Sigils

Sigils are symbols that are created with a magical intent, they can be used during rituals, used as protection charms or for other magical purposes. Uses for sigils include protection, spirit communication and they can be incorporated with amulets and talismens. Sigils can be as simple or complex as you wish to make them but they are usually a line diagram. 

Sigils can be found throughout history, however they were mainly used to create symbols that would represent the names of angels, daemons or spirits. These symbols were used by practitioners to contact or summon these beings and by knowing their name it gave them power over the Angel or daemon. 

Sigils can be created physical, virtual or simply in your mind. They can be recorded in any manner that you want to, whether it's by pen and paper, in metal, clay, wood etc.

The term sigil derives from the Latin word sigillum which means seal.

Types of sigils 

There a vew different ways to create sigils 

Word sigil - you write down your intention, remove all vowels and repeating letters and use the remaining letters to create a sigil 

Binding - this technique has been around for a while, this maybe combining runes to make a bindrune or combining signs of the elements and zodiac together.

Number ciphers - this is common method using numerology and a magic square. The letters of the alphabet are written in a square grid and each column is given a number. You find the letters of your word/phrase and write down the numbers. Create a square grid with the numbers and then draw a line to each number to create the sigil.

Austin Osman Spare

In more recent times, sigils have taken on a different role as more of a monogram that represent a thought or an intent. This came about because of Austin Osman Spare, who was an artist and occultist who developed his own method of automatic writing, sigils and drawing. He believed that old medieval sigils and the control over the beings was simply just a complex in the unconscious and so sigils could be applied to other things. 

His belief of being able to control other forces by creating and using sigils became the core element of chaos magic, which came about from this new method.