#sigils 101

[scorpianwitch]

A sigil to promote growth of your plants! Put this on the bottom of whatever you use to water your plants, charge it up under the moonlight and water away you green thumbed witches 🌙

[stormwaterwitch]

I just started my book of shadows and I wanna protect it but I never used a sigil before. Any ideas?

Heya! 

Sigils are fun lemme get you some resources for how to make sigils! Everybody and their mom has a different way of making Sigils so explore different types and ways till you find one you like

My personal BoS Sigil (Complete with link on how i break my sigils down)How to SigilWays to Use SigilsHow to create SigilsSigil ResourcesHow to make SigilsSigil Wheels & GridsConstellation SigilsSigil Wheels VideoSigil Master Post

[sigiliuvenum]

Sigil FAQ

Updated: August 7th, 2017

What is a sigil?

A sigil is a magical symbol of intent. It is a design created for a specific purpose, with a desired goal in mind, and then charged with energies to assist in bringing about said goal.

As found on Google:

sig·il /ˈsijəl/ noun. an inscribed or painted symbol considered to have magical power; archaic, a seal; literary, a sign or symbol.

Where did sigils come from?

Sigils were originally used in medieval ceremonial magic, to summon angels and demons (as seen in [The Lesser Key of Solomon]). This isn’t how sigils are (mainly) used nowadays - or at least here on Tumblr. 

The modern method of “sigilization,” using a statement of intent and compressing it into a physical, visual design, was brought about by Austin Osman Spare, then made popular by Peter J. Carroll in his book [Liber Null]. 

Since then, the use of sigils has become a core part of a branch called chaos magic, and practiced by many people in many different ways.

Chaos magic? What’s that?

Chaos magic is a branch of magic that doesn’t really have a lot of strict rules or solid structure. It’s why it’s called chaos magic. The practitioners of chaos magic, sometimes called “chaotes,” use many modern methods in their craft (they’re pretty eclectic), use their belief as a tool, and are encouraged to experiment and create their own personal methods of doing things. Peter J. Carroll also had a hand in this branch of magic, which can be seen in his books [Liber Null & Psychonaut].

Do I have to be a “chaote” to use sigils?

Nope, that’s just the branch of magic they come from. People can argue that by using sigils you’re already classified as a chaote, but I feel it’s just another one of those labels that describes a magical path, and you don’t necessarily have to be part of it to use its key elements. For example, I can incorporate sand or shells into my spellwork, but that doesn’t necessarily make me a sea witch. Anyway, moving on!

What can sigils be used for?

Sigil magic is very versatile, and can be used for a wide variety of things. You may often see sigils used for protection, confidence, glamours, focus and motivation, sleep and nightmares, intents like that. The can be used for drawing in or attracting certain people or qualities, or banishing or pushing away certain people or qualities. Sigils can amplify certain aspects or traits within yourself, or diminish them. Sigils can also have an effect on other objects, such as enchanting them for specific purposes. If you can think of something you need, it can likely be done with a sigil.

That being said, there are certain things that magic should not be used for, and those things also correlate with sigils. Mundane methods should never be ignored in lieu of magic. 

In line with that, magic and sigils should never be used as a replacement or substitute for medical treatments if they are needed. Magic can certainly help boost those things, but shouldn’t be used in stead of. Your health and safety are paramount; if you are concerned about your health, please see a doctor or professional. 

How would I successfully use a sigil?

It depends on the sigil and its intent. A sigil for anxiety might be best drawn on your skin where you can feel its constant effect versus being destroyed. A sigil for banishing a bad quality would be best ripped up or buried, to symbolize ridding yourself of the quality. Once you have your sigil and know what it is for, thinking of the best way to apply it comes down to you, what you hope to gain, and also what you have available for you to use.

Can anyone make a sigil?

Yes! Anyone can make sigils and start using them at any time, if they desire.

How would one go about creating a sigil?

Sigil creation methods are generally pretty unique to the person using them, though most have similar basic structures and can work for others if they “connect” with it. It’s all about you and what you feel and need.

A basic sigil creation method goes something like this:

create a statement of intent

break down that statement of intent by removing duplicated letters - any letter that repeats more than once

use the remaining letters to create a symbol while focusing on your intent/goal

charge the sigil by putting energies into it

You can find links for other types of creation methods [here].

What if I don’t like a specific creation method, or it doesn’t work for me?

You don’t need to stick with it. If you find it’s not working, or not suiting your needs, try another one. Another thing you can do is modify an existing method to suit your needs better. Take a method that you like, add or remove some steps to make it more personal to you, switch some things around. Experiment!

Can I make a sigil for someone else, or use a sigil someone else has made?

Yes, you can make a sigil for another person; the best way to do so would be to use their full name in the statement, like “[full name] passes their driver’s test.” Alternatively, if you have a photo of the target, you could draw any sigil on their picture, and this removes the need to use their full name in the statement.

It is also definitely possible to use sigils other people have made. It is why so many of us take requests for sigils. Some people say that sigils are stronger if made yourself, since they are more personal, and that may have its applications, but there is no reason not to try a pre-existing sigil if you are drawn to it…unless the owner of the sigil has asked no one to use it, of course!

What exactly is a statement of intent?

A statement of intent is, well, a statement dictating your goals, wishes or desires. Some examples would be “I am confident,” “I am protected from any negative intentions,” or “I am hidden from those that would seek to harm me.” It is a sentence dictating what you wish to happen, and creating a sigil from the letters of your statement will help bring it into effect.

There have also been people that use only one word for their statements of intent, such as “sleep” or “happiness.” These sigils can prove just as effective as sigils made with wordier sentences. These types of sigils have their own benefits and uses, but if you’re looking for specific and targeted effects, you may be better off using a full statement of intent for your sigils.

Why do you keep using “I am?” What about “I will?”

“I am” programs the sigil, and lets it know that the effects are happening RIGHT NOW, so the sigil has to work to make it happen RIGHT NOW. If you use “I will,” sure, you’ll get your desired outcome, but when? It leaves it so open to interpretation. The sigil could go off tomorrow, or next week, or next month.… Using “I am” shows the sigil that it needs to have already happened, is already happening, so it works to make it so.

However, this is just a suggestion - some people find that sigils work just as well for them if they use “I will” instead of “I am.” It comes down to each individual person, and trying out each technique for yourself should prove beneficial in knowing which you prefer to use or which works for you.

Do you have to write down the statement of intent when making a sigil?

No. If you are confident in being able to keep the statement in your mind as you work and imbue those desires into your design, you should be fine without writing it down. I think it is best for beginners, though, to start with writing the statement down and using its letters as building blocks, to imprint your desires more easily into your sigil, and to keep what you want to happen firmly in mind.

Should I remove the vowels from a statement of intent?

You can if you want to. I tend to keep them, because it gives me more shapes to work with when it comes to designing the actual sigil. It’s a matter of preference.

Do I need to use all the letters?

Nope, not at all. If you feel you don’t need that letter, don’t use it.

What if I find the letters hard to work with?

You can break down the letters further into their basic shapes. I do this, and it does make the crafting a lot easier. A would break down to / - \, P would be | ), you get the idea. You also don’t have to use every single shape if you don’t feel you need to, either.

Can I use pre-existing symbols in sigils?

Of course. These symbols have their meanings for a reason, and their associations with your intent will help it with its goal. Your sigil can be abstract, or it can physically represent your desires - whatever you prefer.

Do sigils have to be in any certain shape or pattern?

Only if you want them to be. Everyone’s aesthetics and creation methods are different. if you want to use symbolism from shapes and designs in your sigils, go right ahead. If you want a lot of swirls or lines, do that. If you don’t want any noticeable pattern, that works too! The only reason the shapes and patterns matter is if it appeals to you, if you like how it looks - that can make a sigil stronger. If that’s what you want to do, do it; otherwise, don’t worry about it.

Can I use colors for sigils, or do they need to be drawn in black?

Draw them in whatever color you want - bonus points if you use color correspondences to match to the sigil's intent!

Does stroke order (the order in which I draw the lines) matter for sigils?

Only if you let it be so, or you are using a sigil made by someone else who has specified it is necessary.

Do I have to use my first language?

Not at all! You can use any language or alphabet to make sigils from. Some people even use pop culture or made up alphabets; I’ve even made sigils out of a code my friend and I wrote in high school. Experiment and have fun with it - there are many alphabets out there that you could try, like the [theban alphabet], or this [shadow script] created by a fellow Tumblr user.

Can I use a sigil created in another language?

Absolutely. It is the intent that matters, and intents are universal.

I just drew a design without any statement in mind, what does that mean?

You drew a cool looking symbol. I previously thought that these were “blank sigils,” that could just be filled with an intent after creation, and they would work just as normal sigils would. Evidence from people sending in their experiences and stories has shown me that drawing a design with no intent, then filling it with one later, doesn’t work as well; the “blank sigil” doesn’t seem to hold the intent or the charge very well at all. So, for the most part, when you draw random symbols like that, it’s just a random symbol.

My personal belief is, without a statement of intent for a symbol to act upon, it isn’t really a sigil, just a unique symbol.

However, your experience could be something different. If you wish to find out if a symbol you’ve drawn randomly has any meaning, look up existing symbol association, try some divination methods, see if anything comes up.

Is charging necessary?

I’d say so, absolutely. The sigil needs energies put into it, to activate it and allow it to work its magic. You can’t expect a computer to work without it being plugged in to a power source. A car can’t run without gas. Humans can’t run without food. Same thing goes with sigils. Creating a sigil will give it a bit of a charge, but it is recommended to charge it with an additional method to ensure it gets all the energies it needs to work at its full ability.

What are some charging methods?

There are so many ways to charge sigils, it’s baffling. People are constantly coming up with new methods to fill sigils with energy every day. Coming up with your own charging “rituals” and thinking outside the box are highly encouraged. 

dance and physical exercise

music

sex, orgasm and semen

blood and pain

the elements (air, fire, water, earth)

moonlight

sunlight

planets and stars

destruction

food and eating

basic energy work (using your own energies)

electronics and technology

These are not ALL the methods, just some to give you some ideas to work off of, and hopefully inspire your own.

You can find links for more charging methods [here].

Is one charging method better than any other, or are they all equal?

Some charging methods might be more suited for certain intents than others. The energies match the desires better, based on the “wavelength” and the feel of said energies. You probably wouldn’t want to charge a sleep sigil with physical activity or coffee beans. Besides that, it’s all just moving energy around; there’s not really a supreme way to do that, just many ways. One method isn’t necessarily better than any other, and personal preference can also have a role as well.

Okay, so what’s a BASIC charging method then?

The simplest method, that requires no other supplies besides the sigil you wish to charge and yourself, is filling the sigil up with your own energy. The way I do this is, I hold the sigil in my hands, or hold my right hand over wherever the sigil is located (skin, object, etc.). I channel up energy from the ground, so I don’t exhaust myself in the charging process. I pull the energy through me, to somewhere near my heart, and fill it with my intent and desires (I call this “programming”). I then push that energy down through my arm, out my hand, and into the sigil. I repeat this process multiple times, until I feel the sigil is adequately charged.

With this method, remember to be mindful of your personal energy levels, especially when just beginning to work with sigils. It is very easy to drain yourself, take too much energy and leave yourself exhausted, and this can come with unwanted side effects. 

Are you serious about exhausting yourself from charging a sigil?

Yes; sigils tend to take energy during their creation and require it for charging, and generally that energy comes from yourself. If you’re not familiar with your energy levels, it is easy to take too much from yourself and put it into a sigil, leaving you feeling tired or drained. It’s a relatively common “symptom” or result - it’s happened to me a fair number of times, too. 

The best way to stop this is to pull energy into yourself before charging, to make sure there is lots of energy to give the sigil so you won’t be taking it all from yourself. 

The more you work with energies, the better you will be at gathering and retaining, and the less tiring sigil charging will be over time. Figuring out your energy limit and staying within it is great as well, though that can take time and experimentation. 

In the case of this happening, cease any energy work or spellwork, and take some time to rest - have some water, maybe even a snack, relax and do something you enjoy. You should be feeling better soon.

What’s the best method for me to use to charge sigils?

I have found that it is best to associate your charging method with your intent. For example, a sigil to bring more energy might best be charged under the sun. Besides that, though,choosing a method is up to you, based off your own judgement, and what you feel you and your sigil need.

Do I need to destroy a sigil for it to work?

Not necessarily. Destroying a sigil is moreso about releasing the energy within it, to allow it to act out in the world; however, people have found that destruction isn’t always necessary for a sigil to work or to feel its effects. Some prefer to keep their sigils intact, so they can keep it and its energies close and feel it at work. It comes down to what you prefer to do, what you think is necessary.

How can I “break” or “turn off” a sigil after it’s activated?

I would rip it apart or erase it, do what you can to physically remove it or destroy it, and declare that all the energies within that sigil have been released and nullified. Make sure to state that the sigil has been broken / deactivated, that it can no longer act out its purpose.

If the sigil has already been destroyed, then just stating that the sigil has been broken, its energies released and nullified, and no longer able to act upon you or the world, should be enough.

How do you feel about sigils as tattoos?

Sigils would make great tattoos, as long as you plan to use the sigil / have need of its effects constantly in your life. Otherwise, you’ll have a sigil on your body for an obsolete purpose. It won’t do anything negative, the design just won’t work anymore since it no longer has any purpose.

I would recommend doing a test run of the sigil first, however - draw the design on your body with pen or marker, charge it, and see if it works as desired, and that it may not come with any unexpected side effects. Magic is sometimes chaotic, and doesn’t always act in ways we expect or think it should.

Can I reuse a sigil I have used before?

Yep! As long as you remember the statement of intent you used, and have a reference for the design, there is no problem reusing a sigil after it has already been used. You will need to recharge it, however. Every separate instance of a sigil needs charging.

What do you mean by “every separate instance?”

Every time you draw a sigil for the first time, charge it. Even if you’ve used it before, that particular time you drew it, it needs energies in it to work. The charge will not carry over from the old use, the first sigil, since those energies served their purpose the first time and are no longer around.

Can I keep a book filled with sigils to use later or for reference?

Yup; as long as you don’t charge a sigil it is just a picture of a symbol, so you can keep it around without it having any effect on your life (yet).

Some people also draw “nullification” sigils on the inside covers of books they keep their sigils in, to prevent them from gathering any energy to be used as charge.

My sigils look different from everyone else’s, did I do something wrong?

No. Every person has their own aesthetic and style. We each draw and create differently, so it make sense that our designs are unique too. As long as you like how your sigil came out, it doesn’t matter if it looks starkly different from other sigils with the same intents. You have your own style, you are unique, and it comes across in sigils. It’s what makes them so awesome.

My sigils don’t look good at all, am I making a mistake?

Not necessarily. It takes some time to get the hang of working with sigils. My early sigils were pretty bad, looking back on them now. Just like with any skill, it takes time and practice to hone your talents and get to where you want to be. Just keep working, keep practicing, keep drawing sigils, and I’m sure you’ll find yourself in a place where you’re happy with your designs soon enough. Your style will come with time and practice.

I keep trying to draw a sigil but it doesn’t feel right, what do I do?

Try an alternative creation method. Try using a different alphabet or language. Try rephrasing your statement of intent.

If none of those things help you create a sigil that works for you, it may be a sign that now is not the time to create and use a sigil for that intent. Give it a break for a couple of days, then go back to it and see if anything has changed. If not, try an alternate method of magic (like a candle spell or herb sachet).

Can’t sigils do everything?

It’s more like, sigils are more applicable to certain intents than others. All magic has things it’s “best used” for. There are some intents that just don’t align well with particular methods. For example - I wouldn’t try to use sea magic techniques for a spell to help align yourself with a fire elemental.

[sigilathenaeum]

Hey i was wondering what kinda culture these sigils or from or how you create them? I'm just curious about the background of it :)

Sigils have been around for a long time. In the past they were often used for such things as summoning demons or angels. In the early 1900’s a guy named Austin Osman Spare developed what is now considered the modern use of sigils (the sort of thing I do). He developed the use of sigils to accomplish your will and a little later Peter J. Carroll helped popularize the method.Carroll formulated the area of chaos magic, which is what sigils fall under. There aren’t a lot of rules in chaos magic, and so is often highly individualistic.

More recently there’s been what I would call an evolution or divergence from Spare’s sigil making method. Spare believed that in order for a sigil to work properly it needs to be embedded in the subconscious. In other words the sigil user needs to forget the meaning of a sigil. Personally, I don’t agree with that part of Spare’s method. Spare thought that if you were conscious of a sigil’s meaning you would start to worry over it and your desire for it to work would overpower the desire for the thing it was meant to do. I can see how that might happen in some some cases, but I don’t believe it would happen all the time. This is a somewhat controversial area of sigil making. Some people agree with Spare that the sigil needs to be forgotten to work in the subconscious and properly function. Some people don’t. I am one of the ones that don’t. In my own work with sigils I don’t try to forget my sigils when I use them and they have worked just fine for me. Magic is a very personal thing. Each person has their own path and their own way of doing things. You’ll just have to figure out and decide for yourself how you feel about this topic. Find what works for you.

As for how there made, here’s How I make sigils. It’s the most common method of designing sigils, coming from what Spare developed all those years ago. I’ve got links to other peoples’ methods and a lot more info on sigils on my FAQ About Sigilspage if you’re interested.

[sylvaetria]

hi i just found your blog and quick question: for drawing sigils is there any particular order you have to do it in??? like straight lines first or left to right or right to left or does it not matter??? sorry, i'm kind of new...

Hey there! We all start somewhere, no worries. :)

There is no particular order to draw a sigil’s lines in, unless that has a relevance to you. I know that Japanese characters all have a stroke order, and I think that’s fascinating and want to incorporate it into my sigil work a lot more. I’ve done it before, mostly because I think a sigil’s energy will flow better if drawn a certain way, but that’s just been how I’ve experimented with it. 

Usually most people don’t pay attention to this sort of thing (or at least no one has let on that they do, in any case). If you think it matters, then it does; if you don’t think it has an impact on your sigils, don’t worry about it. Your belief and intent are very important in magic, especially so in sigils. If you feel like it matters, give it a go, see how it works out for you; otherwise, just do what you think is best for you and your sigils.

I hope that helps you, good luck!

[sigilathenaeum]

Hi! I'm not sure if you posted about this but I was wondering if you had any tips on making your own sigils. Thank you!

Hello! Well, first I’d say that you shouldn’t worry about following any specific method exactly as it says. If you find something that you like and you want to change it a bit, you go for it. Your goal in making a sigil is to create a unique symbol to represent your intent. How you do that is up to you. I follow the common method of writing out the intent, deleting the vowels and repeated consonants and using what’s left to create a design. At least that’s where I start, if it isn’t looking right I’ll do whatever I feel it needs to make it look right to me. And by ‘look right’ I usually mean balanced and aesthetically pleasing to me (whatever that may be). Sometimes it means matching the intent like if it has to do with water I might use longer, slightly curved or wavy, horizontal lines or something like that. You may also want to keep in mind how you intend to use them. I generally don’t like to make mine too complicated because they’re intended to be used by lots of people and I don’t want to make them difficult to use. If I make some for my own personal use, they tend to be more elaborate and detailed. I don’t know what else to say. I hope that helps. If you have more specific questions let me know. :)

[eatslowlyplz]

I have recently realised that you can make sigils in non Roman Alphabets and they’re far more elegant... as the basic nature of Brahmi derived scripts (my native one) is that they naturally combine letters into consonant-conjuncts. Up to four consonant clusters can be orthographically represented as a typographic ligature. Basically it already has a sigil system! It can break letters down to its elements to combine into new ones. Much better suited to sigil-making in my opinion. What say Asian Witches? Have you tried sigils in other writing system than the Roman?

[sigilathenaeum]

Hi, can I ask how do you use a sigil, ? can it be a tattoo, example ... self protection , or a drawing on the door of a house, or does one need to "trace" the image and repeat the "mantra". ? Thank you for you time and Tumblr feed. Namaste

Hello.

Just the Basics

Well, you find/make a sigil for whatever it is you want to accomplish. Then you choose where to draw/carve/paint/or otherwise place it. It can just be on a piece of paper. That’s easy and you can place the paper pretty much wherever you want. (It can be a tattoo, yes.) Then you choose a charging method. There are lots of ways to charge a sigil but finding one that suits the intent of the sigil can make it more effective. Some charging methods destroy the sigil and if that’s the case you’re done. If it doesn’t then you do whatever you want with the sigil. You can place it somewhere that makes sense, like in your textbook if it’s for studying, or by your bed if it’s for sleeping. Or you could just tear it up and throw away the pieces. Some people try to forget their sigil and its meaning so that their subconscious can work unhindered to bring about the sigil’s goal. For me though, they work better when I remember them. So you can decide what’s best for you there. That’s the basics.

Charging

For a sigil to be active and work towards its intent it must be charged with energy. You are taking the energy from one source and redirecting and sort of programming it into the sigil and to work towards the sigil’s intent. Potentially anything involving energy, light, heat, movement, extreme emotion, pain, etc. can be used to charge a sigil. Some methods are destructive and leave you without a physical copy of the sigil and some are not. Either way is perfectly fine and it’s really up to your own personal preference. Probably the most well-known method of charging is to burn the sigil. When you choose a charging method it is always a good idea to think about the intent of your sigil and try to find an appropriate charging method. A sigil for cleansing or fresh starts might be charged using water while one for happiness or a bright future might be charged with sunlight. Whatever method you choose though, it is important to focus on the intent of the sigil as you do it. (chanting it like a mantra can be a good way to do that.) You are directing the energy from whatever source into your sigil to accomplish a particular goal. I have made a page listing several ways you can charge sigils and types of sigils I think correspond with those methods. For now, here are just a few examples of how you can charge a sigil.

Burn it

Leave it in the sunlight/moonlight

Run water over it

Bury it

Direct your own energies into it (explained below)

Place it under a charging phone/electronic device

Sex/orgasm

Blood

Pain

Dancing/running/physical exercise

Write it in something that will disappear (fog in mirror, etc.)

Draw it in your food and eat it

For more specific information on sigils you can check out my FAQ About Sigilspage.