Read e-book online The Book of Primal Signs: The High Magic of Symbols PDF

An in-depth learn of the sacred meanings in the back of historic and enduring symbols

• Explains the a number of types and makes use of of symbols from precedent days to the current day, reflecting their roots in folks magic and the Western secret culture

• Examines greater than forty glyphs, akin to the move, fleur de lis, and pentagram, in addition to numerous households of symbols, comparable to craftsmen’s marks and runes

• comprises greater than three hundred targeted woodcuts, drawings, calligraphy, and photographs--many by no means earlier than reproduced

From historic rock and cave paintings to the modern model trademarks of politics and company, people have continuously created symbols to indicate particular rules, teams, or vital gadgets in addition to to exhibit deeper info than should be communicated in phrases. Many glyphs have retained their meanings over millennia while a few have sleek meanings significantly diversified from the unique connotation. during this learn of symbols, Nigel Pennick explores glyphs as brokers of upper attention and ports of entry to the collective subconscious, acknowledging the continuity of culture, either planned and never, in addition to how interpretations of a few symbols, similar to the swastika, have replaced dramatically.

With greater than three hundred certain woodcuts, drawings, calligraphy, and photographs--many by no means prior to reproduced--Pennick examines historic and enduring glyphs intimately, similar to the circle, move, eye, pentagram, fleur de lis, tree of lifestyles, and horseshoe, in addition to a number of households of symbols, corresponding to craftsmen’s marks, runes, symbolic beasts, human heads and skulls, and the sigils of Mammon. the writer explains the a number of types and makes use of of every from precedent days to the current day, reflecting their roots within the Western secret culture. He explores the symbols of excessive magic reminiscent of the glyph of John Dee’s monad, these of folks magic resembling the conventional cock at the climate vane, and the production of recent glyphs similar to the peace signal and the anarchy image.

Contrasting the hi-jacked use of energy symbols in smooth ads with the important position of symbols in conventional arts and crafts, Pennick finds how symbols hyperlink the cosmic with the terrestrial and make allowance us to infuse the mundane with the numinous.