A sigil is an inscribed or painted symbol charged with magical power. During the Middle Ages, sigils represented various angels and demons. They were considered to be the creature’s real name, allowing magical practitioners to have some control over the creature and increasing their power as a magical practitioner. Nowadays you can think of modern company logos as a kind of signs, like the Nike swoosh or the silver circle with the three-pointed star on a Mercedes-Benz.
History
runes
Runes are among the oldest sigils, dating back to the birth of Christ.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/57/Anglosaxonrunes.svg/1200px-Anglosaxonrunes.svg.png
Often these were carved or painted on stones and used for various purposes.
Medieval Magic
Within medieval magic, the method of making signs involved magic squares where a ghost’s name was converted into numbers and placed on a square. The sign was completed by connecting the lines of the numbers in a certain pattern to make the sign. The sign would then be carved into a piece of wood or stone, or painted on an object, especially a door, to provide protection or enhance one’s magical powers. For personal use, they would be placed on a talisman for the owner to wear, such as a pendant on a chain. Knights placed them on their swords or armor.
With the emergence of psychology at the turn of the centurye and 20e century, the development of sigil took on a new approach pioneered by occultist Austin Osman Spare (1886 to 1956). He chose to create sigils to capture the complex nature of the individual wishing to express an intention through a sigil to be placed on a talisman or object or on the human body, in the form of a tattoo. Spare’s method became the cornerstone of Chaos Magic.
Chaos magic
Chaos magic theory and practice emerged in England in the 1970s and were based on Spare’s work. It was also known as success magic or “result-based” magic. Artist Brion Gysin (1916 to 1986) mixed the medieval square method and Spare’s method for making a sigil and placed the symbols he designed in his paintings. He developed his approach by “putting an idea in a glyph”, writing it left to right on a piece of paper, flipping the paper over, repeating the process, flipping the paper over and over again, and creating a 3D build sign.
Hypersigil
Novelist and comic book writer Grant Morrison (1960 to present) coined the term hypersigil to refer to an elaborate work of art that contains the magical meaning of the artist or company. Morrison has argued that modern corporate logos serve this function:
Company seals are super breeders. They attack the unbranded imaginative space. They invade Red Square, they ravage the grumpy streets of Tibet, they etch themselves in haircuts. They breed clothes and turn people into billboards… The logo or brand, like any coat of arms, is a condensation, a condensed, symbolic summary of the world of desire that the company wants to represent…Walt Disney died a long time ago, but his coat of arms, that familiar, cartoonish signature, persists, carrying with it its own immense weight of meanings, associations, nostalgia, and significance. (Book of Lies: The Disinformation Guide to Magick and the Occult; edited by Richard Metzger)
Using sigils
As you can guess from the sign’s history, you would use them with certain intentions in mind. There are tons of books you should consider to see designs and learn how to create your own, such as:
- Sigil Witchery: A Witch’s Guide to Making Magical Symbols by Laura Tempest Zakroff
- The Fundamental Book of Sigil Magick by KP Theodore
- Sigils of Power and Transformation: 111 Magick Sigils to Change and Control Your Life by Adam Blackthorne
Here are some examples of signs for love from a poster for sale on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/sigils-scroll-geniuses-kabbalah-witch/dp/b00n0pyshi
So you have the option to find sigils developed by others, from a period in history, or to create your own sigils. You should also consider where to place the characters. Would you consider permanently marking your body with a tattoo? Do you want to protect something, such as your home or car. Want to power up a tool you use, such as a garden hoe you use when planting vegetables or flowers?
Creating or applying a sigil is a form of ceremonial magic, spiritual intent work, and psychic focus, which can help you live wisely and powerfully. Not only the sign is important, but also the material you use to make the sign, the quality of the paint you use to paint it, or the type of wood, stone or crystal you use for the carving. Sigils are essentially designed to make you more aware of the world you live in and how you want to live in it.
