THE ART OF SIGILS

THE ART OF SIGILS - PART 1

         

WHAT ARE SIGILS ?

In my understanding I found sigils to be symbols that are used for a magickal purpose, while representing an intent,  construct, or entity. The etymology of the word sigil comes from the Latin word "Sigillum" which was defined as a sign, mark, seal, or signet. It also may have been connected to the Hebrew word nbao (segula) meaning word, action, charm, or talisman. It is also important to remember that there is a difference between symbols, and sigils, and as I see it not all symbols are sigils, but all sigils are a form of symbol. Symbols are simply constructs that are used to convey ideas, and beliefs, and sigils are symbols used for a magickal purpose, while also representing an intent, construct, or entity. Most of the time sigils are simply written glyphs that have a magickal purpose, but sigils can also be objects, sounds, or words that are unique, and organized in a specific way. Sigils take many different forms, and because of this can be quite versatile in the different ways in which they appear, and are used within magickal practices.

The word magick as it will be used in this post will be best understood under the definition that was originally created by Aleister Crowley, though I probably have my own interpretation of the definition, so it may not be used exactly the same way in which he does. This definition being that magick is "The science, and art of causing change to occur in conformity with will." I feel that this definition is not too overbearing, and is loose enough to incorporate all the aspects of magick that we will at least be talking about in this post. This definition also does not see magick as a spiritual, or non material construct, and more likens it to the state of causing change, or bringing forth manifestation as one wants it to occur. Magick is a process of change, and does not rely on any physical, mental, or spiritual states of being in order to exist. This allows our process of magick as it relates to our sigils to be focused on working to create this change rather than focusing on the element that creates that change like an immaterial force, or a psychological process.

Sigils can be used in all different types of magick from simply manifesting your desires, to even summoning forth entities. These occult symbols have been used, and created by so many different types of practitioners of magick, and have evolved, and changed to suit their practices. Sigils can be used to improve your life in so many different ways, by manifesting desires that you have into it. Pretty much anything that has a probability of happening can be brought into your reality through the use of sigils, whether it be done spiritually, mentally, or physically. These sigils can be used to bring forth such things as protection, guidance, mental clarity, wealth, luck, prosperity, and abundance, along with many other things. They can even be used to boost certain aspects of your personal being, or to take away aspects that you do not find desirable. Sigils are powerful constructs that can help you achieve your desires, if you figure out how to use them properly, and effectively. The sky is really the limit to what you can bring forth into your life through the use of sigils.

THE FIVE TYPES OF SIGILS

From my understanding there are five different types of sigils, and these five different types of sigils are based off of what they are trying to manifest. By learning these types of sigils you will be able to understand the different purposes, and forms that sigils can take, and will have a way of categorizing them. By being able to identify which type of sigil you are working with will allow you to work with a sigil more effectively, and it may even help you decide how to go about using it.

DESIRE SIGILS

Desire sigils are a type of sigil that go through the process of manifesting the desires of the practitioner, or of the intention the sigil has programmed into it. These desires can be anything that is achievable through magick, and will represent that desire, so that they can be used to manifest it. Desire sigils are one of the most common forms of sigils, and are the one you will probably spend the most time interacting with. They are usually made from statements of intent that details exactly what the practitioner wants to set in motion.

Examples of desire Sigils:

• Sigil for protection

• Sigil for good luck

• Sigil to curse your enemies

• Sigil to have a good job interview

• Along with many others...

NAME SIGILS

Names sigils are sigils that represent a specific name, construct, or entity. These sigils are connected to that specific name, construct, or entity, and can be used as it taglock, or magickal link to them. These sigil reflect the power, and the metaphysical properties, virtues, and associations of the name, construct, or entity. Names sigils can be used in order to summon forth the entities that have that name, or as personal sigils to represent entities, and constructs much like a form of signature. Some practitioners place them on things to mark them as theirs such as artwork, land, objects, or other constructs. Names sigils can be constructed using many different forms of names such as a first name, middle name, last name, username, nickname, magickal name, or anything along those lines. The greater that the name is connected, or associated with the construct, or entity the stronger the connection will be between it, and the sigil. These names sigils also mimic the aspects, and associations of the name, and of what owns the name, and because of this name sigils can be used to boost personal aspects of an entity, or construct, or can be used in order to give those aspects to another. Names sigils are primarily focused on proper nouns, and usually focus on a specific one-of-a-kind construct.

Examples of name Sigils:

• Name Sigil for Jack

• Name Sigil for Cynthia

• Name Sigil for Archangel          

  Michael

• Name Sigil for America

• Along with many others...

CORRESPONDENCE SIGILS

Correspondence sigils are sigils that are used to represent the correspondences of a specific construct. These types of sigils are connected to the construct's correspondences, and associations, because of this the sigils mimic the power, and associations of the construct, and can be used in place of it in spells, and rituals, and other magickal workings. The difference between correspondence sigils, and name sigils is that correspondence sigils are connected to common nouns, or a class of constructs, and name sigils are connected to a proper nouns, or a specific construct. These correspondence sigils are not as effective as using the actual construct in your magickal working, but it can be a good substitute in situations where that construct is unavailable, or you need something to represent it in your working.

Examples of correspondence Sigils:

• Sigil for fire

• Sigil of Pisces

• Sigil of lavender 

• Sigil of the wolf

• Along with many others....

LINKING SIGILS

Linking sigils are sigils that are connected to each other, or another sigil, and because of this connection they can be used to connect situations, and magickal workings together much like an occult telephone. These sigils allow any power to flow through them, and their connection. These sigil can be used as taglocks, or magickal links to situations, and other destinations in order to target whatever is on the other end. All sigils are some form of linking sigil, and are connected to the other versions of itself, but by making a sigil specifically for the purposes of being a linking sigil, one will be able to create sigils with a stronger association with each other.

Examples of linking Sigils:

• Ellis linking sigil

• A sigil of a group

• Along with many others...

COMBINATION SIGILS

Combination sigils are a combination, or mix of multiple types of sigils, or two, or more sigils. These types of sigils can be incredibly useful when you want something more complicated done in your magickal working, and need more than one type of sigil to be present in one sigil representation. These types of sigils can be created through creating a ligature of two already made sigils, or by combining the properties. You could also go through the process of creating a sigil with two specific intentions in its statement of intention, so both of them can take shape in the world when the sigil is charged, and activated.

Examples of combination Sigils:

• Combination sigil for love and    strength 

• Combination sigil for Tasha       and psychic awareness

• Combination sigil for link     between waters

• Combination sigil for Jessie,     and James

• Along with many others...

HOW SIGILS WORK

Sigils are complex magickal constructs that affect the world through 3 ways. These ways in which sigils work are physical, mental, and spiritual, and because of this can affect the world on the three levels in which things exist. This way of working does extend to all forms of practices, though most practices will have a model of understanding in which they subscribe to based upon their tradition.

PHYSICAL:

The physical aspects of sigils is not to be forgotten, though it usually has less to do with the actual manifestation of magick, and more so the physical form which interacts with the physical world. The physical aspect will also determine its sigil surroundings based on what is relative to its position. It impacts the physical simply by being present within the physical, and by being physical it can be used in order to do physical tasks much like a tool, or weapon.

MENTAL:

The mental aspect of the sigil impacts the minds of the individuals who interact with it, or have been targeted by it. Working psychologically, and in the consciousness of individuals by imprinting its presence within their subconscious mind. Once in the subconscious the intention of the sigil pushes you, or them towards your desire, because the sigil has subconsciously told the mind to focus on achieving that desire. This works more as a form of suggestion, or placebo effect in order to sort of hypnotize minds to achieve your will that you desire. The subconscious will also be able to communicate with the universal consciousness, and by imprinting the sigil into a microcosm of the mind, it will be able to affect the bigger macrocosm of the universal mind that it is a part of. This will tell the universal consciousness to make everything manifest in the way that the sigil has instructed it to, impacting the shared consciousness of individuals.

SPIRITUAL:

The spiritual aspect of the sigil impacts the world through the spiritual energy of the sigil. Spiritual energy is able to be controlled by the will of a practitioner, and can be gathered up through certain actions, so that it can be sent out to manifest into the universe. The magickal practitioner goes through the process of charging sigils with spiritual energy, so that this energy can be directed by the sigil to manifest their desire. Spiritual energy is raised, and put into the sigil, so when that sigil becomes active, it will be able to use whatever energy it has raised towards the intention that has been programmed into the sigil. It will send this energy out into the universe to manifest, so that it can begin working out your will upon reality by manipulating it with the spiritual energy that the sigil possesses. Because of this each sigil is seen to be an artificially created spirit, or thought form acting on the will of the practitioner.

THE FOUR STEPS TO SIGIL MAGICK

In my experience I have discovered that there are 4 main steps to using sigils. All of these steps are fundamental, and because of this are necessary for the practice of sigil magick to be successful. Most of the steps can be completed in many various ways, and by figuring out the way that best suits your manifestation can greatly empower your magickal working. Learning these four steps can help you organise how you are going to go about using your sigils, and what processes you will have to complete in order for you to get the sigil to begin to manifest. These 4 steps are creation, or discovery, placement, charging, and activation. These 4 steps will act as a framework for your sigil usage, and By doing these steps you will be able to manifest the intention of the sigil, and use the sigil in a very effective, and practical manner within your practice. Below we will be going over each step in a small amount of detail, so that we can go over it again with more detail later. Hopefully this will be a very good overview for you to understand the different fundamental steps for the sigil process, so that they can be expanded on later.

CREATION/DISCOVERY:

In this step we are looking to create, or find a sigil that suits what we are trying to manifest into the world. If you are going to create a sigil in this step you will be going through a creation process using different methods of sigilization, which will be able to be used in the other steps after this. If you are going to discover a sigil in this step you are going to have to go through the process of finding a sigil that you want to use to help manifest your will that already exists either out of a book, online, or in some other spot, so that you will be able to use it in the later steps. Both of these will result in gaining a sigil that will be able to be used in your working in order to help you to manifest your desire. This first step will give you something to work with, and this sigil form will act as the main part of the working in which will carry the core metaphysical properties that will be manifested in order to bring forth the will of the practitioner.

PLACEMENT:

In this step you will be finding a place in which you would like to place the sigil. This step will take into consideration sigil placement, sigil surroundings, and the sigils time of creation, along with many different factors to not only provide the sigil representation with an effective place to work from, but to also empower it with power from things that interact with it. This step takes into consideration the relationship between the sigil, and the external world that it is a part of and how those constructs, and entities will play a role in its effectiveness in manifesting the will of the practitioner. You will see in the step that everything around it must be taken into consideration that is external as much as the internal creation, or being of the sigil that was created, or discovered in the first step.

CHARGING:

Charging is the act of filling your sigil with power. This power will be the fuel that makes your sigil able to do the magick that you want it to do. It will take this power, and use it to bring forth your desire. This will usually be done while in an altered state of consciousness, because it has been known to help power be transmitted to the sigil while the practitioner is within that state.

ACTIVATION:

Once filled with power from the charging step that power can then be released, so that the sigil can begin working to bring forth the will of the practitioner. This will be done through the activation processes in which will allow the power of the sigil to be released, and begin working in the world. There are primarily two different forms of activation one being active, and the other one being passive, which will change the way that the power is released into the world to manifest. Once the sigil has been activated manifestation should occur allowing the practitioner to get what they want.

These are the 4 steps of sigil magick, and by understanding them, and going through the processes of them, you will be able to use them to do sigil magick effectively.