Lesson 4: Seals & Sigils

Lesson 4: Seals & Sigils

Symbols of Magick

Since the dawn of Man symbols have been used to convey messages, whether mundane or magickal. Over the centuries specific symbols gained in usage which gave these symbols power. It is this power that is so important. How to harness and use it is even more important.

One of the oldest symbols is that of the “Point within a Circle”. The astronomical sign of the sun:



Image 1: Sun

The sun is life-giving and healing, floating in the ether of space. Without it there can be no life on Earth. Compare this symbol with that of the egg yolk floating in its surrounding globulous mass. From the yellow of the egg emerges life. From the yellow rays of the sun comes life.

This disk can also be found in other forms, such as the Egyptian cartouche. The name in hieroglyphics are encompassed within a circle. The circle represents the sun’s path in the universe. Another form is how the rays of the sun have been symbolized through out history. The crowns that kings wore symbolized the rays of the sun shining from the “sun” (king) down on his subjects. The Nimbus is the glowing halo found in art surrounding the head of holy people and royalty. This showed their divine origin or blessedness and their association with the might and power of God, or more appropriately, the Supreme God, the Sun.

The amber stone is a symbol of the sun because of its golden transparency, and is used in protective amulets against evil and disease.

Another symbol of the sun is the pyramid which is also the alchemical symbol for Fire.

Image 2: Fire (art by Bashwood)

Pyramids were monuments to the Eternal Light. Altars with eternal flames were quite often built on top of these pyramids. Pyramidal formations can be found on almost every continent around the world.

Where the sun was the life giving Heavenly Father, the moon was the Celestial Mother. The astronomical symbol of the moon is the crescent. By turning the crescent on its side, the “horns” of the moon in lunar belief systems became a symbol of feminine divinity, just as the “disk” of the sun was the symbol of masculine divinity.

Image 3: Moon

In cultures around the world the moon is a symbol of good luck and protection. Protective amulets were made with this symbol to ward off evil influences.

The moon influences the tides and so is associated with water. The symbol for water is also a pyramid, but with the point aiming down towards the waters of the Earth. Where Fire’s pyramid points to the heavens with its base grounded on the earth representing the act of reaching towards the heavens from below, the Water’s pyramid has its base in the heavens reaching towards the earth from above. As Above, So Below.

Fire is also the opposite of Water. Water squelches Fire. Fire is masculine and Water is feminine.

Image 4: Water (art by Bashwood)

If we follow this thought process and continue on to Earth and Air, we have the same configurations. The Air symbol is the same pyramid as Fire but with a line across the base. This delineates the division of Air (Above) from Earth (Below). 

Image 5: Air (art by Bashwood)

The Earth pyramid is upside down, just as Water’s pyramid is, but like Air, it has a line across the base. Again delineating Earth (Below) from Air (Above). Air is masculine and Earth is feminine.

Image 6: Earth (art by Bashwood)

Consider this: Everyone of us is made up of all of these Elements. As blood (Water) flows through our body (Earth) it is fueled by oxygen from our breath (Air). But none of it could be possible without the part of us that is a part of the Divine, our Soul (Fire). And the same can be applied to the earth we live in: The Water (blood) flows through the Earth (body) and is nourished by the Air (breath) which is fueled by the Fire (soul).

And not to be forgotten are the planets that are Above that have influences, whether directly or indirectly, on us Below. The following are the planetary symbols for each of the planets:

Image 7: Planetary Symbols

It is all an interconnected cycle, a circle or wheel, such as The Wheel of Life, the Wheel of the Year, and even The Wheel of Fortune Tarot card.

Image 8: Tibetan Wheel of Life

Image 9: Wheel of the Year

Image10: X The Wheel of Fortune

So as you can see, symbols and symbolism are all around us, even in things we never considered previously. And it is these “hidden in plain sight” symbols that we will begin to work with to put together into magickal amulets and talismans.

Seals

These are easy. Because their symbols are found everywhere. Seals are combinations of symbols, magickal letters or words, and numbers put together at specific times of the day or month. Sometimes even a specific time of year (this takes some real planning ahead and time management!)

Consider all the things that represent “you”. I’ll use myself as an example:

My Zodiac sign is Libra

My Celtic Zodiac sign is Ivy (or Vine, depending on the source)

My Chinese Zodiac sign is the Rat

My Rune is Wunjo (or Gebo, depending on the source)

My Tree Correspondence is Hazelnut

My Totems are Raven & Horse

My Stone is Ruby

My Elements are Earth & Fire (these have nothing to do with my Zodiac Element association, which is Air)

My favorite colors are Ruby, Aubergine, Midnight Blue, Plum, Sage, Black

My favorite numbers are 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 13, 22

My Numerological Birth Number is 1

I could go on, but this will give an idea of where to start. If I were to design a Seal for me I would look at the symbols of each and decide which ones could be worked into an aesthetically pleasing design. Basically, my own personal “Logo”.

Would I want to go “Renaissance” and put them in a shield? Or a circle representing the Circle of Life? Or maybe a square which represents Earth? What images will I use, certainly not all of them? Are there specific ones I’m drawn to?

Ok, lets work on from here. This is where we get a piece of paper and list the “yes‘s“,  “no‘s“ and “maybe‘s“ (ok, I know some people don‘t need to do this they can just go down the list and cross stuff off - I‘m OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and I like lists!):

I’ve never been drawn to the Libra symbol in any form I’ve ever seen. In fact, Libra doesn’t really even “fit” me in the least. Mark this as a “no”. 

My rising is Sagittarius which does fit. Sagittarius is a Centaur with a bow & arrow. A Centaur is half horse half man. One of my totems is the horse. Ok, mark this one as a “maybe“. 

The horse is a “yes”. 

The raven is a “yes”. 

Hazelnut tree, “no”. Well, maybe. I have a Contorted Filbert tree that is really cool, and it is a type of Hazelnut tree. Ok, we’ll mark that a “maybe”.

Colors to use…ruby, midnight blue, sage, aubergine (pronounced aw-bur-JEAN, which is “eggplant” by the way, I hate eggplant the food, but I love the fruit‘s purple/black skin color), etc….

We’ll stop here, but do you see where this is going? Once the chosen symbols are decided upon (and it really is no fast and easy task), then the fun really begins! Putting them all together! Woohoo! Fun. Fun. 

Yeah, right. Actually, this will be as aggravating as it is fun. You will also find that some of the chosen symbols just don’t “fit” so you’ll have to discard them…….hey, maybe they’d look good in another “me” seal?!

I won’t even tell you how many I’ve got half designed around here!

So, have fun designing yours!

Now, on to the Sigils.

Sigils

Honestly, these are super simple to do. The main thing you need is the letters of the alphabet reduced to numbers using the Pythagorean Numerology System. Named for Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher and mathematician (582-500 B.C.E.) who developed a set of doctrines which state that “the universe is the product of numerous combinations of mathematical proportions.”

This is the numerology chart for changing your chosen letters into numbers.

Image 11: Pythagorean Numerology Chart

Numerical Vibrations

This is going to be only very basic numerology. Those who study and apply numerology use it for just about anything. This system can be used for divination; knowing when the best time and dates are for particular activities (weddings, signing contracts, etc.); finding the numerological vibration of certain places (such as the address of a house to buy, etc.). Their uses are limitless.

Every letter has a numerical vibrational quality. Each number has specific attributes. When a name is broken down numerically the attributes of the final number give insight into the person or object. A chart of numerological attributes is given below.

The only numbers that are not reduced are the Master Numbers. These are 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, and 99. They are considered “perfect numbers” and are taken as is. A chart of their attributes is also given below.

The numbers that are not included in a person’s name represent the attributes that are missing for them to fulfill their path in this life. The final outcome number, which is the addition and reduction of each of the numbers of the name until there is only one number, will give the attributes that are prevalent and applicable to the subject.

We’ll use my name for the example: Viktorija  

Included numbers:

V = 4 + I = 9 + K = 2 + T = 2 + O = 6 + R = 9 + I = 9 + J = 1 + A = 1

Un-included numbers:

3 + 5+ 6+ 7+ 8 = 29 = 11

So from this example we have:

The needed (missing) attributes applicable to “Viktorija” is 11.

The prevalent and applicable attributes (i.e. the final outcome number) of “Viktorija” is 1.

Now we need to look at the chart to see what the numerical vibrations are regarding these numbers. 

 

Image 12: Numerology Attributes Chart

Image 13: Master Numbers Chart

And to answer your next question - yes, they do “fit”. J

Now you have the method of reducing your name to a number. But this time we’re going to change it a bit. We’re going to make a sigil with your name. (Briefly covered in the Lesson 1).

Personal Sigils

The planets each have a mathematical square that are arranged in such a way that regardless of the direction; up, down, across or diagonally, the sum is always the same. Letters, usually of a Magickal alphabet can also be used, but only in the up, down and across format. 

Kameas (meaning “a bond”) are Magickal Squares associated with the planets used for constructing sigils. These sigils can be drawn on amulets, candles, talismans, tools, etc. to personalize them and purpose them with stronger intent.

Names and words are turned into sigils by converting their letters into numbers and then drawing a continuous line from number to number over the chosen Kamea or Magick Square. The planetary square is chosen by the attributes that are needed in the spell work. 

To explain the “Numbers” of each square:

Example: Square of Saturn - 3 = the number of rows, 10 = the number of squares (including the entire square itself), 15 = the sum of each row or column, 45 = the sum of all numbers in the square.

 

Here are the Planetary Squares and the attributes of the planet:

Image 14: Square of Saturn

Square of Saturn

Numbers: 3, 10, 15, 45

Color: Black

Metal: Lead, Pewter

Attributes: Authority, Banishing, Barriers, Binding, Bones, Building, Business, Civil servants, Countering magick, Criminals, Cursing, Death, Debts, Dentists, Discipline, Discovery, Earth magick, Elderly, Endings, Endurance, Exorcism, Farm workers, Financing, Freedom, Garden magick, Grounding, Hard work, Hex-breaking, Hexing, Homes, Houses, Justice, Karma, Knowledge, Life, Limitations, Longevity, Lost articles, Manifestation, Math, Meditation, Money matters, Morality, Murderers, Negativity neutralizing, Obstacles, Passing-over rituals, Perseverance, Plumbing, Politics, Property, Protection, Psychic defense, Real estate, Reality, Responsibility, Retribution, Revenge, Separation, Societal laws, Spirit contacts, Stalkers, Structure, Teeth, Tests, Time, Transformation, Trustworthiness, Water magick, Wills, Wisdom

Image 15: Square of Jupiter

Square of Jupiter

Numbers: 4, 17, 34, 136

Color: Blue

Metal: Bronze, Tin

Attributes: Abundance, Acclaim, Air magick, Ambition, Astral work, Blessings, Broadcasting, Business, Charity, Cleansing, Divination, Doctors, Dreamwork, Earning, Education, Expansion, Exploration, Fame, Fertility, Financial acuity,  Fire magick, Forecasting, Fortune, Gambling, Guardians, Generosity, Growth, Happiness, Harmony, Healing, Health, Honor, Horse, Joy, Justice, Kindness, Knowledge, Law, Leadership, Legal matters, Logic, Long distance travel, Love, Luck, Male fertility, Material wealth, Merchants, Money, Morals, Parties, Peace, Philosophy, Political influences, Power, Prophecy, Prosperity, Protection, Psychologists, Publicity, Publishing, Purifying, Rapid results, Reading, Relations, Religion, Research, Responsibility, Riches, Royalty, Self-improvement, Social matters, Spirituality, Sports, Spring Equinox, Study, Success, Visions, Wealth, Weather magick, Winter Solstice, Wisdom

Image 16: Square of Mars

Square of Mars

Numbers: 5, 26, 65, 325

Color: Red

Metal: Iron, Steel

Attributes: Action, Addictions, Aggression, Ambition, Anger, Arguments, Banishing, Beginnings, Binding, Bravery, Business, Cleansing, Combat, Competition, Conflict, Confrontation, Conviction, Countering magick, Courage, Cursing, Desire, Destruction, Ego, Energy, Exorcism, Fire magick, Fast results, Freedom, Gardening, Goals, Guns, Healing, Hex-breaking, Hexing, Hunting, Independence, Legal matters, Love, Lust, Male magick, Male sexuality, Marriage, Masculine energy, Medical issues, Metal, Motivation, Overthrow enemies, Passion, Physical energy, Police, Power, Protection, Purification, Rapid results, Recklessness, Relationships, Retribution, Revenge, Self-assertion, Sex, Sex magick, Sexuality, Soldiers, Spell breaking, Sports, Strength, Strife, Struggle, Surgery, Swift movement, Tools, Upheaval, Vices, Victory, Violence, War, Wishes, Woodworking

Image 17: Square of the Sun

Square of the Sun

Numbers: 6, 37, 111, 666

Color: Gold, Yellow

Metal: Brass, Gold

Attributes: Abundance, Active change, Advancement, Alliances, Ambition, Arrogance, Astral work, Authority figures, Autonomy, Banishing, Beauty, Bigotry, Binding, Blessings, Buying, Career, Cleansing, Countering magick, Courage, Creativity, Crops, Dedications, Divination, Drama, Dreamwork, Ego, Exorcism, Fairs, Fame, Family, Favor, Fertility, Finances, Fire magick, Fortune, Friendship, Fulfillment, Fun, Goals, Growth, Happiness, Harmony, Healing, Health, Heart, Hex-breaking, Hope, Illumination, Individuality, Initiations, Joy, Law, Leadership, Life energy, Light, Love, Luck, Lust, Marriage, Monetary gain, Money, Music, Natural abilities, Passion, Peace, Pleasure, Power, Pride, Promotion, Prophecy, Prosperity, Protection, Purifying, Rapid results, Relationships, Romance, Self-confidence, Selling, Sexuality, Solar magick, Solar Plexus Chakra balancing, Speculating, Spirituality, Strength, Success, Superiors, Totem animals, Vitality, Volunteer services, Wealth, Wishes

Image 18: Square of Venus

Square of Venus

Numbers: 7, 50, 175, 1225

Color: Green

Metal: Copper, Lodestone

Attributes: Abundance, Affection, Alliances, Aphrodisiac, Architects, Artistic abilities, Arts, Beauticians, Beauty, Blessings, Chiropractors, Courtship, Creativity, Dancers, Dating, Death, Decorating, Designers, Engineers, Entertainers, Fashion, Female sexuality, Fertility, Fortune, Friendship, Gardening, Gifts, Grace, Growth, Happiness, Harmony, Healing, Household improvements, Income, Joy, Love, Luck, Lust, Luxury, Marriage, Money, Music, Painting, Partners, Party planning, Passing-over rituals, Passion, Peace, Pleasure, Poetry, Prosperity, Relationships, Riches, Romance, Sensuality, Sex magick, Shopping, Sociability, Soul mates, Water magick

Image 19: Square of Mercury

Square of Mercury

Numbers: 8, 65, 260 & 257 (diagonally top right to bottom left), 2080

Color: Purple

Metal: Aluminum, Mercury, Zinc

Attributes: Abundance, Accounting, Adaptability, Addiction, Advertising, Air magick, Astral work, Astrology, Bending the mind of another, Blessings, Business, Buying & selling, Changes, Cleverness, Communication, Computers, Conscious mind, Connection, Contract signing, Correspondence, Counseling, Creativity, Debt, Deception, Dishonesty, Diplomacy, Divination, Dreamwork, Editing, Education, Fertility, Finances, Fortune, Goals, Healing, Information, Ingenuity, Insight, Intelligence, Journalists, Journeys, Kin, Knowledge, Legal matters, Luck, Magickal works planning, Medicine, Memory, Mental activity, Messages, Music, Neighbors, Phone calls, Prophecy, Prosperity, Psychic abilities, Reliance, Science, Self-expression, Siblings, Skills, Study, Travel, Visiting, Weather magick, Wisdom, Wishes, Writing

Image 20: Square of the Moon

Square of the Moon

Numbers: 9, 82, 369, 3321

Color: Silver, White

Metal: Silver

Attributes: Abundance, Agriculture, Animals, Antiques, Astral work, Beginnings, Blessings, Cleansing, Dedications, Delusions, Domestic abilities, Dreamwork, Emotions, Empathy, Family, Female fertility, Feminine magick, Fertility, Fortune, Friendship, Happiness, Harmony, Healing, Health, Imagination, Initiations, Insight, Instinct, Intuition, Journeys, Joy, Love, Luck, Lunar magick, Lust, Marriage, Memories, Messages, Motherly love, Peace, Prophecy, Prosperity, Psychology, Psychic workings, Purification, Reconcile, Reincarnation, Relationships, Religion, Secrets, Shapeshifting, Sleep, Spirituality, Subconscious, Theft, Totem animals, Travel on water, Trip planning, Water magick, Women’s mysteries

There are others, but we’ll just stick with the seven planets that correspond to the days of the week: Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn.

 

Making Your Personal Sigil:

Since Numerology works with the numbers 1-9, the Square of Saturn is the one used for Personal Sigils. The others are more for using their attributes of the particular planet in a spell or ritual.

Here’s how its done:

1)  Reduce the letters of your name to numbers.  

2) Using the Square of Saturn drawn lines from each number, for delineation of each letter/number place a dot showing where one line stops and the next begins. This is especially important when there are duplicate uses of the same number.

3) The completed form is YOUR personal sigil. 

Here’s mine, “Viktorija“:

Image 21: Viktorija Sigil

Its that easy! You can use this to empower your energy on anything and everything that you own. You can use it for personal empowerment spells. Anything involving YOU is where this can be used.

We’ll get into more detail regarding more uses of seals & sigils in Lesson 6: Amulets & Talismans.

Copyright 2010, Granny Tackett