A practical, modern- day exploration of one of the oldest, most universal, and storied forms of folk magic.

The “evil eye” is rich with cultural anecdotes and traditions, mystical lore, and modern concepts. This book takes a deep dive into the origins of the evil eye, from ancient Egyptian practices to those found in ancient Greece and Rome. Most people are unaware that the world’s major monotheistic religions are replete with references to the evil eye. What did Jesus say about it in his Sermon on the Mount? The prophet Muhammad warned against the dangers of the eye, but what remedy did he provide to offset misfortune? Why and how does the evil eye appear in rabbinic literature and other Jewish texts? The Evil Eyeanswers these (and other) timeless questions while taking readers on a literary journey that is at once informative, enlightening, and, at times, disturbing.

The book:

• Defines the evil eye and traces its roots into antiquity and across an extraordinary breadth of cultures and traditions.
• Shows readers how to diagnose the evil eye, how to cure it, as well as cast it on others.
• Explores the use of amulets and talismans bearing the “evil eye,” including its remarkable prevalence in popular jewelry designs.
• Includes the history and use of various talismans such as the Hamsa; the Italian cornicello and mano figa; the azabache stone; the Kabbalah red string; mirror pendants; jumble beads; the Assyrian evil eye; and many others

Credit: Author Image 1

Antonio Pagliarulo has been a professional writer for over two decades. He writes frequently about religion and spirituality and has been published by the Washington Post, the New York Daily News, Religion News Service, and the Wild Hunt. Antonio is the son of southern Italian immigrants and was raised in a home where the magical arts were commonplace. He was schooled in the ways of Italian folk magic, learning and collecting dozens of traditional rituals, spells, and incantations for healing, prosperity, and protection; these practices, as the author describes them, “are both pagan and Catholic and represent the unique beauty and power of syncretized faiths.”