15/10/2024
MAGIC BITES: The Art of Sigil Magic
Sigils are symbols charged with intent to bring about a specific outcome. It is often suggested that sigils work by allowing the practitioner to bypass the conscious mind and work directly with the subconscious, where true transformation occurs. However, there are many other possible reasons why sigils work beyond just the subconscious mind. Some believe that sympathetic resonance—where the symbol resonates with the intended outcome—plays a role. Others feel it's a way to inject code into the matrix, and some feel it's nothing more than fancy goal setting.
But maybe they work because… ya' know — they’re magic!
A sigil is crafted from a statement of intent. For example, if you want to become more confident, you could create a statement like, “I am confident.” However, I have found more success by leaving out the “I am” and instead using just “Confidence” or something similar. There are positives and negatives to the different approaches to crafting the statement of intent, so the best thing to do is experiment and see which works best for you. Stating things in the past, for example, often never works for some people, while it is the only way it works for others.
When you have your statement of intent, you then remove the vowels and repeating letters, and combine the remaining characters into an abstract design that looks magic and pleasing to you. The goal is to create a symbol that no longer consciously represents the original intent, making it easier for the subconscious mind to take over without interference from your rational thoughts.
Once you have created a sigil, it needs to be activated or launched! There are several methods to achieve this, ranging from subtle mental techniques to highly physical activities.
One of the most common ways to activate a sigil is by achieving an altered state of consciousness, often referred to as “gnosis.” However, it's worth noting that “gnosis” might not be the best term to describe this state, as it has broader connotations related to deep spiritual knowledge. In this context, it’s really about reaching an altered mental state that allows the conscious mind to quiet down, making room for the sigil to work on a deeper level. This state helps quiet the conscious mind, making it easier for the sigil to slip into the subconscious.
Sexual arousal is often used because the intense focus and release of energy can be highly effective for charging a sigil. Breathwork, such as rapid breathing or hyperventilation, can also lead to an altered state, as can entering a deep meditative trance similar to self-hypnosis.
Another method of activating a sigil involves some form of symbolic destruction, representing the release of the intent into the universe. Burning is a popular method—many practitioners burn their sigils, allowing the smoke to carry the intention away. Others prefer to bury or drown the sigil, integrating it with the earth or water elements. You could also simply tear up the sigil and discard it, symbolizing the act of letting go of your desire. Whatever method you choose, the act of destruction is meant to reinforce your detachment from the outcome.
Other suggestions include using bodily energy—like dancing or drumming—to achieve gnosis and charge the sigil. Another approach is sensory overload, where you reach a point of overstimulation—staring at a flickering light or listening to loud music—to bypass the conscious mind. There is also the method of background saturation, where you place the sigil in areas where it will be seen often without conscious focus, such as tucking it into a wallet or sticking it on a mirror.
The key is to find a method that allows you to fully immerse yourself, letting go of everyday thoughts and distractions. For me, getting furious works well, as does listening to music.
Within the last decade or so, Gordon White introduced the concepts of Shoals and Robofish. Instead of launching individual sigils one at a time, you create a “shoal”—a group of related sigils that are activated together. This approach is similar to how a school of fish moves, where each sigil reinforces the others. The “robofish”, a sigil whose outcome is guaranteed, is included among the others in the shoal. Its purpose is to act as a booster which helps generate momentum for the rest of the sigils.
It is frequently touted that an important part of sigil magic is the “forgetting technique” and that once a sigil has been launched, it’s crucial to forget about it — or so we are told! While I agree that detachment is key because consciously dwelling on the sigil’s intent can interfere with its manifestation, I'm not a huge fan of the “forgetting” idea. After launching, it’s best to move on and focus on other things, BUT this does not mean, at least in my experience, that you must totally forget that you made the sigil or what the sigil was for. I don't think that's actually doable for most people anyway. Instead, just relax and try not to obsess about the outcome or watch the kettle boil.
The final step is that when your sigil works, acknowledge that it worked and don't allow the many more seemingly obvious mundane reasons for what it manifested sway you. The desire may show up in a very mundane way but don't let the rational world take away the magic from it. As Dr. LaVey said: “Acknowledge the power of magic if you have employed it successfully to obtain your desires. If you deny the power of magic after having called upon it with success, you will lose all you have obtained.” I don't think the desired outcome will be taken away, but that the magic will be taken away. The more you reinforce your successful magic, the more magic you will see and experience.
The beauty of sigil magic lies in its flexibility and accessibility. There are no hard and fast rules—only what works for you, so don't feel the need to do sigils the way other people do and don't demand that others do them the way you do either. We are all different, we are all on different paths and have different talents, gifts, and skill levels and what works for us might not work — or even be appropriate — for others.
Experiment with different approaches, and with practice, sigils can become a useful tool to help shape your world.
