This read more as an encyclopedia than an easy to read book with helpful tips and teachings. It was too dry for my taste, but there was a lot of information, which was good.

This is my first Nigel Pennick book. I was expecting more of a book format, but this seems very encyclopedic. It did pack a good amount of information into it. I would be willing to check out another of his books to see if I enjoy it more.

Elemental Magic by Nigel Pennick was a solid read if somewhat dry in presentation.
The academic tone struck by the writer made this not quite the text I was hoping for but older witches looking for more traditional materials may really enjoy the work.

Elemental Magic by Nigel Pennick

9781620557587

144 Pages
Publisher: Inner Traditions / Destiny Books
Release Date: November 1, 2020

Nonfiction, Metaphysical, Religion, Spirituality

The book is divided into the following chapters.

Chapter 1: Mother Earth
Chapter 2: Mineral Magic
Chapter 3: Plant Magic
Chapter 4: Magical Animals and Birds
Chapter 5: The Power Within
Chapter 6: The Magic of the Land
Chapter 7: Magic in Action
Chapter 8: Making Magical Tools and Ceremonies
Chapter 9: Magical Food and Drink
Chapter 10: Precautions and Remedies

The chapters are followed by a conclusion titled: A Valid and Appropriate Spiritual Path. This book is a combination of generic Pagan themes with Celtic and Norse traditions. The chapter on plant magic covers the trees of the Ogham. I found the symbolism of astrology and parts of the body very interesting.

The meditations are easy to follow even for beginners. The imagery and drawings in the book are beautiful. There are drink recipes for mead, beer, and wine and food recipes for ceremonial rusks, soul cakes, and kitchels. Although this is a short book, it is full of so much information. It would be a great reference book for any practitioner.

It took my a long time to finish this book because it didn't hold my attention and I sometimes had to force myself to read it. Overall, it was an okay book and good for beginners.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good! It taught me so much.

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

It's an interesting book, in some ways, but I didn't realise when requesting it that it is a reissue of an older book from 20 years ago. Unfortunately, it kind of reads like a book from about 50 years ago, with quite a dry, academic tone in places. For people more used to reading more friendly, accessibly written works, that may jar a bit, as it did with me.

There were some interesting things in here, but there wasn't really anything new that I couldn't find in a dozen other books or on the internet. It may still make a nice reference book for others. The main sticking point for me really was the style of writing.

I'm not unused to academic writing, so I would have been fine with that if Pennick's references weren't so vague. For instance, at one point he talks about Northern regions having a fifth element, ice, but doesn't specify what these regions are. Is he talking about Scandinavia? Canada? Greenland? He never specifies, so there's no way I can cross check his information, despite being written like an academic tome, and that voice in his writing really grated on me after a while.

Formatting of the Kindle ARC downloaded from here was a hot mess! Made for a hard read, and the writing itself could have used a lot of editing. It felt contradictory at times, and given how I am not familiar with the practices explained, I cannot vouch that they're good or not. Which thus left me with a bitter aftertaste as I didn't know how seriously to take this book and how accurate they are

If you’re looking into the nature path this is a good resource. New and old practitioners can find useful information.

Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley for the advanced e-reader copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Understand the ancient traditional practices of working with the elements and energies.

Bring this magical world alive in your understandings of life.

Elemental Magic, a new edition of the earlier book “Natural Magic”, is a good magical primer for anyone interested in the subject. The author is a familiar name in British occultism and certainly very experienced with magic. Within this book there is a great introduction to working with natural energies — the elements, the seasons, and the land around you — and Pennick offers wise and practical applications of how to work with these in magic. It’s refreshingly down to earth and strongly reinforces the idea of “earth-based spirituality” — where one's relationship with Mother Earth is the primary focus.

Whilst not strictly Wiccan in outlook, this book does lean that way in places — but in others, it has more of a Traditional Witchcraft leaning, and sometimes trying to balance between the two means that information is glossed over in places. However, the book is a great stepping-stone to other works covering Witchcraft and other earth-based spiritualities.


As an experienced Witch, I found this to be very much an introductory book but for those newcomers to the Craft, or for those wanting to refresh their practice, this is an invaluable guide. Recommended.

I received an e-ARC from the publisher, Inner Traditions/Destiny Books, through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting, informative and well written book that helped to learn something new.
I loved the style of writing, the clear explanations and how the book is organised.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is a very inspirational book. I am very impressed with the volume of information within. I highly recommend this book . Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC. My review opinion is my own,

The author emphasis how we are all part of the natural work and can better our connection to nature with practicing our craft with Earth, Air,Water and Fire as the basic elements to work with. He includes activities with the four seasons of nature. You will feel inspired to try the. author's magical suggestions and reconnect yourself with Mother Earth . I loved the format of this book and found it accessible and sensible to follow. This is a book to buy in hard cover and keep in your home library and give for gifts.

Very well done to the author.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found it very informative. I liked how the author started out very logically with some broad topics and then explained them further by narrowing it down. I also really loved the pictures throughout the book, they added a lot both information wise but also to the overall atmosphere.

One of the things I noticed was that the layout of my copy still had many mistakes and sometimes a sentence was broken up with 'FOR REVIEW ONLY' - this happened at least once every other page. I assume this won't be in the final copies, but it is a thing that was very noticeable.

I want to give a big thank you to the author and publisher for gifting me with a copy!

I found this to be a really useful resource for researching magic for my fantasy book. There is a lot of straight forward information and all sorts of useful facts and explanations.

At first I thought it might be a little too basic, but once the basics were explained it became more interesting. I like the way everything is laid out in a list format in a matter of fact way that is clear and easy to follow.
In particular, I really like the sections on gems and minerals, on trees and their magical properties, and on talismans and amulets.

I can see myself referring back to this in the future for extra bits of information and research.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't really a big fan of this to be honest. I wanted to but it just didn't really go into any detail or practicalities. It was a brief and vague explanations of different types of magic.

As it says in the book description, this is an introduction to the basics of the craft. To me it felt more like a list of different mediums and what they can be used for, with an occasional instruction thrown in.

Don't get me wrong, it was interesting, but I didn't find it 'engaged' me, for want of a better word. I have found it hard to give a star rating, and have eventually plumped for that below

I don't think that I will be using it for my personal development. Nor do I feel in a position to recommend it to anyone.

Unlike a lot of books on this subject matter, Pennick remained polite and factual throughout the whole thing. It lacked any of the gimmickeyness of other books on paganism and magic, and explained very clearly to what he referred to when he said 'magic'.

The book is clearly laid out and easily navigable, however does not go into nearly as much detail as I would like. The focus is essentially Wicca, rather than any of the other Pagan paths, but the information he offers regarding Wicca or the choice to limit the discussion of magic to wicca was not explored at all. In some places it felt a little basic and cut off. For example, a statement about the use of protective herbs should have had a chapter devoted to it, as in Pagan magic, herbs are one of the most important aspects. However, it was left as is and it moved onto the next chapter.

While it did lack detail, it does offer a good review of natural magics (seasonal, elemental, geographical, etc) and could be a good book for beginnings who want to develop their understandings in a more general way. It felt like a very honest approach to writing a book on magic. There was no attempt to capture the 'thrill' of magic, and explains that this is because magic is in the things around us all the time. I appreciated the relatability of this. When I first got into Wicca and Paganism, I remember books were so fanciful and dramatic that I thought either I was completely unable to sense and use magic, or that everyone was part of a huge joke being played on me!

I wouldn't say this book has all the answers. It is too general in places and a bit unbalanced. However, the reassurance it offers with its honesty is very valuable, and I would recommend this to anyone looking to develop some basic knowledge or find their path.

Elemental Magic: Traditional Practices for Working With The Energies Of The Natural World by Nigel Pennick is a classic text of introduction to and practical application of nature in magical practice. Mr. Pennick’s books can be found in the libraries of both the scholars and those who follow the ways of the pagan path and he is an expert in the details of European folk magic. This is the 3rd Edition of a timeless book that provides a comprehensive and thorough teaching of the expression of the natural world is all facets of the mundane and the magical.

As the title suggests, “Traditional Practices for Working with the Energies of the Natural World”, the contents of this book are rooted in ancient beliefs and ways of interactions and carries these into the modern world as those systems that are inherent in all of nature regardless of the timeline. Each chapter focuses on those things that are in support of deepening the reader’s connection to the natural world and informing that connection with practical and useable ways of developing a working rapport with nature.

The contents are divided into an Introduction, ten (10) chapters and Conclusion. The Introduction: The Natural Power in All Things provides the reader with an approach to traditional spirituality that is both empowering and supportive of nature in all of her forms, physical and subtle.

…The down-to-earth practical spiritual techniques of natural magic straddles the boundaries between the subtle, inner world of the mind and spirit, the material outer world, and the otherworldly. Magic comes about through interaction between the inner experiences of the human spirit and the outer experiences of the physical world, both natural and human-made..1.

Elemental Magic: Traditional Practices for Working With The Energies Of The Natural World begins its studies in Chapter 1: Mother Earth, and opens with a quote from the medieval European alchemist Basilius Valentinus…

… “The Earth is not an inanimate body, but is inhabited by the spirit which is its life and its soul. All created things draw their strength from the Earth Spirit. This spirit is life; it is nourished by the stars and gives nourishment to all living things that its shelters in her womb.”…2.

The reader will find everything needed to understand and fully begin a spiritual practice based in natural magic. Discussion of the Wheel of the Year, the days of the week, cycles of time and the alchemical elements provide the basis of traditional practice. Subsequent chapters dive into the magic of minerals, plants, animals and the land. None of the chapters go into great detail about each component, but do provide enough information to stimulate an inquisitive nature.

An excerpt from Chapter 5. The Power Within provides a glimpse of exercises and philosophies provided….…Excerpt. Amazon.com© All rights reserved.


Elemental Alignment: A good way of gaining bodily and mental familiarity with the four material elements, and the fifth non-material one, is to use them in meditation. Like other magical activities, you should perform these meditations inside a protective boundary. Each time you work with an element, use the same technique. Begin with the densest element, Earth, then proceed to the lightest, Fire, in the sequence Earth, Water, Air, Fire.

Earth Meditation. Put some earth in a ceramic or glass bowl, and place it in a convenient location. Sit in a meditational posture, and focus your attention on the earth in the bowl. Explore in your mind the many possibilities of earth symbolized by this small sample. When you have done this, allow your consciousness to enter the earth. Become at one with it. Experience its heaviness, its many variant forms and possibilities, and the feelings that they bring.

Water Meditation. Pour some natural spring or well water into a bowl, and place the bowl in a convenient location, as before. Focus your meditation upon the water. Explore the many forms of water: wetness, rain, streams, puddles, lakes, and the sea. When you have done this, allow your consciousness to enter the water. Become at one with it. Experience its fluidity, its many variant flowing possibilities, and the feelings that they bring you.

Air Meditation. Light some incense. It is best to use one that you have collected yourself, such as resin from a tall conifer. Burn it on charcoal in a fireproof dish. Place the dish in a convenient place, as before. Then focus your meditation upon the smoke that indicates the invisible air. Explore the many forms of air: the atmosphere of places, breezes, winds, storms, hurricanes, and whirlwinds. When you have done this, allow your consciousness to enter the air. Become at one with it. Experience its freedom and motion, and the feelings that they bring.

Fire Meditation. For this, light a candle, using struck fire. It is best to use a fire-colored one, deep orange or red. Watch the brilliant flame, and focus your awareness upon the qualities and forms of fire and flame: heat, flickering light, red-hot metal, volcanic eruptions, and the power of the sun. Then imagine yourself as part of the fire, experiencing the feelings that this generates.

The Subtle Power Meditation. Sit as before, visualizing the natural empowerment of all existence, the flowing energy matrix upon which all things are patterned. Envisage it as ever-changing, flowing geometrical colors and forms, like the rainbow patterns on the surface of a bubble.

When you have finished each meditation, direct your consciousness away from the object. Return to a full awareness of the things around you. When you begin, it is best to work several times with each element, until you feel ready to move on to the next one. Once you have worked through all five, you will find that your understanding of the subtle realms has been greatly empowered.

Chapters 7: Magic in Action, 8: Making Magical Tools and Ceremonies, and 9: Magical Food and Drink are complete with instructions for crafting tools and ritual, recipes and more. All are steeped in folk tradition and offer the reader a first hand look at how our ancestors celebrated and enacted natural magic as a means of living in harmony and balance with their surroundings.

Chapter 10: Precautions and Remedies speaks to the need for discernment in acknowledging that there is great power in nature, those things of nature that are in support of humans and those that can be harmful. Herbs as remedies and protective ceremonies are topics covered. Use of crystals and gems concludes this chapter. This chapter is a natural Segway into the final chapter of Conclusion: A Valid and Appropriate Spiritual Path.

… We live in a time of perpetual and accelerating change. Traditional ways of doing things are rapidly breaking down in the face of globalization. The destruction of nature by the products o industry is happening all around us. It is self-evident that unless we develop a better attitude toward nature, we will bring about our own ruin. Recognizing this, many people are seeking a better way of living. This has brought about a rediscovery and popularization of techniques that were once known by a very few people…3.

Would I Recommend:

This opening statement of the final chapter sums up the intention of this book and the value in its reading. I believe that we need to routinely bring forward those texts that remind us that we are part of a greater whole and that every aspect of how we live and the energetic and physical imprint we offer needs to hold intention and higher purpose. Elemental Magic: Traditional Practices for Working With The Energies Of The Natural World by Nigel Pennick fulfills this purpose nicely. In comparison to many similar books on natural magic, this read is pared down and succinct in the important points of what truly matters. Writing in this way, leaves the space of opening for personal integration, understanding and a practical application of the techniques and principles that have survived the rapidly evolving changes of the natural world.

About Author Nigel Pennick:

Nigel Pennick is an authority on ancient belief systems, traditions, runes, and geomancy and has traveled and lectured extensively in Europe and the United States. He is the author and illustrator of more than 50 books, including The Pagan Book of Days. The founder of the Institute of Geomantic Research and the Library of the European Tradition, he lives near Cambridge, England.

Footnotes:

p. 1
Chapter 1: Mother Earth
Conclusion: A Valid and Appropriate Spiritual Path

Reviewed by Robin Fennelly of PaganPages.org

This is a new edition of the author’s earlier book, "Natural Magic," and features his enchanting drawings and photographs. This volume is a basic, but thorough treatment of traditional spirituality that ”... deals with the subtle and unseen energies and powers of our environment,” he notes. The reader learns the natural timing inherent in the Wheel of the Year and Lunar phases, along with associations of planetary powers and most importantly, the rulerships of the Five Elements and magical qualities of what is reflected in nature – minerals, animals, and the human body.
Author Pennick demonstrates a high regard for nature and respect for the magical art, but his publisher unfortunately does not. Every page provided by the publisher is stamped with the reminder that it is “For Review Only,” both a distraction and implied distrust of the conscientious reviewer.