Magical Alphabets: The Secrets and Significance of Ancient Scripts—Including Runes, Greek, Ogham, Hebrew and Alchemical Alphabets

by Nigel Pennick

Using the premise that languages and the alphabets that comprise them are metaphorical microcosms of our world, Nigel Pennick demonstrates how various alphabets function as a metaphysical description of reality. Magical alphabets actually enable seekers to experience a transformative process. This inner transformation is one of the main objectives of all esoteric traditions, and it can be accomplished by using any of the alphabet systems described in this book.

Genres: Magick, Occult, Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Language, Linguistics, Mysticism

254 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1992

About the author

Nigel Campbell Pennick, born 1946 in Guildford, Surrey, England in the United Kingdom, an author publishing on occultism, magic, natural magic, divination, subterranea, rural folk customs, traditional performance and Celtic art as well as runosophy.
He is a writer on marine species as well as an occultist and geomancer, artist and illustrator, stained-glass designer and maker, musician and mummer. He also writes on European arts and crafts, buildings, landscape, customs, games and spiritual traditions. He has written several booklets on the history of urban transport in Cambridge and London . He is best known for his research on geomancy, labyrinths, sacred geometry, the spiritual arts and crafts, esoteric alphabets and Germanic runic studies.
He has written many books in German and has over 50 published books and hundreds of published papers on a wide range of subjects.

Reviews

[Ashley Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

So utterly excellent and well researched and laid out...Couldn't have enjoyed it more.

[Mahmoud Awad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The essential compass to navigate an otherwise hopelessly murky domain - intersections between lateral use of language and mathematical numerology in Western esoterica. Strictly Western, however. Examinations of yantra-styled ritual chambers are not included. Neither is the Armanen-futhark Runengymnastik, surprisingly, but this is hardly a major flaw.

Recommended in combination with Grimoires: A History of Magic Books, for cross-reference.

[aaron gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read if you are interested epigraphy.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Showstopping, a top rating book. So well researched!

[Mirhanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and enlightening.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Nigle Pennicks non-fiction writing.
I went into this book to learn more about runes and wound up learning about Hebrew, Greek and Celtic lettering systems as well. It was a pleasant surprise and I am glad the book covered all of these alphabets and how they were used in the past.

Pennick examines in depth the alphabetical systems of the West, including Hebrew, Greek, Runic, Celtic, Medieval and the Renaissance alphabets of the alchemical tradition.

[Giraffedragon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, though VERY complicated, especially with the ciphers. I didn't follow all of that part.