George Macdonald

The son of a farmer, MacDonald grew up in rural northeast Scotland, where strict Calvinism and traditional storytelling left a lasting mark on his imagination. He studied at King's College, Aberdeen, earning an M.A. in 1845, then trained for the Congregationalist ministry at Highbury College in London.

He served congregations at Arundel and Manchester, but his unorthodox preaching and poor health led him to leave the ministry. Writing became his vocation. Within and Without (1855) was followed by Phantastes (1858), a dreamlike prose romance that became a landmark of fantasy.

His reputation grew with the Scottish novels David Elginbrod (1863) and Robert Falconer (1868), while his children's books - At the Back of the North Wind (1871), The Princess and the Goblin (1872), and The Princess and Curdie (1883) - combined adventure with spiritual allegory. He also published poetry, fairy tales such as The Golden Key, and collections of sermons. Lewis Carroll became a friend of the family, and MacDonald's children's response to the manuscript of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland encouraged its publication.

Despite chronic ill health and financial strain, MacDonald lectured widely, including a tour of the United States in 1872 - 73. In later years he lived for periods in Italy and Surrey. His Unspoken Sermons and novels expressed a theology centered on God's fatherly love, and his imaginative writing later found admirers in C. S. Lewis and other authors.

George Macdonald was born on December 10, 1824 in Huntly, Scotland, United Kingdom. In Cardology (Destiny Cards), December 10, 1824 corresponds to the Eight of Clubs, making the Eight of Clubs his Birth Card.

In numerology, the name adds another layer to the birth-date profile. The letters of a person’s name are used to explore inner motivation, personality, expression, and the qualities they bring into relationships and everyday life. Explore how his original name George MacDonald influences his life and personality.