Wyrd Times

Memoirs of a Pagan Renaissance Man By Nigel Pennick Arcana Europa/Wild Lives, 362 pages, ISBN 9780999724590  Many readers will know Nigel Pennick as the author of over fifty books on geomancy, folklore, paganism, and the runes. But who is Nigel Pennick? In this comprehensive and convivial memoir, Pennick describes his formative years growing up in a London devastated by the Blitz. Beyond the obvious physical destruction wrought by the war, it was a world characterized by severe psychological trauma. For the adults in his life, this could lead to a spirit of callousness and disregard for human life. For his young contemporaries, it was the catalyst to question every received opinion and established institution. During his time as a biology student and scientific researcher, Pennick threw himself into the realms of alternative publishing, avant-garde art, and experimental music. Unlike the American counterculture, however, the British underground embraced elements of localism, ruralism,