Magical Alphabets by Nigel Pennick
Making sense of the issues of gender, masculinity, and manhood, has for decades been bedevilled by rigid gender ideology. This book bravely departs from the status quo and proposes a refreshingly different view. Drawing from a number of major authors and different disciplines it crafts key findings into a compelling and coherent alternative perspective, complete with new definitions and suggestions for further enquiry. Though offering a basic critique of anti-male feminism, it abstains from reactionism, and instead advocates a common standard of equity and respectful dialogue for both genders. The book challenges the moral legitimacy of attempts at social engineering and 'welfare' efforts that are not informed by the best available knowledge about what we are, how we think and feel, and why we behave in certain sex-specific ways.Nigel Pennick spent fifteen years in Cambridge working in scientific research, with stops at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium and the University of Guelph in Canada. During this time, he published twenty-nine scientific papers, eight of which reported new marine algae species. He lost his job in 1985 when the institute was forced to close due to budget constraints, and he went on to work as a full-time writer and lecturer on history and folklore. He was involved in folk customs and the Cambridge scene at the time, in addition to his scientific studies. He formed the Institute of Geomantic Studies in 1975, which produced a journal and a number of infrequent papers on geomancy and earth riddles.
He traveled extensively from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, giving lectures and seminars in Ireland, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and the United States, as well as in the United Kingdom. He also arranged and took part in a number of spiritual tours of ancient sacred sites in England, Wales, and Ireland. He was also publishing works about the runes, mythology, geomancy, ley lines, labyrinths, Celtic art and landscapes, traditional rites and ceremonies, folk magic, and the histories of particular London subterranean railways during this time. He is also a traditional media and stained glass artist, and many of his books have been illustrated by him.
In Emmanuel Church in Cambridge, he staged a one-man show of his Visionary Steeples artwork in 2011. He currently performs music with The Traditional Music of Cambridgeshire Collective and takes part in Cambridgeshire's traditional calendar customs throughout the year, having reinstated the tradition of parading the May Day Garland across the city in 2009.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780877287476 |
| ISBN 10 | 0877287473 |
| Title | Magical Alphabets |
| Author | Nigel Pennick |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Red Wheel/Weiser |
| Year published | 1994-12-07 |
| Number of pages | 256 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |