Book Review: Fortuna: The Sacred and Profane Faces of Luck by Nigel Pennick

Overview of Fortuna

Nigel Pennick, a well known expert and author of pagan and occult subjects, published Fortuna with Destiny Books, a division of Inner Traditions Publishing. The material presented is historically accurate and informative, going through periods of humanity and how luck was perceived, as well as different oracle systems throughout the ages. Pennick does include some practical information that a modern practitioner of divination could use, such as geomantic figures, numerology lists, and a list of common epithets of Fortuna that could be called upon by a modern pagan, or anyone looking for divine help navigating life’s decisions and ups and downs, with simple but effective techniques.

With Fortuna, Pennick artfully presents historically accurate material (something many more pagans are looking for these days) that can be easily practiced today as it was hundreds, if not thousands of years ago. Pennick does convincingly argue his points about predestination, fate, luck, and other topics pertaining to Fortuna both as a goddess, and a concept, noting that fate and luck can be fickle. Later in the book, Pennick does tie everything together, stating that “Divination and gambling have always been close cousins” in the conclusion section of the book; I do believe he provides enough evidence to satisfactorily prove his point, and the depth with which he goes into topics like randomness, which is more a statistical probability, as well how as certain gambling methods have been fixed throughout history, and these ideas can easily translate into divination, especially with the current popularity of divination tools like Tarot and Oracle decks.

My personal thoughts on Fortuna 

Even though I did find the historical and academic portions fascinating, I can see how some hoping for the typical metaphysical publishing format of content packed with exercises, instructions, etc., would cause a few negative reviews, as is the case on goodreads and amazon. I challenge these reviews, stating that if you pay close attention, Pennick is weaving together everything for you; charms for good luck with gambling, divination methods, and more. Instead of spoon-feeding it to you, Pennick wants to inspire you to use the material within the book to create your own system, based on actual methods used throughout history.

Despite my appreciation for Pennick’s intent, the chapters, which were clearly marked and separated, seemed to jump all over the place, in terms of whether a metaphysical or mundane concept was being discussed; some chapters seemed to bounce from metaphysical to mundane, and vice versa. Maybe that was Mr. Pennick’s point, as his conclusion’s opening statements says that gambling and divination have been cousins, and because of that, the spiritual and mundane are more interactive with one another than even someone like myself would believe. Chronologically, however, the chapters do make sense, going through periods of history sequentially.

Fortuna by Nigel Pennick is a breezy 134 page read, including index and appendices, and is packed with tons of information that’s perfect for a Pagan who plays poker, or someone looking to expand their outlook on fate, luck, and the like. In some ways, it didn’t live up to my hopes, but it did provide information that I plan to use in my divination practices, as well as my continued relationship with Fortuna, the Goddess of Luck and Fate. Overall, I would say that Fortuna is worth a read for the more academic Pagan or diviner out there, looking for historical, authentic information, as well as an interesting look at gambling throughout history. On a scale of 1-5, I would rate Fortuna a 4; it has inspired me to learn and develop two new types of divination that I found interest in while reading this book, but the book could be a little hard to follow at times, unfortunately.

Nigel Pennick is a well known and respected author and expert on pagan, esoteric and ancient belief systems, runes and geomancy. He has traveled around Europe and the United States lecturing, and is the author of over 60 titles, including a personal favorite, Operative Witchcraft: Spellwork and Herbcraft in the British Isles. 

About the Author:

Hello there! I’m the Modern Merlin, and I’ve been a Polytheist Pagan, Witch, Sorcerer, Wizard, Mystic, Ceremonial Magician, Shaman and Soothsayer for 15 years, worshipping and working with deities and spirits from many cultures, including Ancient Greece, Rome, Norse & Germanic, Celtic, Egyptian, Sumerian, as well as Yoruba & Voodoo deities. I study and practice Astrology as well as Tarot and other forms of divination. I give readings and spiritual services on my Facebook Page, The Modern Merlin, as well other free informational posts for everyone to see!