Sigils. I am enchanted by the simplicity and power of these little magical symbols.
Sigils help you to achieve goals, co-create your reality, self-actualize your potential and fulfill your deepest dreams and desires.
If youโre at a place in your spiritual journey where youโre thinking, โIโve done a LOT of inner work โฆ but now what?โ itโs time to step out of your inner world into the outer world.
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Think for a moment:
What would you like to do with your life? What unconscious stories would you like to reprogram? What habits would you like to replace? What parts of you would you like to transform? How would you like to use your will, energy, and creativity?
Sigil magic helps you to step into your power as a creator.
If you are used to playing a passive (yin) role in your spiritual path, itโs now time to experiment with an active (yang) role.
Table of contents
What is a Sigil?
A sigil is a symbol you create with the intention of changing your reality in accordance with your will. All sigils are encoded with a specific purpose, for example, to attract a romantic partner, to set strong boundaries, to be more financially prosperous, to heal your inner child โ the possibilities are limitless.
While sigils were used in the past to symbolize and conjure up spirits, these days, sigils are used in a personal way to symbolically represent and manifest our own desires.
What is Sigil Magic?
Sigil magic is the formal practice of creating sigils (or intention-charged symbols) to change your reality. Those who practice sigil magic incorporate self-reflection, creativity, willpower, and ritual to manifest their desires. Sigil magic is based on the philosophy that we are co-creators of our reality. As such, we are empowered to make the changes we desire so long as they align with our ultimate destiny and the will of Life.
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11 Benefits of Creating Sigils
Sigils are quickly becoming one of my top five most used spiritual tools. Hereโs what I have observed from my own experience and others who have experimented with sigils:
- You feel empowered
- You feel more responsible for your life, choices, and actions
- You become more aware of the interconnected nature of reality
- You get to express your creative side
- You become more decisive and intentional
- You feel more motivated
- You learn the difference between lust and desire (more on this in the โshadow side of sigilsโ section below)
- You recognize yourself as a conscious co-creator of your life
- You feel connected with Life/Divine more deeply
- You develop more hope knowing that most situations can change if you will them to
- And of course โฆ
- Your life can change dramatically and drastically in accordance with your intent!
Please know that spirituality isnโt meant to be solely about passivity, surrender, and the destruction of the ego โ it can also be about creation. As always, I prefer to follow the path of the middle and have balance in my own spiritual practice.
How Do Sigils Work?
Sigils are essentially like little seeds that are planted within the unconscious mind.
Many things enter the depths of our minds, but not all of them are placed there intentionally or take root. What gives sigils their power is the energy and intention behind them โ and that is what helps them to sprout and blossom into manifestation. The symbolic nature of the sigil also helps bypass the rational (skeptical) mind and enter the unconscious where possibilities are endless.
As the language of the deep mind is symbolic, sigils basically โspeakโ to your unconscious. How cool is that?
The Dark Side of Sigil Creation
One of the biggest issues I first had with sigils is that it goes against the well-known spiritual philosophy of, โdesire equals suffering.โ
The more I read, experimented, and reflected, the more I realized that sigil magic is actually based on the process of creation and release. In other words, creating a sigil encourages surrender as much as it encourages desire.
How?
As youโll read in the next section, sigil magic involves releasing and intentionally forgetting about oneโs initial desire. This process of letting go has two benefits. The first benefit is that it allows our desire to burrow more deeply into the unconscious without the egoโs (aka. the inner Criticโs) interference.
The second benefit of releasing as a part of sigil magic is that it acknowledges and honors the wisdom of Life; that whatever will be will be. We can put our intentions/sigils out there, but ultimately itโs up to the divine intelligence of Life to fulfill.
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Furthermore, thereโs a big difference between desire and lust. Desire is what we feel when we want something. Lust, on the other hand, is what we feel when we take what we desire and cling to/obsess over it. Itโs very important to make this distinction.
Desire is not an issue so long as it doesnโt become lust. Without desire, we would be incapacitated. We wouldnโt be able to have preferences, make decisions, or listen to the voice of our heart and soul. Not only that, but without desire, we would feel no attraction towards our partners, no motivation to fulfill our potential on this earth, and no incentive to keep living life.
Desire is necessary. It is an integral part of existence. Desire is our life force, our sexual energy, our kundalini.
Lust, on the other hand, is desire turned sour. Lust is the dark side of desire, and we need to be careful of it. Lust results in addiction, jealousy, crimes of passion, hatred, and all kinds of suffering.
The dark side of sigil magic is falling into the pit of lust. So beware. Check your motives. Remember the importance of letting go and releasing your sigil to be fulfilled (or not) by the divine will of Life.
The other major dark side of sigil magic is that it can be used to try and control, coerce or otherwise interfere with the lives of others. Please donโt do this. Just donโt, okay? Itโs not worth it. Whatever manipulative intentions you have will bite you in the ass many times over. Even if your intentions are seemingly benign (e.g. creating a sigil to make another fall in love with you), the Universe will see that justice is served for attempting to interfere with anotherโs free will.
The lesson? Focus only on yourself. Keep the ball in your own court. Donโt try to mess around with the lives of others. Simple.
How to Make a Sigil (For Beginners)
Now that you understand the importance of focusing on your own needs and desires, letโs learn how to make a sigil.
There are many ways of making sigils. Below, is a simple, no-fuss guide describing the most popular method out there. This is the very same method I continue to use until this day and have received wonderful results from:
What you will need:
- Pen
- Paper
0. Check your motivations
In other words, do you really need to create a sigil? Be careful of going sigil-crazy and forming elaborate symbols to attract a new computer (when you can just get it repaired) or better friendships (when you can stop being a dick to your current friends).
Sigils are not a replacement for action. Yes, sigils can help you manifest just about anything โ but you also have to put in the work. Donโt be lazy. Sigils will create inner changes, but you need to be responsible for making outer changes first.
If you need a more objective way to assess your motivations, I recommend using oracle and tarot cards. There are all kinds of cards out there ranging from religious, to new age, to secular โ so you donโt need to be donning a velvet turban to enjoy their benefits. Tarot and oracle cards are wonderful tools to help you self-reflect and look at different angles.
1. Write down your intention
Avoid being too vague or too complex. Be specific. A good example of a clear and specific intention is, โMore confidence around my boss.โ
Poor examples of this same intention might include, โMore confidenceโ and โMore confidence around my boss next week at the business meeting at 2 pm.โ One of these intentions is too vague (sigils work best when you are specific), and the other is too complex.
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You can phrase your intention in any way that speaks to you. Examples might include:
- I am โฆ
- I need โฆ
- I want โฆ
- I wish โฆ
- I desire โฆ
- More โฆ
Or simply write the qualities you desire, such as โself-protection and maturity around my parentsโ โ I actually find this approach to be more effective than beginning with the words mentioned in the bullet point list above.
I personally discard of phrasing such as โI would really like more of โฆโ as the sigils become very hard to create. Try to simplify your intention as much as possible.
Also, ensure that you create one sigil for every intention. Donโt cram numerous desires into one sigil. For example, donโt create a sigil for the statement, โI desire to have a big family full of seven kids in a mansion by the ocean.โ Create one sigil for each of those intentions.
Youโll also need to be realistic and use your common sense. Donโt create a sigil for becoming a millionaire if you have no intention of working hard or putting in the effort in physical reality. Donโt create a sigil for becoming the CEO if you are nowhere near qualified. Similarly, donโt bother creating a sigil for that which is most likely going to happen. Pick something that has a 50/50 chance of happening.
Finally, (I promise this is about as complex as it gets), keep your intention phrased positively as that is much easier for the unconscious mind to understand. For example, instead of writing, โI will not feel scared and anxious around others,โ phrase your intention positively such as, โI feel calm and empowered around others.โ
2. Cross out letters
Once you have a sentence that captures your intention, itโs time to cross out all vowels and repeating letters.
For example, if your statement of intent was, โ I am safe and secure in my own skin,โ you would then go and cross out all of the vowels:
Then go and cross out any repeating letters โ you will then have the remaining letters msfndcrywk:
3. Create a symbol
After simplifying your sentence, you will then take the remaining letters and create a symbol:
Donโt worry if you can’t create an elegant looking symbol at first. Keep playing around until you find something you like. You donโt need to be an artist and your symbol doesnโt even need to look like a sigil โ just create something that speaks to you. If you like it, youโve done your job.
Rearrange the letters in any conventional or unconventional way you like. For example, you can choose to turn some letters upside down, enlarge other letters, minimize the rest, or merge two letters together. Have fun and enjoy the process!
Once you are done, take a moment to congratulate yourself. You have now created your first sigil!
How to Activate a Sigil
Activating a sigil involves infusing it with energy and propelling it into your unconscious mind. There are many ways to complete this final stage of sigil magic.
Some people prefer to enter an altered state of consciousness through dancing, chanting, meditation, sex, sensory deprivation/overwhelm, visualization, etc.
Other people like physically and symbolically destroying their sigils โ such as through burning, burying, tearing or dropping them into water.
For a truly dynamic way of activating your sigil, try combining both methods.
Here is a simple method that anyone can use:
What youโll need:
- Fire-proof pot, bowl or cauldron
- Matches/lighter
- Your sigil paper
Step 1 โ Find a quiet place
Ensure youโre undisturbed as youโll need to focus. You donโt need a fancy setup if you donโt have one. Otherwise, try sitting in your sacred space/altar (if you have one in your home).
Step 2 โ Close your eyes
Ground yourself by focusing on your breath. Practice a bit of mindful meditation by observing your breath going in and out. When you are ready โฆ
Step 3 โ Pick up your sigil
Stare at your sigil for a few minutes. You may like to hold the sigil close to your face or put it far away. Either way, gaze at your sigil until your vision gains a dreamlike quality. (If not, just gaze at it for a couple of minutes and reflect on its significance.)
Step 4 โ Burn your sigil and visualize
When youโre reading, bring out your matches/lighter, hold your sigil paper over your fire-proof dish, and light it on fire. When the paper catches fire, wait for a few seconds, then drop it into the dish. Alternatively, scrunch up your sigil into a ball, place it in your fire-proof container, then light it (this is a safer option as youโre less likely to get burned).
As you watch your sigil burn, imagine that the flames are burning inside of your mind as well and creating an opening to your unconscious mind. Allow your mind to become completely empty as you become consumed in watching your sigil burn.
Once your sigil has turned to ash, imagine the opening within your mind closing and returning back to normal.
Step 5 โ Forget and release
Now the bulk of the work has been done. What happens next is out of your hands. But the core thing to remember is to forget and release. Donโt dwell on your sigil. Donโt obsess over it. Donโt attach to it. Let the Universal Will take over and do its thing. The more you think about it, the more youโre involving your conscious mind. This is the equivalent of burying a seed in the ground but then digging it up every day to make sure itโs growing. Leave it alone!
And thatโs it.
Close your ritual space and carry on with your other daily business.
Does Sigil Magic Work?
Thatโs up to you to figure out. But in my experience, yes, it does. However, I also understand that creating sigils isnโt for everyone, so please do experiment and see for yourself.
One great way to keep track of how effective your sigils are is by creating a sigil journal. You can get a sticky note, fold it in half, then put the sigil on one side and the meaning on the other (just in case you happen to glimpse it while flipping through your journal).
Set a notification on your phone or in a physical calendar to check back on the sigil you created in 2-3 months time, and record your observations.
Learn more about how to journal.
***
Sigil magic is a wonderful, surprising, and empowering tool to have in your spiritual arsenal. Remember to indulge your inner child and have fun! Yes, this is a serious practice, but it doesnโt have to be a drab or complex experience.
What are your thoughts on sigil magic? Have you experimented with it before? Iโd love to hear any juicy experiences youโve had. Please share below!
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Just like brushing our teeth gets us ready for our day… creating this sigil will prepare yourself for change. It sets your intention for what you desire your future self to be.
I find it very difficult to set a path until Iโve identified what I want or need. This practice forces me to identify my best self, or at least just sit and ponder whatโs next.
Thank you again to these wonderful souls that provide free learning experiences and reasonably priced resources for us to grow… may we create an enlightened society of beautiful energies.
At the end you said to “close your ritual space….” What exactly is involved in closing ones ritual space. Is it important to do so?
It’s a symbolic gesture, kind of like ‘cutting the cord’ to let your subconscious know the ritual is over. I feel like in the language of the subconscious, it’s important to let it know when you’re doing something important and when you’re stopping so that it can be extra receptive and alert.
I’m just curious…. all these rituals. I chose spirituality because I don’t believe in man made religion, man made rituals or man made rules of worship. Are these sigils not another man made ritual? Can we not find truth, enlightenment and awakening without performing any rituals? I’m honestly asking and not trying to dis anyone.
It’s a valuable question. I can understand your aversion to rituals from the bad reputation the big Religions have given them. Spirituality has nothing to do with rituals. Spirituality the way I define is, is reconnecting with that feeling of ‘oneness’ in life, of tapping into spirits stream of ‘meaning’.
The issue is if we confuse using sigils, or doing yoga or any other activity with ‘spirituality’ itself. Ultimately, it’s all vehicles that help us access this spiritual feeling, this inner peaceful state. Rituals, in a psychological explanation, serve as vehicles for our subconscious mind to transfer and project aspects of itself that are too much of a burden for the inner psyche to handle.
For instance, our divinity or god-complex (to use Freud’s language) is too much for our individual self to handle and can give us grandiose delusions if we do so. Instead, unburdening it onto a symbol like a cross, or a ritual, or a sacred word, allows us to live the peaceful life we seek.
Spirituality has nothing to do with rituals. … etc… I simply love this. It is so enlightening. Brother, I am a Sikh by religion. Today I just stumbled upon your site and was amazed to discover why Sikhism is so explicitly against all kinds of rituals (called Karam Kand) and hence can be said to be a ‘spiritualism’ based faith. There is whole lot of verses in our holy book decrying the rituals by people, abandon them altogether and chant/sing/concentrate only on the name of One Universal God. Now I am seeing such a great wisdom in this teaching by great Guru Nanak and later 9 Gurus. How wonderful! I feel blessed. Thanks.. thanks .. thanks.
Believe me, I feel the same way sometimes and I used to all the time. But no one is making me use this. I am just adding this potential tool to my tool box. I actually really love this idea of getting to know my subconscious/unconscious and making it a more physical format for me to intend something with the universe. I feel like often times people need the physical format in order for their subconscious/unconscious brains to accept there is change. DOING something can “trick” the mind into thinking something was indeed done, if that makes any sense.
Thank you SO much for this…I was very late reading this post and find it quite amazing and very inspirational. Thank you so very much for your wisdom and insights which are so much appreciated โฅ
Iโve been meaning to do something more proactive and a friend of mine told me about sigils. I didnโt think much of it at the time (mostly because I knew nothing about it). When this newsletter popped up in my inbox, I just took it as a message from the Universe- and Iโm so glad I read this! It definitely appeals to my inner artist – I will admit I felt sad that I would have to burn it ; although I understand why. I will give it a go this weekend.
Thank you for this
Synchronicity indeed. I treat them as ‘ephemeral arts’, the fact that we know they’ll be burned makes it all the more beautiful to put in the effort to make is nice looking much like the Buddhist monks do with the sand Mandalas.
The work on this Website is just extraordinary you two are some of the best!!
Thank you Antwan, it’s a work of passion and we’re very proud of what we’ve created :).
I noticed in the pictures that the sigil was made in the form of a circle which I like the concept of. Was that particular sigil specifically placed in a circle or was it a letter โoโ from the intention?
Thanks for the query Lisa. As mentioned in the article, the vowels are crossed out which included the “O”. Thought I must admit I love using circles in my work and sigils, I feel balance/wholeness are a large part of the essence of what I do. If it’s a shorter Intention like a single word “Self Love”, I’ll keep the vowels and just remove the repeated letters.
My son looking for a job. Can ฤฑ make a sigil for him?
That’s sweet of you. You can do one for him, though ideally it’s the person involved in the Intention doing it as it’s much more powerful that way.
I’ve run into this post by chance today! I am glad I did! Immediately did the ritual for 2 things that have been bothering me a lot lately and instantly felt better! Thank you, guys. I need to read through your site thoroughly to make sure I don’t miss gems like this one.
That’s great to know, you’ll sure find a few gems in the many years we’ve been publishing :)
Thank you for a beautiful and simple way to start creating and using sigils.
This triggered some part of my graphic artist, and I’m excited enough that I am starting this morning.
My brother and I were just discussing that we both are feeling we need to move forward with our awakening path, and add more movement and action to our spiritual, emotional and energetic.
What a beautiful way to start. Thank you again, Mateo
Awesome, I’m excited to hear how and you and brothers journey is affected by your sigils :)