01

ABOUT SIGILS

• What exactly is a sigil? The term sigil derives from the Latin sigillum, meaning “seal,” and it may also be related to the Hebrew, “segula,” meaning “word, action, or item of spiritual effect, or talisman.”
• Sigil Magic enables us to manifest our desires into reality by transforming our conscious desires into a “graphical device” or thought symbol or sigil. Sigils allow us to tap directly into our sub-conscious where our resources and greater universal powers reside. We are by-passing the ego-mind, which can block and lead to sabotaging. We are constantly manifesting our reality with our thought, which are very powerful. The conscious ego mind is very limited in comparison to the vast sub-conscious mind. Tapping into our sub-conscious mind is the key to manifestation magick.
• The actual process of Sigil Magick is quite simple and straightforward. Especially when we are creating for ourselves and not using ceremonial magick where entities or beings are contacted.

Modern Use of Sigils

• Austin Osman Spare (30 December 1886 – 15 May 1956) was an English artist and occultist. Influenced by symbolism and art nouveau his art was known for its clear use of line, and its depiction of monstrous and sexual imagery. In an occult capacity, he developed idiosyncratic magical techniques including automatic writing, automatic drawing and sigilisation based on his theories of the relationship between the conscious and unconscious self.
• Spare developed his own unique method of creating and using sigils, which has had a huge effect on modern occultism. He turned the Medieval practice of using sigils to evoke entities on its head, arguing that such supernatural beings were simply complexes in the unconscious, and could be actively created through the process of sigilisation.
• The big difference with Spare's method was that he dispensed with pre-existing esoterica and external beliefs, so the sigils were no longer for controlling traditional demons, angels and what-have-you, but instead for controlling forces in the unconscious psyche of the individual operator.
• Spare's technique became a cornerstone of chaos magic.
• Grant Morrison recently coined the term “hypersigil” to refer to an extended work of art with magical meaning and willpower, created using adapted processes of sigilization. Morrison has also argued that modern corporate logos like "the McDonald's Golden Arches, the Nike swoosh and the Virgin autograph" are a form of viral sigils.

Ancient Origins of Sigils

• The use of symbols for magical or cultic purposes has been widespread since at least the Neolithic era. Some examples from other cultures include the yantra from Hindu tantra
• In medieval ceremonial magic, the term sigil was commonly used to refer to occult signs which represented various angels and demons which the witch might summon. The magical training books called grimoires often listed pages of such sigils. A particularly well-known list is in The Lesser Key of Solomon, in which the sigils of the 72 princes of the hierarchy of hell are given for the magician's use. Such sigils were considered to be the equivalent of the true name of the spirit and thus granted the magician a measure of control over the beings or entities. (Insert image of Seal of Solomn)
• The Sigils of Planetary Intelligence were published by Henry Cornelius Agrippa in his 16th-century three-volume book "Three Books of Occult Philosophy."
• These sigils were constructed through numerology and magic squares. They represent six bodies -- those known during Agrippa's time, the planets Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Mars -- as well as the Sun and Moon. Each has a different meaning and association ascribed to them.
• A common method of creating the sigils of certain spirits was to use kameas (magic squares) — the names of the spirits were converted to numbers, which were then located on the magic square. The locations were then connected by lines, forming an abstract figure. (We will use one method of sigil creation using magick squares, using Saturn as the example)
• This sigil would be used to attract the beneficial influences of Saturn. According to Agrippa, this includes the ability to bring forth, to make a man safe, to make a man powerful, and to cause a success of petitions with princes and powers. Saturn has been associated with intellectuals, whose minds are more lofty and divine than those of common folk. This is because Saturn is the highest planet in occult cosmology and therefore closest to God.

02

INTENTION VISUALISATION

This is a short, guided visualisation to help you with your sigil crafting. As discussed, the key to crafting a sigil is to deconstruct the letters of your intention, which is in the conscious mind.  Then shifting it to the unconscious mind so that it is integrated to your unconscious mind, so when you look at the sigil, your unconscious mind will identify with it, within your being as a need, as a want, as a desire, as something that you truly want to manifest.  This is opposed to writing out in letters, or language and sentences that your conscious mind will recognise and focus on, sometimes in an obsessive manner that can bring about the opposite results as the negative side of the desire will become prominent.  The beauty of sigil magick is that once transmuted we focus on letting it go and continuing on with our daily lives.

Quite often it's very challenging to determine what we really, truly desire in our daily lives. We can think about our basic survival needs. “Oh, I need more money so I can pay my rent. Or I need this in order to feel that I am worthy, such as the home, a car, or a job.” These can be truly surface things, which comparison to others and cultural programming can instill. Or in some instances, they can be really required for our survival in this plane of existence. This guided visualisation will help you to determine truly and concisely what it is that you would like to manifest.

So let's begin. Find a quiet, comfortable place. Where you can sit or lie down. I recommend lying down. Let's just begin with a quick body scan, so we can connect to our bodies and acknowledge how grateful we are for carrying us around and allowing us to do the many things we are capable of, that we quite often forget.   Let us take some deep breaths in and out. In and out, in and out, continue breathing and relaxing into your body as you listen to the sound of my voice. Letting all of your worries, all of your fears, all of the things that are occupying your mind, let them all go.

Take this time for yourself and for the connection to your higher self. Now as you become more relaxed and in your body. Let's start our body scan with the toes or your feet. Feel them. Relax them, wiggle them. Now, let that feeling and connection slowly move up to your ankles. Up through your calves. Feeling more and more relaxed and feeling into your body. Feeling that deep connection. Move up to your knees. Up through your thighs and your buttocks. We can be so grateful for these legs that carry us around.

Now let's move to our hips in the pelvic area. Really let them sink, if possible, into the surface that you're sitting or lying on. Quite a bit of tension can be held here in the hips. Take your time.  Really feel and connect to what your body is communicating to you.

Now let's move up to the torso and your rib cage and your lungs. Even deeper breaths here. If you feel the need to release with a sigh, do so. Let it all go.  Sink further and further. And of course, next you're going to move up to the heart. This act that you're doing is an act of love. An act of self-love. Open your heart.

Now move up to your neck and your throat and your shoulders. We carry a lot of tension in our neck, especially when we are working at our computers or when we're ill. I also want to focus on the throat in our voice and how we use it. That's part of what crafting sigils brings about- what our true voice is, what we want to speak and present into the world.

Let your shoulders relax. That's another place of tension. And as your shoulders relax. Let the relaxation go and flow through your arms. All the way down your arms and to your wrists and into your fingers. Relax your fingers and wiggle them. For our hands hold so much power. Now move that relaxation up from your fingers all the way back up through your arms, shoulders, neck.

Now we go to our faces and our heads. Can you relax the muscles in your face? Maybe if you can give yourself a smile. Relax, even laugh. Oh, doesn't that feel good? Sometimes the tension is so great, and we don't even realize that our faces and our face muscles are so tense and not relaxed.

Finally, let's move up to the third eye, the pineal gland. What is positioned on your forehead between your two seeing eyes. This is what we're going to work with on our journey into the unconscious and uncovering what we truly desire. Please place an emphasis or energy on your third eye or your pineal gland. Can you feel the power? Can you feel its presence? It is truly remarkable. Let's take a few more deep breaths. Now that we're totally relaxed and let's go on a short journey into your unconscious.

From your third eye, I want you to imagine that you're standing at a source of water. This source of water could be a river, a waterfall, a lake, or it could be a sea or an ocean. It could even be a swimming pool. Whatever you find yourself at, it what is meant to be reveal to you.  I want you just to take a look around your surroundings. Look at your feet. What kind of ground are you standing on? What are you rooted in? What is it smell like? What surrounds you? Are there trees? Flowers? IS it all just miles and miles of ocean? Is it quiet? Can you look at the texture of the water? Are there rough waves or is it still? Like glass or a mirror, where you can see your reflection? Or possibly, the water is frozen and its ice that you're looking at. Take these things in for a moment.

Also note from this vantage point, what comes to mind as a true desire or what is a need for you? There can be many that can come up, but please don't let them overwhelm you. We will create sigils to work with them later and quite often these are conscious wants or worries, but some of them are very valid and are rooted in our unconscious. So just take note. Now as you gaze into this source of water. I would like you, as I count back from three to dive and jump into this water source. Understand that this is all in your mind's eye. Have no fear. There's no fear of injury. There's no fear, even if you cannot swim. You are capable of doing this. You are capable of anything. Especially when you are in this visualization and relaxation state.

On the count of three from backwards. Just dive right in. Three, two, one. And in you go, plunge. And also note. That if you want to stay under this water, you're able to breathe, or if you want to come up to the surface and go back down, please do so. Enjoy this. Even if you are jumping from a waterfall, even if the rapids are carrying you away, or even if you just go through solid ice, know that you are protected and capable.

Know that this represents your connection, the things that lie in your unconscious, things that may have been forgotten or blocked. These can be deep desires and wants and dreams. They all lie here and are waiting to be acknowledged. Take your time, explore, and enjoy. Also, notice any sensations that you're feeling?

Now, if I would like you to visualize the mouth of a cave, this cave can be completely underwater or by the end of the river. It could be in the center of a lake. It could be an island with a cave in the middle of the sea. Take your time to swim towards this cave. Flow towards it. Float. Whatever you choose. Just enjoy yourself. And know, as you approach this cave, it truly symbolizes your unconscious. Experience the feelings of the excitement you may feel.  Or maybe even a little bit of trepidation that you may feel towards approaching this cave but know that you are safe. Know that this is your entire being and what is going to be revealed to you inside the cave, it is already an integrated part of yourself, of your being. Whatever is going to be revealed to you will be revealed for your highest good. You will bring these gifts and this information back with you. We will use this to craft sigils to help bring these unconscious desires and needs into our current reality.

Enter the cave. What is its shape? Can you tell the material that it's made out of? Is it a crystal cave? What color is the rock? Are there still pools of different colors and shades of water? What does it smell like? What is the temperature?

Straight ahead of you, within this cave, in a pool, there is carved seat or throne. This is your seat and has been made specifically for you. What does it look like? What is it made out of? Approach it. It's partially submerged in the water so you can feel the connection of the unconscious, which is represented by the water and your body being above, or the conscious. As above. So below. Take some time to feel this, appreciate this throne that is sacred to you and to your being.

As you sit upon this throne, what is your true deep desires? What are the things that have been so such a part of you that may have been suppressed from living in our current reality? Give yourself some time to explore these things.  Do not feel overwhelmed, as they can be many. We can create many sigils at a time, or if it's only one or two, this is whatever is coming up that wants to be recognized for your highest good. Do not feel that you need to remember every single detail for it is already part of you. Know that you can return to this place whenever you feel called to.

Now it's time to start our journey back. As you stand up and push yourself away from your throne, and slowly out of the cave, you give thanks for the sacred space, which is your own. You may swim. You may fly. You may run.  Even float atop of the water as you depart. Whatever you feel called to do, for you're capable of anything when you leave the cave.

I am now calling you back. Calling you back through your third eye. Through your mind's eye. When I count backwards from three. You will be back into your body. Do not feel that you have to open your eyes immediately. Just come back into your body. Three. Two. One. Now, please stay here in this position with your eyes closed to integrate your experience. Open your eyes when you're ready.

03

MAGIC SQUARE

• Write your intention: This might be three words you wish to call into your life or a short sentence.
• Next, using the alpha-numeric conversion grid, convert the letters into numbers.

• One-by-one, apply these numbers to the grid by drawing a line on the grid from each corresponding number in order.

• This will form a shape, this is your sigil.

• This is in introductory method, there are many more complex methods including:
• Using Planetary Grids of Magic Squares, using Alpha-Numerical Conversion Grid (Agrippa method)
• Alphabetic Sigil Grid (modern method
• Alphabetic Coding Symbols (modern method)
• Alphabetic Connection (Osman-Spar method)

‍

04

CANDLE SIGIL RITUAL

• This is an 11-day ritual that will begin on a Thursday and end on a Sunday.
• Choose a candle and colour based on your needs. You will need a carving tool.
• Select the sigil that really, truly resonates with you and is in alignment with your intention.
• Carve that sigil into the candle using the carving tool included in your kit.
• Place this candle on your altar. Or you can create an altar that relates to your sigil’s intention. Whatever you feel called to, whatever feels right to you for this is for you. Please be sure to use a candle holder or a fireproof bowl.
• The ritual is quite simple. It is about really integrating and getting in touch with the sigil.
• We will be using the element of fire to transmute it and let it go as soon as the ritual is over. Fire is the element that is represented in the South, if possible, have your candle and you in the position facing South. If South is not possible, I recommend East.
• Make sure that this is a quiet space for you, that you have created a as a sacred space. This ritual can be done at any time of the day.
• This is a very short ritual, as I mentioned, so you won't require a lot of time. As I have mentioned, the beauty of using the sigils once you've crafted one, the idea of integrating, going into your unconscious, transmuting it, and boom, it's gone. You forget about it and continue on with your day.
• Take your candle with the sigil and trace your finger over the symbol. Really feel it. I use essential oils to anoint as well, depending on what your intention is. I quite like to use cedarwood or frankincense. Whatever you have around and please don't feel that it's necessary even to do this step or go out and buy anything.
• After you've held the candle and you've traced the sigil and you can feel it really integrating into your being, placed the candle back into its holder and light the flame.
• As you gaze into the flame with the sigil below. Take in the element of fire. Take element’s power, creativity and of passion, Bring that into your being. Then focus on the sigil and bring it into your heart chakra. Really feel it into your chest almost as it has been burnt into that position. So that it is with you always.
• Sit with this for as long as you feel called to. Just gazing and knowing that the sigil is part of you. That by doing this ritual you are creating this desire, you are creating this intention, you are manifesting it into your existing world.
• After you are done with your reflections, you may say aloud:
• “I seal this sigil with the command of power AH-RAH-REE-TAH”
• Then blow the flame out. Now. Boom! Let it go. Walk away and continue on with your day.
• This is an 11-day ritual that begins on a Thursday and ends on a Sunday. If, for whatever reason, you can't do it consecutively, don't do two rituals in one day. Just do as many as you can. And if you have skipped a day, then just end on a Monday. Or if you've skipped more than one day's end on the following Thursday, I do recommend only doing one ritual at a time so that it is very clear what this intention in this sigil means.

Eryn Luszinski is a transpersonal therapist and ceremonialist.