The Book of Primal Signs

An in-depth study of the sacred meanings behind ancient and enduring symbols • Explains the multiple forms and uses of symbols from ancient times to the present day, reflecting their roots in folk magic and the Western Mystery tradition • Examines more than 40 glyphs, such as the cross, fleur de lis, and pentagram, as well as several families of symbols, such as craftsmen's marks and runes • Includes more than 300 unique woodcuts, drawings, calligraphy, and photographs--many never before reproduced From ancient rock and cave art to the contemporary brand logos of politics and business, human beings have always created symbols to denote specific ideas, groups, or important objects as well as to convey deeper information than can be communicated in words. Many glyphs have retained their meanings over millennia whereas some have modern meanings vastly different from the original connotation. In this study of symbols, Nigel Pennick explores glyphs as agents of higher consciousness and ports of access to the collective unconscious, acknowledging the continuity of tradition, both deliberate and not, as well as how interpretations of some symbols, such as the swastika, have changed dramatically. With more than 300 unique woodcuts, drawings, calligraphy, and photographs--many never before reproduced--Pennick examines ancient and enduring glyphs in detail, such as the circle, cross, eye, pentagram, fleur de lis, tree of life, and horseshoe, as well as several families of symbols, such as craftsmen's marks, runes, symbolic beasts, human heads and skulls, and the sigils of Mammon. The author explains the multiple forms and uses of each from ancient times to the present day, reflecting their roots in the Western Mystery tradition. He explores the symbols of high magic such as the glyph of John Dee's monad, those of folk magic such as the traditional cock on the weather vane, and the creation of modern glyphs such as the peace sign and the anarchy symbol. Contrasting the hi-jacked use of power symbols in modern advertising with the vital role of symbols in traditional arts and crafts, Pennick reveals how symbols link the cosmic with the terrestrial and allow us to infuse the mundane with the numinous.

Preface: Primal Signs, Traditional Glyphs, and Symbols Introduction: A Symbolic WorldPart ITraditional Glyphs, Signs, Sigils, and Symbols in PracticeThe Runes Runic Logos and Defunct Organizations The Pitfalls of Symbology New Names, New Meanings The Public Use of Glyphs Part IIA Box of Glyphs1 The Sun, the Circle, and the Sun Wheel 2 The Akhet and the Twin Towers 3 The Eight-Spoked Wheel 4 Crosses 5 The Crescent Moon, Star, and Comet 6 Solar Light and Lightning 7 The Cosmic or Philosophical Egg 8 The Omphalos 9 The Pineapple 10 The Tree of Life 11 The Fleur-de-Lys 12 The Rose 13 The Heart 14 Human and Eldritch Heads 15 The Swastika 16 The Skirl, Yin and Yang 17 The Pothook 18 The Trefot 19 The Horseshoe 20 Tools and Craft Symbols 21 The X, Gyfu, Daeg, and Ing Glyphs 22 The Hexflower 23 Woven Patterns 24 Plaits and Knots 25 Straw Plaits 26 The Pentagram 27 The Hexagram 28 The Checker 29 House Marks, Craftsmen's Marks, and Sigils 30 Miscellaneous Magical Glyphs 31 Alternative and New Spiritual Glyphs 32 Local Glyphs 33 Symbolic Beasts 34 The Serpent 35 The Phoenix 36 The Cockerel and Weathercocks 37 The Eye and the Peacock 38 The Sigils of Mammon 39 The Death's Head Bibliography Index