A sigil is a magical symbol that houses the energy of drawing for a specific idea or entity.

Spirit and Identity Sigils

The sigil may be a sort of calling card for a specific entity, carrying the energy of its true name. Sigils used for medieval magick and Goetia are often of this type. This type of sigil may be used in conjunction with summoning and binding rituals to call forth and control the associated entity.

While there are many established sigils available in texts such as The Key of Solomon and the Enochian Evocations that identify various spirit beings, as well as those that evoke elemental and planetary energies, a magick user can create new sigils using various techniques to represent their own magical intentions, created servitors and even their own identities. This final sigil used to “seal” or “sign” their magical work.

Intention Sigils

Or a sigil may be a symbol of the practitioner’s intent, created and empowered to draw the energy of the intent. Once created, the symbol can then be etched into a candle for candle magick, drawn on a piece of paper to add to a container spell, drawn onto a fence post to act as a ward, or put to any number of creative uses in spellwork.

There are two primary ways to create a new intention sigil. Both start with the statement of intent but proceed from there differently.

Spares Technique

First popularized by Austin Osmon Spare in the early 20th century, this technique is simple enough. Simply write out your statement of intent, cross out any repeating letters and vowels, then take the remaining letters and arrange them in a way that is singular and pleasing. Overlap them, have some letters come off of other letters, some of them could be upside down or sideways, whatever. The idea is to get a single image from the letters that may or may not resemble any of the individual letters anymore.

This can, of course, also be done with runes, your own personal code or shorthand or one of the many established magical alphabets like Enochian or Witches Runes if you prefer.

Symbolic Technique

The symbolic technique starts with the same statement of intent. This time, eliminate pronouns, prepositions, etc. so you just have the main words, nouns, verbs, adjectives.

Looking at each remaining word, close your eyes and think of a symbol for each word. You can be as basic or elaborate as you like here. If your symbol for money might be $ or it might be an open hand, or a beautiful, well-shaded sketch of a coin. Don’t be afraid to use emojis if that’s what you’re used to. Don’t overthink it. The quicker the symbol pops into your head, the more likely it is to be the correct symbol.

Once you’ve got a symbol for each word, combine the symbols into a single pleasing shape. You do not have to be able to discern what any of the original symbols were when you are done. You should have a single unique shape. Name the sigil out loud with your intention when you are done.

Feel free to add color if it suits you.

Intentional Sigil Theory

Out minds are composed of both logical and creative facets. Our logical mind is important to get through everyday material life but many practitioners believe that it has the potential to get in the way of magick. Thus, rituals, words, movements and symbols are utilized in spellwork to occupy the logical mind while the creative mind does the work of magick.

Sigils are logical, rational ideas given symbolic, creative form. Thus, the very creation of the sigil is a spell in itself. It takes a logical idea and carries it through creative steps to the energetic. The sigil once prepared, skips right past the logic directly to the symbolic. It is that idea now. Its very existence radiates the energy of that idea. Anywhere it is seen, it plants that idea in the mind of the viewer, even if the viewer has no idea what it actually means. And it radiates the idea from its location, even if it is unseen by human eyes.

I personally like to make sigils because the act focuses my mind wonderfully on my statement of intent.

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