The Book of Primal Signs by Nigel Pennick
Posted on October 13, 2024
I have read The Book Primal Signs – The High Magic of Symbols by Nigel Pennick. In the book, the author presents and discusses various common (as well as some rarer) symbols – primarily spiritual ones. Below are a few insights from the book.
Orthodox Icons
In the chapter titled A Symbolic World, the author discussed the Abrahamic attitudes towards images and icons. He shares the following insight:
‘There was a fierce fight using violence over images in the Eastern Church, which went on for decades until it finally led to the reinstatement of image making and the development of the instantly recognizable Orthodox icon.’
Nigel Pennick – The Book of Primal Signs. Page 2.
As an appreciator of Orthodox icons, I am happy that the good faction won this fight! Pictured below: My modest collection of icons.
The Destruction of Meaningful Symbols
As any reasonable person should, the author takes issue with the destruction of unique and beautiful symbols.
‘Traditional ornament was denigrated during the twentieth century by futurist-inspired, machine-loving architectural theorists who claimed puritanically that only machine-made blank surfaces were morally proper and that the authoritarian brave new world of the future would be devoid of ornament and the decorative arts. Part of the underlying reason for this crusade against art was the mistaken belief that if one destroys all meaningful cultural references to local identity, then one will abolish human conflict by making all people the same.’
Nigel Pennick – The Book of Primal Signs. Page 7.
This is a good analysis. A less generous one would be to state that the impulse described above is simply the Leftist hatred of beauty. Beauty implies a hierarchy and Leftists hate hierarchy. I elaborate more about this important topic in Demigod Mentality. Pictured below: A Nordic Druid absorbing natural energies.
The Temperance Tarot Card
In the chapter titled The Crescent Moon, Star, and Comet, the author discusses the symbolism of the Tarot cards:
‘The star as a tarot card has the traditional imagery of a woman with vases in each hand, an imagine of one of the four cardinal virtues, Temperance, who pours water into wine, producing a synthesis that retains the best qualities of two opposites while eliminating their worst natures.’
Nigel Pennick – The Book of Primal Signs. Page 64.
Quite beautifully stated about the Temperance card – something to be meditated upon! I will return to the Tarot later on.
Cosmic Axis
In the chapter titled The Tree of Life, the author discusses symbolism surrounding trees.
‘As the cosmic axis, the tree is a significant element in shamanism, linking the world we live on with those above and below, allowing the shaman to travel between the worlds. Trees are, of course, the natural habitat of many kinds of living birds, but drawings and artifacts from shamanic cultures also frequently depict birds as a metaphor for the soul or externalized consciousness. Christian symbolism depicts the Holy Ghost, and aspect of God, as a dove.’
Nigel Pennick – The Book of Primal Signs. Page 84.
Speaking of which, I note the following about the Rune Eihwaz Demigod Mentality:
‘Eihwaz – The World Tree, the Axis Mundi. Eihwaz can be said to represent Yggdrasil or, more precisely, the vertical axis of Yggdrasil. The Rune can be seen as representing different levels of consciousness. Eihwaz penetrates through Asgard, Midgard, and Hel – heaven, middle-earth, and the underworld. Similarly, your own consciousness can also travel up and down along this axis.’
Conclusion
The Book Primal Signs is a valuable resource for those who want to understand the meaning of symbols and should be of interest for those interested in spiritual matters and folklore. The book has 200 pages.
Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition by Nigel Pennick
Posted on October 10, 2024
I have read Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition – Customs, Rites, and Ceremonies by Nigel Pennick. As the title suggests, the book contains a treasure trove of insights relating to European (primarily British and Scandinavian) folklore and our magico-religious traditions.
Paganism is Participation
In the introductory chapter, the author shares the following well-formulated insight:
‘Ancient Pagan religions in Europe were concerned with rites and ceremonies; there was neither creed nor essential doctrines. All members of the family, clan, tribe, or nation participated in ritual activities, but belief was not demanded of the participants. There was no orthodoxy, and no heresy; participation was all that was required.’
Nigel Pennick – Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition. Page 1.
This is a vital insight when it comes to understanding the difference between Paganism and Christianity. Pictured below: I am participating in an activity that will enable Thor to bless me.
Might and Main
In the chapter titled Traditional Operative Magic, Philosophy, and Theory, the author shares the following:
‘The northern tradition views bodily powers as consisting of two separate but linked qualities: might and main. Might (Old English meath; Old Norse máttr) is the physical strength of the body, the energy within it that enables it to live, powering through its movements and actions. Main (Old English mægen; Old Norse megin) is the inner psychological strength that empowers the personality; it is transferable to other people and to objects.’
Nigel Pennick – Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition. Page 28.
I elaborate on similar matters in Podcast Episode 45. Viking Worldview – I encourage you to listen to it if you have not already! Might and Main affect each other – when one is increased, so is the other (usually, at least). I will elaborate more on this later on – the Nordic soul complex is a fascinating topic.
The Creative Process
In the chapter titled The Craft and Magic of Buildings, the author shares a beautiful quote from the year 1210 from the poet Geoffrey de Vinsauf:
‘The imagination designs everything before the body performs the act. The pattern is first idea, then physical reality.’
This is the very essence of magic – to create reality first in your mind. I do the same when designing clothes. I also do the same before heavy lifts in the Temple of Iron. I encourage my esteemed readers to try it the next time you train – see the lift with your mind’s eye before making the lift. Pictured below: Deciding upon the final details for an upcoming Legio Gloria garment.
Magic and Religion
In the chapter titled Practical Magic, the author shares the following:
‘There is no distinction between religion and magic in traditional societies. It is only a matter of semantics how we describe the saying of prayers, incantations, and making signs when something is done.’
Nigel Pennick – Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition. Page 28.
This is a good insight when it comes to understanding the religious attitudes of our ancestors. This reminded me of Mircea Eliade’s teachings presented in The Myth of the Eternal Return (review).
Conclusion
I enjoyed reading Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition and can definitely recommend it for those who are interested in European folklore. The book has 286 pages.
Elemental Magic by Nigel Pennick
Posted on October 9, 2024
I have read Elemental Magic – Traditional Practices for Working with the Energies of the Natural World. As the title suggests, the book contains information about the spiritual elements one can find in nature (trees, elements, stones, etc).
Earth – A Beautiful Quote
In the first chapter, the author shares a beautiful quote by a mediaeval German alchemist Basilius Valentinus:
‘The Earth is not an inanimate body, but is inhabited by the spirit which is its life and its soul. All created things draw their strength from the Earth Spirit. This spirit is life; it is nourished by the stars and gives nourishment to all living things that it shelters in her womb.’
Pictured below: A Gentle Druid absorbing energies from the beautiful Iberian mountains.
Colours
In the chapter titled Magic in Action, the author discusses colours. Among other things, he notes that blue green is the colour of the sea, of primal and unfathomable depth. This reminded me of Oswald Spengler’s take on the colour:
‘Blue and green are the colours of the heavens, the sea, the fruitful plan, the shadow of the Southern noon, the evening, the remote mountains. They are essentially atmospheric and not substantial colours. They are cold, they disembody, and they invoke impressions of expanse and distance and boundlessness. Blue and green are transcendent, spiritual, non-sensuous colours.’
Oswald Spengler – Decline of the West
Pictured below: A Sensitive Young Man wearing a tanktop in the colour of unfathomable depth.
Wassailing
Under the title Spirit Trees and the Wild Wood the author talks about wassailing:
‘It us customary each winter to honor the apple trees by wassailing, when traditional songs are sung and offerings of food and drink are left for the trees and the spirit-guardians of the orchard.’
Nigel Pennick – Elemental Magic. Page 74.
A quite wholesome tradition indeed! Survive the Jive made a documentary about wassailing for those who are interested:
Garlic Against Demonic Interference
In the chapter titled Precautions and Remedies the author notes the following about garlic:
‘Garlic (Allium sativum) is a tried-and-tested remedy against all kinds of malevolent spirits, harmful magic, and demonic interference.’
Nigel Pennick – Elemental Magic. Page 125.
Garlic is indeed the good stuff!
Conclusion
Elemental Magic is a concise (132 pages) and informative book. I enjoyed the book and can recommend it for those interested in European folklore!
Physiognomy Analysis – Spengler & Evola
Posted on August 11, 2024
I am almost done with the first volume of Decline of the West by Oswald Spengler. I will elaborate on it at length in the next episode of The Greatest Podcast. As for now, I just have to note the following: Spengler is, for lack of a better way to put it, quite hostile to the Classical (Apollonian) Soul.
Usually, when people are hostile to the Classical World (i.e. Ancient Greece and Rome) and to the European Middle Ages, they are often in a poor physical shape. Right enough, Spengler suffered from a heart condition. He was even exempt from service during WW1.
A few words about his physiognomy – highly intelligent, but also bitter, brooding, sceptical. Not life-affirming, not high-thumos. Someone not keen on praising others. Contrast this against Evola. In Evola we see a man of action as well as contemplation – a man in good physical condition. An accomplished mountaineer and mage. Evola served in WW1. In his eyes we see timeless wisdom.
Physiognomy aside, Spengler was wrong in making a distinction between the Classical (Apollonian) and the Western (Faustian) Soul. They are the same Soul and the highest aim of this Soul is glory (a yearning for infinity would merely be an expression of the yearning for glory). This Soul is named the Aryan Soul. For the Aryan Soul, there is nothing better than glory and nothing worse than shame.
Achilles, Alexander, the Roman Emperors, the Norman conquerors, Gustav Adolf the Great, Frederick the Great, Napoleon – the list goes on. The same spirit imbued all of them. As Dominique Venner (in The Shock of History) so eloquently put it in regard to the Iliad: “Of the need for glory that pulls men up to the height of the gods.” Spengler was wrong in making a distinction between the Classical and the Western in another way as well. We now know (thanks to archaeogenetics) that there is a continuation of blood stretching back into the mists of time. As I have noted before, Europeans are (simply put) made up of three population groups: Western Hunter-Gatherers, Anatolian Neolithic Farmers, and Aryans (often referred to as Indo-Europeans or Western Steppe-Herders).
Biospiritually speaking, the Aryan component is the most interesting one – Evola understood this with perfect clarity. This Aryan spirit has been present in Europe since the the Aryans merged with the Early European Farmers (EEF = a combination of Anatolian Neolithic Farmers and Western Hunter-Gatherers). We could actually go further back in time than this but that will be for another time. The Aryan spirit can (among other ways) materialise in the form of Divine Heroes and in the form of Imperium. Examples of the former are Alexander and Theodoric. Examples of the latter are the Roman Empire and the Holy Roman Empire of the Middle Ages. Thus, there is no break between the Classical and the Western. They are one and there is a continuity of blood and spirit connecting them. Indeed, connecting all of Europe.
Another observation that I thought to share in order to illustrate a difference between Spengler and Evola is the following: Spengler erroneously states that yellow and red are “the colours of the crowd, of children, of women, and of savages.” Evola correctly notes that red is a regal colour. It is also worth noting that yellow is a colour of power – it is connected to the Solar Principle as well as to the Solar Plexus Chakra (which is connected to a man’s Will-To-Power). Spengler also makes a great mistake in grouping the Iranian together with the Arabian under the title of Magian. Evola correctly understood the ancient Iranians as an Aryan nation. We now know (again thanks to archaeogenetics) that the ancient Iranians came from Europe.
All that being said, Spengler was a genius and a great thinker. As already noted, I will discuss his work at length later on. I will, of course, discuss his theory of the cycles of civilisations – and what it means for us Sons and Daughters of Europe at this particular moment in time. Onwards!
The Golden One 
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