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.

Have you ever felt that you are more than just 'an Aries'? There is so much more to you than your Sun sign would suggest - and one of the best ways of getting to know yourself more is to become familiar with your Primal Triad - the combination of your Sun sign, Moon sign and Rising sign. Often called 'the big three', these three signs are the greatest influence on the formation of your personality. In this book, Sara Shipman looks at the Primal Triad from a uniquely Aries perspective. So, if you are a Sun Aries, this book will enable you to understand your inner Aries character, and how those Aries characteristics are expressed according to the house position of the Sun in your birth chart. Sara also examines how your solar traits combine with the emotional nature of your Moon sign, and she also analyses how you express your Aries character to the world through the medium of your Rising sign. Understanding how your Sun sign, Moon sign and Rising sign work together is a great way of getting to know yourself better. The 'big three' signs are the building blocks of your personality and, according to the balance of signs that make up the Primal Triad, you will learn to appreciate why you present yourelf to the world in the way that you do, you will learn where your innermost feelings are coming from and, most important of all, you will discover exactly what lessons the universe is trying to teach you. For every Aries Sun who wants to know how to interpret their birth chart and learn more about themselves in the process, this book is a must read. Sara Shipman is an astrologer, writer and blogger whose posts can be read on her astrology website, starcrazypie.com.

All forms of magic are linked to language. As a magic practitioner and a linguist, Patrick Dunn illuminates this fascinating relationship and offers breakthrough theories on how and why magic works. Drawing on linguistics and semiotics (the study of symbols), Dunn illuminates the magical use of language, both theoretically and practically. He poses new theories on the mechanics of magic by analyzing the structure of ritual, written signs and sigils, primal language, incantations across cultures, Qabalah and gematria (Hebrew numerology), and the Enochian vocabulary. This revolutionary paradigm can help magicians understand how sigils and talismans work, compose Enochian spells, speak in tongues for magic, create mantras, work with gematria, use postmodern "defixios," and refine their practice in countless other ways. ""Magic, Power, Language, Symbol" is a unique tour de force that reinterprets the very nature of magic—placing it within the modern sciences of symbolism (semiotics) and language (linguistics). Within this paradigm, Dunn explains something that most other books miss: a logical and scientific understanding of how and why real magic actually works." —Donald Michael Kraig, author of "Modern Magick"

To protect her, he will unleash the beast within… As his pack’s second-in-command, lupine shifter Liam Armstrong gives orders and takes what he wants—until he meets red-headed, blue-eyed December McIntyre. Liam knows the human beauty is his intended mate the moment he sees her, but December is far too strong-willed to accept his protection. December, whose brother is the town sheriff, has every reason to mistrust shifters after one killed her youngest sibling. But the forceful and handsome Liam has gotten under her skin in a way she hadn’t thought possible, and the desire she feels for him is almost too much to bear. When a radical hate group targets all humans known to sympathize with paranormal beings, December is attacked in her bookstore. Reluctantly, she turns to the only one who can help her: Liam. And he is going to take her to places within herself she never knew existed.

If you think your astrological fate is sealed by your Sun sign, think again! Your emotions, instincts, intuition, and most private passions are dominated by your Moon sign. In this eye-opening volume, world-famous astrologer and therapist Donna Cunningham unravels the often bewildering effects of lunar influence: a person’s potential for intimacy, sense of security, family ties, susceptibility to indulgence in food or drink, career ambition, as well as how men and women respond differently to the same lunar promptings in love and life. Cunningham provides all the information you need to determine your own and others’ Moon signs—and analyze their power. Moon Signs also charts the daily, monthly, and yearly courses of the moon, which create those predictable mood swings—our “emotional weather.” The time-honored tradition of astrology has come into its own as a resource for human development and spiritual insight. For astrological novices and veterans alike, Cunningham’s invaluable guide will pave the way to a more profound understanding of the uncharted and sometimes dark side of the soul.

Yeah, yeah, the usual. A crime. A corpse. A killer. Heard it. Except this stiff happens to be a Ponsonby, scion of a venerable Edinburgh medical clan, and the manner of his death speaks of unspeakable things. Why is the body displayed like a slice of beef? How come his hands are digitally challenged? And if it's not the corpse, what is that awful smell? A post-Thatcherite nightmare of frightening plausibility, QUITE UGLY ONE MORNING is a wickedly entertaining and vivacious thriller, full of acerbic wit, cracking dialogue and villains both reputed and shell- suited.