The Fool's Journey

***Warning: This is a very long post***

So I just sent in my application for a new apartment today, and I realized an hour before work that I never did any type of magick to make sure the application got approved! With basically no time left before I had to leave for work, I was panicking because my likelihood of being approved is pretty if-y. Then, it dawned on me: I could make a sigil. 

Today reminded me of how much I love sigils. They’re really one of the quickest and easiest types of magick, yet they yield some of the most incredible results if utilized effectively. I realized, though, that I don’t have a post about them anywhere on this blog! So here goes. 

What is a sigil? 

A sigil is essentially an energy that has been converted into a drawing. You begin with an intention (ie: “My application is approved”, “I receive a large sum of money this week”, “I am safe and protected”, etc.). Then, you use your subconscious mind to shape that intention into a symbol. The symbol can take on any shape, any size, any color, any complexity or simplicity. Once you have crafted the sigil, it contains the energy of your intention. It can then be carried, burned, inscribed, worn, or any number of other actions which allow the sigil to attract your desire to you. 

How does it work? 

Everything in the universe is energy, in all planes of existence. The lower you descend through these planes, though, the more dense this energy becomes. In our physical world, energy is so dense that it presents the illusion of matter, of physical substance. 

Your conscious mind operates in this physical world, where energy is very concrete. This part of you is rational, cognizant, and usually in control of your actions. This is the part of your mind that moves through the world on a day-to-day basis and allows you to function as a member of society. Because this part of your mind is so caught up in your physical existence, though, it isn’t really able to perceive metaphysical energy. It buys into the illusion of physical substance, of matter, and prevents you from completely connecting energetically with everything around you.

Your soul, on the other hand, is a part of you that operates in higher dimensions where energy is very fluid. It completely disregards the illusion of physical substance and recognizes that everything around you truly is just energy. This is the part of you that creates art, that can feel love, that crafts your intuition, and that can manipulate the energies of the world around you.

Your subconscious is a special part of you, though, because it exists somewhere in between, mediating between your conscious mind and your soul and linking the two together. Your subconscious mind is therefore able to translate your thoughts and intentions back and forth between matter and energy, allowing you - among many other things - to perform magick.

In the case of sigils, your conscious mind creates an intention. Let’s say, “I need a new apartment.” You then take that intention and translate it into the language of energy using any number of techniques that harness your creative subconscious. When the process is finished, you have a unique symbol which represents that intention and contains its unique essence. You have essentially ‘converted’ your desire into a magickal energy. 

How do I make a sigil? 

There actually is no right or wrong way to create a sigil. When you are sitting in class or at work, bored out of your mind, and you start to doodle in the corner of a piece of a paper - you are creating a sigil. Your subconscious is taking an energy that your soul perceives somewhere and is expressing it in the form of a drawing. The process is as natural to us as breathing, really. Because everyone’s mind is unique, though, it will take some trial and error to figure out which method works best for you. 

1) Some people enjoy a very raw method. 

This involves a lot of practice with meditative states of mind. Essentially, you begin by breaking out a pen and paper. Stare at the blank paper in front of you, and hold your intention in your mind. Mull it over in your head. Truly try to visualize yourself accomplishing this goal. Then, when you feel that the intention is secure in your mind, pick up the paper and just begin to draw. Create squiggles or broad strokes, straight lines or nonsensical swirls. Do not think about your actions: just allow the pen to glide across the paper wherever it wants to go. 

Eventually, you’ll reach a point where the drawing feels ‘complete’. Once you reach this point, put the pen down and examine the drawing. Study each individual part. See what pieces you like and what pieces feel a bit off. Then, pick the pen back up, and re-draw your sigil. This time, though, tweak it to be slightly more pleasing. Fix the details that feel off. Repeat this process of redrawing and refining it until the whole thing feels ‘right’. The final product is your sigil. 

2) Some people prefer a more structured method. 

With the previous method, you are essentially plucking the sigil straight out of your subconscious with no assistance. For some people (including myself) this method can be effective but VERY time-consuming. I also have ADHD, and so it can often be difficult to invent a sigil from scratch - especially if I’m under stress or pressure. 

Therefore, I personally prefer this structured method. I know I’ve heard of this before from some source or other, but I’m unsure who originally invented it. I do know, though, that it is discussed extensively in The Chaos Protocols by Gordon White, which is where I was recently reminded of it. That’s a phenomenal book, btw, if any of you are interested in exploring practical chaos magick. 

Basically, this method allows you to tap into your creative subconscious while still giving your conscious mind enough of a task to keep it preoccupied. 

Begin by writing out your intention. This should be a complete sentence written in the present tense and in active voice. I have a new apartment. Large sums of money come to me. I am safe and protected. 

After writing down a phrase you feel comfortable with, cross out all of the vowels. Then cross out all of the multiple copies of letters. You will use what is left - a string of consonants - to create your sigil.

Ex: (Intention) I AM SAFE AND PROTECTED

(Remove vowels) M SF ND PRTCTD

(Remove double consonants) M SF ND PRTC

The final string of consonants to be used is then: M S F N D P R T C 

Once you have your string of consonants, begin arranging them into different shapes. Feel free to invert them, flip them upside down, stretch and contort them, overlap them, or whatever feels right. For your first draft, just try to figure out where each of the letters goes relative to the others. Create a diagram where every letter is used. Don’t worry, this first draft won’t be pretty, and it won’t feel complete. Just try to make it satisfying to you in that every letter is where it should be. 

Then, in your second draft, redraw the sigil. Stylize it this time, however. Allow the concrete shape of the letters to fall away, and tweak the details to make it feel pleasing. If a line would feel better as a curve, change it. If this piece should be longer, change it. If this part would be better with three dots and an arrow above it, change it. Keep refining it with however many drafts it takes until the sigil feels ‘right’. 

3) Some people prefer something different altogether.

There are an infinite number of other ways to create sigils. These are just two of the most popular that I’ve encountered. Some other very notable mentions include: 

Using a Sigil Wheel - Create a circle that is subdivided into 26 sections; label each section with a letter. Then, create an intention phrase. Once you have your phrase, take a pen and place the tip on the section of your sigil wheel that corresponds with the first letter of your phrase. Then, trace a pattern across the wheel from letter to letter, following the order of letters in your intention phrase. The final assortment of lines serves as your sigil. 

Using Kamea - Kamea (defined very loosely) is a Middle Eastern type of planetary magick. Basically, the belief is that every planet in our solar system has a spirit - a consciousness - attached to it, which can be appealed to for specific blessings. A ‘kamea’ is a unique square grid of numbers that is specifically designed to tap into the energy of each planet’s consciousness. Using different methods, a sigil can be crafted by using the numbers on the kamea, allowing you to tap into the energy of that spirit for help. I’m unsure of the methodology, but I’ve also heard of kamea’s being created for specific elemental energies as well as deities. 

Using Runes and Bind Runes - I have not used this process myself because I haven’t worked extensively with Germanic and Nordic magickal systems. However, I do know that this is a very popular type of sigil magick, especially on tumblr. Runes are a type of language originating in Germanic and Nordic cultures several thousand years ago. They are one part literary system, one part magickal system. I don’t know the full mythology, but I know that in some beliefs, the runes were created by Odin after receiving inspiration from the source of all things. Each rune is a vastly complex magickal energy which represents an energy current in nature. These runes can be utilized individually or in conjunction with each other (known as a bind rune) for a plethora of purposes, including in sigil magick. 

How do I activate and use a sigil? 

The final important step in sigil creation is activation. Once you have translated your intention into a magickal symbol, you have to imbue it with a magickal charge so that it can begin attracting your intention to you. There are literally dozens and dozens of different ways to activate a sigil. Whichever one you use will depend on personal taste more than anything else. 

Meditating with the sigil and charging it with your energy the old-fashioned, chaos magick way

Leaving it out in the sunlight or moonlight 

Letting it sit near some plants

Imbuing it with crystal or herb energy

Passing the sigil through smoke

Focusing on the sigil during orgasm

Literally any other method you can think of - there is no wrong way. 

After the sigil has been activated, it is now charged and ready to do your bidding. This is where different schools of thought begin to break away from each other. No one can completely agree on the BEST way to use a sigil, so experiment, and see what works for you! 

Some people believe you have to burn/rip up/destroy the sigil after activating it, which will release its energy and allow your intention to manifest. 

Some people believe you have to hold onto the sigil and feed your energy into it until your intention manifests.

Some people believe you have to put the sigil somewhere that you can see it everyday, but in order for it to manifest, you have to wait until - one day - you forget what the sigil was even originally for. This belief suggests that, once you have forgotten the sigil’s purpose, its energy has left the piece of paper and is now actively manifesting in the real world. 

Like I said, see what works best for you, because there really is no wrong way to perform this kind of magick. Make it personal to you! Give it your own style. And have fun with it, because this is definitely one of the types of magick that really allows you to express your creativity.