Italian culture is so fascinating, not just for the grander things like food and wine and art and music, but also for its interesting dichotomy: it is a culture very rooted in Catholicism, and yet, just beneath the surface, lie the folk traditions that cannot be swept away.

Mary-Grace Fahrun's Italian Folk Magic is an intimate journey into the heart of Italian folk magical practices as they are lived every day. Having grown up in an extended Italian family in North America and in Italy, the author presents us with the stories, characters, saints, charms, and prayers that form the core of folk religion, setting them in context in an authentic, down-to-earth, humorous voice.

Italian Folk Magic delves into magical and religious rituals, prayers, divination techniques, crafts, blessing rituals, witchcraft, and, of course, the evil eye, known as malocchio in Italian: the author explains what it is, where it comes from, and, crucially, how to get rid of it.

Those of us who grew up in Italian or Italian-American families will find much of the familiar in these pages; things that we are accustomed to seeing and hearing and doing. This book can help Italians understand their folk customs and magical heritage, but Italian folk magic is a beautiful, powerful, and effective magical tradition that is accessible to anyone who wishes to learn it.

The kitchen, my kitchen, is the room where nourishing meals are prepared. It is where afternoon coffee is brewed and stories shared. When someone doesn't feel well, it is where chicken soup simmers and herbal teas for any ailment are brewed. Stored in the cupboards are dishes and cups, some of which once graced my mother's kitchen. It is where my herbs, spices, and oils are stored. It is the room where old friends sit and enjoy a cookie with freshly brewed espresso and share their joys and sorrows. It's where I go to pray. I meditate while I clean and pray while I cook. It is the room where most of my memories live. It is my temple, shrine, and altar.  –– Mary-Grace Fahrun, from Italian Folk Magic

Softcover, 2018.