Sigil magic
Sigil magic is a form of magic that uses sigils . Sigils are graphic symbols that mainly consist of ligated letters. The word sigil comes from the Latin word sigillum , which means 'picture' or 'seal'.
history
Antiquity
Sigil-like symbols already existed in antiquity , for example on amulets or talismans that were dedicated to the gods and goddesses . In the history of magic there have always been seals with which one invokes spirits, angels , gods or demons . An example of such a symbol would be the famous Solomon's seal.
Early modern age
Sigils were developed from magical squares in the early modern period , for example by Agrippa von Nettesheim or Athanasius Kircher . In Agrippa's “Occulta Philosophia” there are instructions for working with the magic squares as well as instructions explaining today's “letter method”. Agrippa gives examples in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew letters. He also shows how a sigil can be developed using a cipher.
Modern
The modern sigil magic differs considerably from the ancient forms, since the practitioners do not use traditional forms, but rather make and design the sigils themselves. The word sigil magic is used in modern magic exclusively for working with self-generated characters. The traditional seals of planets, spirits, angels etc. Ä. are understood as part of ritual magic .
This new form of sigil magic was revived and redesigned by the British magician and artist Austin Osman Spare and thus became part of the so-called " chaos magic ". Nowadays, sigil magic is a popular element of the western expression of magical practices.
Modern form
Execution of the ritual
Sigil magic is practiced today by its followers in the following form: First, a magical goal or wish is formulated in the form of an affirmation . A negation should be avoided, as negative effects are feared if the unconscious does not understand such formulations. Instead, antonyms (opposite words) should be used.
The affirmation is set out in writing and any duplicate letters are deleted. A graphic symbol is created with the remaining letters. In addition, a mantra can be created from the remaining word structure that was created by the deletions .
Another form of modern sigil magic is the free design of the sigil in a trance-like state, during which one particularly concentrates on one's wish.
The theory of sigil magic requires that after the sigil has been designed, it must be “loaded” using magical techniques. The practitioner can use meditation , drumming , dancing , singing , self-developed rituals or sex magic . The concentrated desire to anchor the sigil in the unconscious rounds off the ritual.
function
The purpose of sigil magic is - comparable to modern affirmation techniques - to anchor a wish or a goal in the unconscious in order to achieve the desired. The desire is coded in order to bypass the censor, the threshold to the subconscious. While the conscious mind immediately recognizes a written affirmation in its content and can also react mentally with (self-) doubts, it cannot "defend itself" against a coded sigil, especially if the meaning is forgotten or suppressed at the time of "charging" has been. For this reason, practitioners often make several sigils on different topics and then put them away for a few weeks before turning back to them.
The wish is designed in symbolic form as a sigil. The charging ritual should promote the anchoring in the subconscious so that the wish can work from there in the future. For information on how it works, see affirmation , autosuggestion and self-hypnosis .
See also
literature
- Giovanni Grippo: Sigil Magic - Application, Treatment and Healing (eBook), G. Grippo Verlag, Oberursel 2012, ISBN 978-3-942187-15-2
- Jan Fries : Visual Magic. A manual of freestyle shamanism . Edition Ananael, Bad Ischl 1995, pp. 7-57 ISBN 3-901134-06-9 .
