrong way, but I think that by keeping an open mind this book could enrich any witch, no matter their path.
I would recommend this book to everyone who has Italian ancestors or a strong interest in Italian-American folk magick.
It's important to note that this book has chapters dedicated to working with Saints and some practices have a Christian imprint, which might rub some people the wrong way, but I think that by keeping an open mind this book could enrich any witch, no matter their path.
August 26, 2022
It's an interesting book about Italian-American practice. The Italian traditions are more complex and the one in this book is related to the area of Neaples/Campania.
Please note that there are at least 6 different traditions so "Italian magic" is a bit meaningles unless you specifiy which one.
But it you want to learn about how tradition of a part of Italy evolved this is an interesting book.
One note: I'm Italian born and bread, had the pleasure of meeting traditional healers and I would recommend The Beneadanti by Carlo Ginzubur for real Italian tradition
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
Please note that there are at least 6 different traditions so "Italian magic" is a bit meaningles unless you specifiy which one.
But it you want to learn about how tradition of a part of Italy evolved this is an interesting book.
One note: I'm Italian born and bread, had the pleasure of meeting traditional healers and I would recommend The Beneadanti by Carlo Ginzubur for real Italian tradition
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
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