Sigil Making - Tumblr Posts

Sigil Crafting

Sigils were the first magic I ever learned. As an artist, symbolism and aesthetic are things that are incredibly important to me. I have used multiple ways of crafting sigils, but I have created my own personal way of creating sigils using a method writers have used in poetry- the stream of consciousness technique.

I put my pen to paper, call upon what I wish to make a sigil about, and let the pen create what I need.

These are the sigils that I use the most frequently (you may use them if you wish).

You may notice that my sigils in the form of arrows. Arrows are a symbolic representation of aiming and shooting for something, and I love the vertically long look because I like to draw these sigils on my forearms.

I created all of these with stream of consciousness drawing.

It is almost like a form of meditation for me. Allowing myself to simply create what I think “focus” or “protection” looks like visually makes the end results beautiful and meaningful for me.

I do have a few running themes. Here are a few symbols I love to throw in.

These are used a ton in my art.

So here is a step by step of what to do-

1. Clear your mind for meditation. (Tip- if you have crystals that symbolize your intent, surround yourself with them. And example would be having a rose quartz for love on you or near you.)

2. Put your writing utensil to your paper. (I recommend using paper before digital.) Have your energy flow from your body to the focus of the tip of the pen/pencil, repeating the intent you wish the sigil to have.

3. Make a first draft of your sigil by allowing your hand to simply move as you think of your intent.

4. Make as many reiterations you wish until you have something you feel satisfied with. (Editing is a big part of writing as well.)

5. After a few tries making different sigils, make a list of your own common symbols you see popping up in your sigils.

And there you have it. If you are not comfortable, try mixing this technique with others to find what works best for you, or simply only use other techniques and make sigil arrows. I think using the look of an abstract arrow helps with directing intentions.

You can also request a sigil from me if you so choose in my inbox, for I shall be making them for anyone who asks for free.

I hope you find yourself using this technique of stream of consciousness to create wonderful sigils.

In context with this post on sigil making, you need to break up letters into their basic shapes. I’ve gotten a few messages from people who don’t know how to do that, which is totally understandable, so here’s a guide. I didn’t include vowels because you don’t use vowels when making this kind of sigil.

Requested by @lovepayal

Introduction to Sigils

What is a Sigil

A sigil is a symbol that is drawn for a specific magical purpose; to represent the intent of the drawer or to represent a specific entity.

In Medieval systems of ceremonial magick systems, a sigil was the symbol of a specific entity, an angel or a demon which allowed a magician to summon and control the entity. In modern magical systems, a sigil is often used in magical work to represent a specific intention or to give shape to a thought form. In Chaos magic, a word or a statement may be reduced to symbolic form to create a sigil for ritual use using Spare’s technique. Sigils may also be created using someone’s name and used as a target for sympathetic magical practice.

A sigil may be drawn, carved or wood burned using any medium you like, but a pen and paper is usual. When the sigil is no longer needed, it can then easily be destroyed by tearing it up and/or burning it. While rituals surrounding drawing and activating sigils vary, the most important thing is to keep your mind on the goal while drawing the sigil. It can then be carried, hidden nearby or hung up where people can see it as is appropriate.

The word sigil derives from the Latin sigillum meaning “seal” and is likely also related to the Hebrew segula meaning “word, action, talisman”. The plural of sigil may be sigilla or sigils.

Spare’s Technique

Spare’s Technique is a method for creating sigils that was developed by Austin Osman Spare right around the turn of the 20th century. It involves creating a sigil using the letters in a written statement of intent.

First, the statement of intent is written on a piece of paper.

Traditionally, the statement begins with “This is my will…” or “This is my wish…” Though I’ve seen modern practitioners use “MY Will = …” etc. Or dispense with this part altogether.

Most modern practitioners who have dispensed with the “MY WILL” statement, avoid any statement indicating “wishing” or “hoping”, lest one continue wishing and hoping.

The statement must be a positive statement, that is, the words “no”, “not”, “never”, etc. should not appear in the statement. Instead of saying “This is my will that I will never get in a plane crash” you would write “This is my will; I travel safely by plane.” Instead of “This is my will; That the floodwaters do not reach my house.” you would write “This is my Will, that my house is safe from the floodwaters”.

It is also important that the statement be very specific to avoid any situations that could involve your Will coming to pass in a way that is unacceptable to you. The statement “I have a new home.” Could be brought about by a serious accident that put you in a nursing home, or the death of a family member resulting in your inheritance or a transfer in your job that causes you to move out of necessity. Best to state “I have purchased a three-bedroom home in Birmingham.” or “It is my Will to purchase a three-bedroom home in Birmingham.” – but try not to use any extra words, be concise.

Next, Reduce the Statement to an Image

Remove all the vowels and write down the consonants, but only write down each consonant one time. You can convert numbers written as words into numerals if you like. At this time, you may also wish to convert the English letters into another language, an ancient or magical alphabet or whatever suits you. Or leave them in English as Spare did. Combine the remaining letters into a single image. Use the lines from one letter to make the lines for another letter, put letters within letters until you get the simplest image you can manage.

Voila, you have a sigil.

Spare was not the first person to use this method. It is reminiscent of sigils used by Agrippa and sigils found throughout the world in various languages, including bindrunes. The technique has been further refined since Spare’s time as well. Grant Morrison is credited with the most modern variant of this technique.

Using the Sigil You can use this sigil in a variety of ways. While the act of creating the sigil itself is a magical act that naturally causes you to focus your energy on the desired result, some prefer to use the sigil as a part of a larger spell. You may wish to use it for a petition or add it to a container spell or dress it and focus on it while raising energy- direct the energy into the sigil. You may choose to light a candle and chant over it or put it within your field of vision while raising energy in a  more physical way. You can then hide it somewhere around your house or carry it on your person to bring the desired effect. Some schools of thought suggest you hide the sigil and forget all about it while others prefer to display it prominently.