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Discovering Sigil Magic
I got interested in sigil magic in a roundabout way.
It began last month when I attended the Hay House Writers’ Workshop. On Day 3 of the online conference, Colette Baron Reid was a featured speaker. As part of her presentation she led us in an exercise to connect us with the spirit of our book.
We were told to get a piece of paper, and were led in a meditation. Then Colette asked us to make a dot on a piece of paper, ask the spirit of our book a question and draw whatever we saw or felt.
I was working on The Spirit Dream then and I knew that book had a spirit—a real one, or as real as these things get. So I asked my question.
What do you want for this book?
I didn’t hear anything. But I did see something—which happens rarely due to my aphantasia.
An 8 pointed star.
A symbol I associate with the spirit of dream.
I take symbols seriously because I believe that they’re how spirit talks to us. So the star meant something too me and the fact that I saw it meant something, too.
Though I was not clear on the details.
What Happened Next
I followed Colette’s instructions, drawing the 8 pointed star, enclosing it within rectangle and then drawing waves of energy emanating out into the ether—not even knowing that I had drawn my first sigil.
And while I didn't get an immediate answer to my question, answers did come.
By the time the workshop ended, I knew that I needed to put the source of my project first.
Not long after, I had a clear insight into what the spirit of my book really wanted.
To be heard.
So I started publishing it to my AuDHD Author Substack where it would be free to read.
And with that decided, I decided to explore the process Colette had given us.
I bought her book, The Art of Manifesting, and did some online reading about drawing and intention setting.
And that's how I found out about sigil magic.
What is a Sigil?
A sigil is a type of symbol used in magic. The term usually refers to a pictorial signature of a spirit (such as an angel, demon, or deity). In modern usage, especially in the context of chaos magic, a sigil refers to a symbolic representation of the practitioner's desired outcome. - Wikipedia
Just to be clear, Sigil magic doesn’t have to be some dark Seal of Solomon kind of thing. In it’s modern applications, in fact, it’s really just another way of manifesting.
I know that manifesting is controversial and my feelings about it are mixed. I was a critic of The Secret and I think New Thought is simplistic, at best. But this feels different.
In contemporary practice, a sigil is created from a statement of intent. All you have to do is formulate your intention, write it down, cross out the repeating letters and create a design from the letters that are left. This provides a symbol or focus point that you empower and release.
Sigils are popular in chaos magic, which teaches that there is no single way to empower a sigil. As in other forms of magic, a practitioner can choose whatever energy they want. Personal intent. Deities. Spirits. Sacred places. Ritual. Correspondences. Creative imagination.
The list goes on which is why sigil magic is sometimes considered gray. But it doesn’t have to be.
People have been using sigils in the form of amulets and talismans since Sumer and probably before. The 8 pointed star I drew is a symbol of Inanna, who I’ve associated with the spirit of my dream.
In ancient Sumer the 8 pointed star was used in amulets of Inanna. This is what convinced me that sigil magic is something I want to explore.
These are the books I’m working with:
- The Art of Manifesting: A Meditative Drawing Practice to Rewire Your Brain and Create Your Reality by Colette Baron Reid
- Practical Sigil Magic: Creating Personal Symbols for Success by Frater UD
- Condensed Chaos: An Introduction to Chaos Magic by Phil Hine
- Learn to Read Ancient Sumerian by Joshua Bowen and Megan Lewis
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| Ur-Nammu dedication tablet for the Temple of Inanna in Uruk (public domain) |
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