If we had known from the start that practicing magick was as simple as connecting with pen and paper, we might have spent more time drawing sigils in our school notebooks instead of mindlessly doodling our crush’s name during Algebra. And perhaps paying attention in English class would have been easier if we knew that acronyms were actually magickal phrases in disguise. But, like all things mystical and occult, the art of sigil making only appears when we’re ready to accept and decipher its gifts. Gifts that have been hiding in plain sight for far too long.
What are Sigils?
In simple terms, a sigil is a magickally charged symbol that we write, paint, stamp, or engrave. It’s a complete spell in the form of a letter, shape, or design. Because crafting a sigil requires very few tools, it’s a ritual that we can carry with us whenever and wherever we’d like. No matter if we’re traveling, short on supplies, or still in the broom closet, all we need is a piece of parchment, a pen, and an intention to practice the sacred art of sigil magick.
Who Uses Sigils?
The word sigil comes from the Latin word, ‘sigillum,’ which translates to ‘sign.’ How to incorporate sigils into our craft varies greatly depending on the practitioner, but we see evidence of these sacred symbols in Romany tradition, Norse mythology, Haitian Vodou, and nearly every other ancient and contemporary belief system. In the modern world, crafting sigils is sometimes considered a form of chaos magick—a practice where we generate energy using what’s stored within our ethereal body and that of the collective consciousness.
The Witch’s Wheel
If we’re creating a sigil based on a single word, The Witch’s Wheel produces a design to mirror that objective. It’s an uncomplicated way to introduce ourselves to the power behind spelling out our desires.
Within the Witch’s Sigil Wheel are the 26 letters of the standard English alphabet. At first glance, each letter’s placement appears to be random. However, if we look closely at the three layers within the circle, we’ll see letters in alphabetical order spiraling clockwise toward the center. At the outer edge, the letter ‘A’ starts the wheel, and the letter ‘Z’ finishes in the center.
To use the sigil wheel, you must first decide on a word. Place a small circle over the first letter within the wheel. Make a straight line that connects the dot to the second letter. When you reach the second letter, stop, and make a straight line to the third letter. Continue until you reach the final letter. Complete the sigil the same way you started—with a small circle over the last letter.
Magickal Alphabets
In place of creating a symbol, some modern practitioners use runes, hieroglyphics, Phoenician script, or other arcane alphabets to craft sigils. By using sacred alphabets, we can create an acronym, a mantra, or spell out our intention in its entirety.
Intuitive Designs
For those of us who feel confident in our abilities or wish to test our magickal prowess, we can create sigils with help from our senses—specifically the 6th sense, intuition. Depending on the nature of our practice, inspiration might stem from dreams, messages from guides, or simply the things we see, sense, and experience in our daily life.
Magickal Inks
While not mandatory, using magickal inks for writing sigils may help empower and protect our creations. When using enchanted ink, we invoke power and wisdom from the alchemists that came before us. Dragon’s Blood ink, lampblack ink, invisible ink, or even consecrated oils can be used in place of standard inkwell pigment.
Using Sigils in Ritual: Step-by-Step
Step 1: Intention
We know that sigils carry magickal power, but at their core, they serve as a form of sacred communication.
But, with who are we speaking? And what do we want?
That will depend on our goal. Deities, spirits, people, and guides are all fair game. Like all magickal workings, we need to possess a clear vision of the desired outcome. So long as we believe in our intention, we can transfer that energy into a sigil. Don’t worry about the message getting lost in translation. Sigils are a form of communication understood on an energetic level. If someone—spirits or humans alike—can’t decipher the sigil, it’s not meant for them.
Step 2: The Toolkit
After committing to an intention, we can secure our tools—a writing utensil, a surface to write upon, and a few minutes of quiet reflection are all that we need.
Step 3: The Methodology
Now that we know who we’re speaking to and have secured our tools, we need to decide on the best way to transmute an intangible desire into a sigil. Will we use the Witch’s Wheel? Hermetic script? Runic symbols? Or did you see a design during meditation that you can’t get out of your mind? There’s no wrong way to craft sigils, so long as you believe in their power.
Step 4: The Ritual
You have your intention, your tools, and you’ve designed your sigil, now what?
Like there is no right or wrong way to practice magick, there are no rules that tell us the most effective way to use sigils in ritual. For most of us, pen and paper might be the easiest route. But, depending on the nature of the ritual, our strategies will shift.
If you need inspiration, here are a few simple yet valuable ways to make magick with sigils:
If we’re invoking the element of fire, we might lean towards candle magick. Anoint a candle with cinnamon oil before carving your sigil into the soft wax. Sit in a darkened room and light the candle. Meditate on the flame for at least fifteen minutes.
To draw in the essence of air or speak to Spirit, instead of mediation, we can generate energy using Breath of Fire. After several minutes, your fingertips will begin to tingle with electricity. Focus all sensation into your dominant hand and trace invisible sigils in the air with your finger or crystal wand.
For spells that involve water or moon magick, we can get into a trance through dance, chanting, or ritual drumming. When intuition nudges and you feel as if you are part of the rhythm, draw temporary sigils in the sand and watch as the sea sends the message into her depths.
And for Earth rituals, the most organic way to amplify energy is through direct contact with the ground beneath our feet. Collect fallen leaves, flowers, seeds, or stones and use them to design a sigil outdoors that will remain for as long as Mother Nature allows. Press your bare feet and hands into the earth to link up with the abundant lifeforce that flows beneath the surface. As you become one with the energetic stream, the direction will shift and surge into the sigil.
Ritual Candles
$ 21.00
Fire and flame are perceived to be direct physical manifestations as much as they are symbolic representations of the spark of creation. This link between the realms of the physical and the spiritual have been honored in ritual and ceremony… read more
