Pagan Magic of the Northern Tradition: Customs, Rites, and Ceremonies

by Nigel Pennick

A practical guide to the magical history, customs, and practices of pre-Christian Northern Europe • Details the everyday magic of the Northern Tradition, including household magic, protection spells, and the significance of the days of the week • Explores direct natural magic, such as shapeshifting and soul travel, and talismanic or sigil magic, including runes and rituals to unlock the power of crafted objects • Explains how many of these customs continue to the present day In the pre-Christian societies of Northern Europe, magic was embedded in the practical skills of everyday life. Everything in Nature was ensouled with an inner spirit, as was anything made by hand. People believed in magic because it worked and because it was part of the functionality of their day-to-day lives. Many of these practical observances and customs continue to the present day as rural traditions, folk customs, household magic, and celebrations of the high and holy days of the calendar. Exploring the magical pagan traditions of the people now called Celtic, Germanic, Scandinavian, Slavonic, and Baltic, Nigel Pennick examines the underlying principle of the Northern Tradition--the concept of Wyrd--and how it empowers the arts of operative magic, such as direct natural magic and talismanic or sigil magic. Through direct natural magic, individuals can shape shift, journey out of the body, or send one of their three souls (fylgia or “fetch”) ahead of them. Sigil magic involves the powers contained in objects, which can be channeled after the appropriate ritual. Runes are the most powerful sigils in the Northern Tradition and were used to ward off illness, danger, hostile magic, and malevolent spirits. Emphasizing the importance of the cycles of Nature to the tradition, Pennick explores the eightfold sun dials and the four ways the solar year is defined. He looks at the days of the week and their symbolic association with different deities as well as why particular acts are performed on certain days and what the customary lucky and unlucky days are. He also examines sacred spaces, household magic, protection spells, and the role of music in the Northern Tradition. Explaining all the traditional holidays and activities necessary to honor them, Pennick shows how anyone can participate authentically in the magic of the Northern Tradition if they take care to do things properly, with respect, and on the right day.

Genres: Witchcraft, Paganism, Nonfiction, Occult, Spirituality, Magick, Mythology

358 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1989

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

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is NOT what it sounds like.

Most modern people don't really understand the word magic, even some that are attracted to the word or claim to practice it. Nigel Pennick reports on the magic that was a functional part of daily life.
As the title shows he is reporting on Northern (European) traditions, but he mentions other cultures where appropriate.
What time is it? If you answered that question would you consider your answer to be a form of magic?
It once was. Before clocks, pocket watches and railroads, telling time was a form of magic.
Some shepherds in rural England were still using these ancient magical forms of tracking the time of day well into the early 20th century.
No doubt every culture around the world had a method to track the 'tides' of day before the invention of the clock. I wonder what they were. No matter who you are, we all have ancestors who would have once been "indigenous peoples" somewhere. Knowing that can bring us closer together.

[Spider Goddess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly did enjoy this book and I learned quite a bit from it. However, I do think this fellow needed a fact checker or needed to do a wee bit more research in the way of Gods/Goddesses in the Northern Traditions. He stated that Mani was a lunar goddess, when in actuality Mani is male. He also refers to Frigg and Freyja interchangeably. I find this odd and Frigg is definitely Aesir and Freyja Vanir, not even the same 'sorts' of goddesses.

There is value in this book, but considering the grievous errors, I cannot give it more than 3 stars

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some interesting information, but it suffered from a number of problems. Initially, it seemed to lack a real focus on its scope. Based on the title, the book should have focused on pagan magic. However, a significant emphasis was placed on customs and ceremonies that are directly tied to Christianity, either as Christian customs or as folklore tied to Christian conceptions of the Devil, demons, and witchcraft. I understand that many of these customs likely had some pagan basis that was later combined with Christian and Eastern magic, but the book does a very poor job of identifying the various strands. Instead, it often points to a folk practice that is explicitly Christian in nature and then moves on to discuss something different.

A separate issue with the scope comes from the regional focus. The book is supposed to be focused on the Northern tradition, but much of the magic discussed is related to Mediterranean practices. There is a significant amount of emphasis placed on magic in the Greek and Roman traditions, as well as some emphasis on customs from the near east. While it is interesting to see how these corresponded with northern traditions, often times the book elided any discussion of how the customs were linked; or, when the discussion was provided, the link often came down to Christian dissemination.

If the book had been titled "European Folk Magic" then it would have been far more accurate with regard to what the book actually was. As it stands, this is the second book I've read by this author where he cannot seem to focus on the topic he introduces. I'm not sure if that is because there are insufficient resources to illuminate the topic he's chosen or if he's just more interested in general occult practices. Either way be prepared to sift through a lot of chaff to find the useful kernels from a pagan perspective.

[Ik · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's very, very dry.

[Steve Cran · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Nigel Pennick everything always goes full circle and everything interconnected. For anyone wishing to practice North European magic this book is an excellent resource. Most of the magic is based on the Norse gods and germanic methods that came over to Britain with the wave of Viking and Norse warriors who came over. There is reference and some techniques that come over from the Celtic side of British heritage. Nigel also does a greater job of cross referencing gods of the Norse with those from other Pantheons further south like Greek and Roman. THe book is geared toward intermediate practitioners.If you want to work with this book I would advise getting to know the Norse pantheon really well. This stuff is defiantly not Wicca although there are similarity. More authentic and more British, although Wicca too was born in Britain.

THe author starts off with the circle. The circle is round with 8 different directions or airts. So in addition to North, South, East and West there is also North West, North East etc Each one with different significance. The circle represent the time of the day and the cycle of the year. Runes are another subject discussed. The author is frank about this subject . Due to persecution from Christians the practice was driven underground and a lot of knowledge was lost. Many would claim to be practitioner but were in fact naught but frauds. Runes can be used for Talisman and or amulet. Talismans can protect as well as attract and they are made and activated in a ritual where in the author gives over the steps. Like Wicca enegery has to be transported in the object so it can charge. Other amulet that are discussed are the witch balls which reflect back negative energy and switch bottle which lure negative engeRGY way frm the owner of it. Herbs are discussed as well as are the uses but most of it seems to be for protection. THe runes can also be placed on the circle and have their proper place. So do the major festivals like Beltane, Samhain, Llamas, etc. The author goes into tools of the trade as well and they are more extensive than the list Wiccans have to use. WHen Nigel discusses the the festivals not only does he tell you what they mean buty he also give over some ideas for ritual and prayers so that you can plan your own celebrations. He is against memorizing scripts and wants everything to come from the heart. The path of the craft is individualized to the practitioner.

Great book from a practitioner who live in the land where the craft is born and raised. His practice does have similarity with Wicca as Wicca sees magic as transferring oar working with energy. Even elemental spirits could be described as beings of energy and consciousness. I liked his discussion on the European martial arts and the shapehsifting wolf, bear and pig warriors. I am a fan of Nigel's work

[kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

pennick is awesome.
very thorough, well-researched and practical, also throws in some folkloric tidbits for entertainment purposes and juiciness. and maybe to steer away the superstitious.

a lot of runelore in this book, as that's a major focus for nigel and it's an incredibly important aspect of the northern tradition. also included are the appropriate pantheon(s) and seasonal bits; magickal weapons herbs and crystals, etc.

and the beautiful illustrations we've come to expect.

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm about halfway through this book and planning to skim the rest. Pennick clearly knows his stuff but the constant interjections about classical high magic (Greek, etc.) are extremely distracting. I was hoping for a book solely about Northern traditions and I'm not seeing the relationship between the two. Will probably skim the rest at a later date.

[Elentarri · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting, scholarly overview of the pagan customs, rites and ceremonies of the northern Europeans (with a bit of stuff from the rest of Europe). This book is similar to the works of Claude Lecouteux, only in less detail.

[Alubjorn]

Exellent treatise on Northern Magic...well researched and thorough.

[Teleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I could never substantiate some of this book in other sources, it just "Felt" right. I'd love to own a copy. The one I read was borrowed.

[Skydin Zeal · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best rune related books you can find. Very much in depth very much accurate and authentic information. Thank you so very much Nigel Pennick