sigils

A sigil is simply a sign or image that has magickal properties. The purpose of a sigil is to direct your subconscious mind to accomplish the desires or needs of your conscious mind. Your subconscious mind requires symbolism created by the conscious mind to motivate it to accomplish your desires. A sigil is the image, the symbol, that has meaning to your conscious mind- and can be sent to your subconscious to "will" it to achieve your desire.
There are many different theories on sigils and their uses, many different ways to create them, and here I will tell you how I use them, and when I use them.

Many magickal practitioners feel that you should create your own sigils in your magickal rites. A sigil created by anyone other than you will not have the same powers or be as effective for you as a sigil you make yourself, in my opinion.

Drawing sigils isn't as simple as grabbing a piece of paper and and making a design. A sigil should be drawn when you are in a meditative state or are focusing on your intended goal. Here, I will tell you a process that I was taught (adapted from a Chaos sigil technique). It has been extremely effective for me, and using sigils in your magickal rites is one of the best ways to see quick results. Sigils have powers beyond understanding, and I believe they can be a wonderful extention of your magick. I also want you to be careful when using them. As in all other spells- "Be careful what you wish for." Make sure you truly want and need what you are attempting to achieve.

FIRE SIGILS

To create a fire sigil, you need to find a flat piece of wood that you will be able to destroy once you are finished. I would suggest using one that is no bigger than a piece of tablet paper. It can be square, rectangular, any shape you can find. A piece of plywood will work fine.
You also need at least two candles. The first candle is for burning your sigil into the wood, the second will be your spell candle and should be the appropriate color for your spell.

When you are ready to begin, sit in front of your altar (if you use one), and light the first candle. Hold the piece of wood in your receptive hand and hold the wood over the flame of the candle. Not too close, but close enough that you will be able to burn an image into the wood. Now, you must begin to focus completely on your goal. Meditate on your intention and don't allow your mind to wander. Think of a phrase, derived from your intent, and repeat it over and over in your mind if you wish- this can help your concentration. As you are focusing, the natural swaying of your body will move your hand and the piece of wood over the flame, creating an image. Don't TRY to sway and create an image- be focusing only on your goal. Allow the image to be drawn naturally.

When you feel you have sufficiently focused on your goal, take the piece of wood and look at the image that was burned into the wood. It will look odd and crude most likely, but try to visualize a definite image within it and draw the image you see onto a piece of paper.
Now, focus on the image you drew and memorize it. Close your eyes and be sure you are able to see it in your mind. Next, charge your spell candle and inscribe the image into it. Set it into your candleholder and focus once more on your goal. At the same time, stare at the image on your paper and focus on it. Slowly close your eyes and visualize the sigil as you are focusing on achieving your goal. Meditate, and focus solely on your goal and the sigil.

When you feel you can't focus on the sigil any longer, imagine it slowly fades away and disappears completely. Open your eyes and end the spell- close the circle, etc. Allow the candle to burn down completely. When you are finished, destroy the piece of wood by burning it if possible. You also need to do your best to never envision the sigil you created anymore. It should be gone completely from your mind and you should also never use that same image again in other spells.

I wouldn't suggest that a beginner attempt to use sigils in his or her magickal workings. I would suggest having some experience first, and being somewhat proficient in meditation and focusing. Complete focus is so important.
This is the only technique I use as far as sigils. I'm not all that comfortable using and creating them. It's just not my favorite type of magick. I prefer candle and herb magick, and usually only draw sigils if I am in need of something very, very important- say someone I know is deathly sick or injured- or if I am in desperate need of something or am sick. And that rarely happens, so sigil magick is a rare practise for me. Also, many people have different opinions of sigil magick and use them differently, create them differently, etc. Not everyone will like this technique I use.

If you have other questions regarding sigils, email me if you wish.