In 2004 Ian completed his book on the roots of the Tree of Life
and astrology in ancient Iraq, and he is seeking a suitable
publisher (having withdrawn it from a publisher who wanted
to dumb it down). Enquiries welcome! He loves the culture
and symbolism of the Ancient Assyrians, which is vividly
are always sold out.
Ian is a graduate in classics and law of Trinity Hall, Cambridge University, where he was an Exhibitioner (1975 - 1979). He co-edited Stop Press with Varsity. He also trained in astrology at the Faculty of Astrological Studies in London, where he won the Veritas Award for Excellence in the Diploma Examination (History and Astronomy). He was particularly drawn to the cultural and symbolic aspects of the subject, due to his gift for pattern recognition, which made his book possible.
A born teacher, Ian has given courses in history and mythology and has studied Greek, Latin and Celtic sources as well as ancient Egyptian history. He has been a popular and respected tutor at the Open University, where he taught Constitutional Law and Criminal Law courses. He has won awards for his writing and debating and has addressed conferences and delivered training in many subject areas.
For ten years, Ian was a Case Summary Writer for the Journal of Planning and Environmental Law and for three years also for the Crown Office Digest. He also wrote book and music reviews.
Pursuing yet another interest, Ian reads Latin palaeography and has undertaken short medieval Latin translation projects for a published author investigating Glastonbury and the Knights Templars.
His interest in the Middle East, ancient and modern, has been consolidated in recent studies of the Kurdish peoples, northern neighbours of the Assyrians. He argues that their timeless ancestral religion of Yazdanism underpins today's monotheisms; yet it was developed when the rest of the world still prayed to many gods and goddesses. Kurdistan was the original site of settled communities who farmed and worked metals, so it is hardly suprising that religious developments there should also have been ground-breaking. That is precisely why Genesis places "Eden" there.
Qualifications:
LAW. BA Hons (Classics and Law) at Trinity Hall, Cambridge;
MA(Cantab) (awarded without further study); admitted as Solicitor in
England & Wales, August 1984; Postgraduate Certificate in Refugee
In 2008 The Times Good University Guide ranked Cambridge as the best University in the country for Law studies, if not boat racing. The Open University was rated 2nd highest UK University (all subjects) in the 2008 Survey of Student Satisfaction.
