Elemental Magic - 3rd Edition by Nigel Pennick (Paperback)

About the Book

"First edition published in the United Kingdom in 2001 by Thorsons under the title Natural magic. Second edition published in the United Kingdom in 2005 by Lear Books"--Title page verso.

Book Synopsis

Learn how to use the principles and practices of natural magic for personal development and spiritual empowerment

- Offers detailed descriptions of the magical properties of minerals, animals, plants, and the earth's cycles and how to use them in your own practice

- Explores the magical laws of nature and how to guide your inner energy to work in concert with cosmic energies

- Details how to design your own ceremonies, practice elemental meditations, and craft your own magical talismans, wands, and divining rods

An expert on European rural folk magic traditions, author Nigel Pennick presents a comprehensive introduction to the principles, rituals, practices, and magical tools required to draw on the magic inherent in the natural world. He explains how people throughout the centuries have built a relationship with the elemental energies around them using simple, everyday practices in order to attune themselves to nature, the seasons, and the cosmos for magical purposes.

The author explores earth, mineral, and plant magic as well as the magical properties of the earth's cycles and concentrated places of power within the landscape. He examines magical workings with animals, drawing on authentic traditions such as the Toadsmen or Toadswomen, whose power is given by toads, and the Berserker qualities conferred by magical bondings with wild animals like bears and wolves. He explains how to craft your own magical talismans, wands, and divining rods; design your own ceremonies; practice elemental meditations; fortify your health with herbs and crystals; and set an altar with the right food and drink for your intention.

Pennick also describes how the practical techniques of natural elemental magic work through interactions between the inner world of the mind and spirit, the outer world, and the otherworldly. He shows that having a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of all things and the inner power of these magical elements strengthens the practitioner's harmony with nature, and thus their power. By harnessing the elemental energies around us, we can work with nature for personal development, spiritual empowerment, and the successful achievement of our desires

Review Quotes

"I happily and heartily recommend this book [Elemental Magic] to anyone who wants a powerful magical system to awaken their ehars and souls to incredible inner power. There is no religion here, no priesthood or hierarchy, just the simple and profound love of ever-abundant nature, and many gifts of knowing."-- "Lesley Crossingham, New Dawn Magazine"

"This short book is a clear, simple and well-organized guide to the basics of European traditional magic and belief....a great introduction to European magic and folklore for a young person or someone newly interested in these subjects. I particularly enjoyed the accompanying drawings by the author--the stark and dynamic black and white images complemented and enriched their words."-- "Carolyn Dougherty, Pagan Dawn Magazine"

"Whether you are looking for techniques to deepen your relationship with the natural world or just need a really effective binding pattern, Elemental Magic deserves a spot on your shelf."-- "The Witches' Almanac"

"One of my favorite things about this book is how much it is just a welcome beginning to having your own unique experience. Pennick is impeccable at walking that line between offering you his approach and perspective, promising you the richness of what is to come in your own intimacy with these practices, and truly leaving the space for you to discover the magic for yourself."-- "Allyson Seal, Indie Mystic"

"Elemental Magic serves as a toolbox of knowledge and techniques to further a person's understanding of the natural world around them. Written in a manner that allows the work to be incorporated by a variety of occult fields, Pennick offers both practical and philosophical means of ingress into this wide reaching arena. A worthy addition to any library."-- "Daniel Yates, occult photographer and author of Arcanum"

"Nigel Pennick's Elemental Magic is a pithy primer on the ancient yet eternally relevant ways of engaging with the hidden workings of the ensouled world that surrounds us. This accessible little manual of hard-won wisdom offers basic instruction in an array of European folk-magic practices, along with a plainly worded overview of the enchanting folklore and enchanted worldview that underpins these hallowed customs. Ornamented with finely wrought images by the author himself, in his concomitant role as a spiritual artist and craftsman, the end result is more than a modest handbook--it is a quintessential one, in the best archaic sense of the word."-- "Michael Moynihan, Ph.D., coeditor of Tyr: Myth--Culture--Tradition"

"One of Nigel Pennick's best! Thorough, practical, and informed by a profound grasp of traditional European lore, this classic book on the art and practice of natural magic belongs on the bookshelf of any working mage."-- "John Michael Greer, author of The Druid Magic Handbook and The Druidry Handbook"

"Who wouldn't want a whole system to perform serious magic all summed up in one book? Elemental Magic: Traditional Practices for Working with the Energies of the Natural World by Nigel Pennick delivers exactly that. Furthermore, it details how to work in harmony with the world around us--something that we all instinctively know is becoming more and more important with every passing decade."-- "Ian Read, English editor of Chaos International and Rûna magazines"

About the Author

An authority on ancient belief systems, traditions, runes, and geomancy, Nigel Pennick is the author and illustrator of more than 50 books, including The Pagan Book of Days. The founder of the Institute of Geomantic Research and the Library of the European Tradition, he lives near Cambridge, England.