Sigils, Symbols, and Sketched Witchery: The Basics
Here is another post in my nascent series for beginners, and this one once again focuses on ways of practicing without fancy tools or ingredients. In this case, we’ll be talking about doing magick with simply just paper and a pen/pencil, and I’ll also be discussing symbols in general and why they are important in witchcraft.
Symbols are pretty important to many witches. While not all see it this way, some (including me) believe that all tools are truly just symbols, and their symbolic value allows them to act as power conduits within spells and workings. If that’s true, then there’s really no reason to consider an image of the alchemical symbol for Water (or any image related to water, for that matter) objectively less useful than an actual physical chalice. If you’re armed with strong enough intent, both should work equally well if you need to bring the force of Water into your magick.
There are existing symbols that have been associated with various magical principles for many, many years. In the planetary magick, there are a variety of symbols representing each planet in different contexts and traditions. The common ones called glyphs that you see in most books have always been particularly useful for me, and actually have complex symbolism built into them (they aren’t arbitrary). In the image below, I’ve discussed the three basic symbols from which these glyphs are formed, and why each one looks as it does.
There are symbols for Earth, Air, Fire and Water, of course, but also a whole host of others that have stood for different principles throughout history. I mention some of them here, but that’s barely scratching the surface, given how many exist in Western magical traditions, let alone the rest of the magical world.
Unless you’ve been studying for a while, you might not recognize or have any kind of reaction to these symbols. To someone not well-versed in magick, it can be hard to see a connection between, say, a downward-facing triangle and the element of Water. That’s the traditional symbol used for Water, but it might take a little bit of training yourself to make the connection between the two strong in your mind. I personally had the worst time learning about the planetary glyphs, but with practice, you can get yourself to the point where, when you see the symbol, your mind automatically conjures up images, thoughts, and feelings of what it stands for.
This is actually crucial, in my opinion, though some will no doubt disagree. Magick, to me, has never seemed to operate like a vending machine or other lifeless contraption. It’s not a matter of putting in the right symbols and out pops a result - rather, the symbols exist to focus the intent and will of the witch or magician. This is why I think it’s important to connect with any symbol your using so that it inspires an emotional and intellectual reaction from you, because I personally believe that said reaction is the power behind magick. You’ll hear witches talk about “charging sigils” fairly often, and, for me personally, charging a sigil (more about them later) or symbol is all about connecting them with the concept they represent in your own mind, on both an emotional and intellectual level. Others have a different idea of what charging means, though, so reading up on it and trying different methods can be helpful.
You can use these preexisting symbols in spellwork and other exercises quite effectively once you’ve made the connection, which is usually not too difficult. Just reading about the concepts they represent and why the symbol looks the way it does tends to be quite helpful. Check out this article I’ve written about the planetary glyph symbols, for example, and some theories about why they look the way they do. The important thing is not to correctly interpret the symbol based on the plan of whoever created it, though - it is much more effective to find a personal way of relating to it, if at all possible. Ask yourself if the symbol “makes sense” to you. Some will, and some won’t, and some will make sense with a little research. I know that just having a solid theory as to why the symbol looks the way it does will often be more than enough to begin using it in magick.
Now, using existing symbols is quite well and good, but it is also a good idea to experiment with making your own! These are often called sigils, and there are any number of ways of designing them. Arranging existing letters in a certain manner to form a symbol tends to be the most common method, and was developed by Mr. A. O. Spare, and it was him who popularized the term sigil - you can read more about him here. Other methods for sigil creation exist as well, and often the process is highly intuitive. In the image below, I talk about how I use certain underlying concepts in symbol form as a basis for my sigils, and that’s a method which works for some people, too.
You’ll see a lot of discussion of “charging” and “casting” sigils. These terms are used to mean different things by different people, but generally I view connecting the symbol with the concept it represents to be the “charging” part and using the symbol to invoke the concept for its purpose to be the “casting” aspect. A topic of debate between some of my offline friends has been whether any kind of formalize charging or even casting process is really required for everyone. It’s undeniably true that some people will get great results just from creating a sigil, and perhaps in those instances they both charge, cast, and create it simultaneously. My friends who do this have told me things to this effect, but I myself do tend to charge and cast separately.
Really, though, there is no wrong way to create or use a sigil, provided it connects properly in your mind (and emotions) with the concept it is meant to represent or invoke. Some witches will just sit down with paper and start drawing until they get something that reflects the concept in their imagination. The sigil may or may not really resonate or evoke that particular concept for anyone else but the witch who makes it - but it may nevertheless be effective for that one witch. In this way, sigils are extremely personal at times.
Any symbol can be cast via visualization, but another simple method would be sketching them on a piece of paper, which could then function as a talisman or just as a focal point for your concentration. This isn’t exactly completely tool-free, but paper is easy to find, as are pens and pencils. One word of advice, though - don’t feel compelled to buy special pens or nice notebooks unless that’s your thing - these techniques doesn’t require anything too special. You just need space to write on, and something to write with. Colored ink is a bonus, but not required, especially if you can just visualize the color as you’re drawing with a normal pen or pencil.
There are actually a lot of options for how to use sketching sigils and symbols in your witchcraft practice. A common way is to just develop the sigil or symbol, sketch it, and use it as something to focus on whenever you want to bring the concept it represents into your life. If I wanted to evoke the concept of Mercury in my life, I might draw the symbol of Mercury on a scrap of paper and spend a few minutes visualizing power flowing from it and entering me. That’s just one example, though. Sometimes, if you have a strong enough association for a sigil or symbol, just sketching it alone is enough to cast it in a low-key way.
Paper talismans are a thing, as well. Many people think of talismans as though they have to be made of something sturdy and expensive, but the idea isn’t diluted if they’re made out of paper, and it can work just as well. You might design and charge a complex sigil to represent a specific goal of yours, sketch it on a clean piece of paper and fold or ball it up to carry discreetly with you, touching it to activate it. This is great for those who must keep their practice secret, and is a good way of integrating witchcraft with your daily life.
If you’re into drawing more than just simple symbols, you can also use that as a way of creating magick. The truth is, the definitions of “sigil” is very loose, and expanding every day as people develop new forms of symbolism that act in a similar manner. You may have heard of emoji spells, but I’ll address them in a later post. Just sticking to paper and pen, there is no requirement that your sigil “look” a a certain way or like other sigils. It need not simply be lines connecting in various ways - an actual sketch of something, or an abstract drawing can act as a sigil as well.
Personally, though, I would define any drawing or artwork with more than one symbol/object in it as sigil - but it could still be a spell or working! One my favorite spells I did as a teenager involved drawing, and was a sort of emotional healing spell for a friend. The person had went through a nasty breakup. While she had no remaining feelings for her ex, she worried she wouldn’t feel complete again.
She also liked to draw goofy doodles on things. She drew a small, rough pencil sketch of a broken heart to encapsulate her feelings at the time, and gave it to me. With her watching, I took a sharpie and drew over the broken heart, covering the image entirely with a larger one of a whole, unbroken heart, much as one might cover a tattoo with a larger one.
At the end, the original drawing was no longer visible, and she took the paper home to keep in her scrapbook, and told me she was quite pleased with the results. You can easily imagine similar spells involving other symbols and images, and you’re really only limited by your own imagination, because the drawings needn’t be perfect.
These are just some simple ways of practicing witchcraft with nothing more that sigils, symbols, paper, and a writing utensil of some sort, but I’m sure you can think of more. Thanks for reading, and expect more soon. I’m working on further articles for this series, so expect ‘em. They’ll all be tagged with “#beginner witch,” to help people find them.
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