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An excerpt from Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, featuring various magical sigils (or סגולות, seguloth, in Hebrew).

A sigil (pronounced /'sɪdʒ.ɪl/ or /'sɪg.ɪl/; pl. sigila or sigils) is a symbol created for a specific magical purpose. The term sigil derives from the Latin sigilum meaning "seal," though it may also be related to the Hebrew סגולה (segulah meaning "word, action or item of spiritual effect"). The old Norse binding rune is an example of the idea. However, sigila differ from runes as they are designed not to represent an alphabet, but instead created to form a glyph, composed of a variety of symbols or concepts which carry intent and inherent iconic meaning. Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (525x727, 340 KB) Sample page of Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, a medieval work of Jewish mysticism. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (525x727, 340 KB) Sample page of Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, a medieval work of Jewish mysticism. ... Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, (Hebrew, translates as Book of Raziel the Angel”), is a Jewish religious text (more properly a grimoire), primarily written in Hebrew and Aramaic. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... “Hebrew” redirects here. ... A rune can mean a single character in the Runic alphabet as well as an inscription of several runic charcters or symbols. ... variant glyphs representing the character a (allographs of a) in the Zapfino typeface. ...

A sigil may have an abstract, pictorial or semi-abstract form. It may appear in any medium, physical, virtual, or mental. Visual symbols are the most popular form, but the use of audial and tactile symbols in magic is not unheard of. Black square by Kazimir Malevich Abstract art is now generally understood to mean art that does not depict objects in the natural world, but instead uses color and form in a non-representational way. ... For images in Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:Images. ... Sound is a disturbance of mechanical energy that propagates through matter as a longitudinal wave, and therefore is a mechanical wave. ... Tactition is the sense of pressure perception. ... The Sorceress by John William Waterhouse Magic and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical, paranormal or supernatural means. ...

Historical uses

In medieval ceremonial magic, the term sigil was commonly used to refer to occult signs which represented various angels and demons which the magician might summon. The magical training books called the Grimoires often listed pages of such sigils. The most notorious of these lists is found in the Goetia, in the Lesser Key of Solomon, in which the sigils of the 72 princes of the hierarchy of hell are given for the magician's use. Such sigils were considered to be the equivalent of the 'true name' of the spirit, and thus granted the magician a measure of control over the beings. The Annunciation - the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear Jesus (El Greco, 1575) An angel is an ethereal being found in many religions, whose duties are to assist and serve God. ... The demon Satan In folklore, mythology, and religion, a demon is a supernatural being that is generally described as an evil spirit, but is also depicted to be good in some instances. ... This design for an amulet comes from the Black Pullet grimoire. ... Cover of the 1995 edition of The Goetia, translated by S.L.M. Mathers and Aleister Crowley. ... True Names was the science fiction novella which brought Vernor Vinge to prominence in 1981. ...

Sigilia are commonly found in Jewish mysticism and Kabbalistic magic (being an especial focus of Sefer Raziel HaMalakh and other medieval Jewish mystical sources) upon which much of Western magic is based. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Mysticism from the Greek μυστικός (mustikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (musteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is one... Kabbalah (Hebrew: ‎, Tiberian: , Qabbālāh, Israeli: Kabala) literally means receiving, in the sense of a received tradition, and is sometimes transliterated as Cabala, Kabbala, Qabalah, or other permutations. ... Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, (Hebrew, translates as Book of Raziel the Angel”), is a Jewish religious text (more properly a grimoire), primarily written in Hebrew and Aramaic. ... The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three ages: the classical civilization of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and modern times. ...

In 20th century magic a sigil is most often a linear figure created to be a visual concentration of the will of the magician. The concept was created by painter/occultist Austin Osman Spare. He devised a method by which a statement of intent for any specific magical spell is rendered into a linear design, in which the original intent is completely buried. That figure - the sigil - is then charged with the magical will of the creator, and becomes, in effect, a current of energy with a will, or a 'spirit' that brings about the intent of the spell. His technique, now known as sigilization, became a core element of chaos magic and from there, has developed into a popular element of Western magic. Austin Osman Spare Austin Osman Spare (December 30, 1886 - May 15, 1956) was an English artist and magician. ... The chaos star (called a chaosphere, or black hole sun,[citations needed] by some practitioners) is the most popular symbol of chaos magic. ...

The theory that sigila are consciously used as magical tools by businesses (such as in the highly-recognized corporate logos of Coca-Cola and McDonald's) and invest them with a comparable degree of prestige and power is popular among occultists and a common element in conspiracy theories.^{[citation needed]} The wave shape (known as the dynamic ribbon device) present on all Coca-Cola cans throughout the world derives from the contour of the original Coca-Cola bottles. ... McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants, primarily selling hamburgers, chicken, french fries, milkshakes and soft drinks. ... A conspiracy theory attempts to attribute the ultimate cause of an event or chain of events (usually political, social, or historical events), or the concealment of such causes from public knowledge, to a secret, and often deceptive, plot by a covert alliance of powerful or influential people or organizations. ...

Using Sigilia

Traditional sigils as found in the Grimoires are used to the book's instructions, or to be used as an object of contemplation for its effect. In Chaos Magic the user made sigil takes a magical desire or intent and folds it down creating a highly charged symbol. This desire is then forgotten. Only the symbol remains and this can then be charged.^{[citation needed]}
This design for an amulet comes from the Black Pullet grimoire. ... The term sigil may refer to: A seal (device) or signet ring. ...

Charging the Sigil

To charge the sigil one must concentrate on its shape and hold that form in his or her mind while emptying the mind of all other thoughts.
Many magicians use various body mechanisms for inducing brief 'no mind' like states. These include fasting, sex, drugs, spinning, exhaustion, fear, fight or flight responses, etc. Some magicians claim to utilize the process of masturbation for use of sigilia. Noteworthy proponents of this method are Peter Carroll in Liber Null, Phil Hine in Condensed Chaos and Grant Morrison in Pop Magic! It has been suggested that Glossary of shapes with metaphorical names be merged into this article or section. ... Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Many drugs are provided in tablet form. ... A sphere rotating around its axis. ... Fatigue is a feeling of excessive tiredness or lethargy, with a desire to rest, perhaps to sleep. ... Fear is a powerful, unpleasant feeling of risk or danger, either real or imagined. ... This article or section should include material from Fight-or-flight The flight or fight response, also called the acute stress response, was first described by Walter Cannon in the 1920s as a theory that animals react to threats with a general discharge of the sympathetic nervous system. ... Mulher sentada de coxas abertas, 1916 drawing by Gustav Klimt Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation, particularly of ones own genitals and often to the point of orgasm, which is performed manually, by other types of bodily contact (except for sexual intercourse), by use of objects or tools, or by... Peter J. Carroll (born 8th January 1953, 1:30am; 50 degrees 50 minutes N, 0 degrees 25 minutes W) is a modern occultist, author and co-founder of the Illuminates of Thanateros. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ...

The sigil can be written on a piece of paper, the hand, the forehead, merely visualized, or anywhere the magician feels it will be most powerful.^{[citation needed]}

Hypersigils

A 'hypersigil' is an extended piece of artwork, be it a novel, song, dance etc, that is created with a similar intent as a sigil. People attempting to create a hypersigil optimally want it to allude to and be referenced by multiple other artworks to reinforce its 'strength.' The term was possibly coined by Grant Morrison. He used the word to describe his purpose in writing the comic book series The Invisibles. Morrison considers it the key to a memetic complex created with magical intent. Grant Morrison (born January 31, 1960) is a Scottish comic book writer and artist. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... Cover to The Invisibles (v2) #1. ... The term meme (IPA: , rhyming with theme. Commonly pronounced in the US as , rhyming with gem), coined in 1976[1] by the biologist Richard Dawkins, refers to a unit of cultural information which can propagate from one mind to another in a manner analogous to genes (i. ... The Sorceress by John William Waterhouse Magic and sorcery are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by mystical, paranormal or supernatural means. ...

In Fiction

• In the graphic novel series The Sandman, written by Neil Gaiman, each of The Endless can contact another by holding or touching the appropriate sigil and summoning them.^{[citation needed]}

The Sandman was a comic book series written by Neil Gaiman and published by DC Comics for 75 issues from 1988 until 1996. ... Neil Richard Gaiman () (born November 10, 1960, Portchester, Hampshire) is an English author of numerous science fiction and fantasy works, including many graphic novels. ... The Endless (Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair and Delirium) are a group of beings who embody various aspects of the universe in the DC comic book series The Sandman, by Neil Gaiman. ...

References

• Liber Null and Psychonaut. Peter Carroll ISBN 0-87728-639-6
• Grant Morrison. 'Pop Magic!' from The Book of Lies Edited by Richard Metzger ISBN 0-9713942-7-X

Peter J. Carroll (born 8th January 1953, 1:30am; 50 degrees 50 minutes N, 0 degrees 25 minutes W) is a modern occultist, author and co-founder of the Illuminates of Thanateros. ...

External links

• Thee Sigil Garden
• The Rose Cross Sigil Creator
• Xaognosis Sigiliser