#sigil spells

[violet-hearth]

Devotional Art and Art Magic!

Happy Friday!

Visual art is such an underutilised tool, especially by beginner and younger practitioners. I understand that we all start off excited by spell bags and witch bottles and potions, but as a queer person, so many of us express ourselves through our art and expression can be as big a part of spells as the ingredients (for me expression and intention go hand in hand).

Art has been used both in devotion and in blessings. Displaying art of house blessings was a means to bless the home permanently (Judaism), icons of saints were used as a form of veneration and in prayer (Catholic), and there are several articles and books that dive into art as prayer (mostly Christian).

Sigils + Vision Boards:

Sigils are a visual representation of intent and desire in spellwork and can be incorporated into art through large paintings, sewing patches onto your coat, buttons and badges, painted onto stones, vases, embroidery etc.

Like sigils, a collage can be used as a visual representation of your desire or intent - they can also be an art form of their own and be made as a form of devotional art. 

Fashion:

Fashion and style witchcraft are about coordinating your look into your goals and intentions. Whether this is through charmed jewellery, symbols, sigils, colour associations or flagging. Queer aesthetics is a huge thing for identifying ourselves and the community, and as a queer witch I love charming my carabiner, wearing queer jewellery, and playing with gender. 

The aesthetics of the DIY movement and the aesthetics of queer culture are almost interchangeable. The appeal comes from the look and the fuck-the-man attitude itself, but also from the connection of having handmade, community-focused things by your side. (Queering Your Craft) 

Masks:

Masks can be a great way of incorporating sympathetic and symbolic magic into a larger ritual. Masks can be used to represent archetypes of characters or energies.

In worship of Dionysus, the communicants’ attempt to impersonate the deity by donning goatskins and by imbibing wine and wear a disguise or white linen mask to enable the leaders of the ceremony to make the god manifest. (Britannica)

Masks have been sued in mystery plays, comedia dell’arte, opera, Noh, Dance of the Red Tiger Devil - for both sacred and entertainment productions.

Creating Queer Devotional Art

To protect/enchant the hearts and voices of activists - This spell is meant to protect our hearts and souls, but can be used to honour our queer cultural ancestors, friends, and adapted for honouring deities.

You need:

Art/collage/craft supplies - paint, markers, papers, canvas, glue, magazines, poetry, pens, embroidery, quilting squares etc.

An idea or image you want to create

A white candle

Inspiration:

Devotional art

Jewish Paper Cutting

NAMES project

Queer zines

Protest signs

Trans/Queer Protest Chants

To perform this spell:

Anoint, pray, bless, carve a sigil into etc. The candle and light it - candles often represent the soul so here we’ll let it burn until it naturally extinguishes if safe to do so (a mall candle may be better)

Start creating your image, add in aspects of queer resistance, joy, history, pain, the messages of your own activism. A symbols, symbolism, images of famous activists, sigils, poetry - whatever speaks to you.

If desired, pray, or bless or say an incantation as you finish the piece

Place this art somewhere visible in your house - this spell can also maybe used to make a good sign or banner at protests - optionally turn into a zine, carry around devotional art and art magic in a little notebook or specific sketchbook

This is a very low stakes type of protection. People have been making talismans and hanging up protective decor for centuries. From gargoyles to garlic wreaths to decorative home blessings. This is just a modern adaptation to this world-wide tradition, with a queer and activist focused twist xx

[ragsy]

when your tabletop system of choice says that everyone knows magic by default, you gotta get creative with how your otherwise completely nonmagical guy knows anything about casting spells

[icanseethefuture333]

"You're just a glitch in the system..."

Technology magick 🤳🏻:

To protect yourself from the evil eye online, you can place sigils or symbols in hidden areas of your photos_

You can either draw the sigil on your phone or on a piece paper. Take a picture of the drawing and use Picsart to cut the picture out ✂️ then make the transparency less visible. This can also apply to drawing on the Picsart app_

This method can also be used to attract abundance, love, or money. (I.E: If you have a Linkedin account, you can do this for your profile picture and do a sigil for wealth, so that way more companies will hire you)_

Use a vision board as a wallpaper on your phone to manifest your desires_

Passcodes or passwords can be used as a spell. You could make a affirmation your password or use numbers that have a special meaning_

Filters are a form of glamour magick and it can alternate your physical identity_

Making a list of your goals in your notes and can you help you keep track of what you've accomplished (use checkmarks and x's ✅️❎️)_

AI could be used for any kind or magick (baneful, prosperity, etc.) It is something I suggest people be careful using in the future, like everything else in the world it has it's positives and negatives_

"Hack complete..."

[carmensapientia]

SUPERMODEL AFFIRMATIONS

I know I’m the most beautiful woman in the world/every room I walk into

No one can compare to my beauty I’m a 100x prettier than supermodels actors and it girls

I’m the ultimate bombshell. My beauty is addictive sexy and striking. My beauty is unique and one of a kind.

Im a head turning stunner people cannot believe how beautiful I am

I am just naturally gorgeous I need 0 filters or makeup to be the most beautiful

My bone structure is flawless and beautiful

My skin is absolutely gorgeous. I have 0 flaws on my skin it always looks amazing

Im genetically blessed/won the genetic lottery

I have the fiercest sexiest walk I turn heads and drop draws everywhere I go

My presence is beyond ethereal. I’m otherworldly compare to every person

I look like a legitimate angel and goddess next to everyone. I’m in a whole other league

I’m the beauty standard no matter where I go

I radiate a beautiful energy. Everyone wants to be around me wants to be me.

My body is thin toned and lean. I’m naturally thin and fit. I have a fast healthy metabolism and everything I eat is 0 calories. People die to have a body and face like mine

I have the body of VS angel without any effort

[snowandsage]

I love my little witch nook ✨🔮🪴🥀

[themodernwitchsguide]

protecting your space

hi all! i just moved and was cleansing my new home; prepping it to be lived in and all that. i got to thinking about what other people do for themselves and, well, that's where this came from! the order of step one and two is unimportant, plus keep in mind that everyone does things differently. every culture has their own idea about how to cleanse a space/person, and none of them are wrong.

STEP ONE: CLEANSING

Immediate Disclaimer: Anyone/anyplace that uses the term "smudging" (using it out of it's cultural context) is a source you should be wary of. Smudging is a set of very specific rituals that were created and are used by indigenous americans. The use of sage, palo santo, sweet grass, hawk feathers, evil eyes/hamsa are all practices specific to certain cultures. If you're just someone not of those cultures trying to cleanse your space, I recommend the following techniques.

-Burning lavender, rosemary, or cedar bundles

-Burning incense

-Burning frankincense/myrrh

-Putting salt at the boundaries of your home, inside or out

-Putting ground eggshells at the boundaries of your home, probably best to do this outside for the smell

-Actually cleaning your home

-Sprinkle essential oils on the corners of a room or in doorways

-Selenite is also a great cleansing stone, although I usually use it for individual items instead of a whole space

-Moon water can also be a good replacement for essential oils

-Ring sacred (to you) or enchanted bells throughout the home

STEP TWO: WARDING

This is a step that varies a lot more from person to person. There are certainly plenty of spells out there available to you, but some people have created their own spells, others will use certain iconography, herbs, etc. Either way, know that it is not necessary for you to do every one of these things--I honestly doubt a space will get any more or less safe depending on how many of these you do. Also, for your own safety, make sure you're doing the appropriate non-witchy things to keep yourself safe. Just because you have a nice sigil above your unlocked door doesn't mean that someone will be automatically unable to rob you. Anways, here are just some of my ideas.

-Put a bundle of rosemary above a doorway

-Create a spell jar/bag with any of these materials or these, I also recommend including some of yourself in a jar like this

-Sprinkle black salt around entryways

-Use a spell like this or this

-Draw a rune (i use algiz) on entryways (i use essential oils and blood for this, but to each their own)

-Draw a sigil like this or these on entryways

-Pray to a certain deity for protection, or put their iconography up (for example, an ansuz rune for odin)

-Burning incense and using essential oils will ward away negativity, but they don't last for long periods of time in my experience

-Make use of a crystal grid to manifest your intentions

-Salt and eggshells also help to ward off negativity entering your space!

STEP THREE: UPKEEP

Now, how do we keep the wards and cleansing sustained? Well, there are a variety of methods. A lot of these can be done as your intuition tells you they need to be renewed, or done at a regular interval that works for you. Still, upkeep is important!

-Redo the spell you did every full moon or at another important time for you

-Refresh herbs and salt/eggshells when they get old or fall apart

-Break open your spell jar/sachet and recleanse the ingredients or just add new ones

-Clean up any salt/black salt/eggshells and put down new lines

-Add more essential oil/moon water to the locations you put them in before

-Redraw sigils/runes when they fade or get scratched off

-Pray to the deity who is looking out for you often/do devotional activities

-Burn more incense, herbs, or frankincense/myrrh, or cleanse with bells again

-Clean your room/house/depression hovel

[grey-sorcery]

Suggested Reading

Threshold Theory Energy Work Fundamentals The Subtle Body Spell Design Spell Dictation Sigils: How-to Intro to Gnosis Anchors

What is a Spell Circle?

Spell circles, while they aren’t necessary, are a tool that is used as a focal point for a working. They are also very helpful in aiding in headspace via the implementation of aesthetics. Spell circles are technically hypersigils, or a complex sigil that is typically constructed of multiple sigils in tandem. They are typically constructed of three parts: Incantations, foundations, and root sigils. They are used in a ritual format, typically with each practitioner having a standardized approach to using them for spell work. 

How do they work?

A spell circle is similar to a sigil in the way that there is an incorporation of intention, energy, passion, and focus in their creation. Spell circles operate most effectively within the energetic model or something adjacent. The psychological model will be entirely ineffective; at least as I have prescribed their creation in this article. They often contain sigils as well as some other elements that serve to connect the circle to the overall working. These elements include incantations, words, phrases, symbology, geometric/organic designs, numerology, etc. 

Incantations, words, or phrases can be said out loud as part of the working (provided that doing so doesn’t break gnosis), or written out and burned into ash and incorporated into the working through that process. Though they can also be incorporated in other ways as well. As an example, you could write a song and record it and have the tablature or staff wrapped around the perimeter of the spell circle. You could then listen to the song while casting your spell using it as a centerpoint of your gnosis.

The other elements of a spell circle are used to enhance the threshold of the root sigil or purpose. Each additional element adds a node, or correspondence, to the threshold of the spell. Doing so helps refine the accuracy and potency of the working. 

Designing a Spell Circle

If you have experience working with sigils, then designing a spell circle can be pretty easy. I highly recommend using programs like procreate to make these, or drafting tools! Freehanding them can be quite difficult without any experience with technical drawing. I use my tablet to draw them digitally and then trace them onto a burnable substrate such as paper.

Incantation(s)

An incantation is a phrase that is said that astutely states the intent of the spell. It is important to have this memorized, if you use them. Without having them memorized, using them will pull you out of gnosis by disturbing your focus. Incantations are like the thread that binds the spell circle to the rest of the working, especially if you use other tools, sigils, etc. When I construct my spell circles, I use the pronunciation of my sigils as the incantation, which are all aspects of a conlang that I developed. This can be seen as a sigil chain. So long as the incantation is written somewhere on or near the circle, then it is capable of being connected to the burning of those sigils via the incantation. I find that having the incantation encircle the root sigil is the most aesthetically pleasing for me. 

Root Sigil

This is a sigil that is at the core of the circle. It should represent the base goal of the spell. This sigil is connected to the rest of the circle via the Foundation(s). Like all sigils, it is important that it is drawn while channeling its meaning through your mental state, emotions, and subtle body to be most effective.To create them, I will draw the enclosing circle first before drawing a grid within it. This grid is then used to ensure that the root sigil is centered and scaled appropriately. The sigil is always the first part that I draw. Here are a few examples of sigils I have used for spell circles:

Foundation(s)

Foundations are simple designs that each have their own correspondences. Some foundations use numerology to derive their meaning, others are given their meanings based on how they interact with the root. The foundation(s) used should also align with the purpose of the spell; but more specifically, to describe the means of manifestation of the spell to some degree. They can also be used to expand the context of the root sigil, ex. Whether it is intended to be a blessing or curse. I am always sure that when I draw them in the grid, that they appear to be a part of the sigil, yet also behind it by having the lines stop and continue any shapes that are a part of the sigil, like circles, triangles, and squares. Here are a few foundations that I use:

Associative Symbology

These symbols are things I don't really implement in spell circles myself, but include things such as astrological symbols, alchemical symbols, magical alphabets, color, and imagery. These symbols are typically incorporated in equal distribution around the circle in radial fashion, but can also be used in other configurations. The number of symbols can be implemented with numerology in mind as well. Colored line-work can also be used to further the correspondences. Imagery such as pictographs can also be used, following similar implementation as other symbols. 

Applications

Spell Circles can be used for all sorts of workings, typically in a ritualistic fashion. However, they may also be used as passive sigils, meaning that they are placed and affect a specified space gradually over time. If they are used in this fashion, they will need to be revisited and charged periodically. When using a spell circle in a ritual, place them underneath the central spell elements such as cauldrons, candles, bowls, etc. Please use discernment. Fire safety is of the utmost importance. Once the spell is in motion, use the incantation that connects the circle to the working. I highly recommend rehearsing your incantation until it is memorized so that your spell’s effectiveness isn’t hindered. I highly recommend placing a spell anchor onto your spell circle as well so that there is a direct medium holding it. This way the spell can be recharged, broken, or altered as necessary.

Ritual Closing & Disposal

As part of closing any working, it is important to close off all energy that is connected to the working other than the anchor. Part of this is disposing of the spell circle in a responsible manner. This can be through responsibly burning it and burning the ashes, burying the spell circle itself (Provided it is on a biodegradable medium), soaking it in water to dissolve the ink and then cleansing the medium, or if it is drawn on a dry-erase board you can just erase it and cleanse it. When burying the ashes of your working, try to use your discretion as to which direction it is buried relative to your sleeping place or place of casting. 

Identifying a Spell Circle

A few popular designs for spell circles have been misidentified in the past, specifically those of John Dee, who was a prolific cryptographer. These designs have a lot of the hallmarks of spell circles; however, they are enclosed with 72 latin letters, which don’t have any magical or mystical correspondences, but are very common in encryption wheels, and then are encoded through biblical reference. The influence his work had was very substantial in the development of spell circles and their design. While his encryption circles can be used for magic, like any other design drawn through intention, passion, and gnosis, it is obvious that it was not intended as such given the historical context of his life. 

Interested in my other articles? You can find my masterpost here.

Patron Shoutouts!

Megan Kipp Jinsu

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[andromedasdomain]

Sources:

Chamberlain, Lisa. Runes for Beginners: A Guide to Reading Runes in Divination, Rune Magic, and the Meaning of the Elder Futhark Runes. Chamberlain Publications, 2018.

Kristen. “15 Best Herbs for Protection.” Schisandra & Bergamot, 19 Feb. 2023, schisandraandbergamot.com/herbs-for-protection/.

“Animal Symbology: Animal Spirit Guides: Shamanism.” Animal Symbology | Animal Spirit Guides | Shamanism, www.wicca.com/animal-guides/symbology.html. Accessed 21 Oct. 2023.

[thrashkink-coven]

Working on some grimoire pages on Faviel this morning.

[sigilstix]

Decided to make a sigil for the new year. May only good vibes find you, and any bad ones sent your way slide off like water. Added a little star for luck. ⭐

[magickkate]

Mental Clarity Brew

Ingredients:

1 cup of water

1 teaspoon of dried rosemary or chamomile

1 teaspoon of dried peppermint

Honey or sweetener (optional, for taste)

Instructions:

Boil the water in a small saucepan or kettle.

As the water heats, focus on your intention for mental clarity and sharpness of mind.

Once the water reaches a boil, add the dried rosemary and peppermint to the pot.

Stir the mixture clockwise three times, infusing it with your intention for clarity.

Let the herbs steep in the water for 5-10 minutes, allowing their energies to infuse.

After steeping, strain the herbs from the water and pour the infused liquid into a cup.

If desired, sweeten the brew with honey or another sweetener to taste.

Hold the cup in your hands and visualize the steam rising from the brew carrying away any mental fog or confusion.

As you drink the brew, focus on each sip bringing clarity and sharpness to your mind.

After finishing the brew, sit quietly for a moment, feeling the energy of mental clarity permeating your being.

Express gratitude to the herbs and elements for their assistance.

Repeat this brew spell as needed to maintain mental clarity and focus.

I love to use chamomile and peppermint with a tiny bit of honey as a tea before work to help wake me up in the morning mentally since I work with patients all day. I love natural/pure honey over sugars or artificial sweeteners since the taste is so much more earthy and natural. Feel free to tweak the recipe however you need to for your personal activities.

[pentacentric]

whenever i see images from the casino scene in the trap, all i can think of is sam in an 80s-style off-the-shoulder oversized shirt, sitting all sad in his bed, moping and writing in his diary about what a jerk god is and how much he reminds him of his dad and how even the guy that created everything in the universe thinks he's a weirdo freak

so of course i drew it

for reference, angsty, huffy sam in all his teen-fashion glory:

supernatural 15x09 | the trap

[theaceace]

Though Roderick and his followers didn't realise it at the time, the magic in the circle and the glass orb meant that the only people who could see Dream were the ones that were there when he was summoned, so as far as the guards are concerned they're guarding an empty glass sphere that a delusional old man thinks holds something. And then of course, Hob gets hired as a guard and it's dealer's choice if Dream has realised by then that no one but Burgess and his Order can see him.

But then because Hob is sort of aware that magic and esoteric things do exist, he sees Burgess (sr or jr) talking to the globe and is like, huh. Maybe there is something in there. But maybe it's a demon like the rumours say and I shouldn't let it out. But Hob starts talking to Dream anyway while the other guard takes longer and longer smoke breaks.

Whichever Burgess is around at the time realises that there must be something about this guard, because the next time he comes down to yell/bargain/threaten, Dream has moved. He's hidden his face, there are handprints against the glass, and the dreamlord's shoulders are shaking.

It doesn't take him long to figure out the pattern - that this only happens around Robert, for whatever reason, and the man himself has no notion of what's in the circle - and eventually he sends the guards out so that he can tell Dream exactly what he'll do to this Robert if Dream doesn't comply. That he may not understand what it is about this one man that compels one of the Endless so, when he has been so unaffected by everything else but the death of his familiar, but that doesn't matter. He will find out, and he will leverage it, however he needs to.

He turns and leaves, and basically I want Hob to wander back in none the wiser and settle into his chair and his usual routine of talking all moony eyed about his stranger, while Dream is roaring his fear and fury and beating his fists bloody against the glass

[dijidweeeb]

[snowandsage]

the tower, the moon, the empress