Mystical Sigils & Seals: From Solomon to Chaos Magic

BY NICOLE LAU

Introduction to Sigil Magic

Sigils are compressed symbols of intention—visual glyphs designed to bypass the conscious mind and implant desires directly into the unconscious. From the elaborate seals of medieval grimoires to the streamlined techniques of modern chaos magic, sigil work represents one of the most practical and accessible forms of Western occultism.

The word 'sigil' comes from Latin sigillum, meaning 'seal.' Throughout history, magicians have created seals to command spirits, invoke angels, protect against harm, and manifest desires. This guide explores the evolution of sigil magic from ancient times to the present, providing both historical context and practical techniques.

Solomonic Seals: The Grimoire Tradition

Historical Context

The grimoire tradition of medieval and Renaissance Europe produced some of the most elaborate and powerful sigils in Western magic. These texts, attributed to King Solomon (who according to legend commanded demons using magical seals), contain hundreds of seals for various purposes—from invoking angels to compelling spirits to granting wealth and love.

The most famous grimoires include:

• The Key of Solomon (Clavicula Salomonis): 14th-15th century, contains pentacles for protection, love, wealth, and commanding spirits
• The Lesser Key of Solomon (Lemegeton): 17th century, includes the Goetia (72 demons) and their sigils
• The Greater Key of Solomon: Planetary seals and angelic invocations
• The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses: Seals combining Hebrew letters, divine names, and geometric patterns

Structure of Solomonic Seals

Traditional Solomonic seals typically combine:

• Sacred Geometry: Circles, triangles, hexagrams, pentagrams
• Divine Names: Hebrew names of God (YHVH, Adonai, Elohim, etc.)
• Planetary Symbols: Glyphs of the seven classical planets
• Hebrew Letters: Often arranged in specific patterns or magic squares
• Angelic or Spirit Names: Names of the entities being invoked or commanded

The 44 Pentacles of Solomon

The Key of Solomon contains 44 pentacles (talismanic seals) divided by planetary rulership:

• Saturn (7 pentacles): Protection, invisibility, commanding spirits
• Jupiter (7 pentacles): Wealth, honor, power, treasure discovery
• Mars (7 pentacles): Courage, victory in battle, protection from enemies
• Sun (7 pentacles): Success, favor, invisibility, commanding spirits
• Venus (5 pentacles): Love, friendship, honor from others
• Mercury (5 pentacles): Knowledge, eloquence, business success
• Moon (6 pentacles): Divination, dreams, safe travel, opening locks

The 72 Goetic Sigils

The Goetia (first book of the Lemegeton) contains sigils for 72 demons, each with specific powers and attributes. These sigils are drawn within the Triangle of Solomon during evocation rituals, with the magician protected within a magic circle.

Examples of Goetic Spirits:

• Bael: First spirit, grants invisibility and wisdom
• Paimon: Ninth spirit, teaches arts and sciences, reveals secrets
• Bune: Twenty-sixth spirit, grants wealth and eloquence
• Vassago: Third spirit, reveals hidden things and finds lost objects

Warning: Goetic evocation is advanced ceremonial magic requiring extensive preparation, protection, and knowledge. These spirits are not to be approached casually.

Modern Use of Solomonic Seals

Contemporary magicians use Solomonic seals for:

• Talismanic Magic: Creating protective amulets or attraction talismans
• Meditation: Contemplating the seals to understand their energies
• Ceremonial Evocation: Traditional spirit work (with proper training)
• Planetary Magic: Working with planetary energies through their seals

Planetary Kameas and Sigil Construction

Magic Squares (Kameas)

Each of the seven classical planets has an associated magic square (kamea) containing numbers arranged so that each row, column, and diagonal adds to the same sum. Sigils can be created by tracing lines through numbers that correspond to names or intentions.

The Seven Kameas:

• Saturn: 3x3 square, sum of 15
• Jupiter: 4x4 square, sum of 34
• Mars: 5x5 square, sum of 65
• Sun: 6x6 square, sum of 111
• Venus: 7x7 square, sum of 175
• Mercury: 8x8 square, sum of 260
• Moon: 9x9 square, sum of 369

Creating Sigils from Kameas

To create a planetary sigil:

1. Choose your planet: Based on your intention (Venus for love, Jupiter for wealth, etc.)
2. Convert name to numbers: Use Hebrew gematria or other number systems
3. Trace the path: Draw a line connecting the numbers on the kamea
4. Stylize: Refine the resulting shape into an aesthetically pleasing sigil
5. Consecrate: Charge the sigil on the appropriate planetary day and hour

Rosicrucian and Alchemical Seals

The Rose Cross Tradition

The Rosicrucian movement (17th-18th century) developed a rich symbolic language combining Christian mysticism, alchemy, and Kabbalah. Their seals often feature:

• The Rose Cross: A rose blooming at the center of a cross, representing spirit flowering through matter
• The Pelican: Self-sacrifice, the pelican feeding its young with its own blood (Christ symbol)
• The Phoenix: Death and resurrection, alchemical transformation
• The Hermetic Rose: Seven-petaled rose representing the seven planets/metals

Alchemical Symbols as Seals

Alchemists created complex diagrams combining:

• Planetary metals: Gold (Sun), Silver (Moon), Mercury, Copper (Venus), Iron (Mars), Tin (Jupiter), Lead (Saturn)
• Alchemical operations: Calcination, dissolution, separation, conjunction, fermentation, distillation, coagulation
• The Philosopher's Stone: Ultimate goal represented by various symbols
• The Ouroboros: Serpent eating its tail, representing the eternal cycle

Modern Use

Rosicrucian and alchemical seals are used for:

• Spiritual Alchemy: Inner transformation work
• Initiatory Magic: Marking stages of spiritual development
• Christian Mysticism: Combining esoteric practice with Christian devotion
• Meditation: Contemplating the mysteries encoded in the symbols

Austin Osman Spare: The Birth of Modern Sigil Magic

Spare's Revolutionary Method

In the early 20th century, British artist and occultist Austin Osman Spare (1886-1956) revolutionized sigil magic by creating a simple, accessible method that bypassed the complex ceremonial requirements of traditional magic. His technique is based on the principle that the unconscious mind is the true seat of magical power.

Spare's Technique: Step by Step

1. Statement of Intent
Write your desire as a clear, positive statement in present tense:

• Good: 'I am confident and successful in my career'
• Avoid: 'I want to be confident' (future tense) or 'I am not anxious' (negative)

2. Remove Repeating Letters
Cross out all duplicate letters, keeping only one of each:
'I AM CONFIDENT AND SUCCESSFUL IN MY CAREER'
Becomes: I A M C O N F D E T S U L Y R

3. Create the Sigil
Combine the remaining letters into an abstract, aesthetically pleasing design. The letters can be:

• Overlapped and interlaced
• Rotated or mirrored
• Simplified into basic shapes
• Combined until unrecognizable

4. Charge the Sigil
Focus all your energy and attention on the sigil during a peak emotional or energetic state:

• Sexual climax: Spare's preferred method
• Intense emotion: Rage, ecstasy, fear, joy
• Exhaustion: After intense physical exercise
• Trance: Through meditation, drumming, or dance
• Gnosis: Any altered state of consciousness

5. Release and Forget
Immediately after charging:

• Destroy the sigil (burn it, tear it up) OR hide it where you won't see it
• Consciously forget about it and your desire
• Let the unconscious mind do the work

Why It Works: The Psychology of Sigils

Spare's method works by:

• Bypassing the Conscious Mind: The abstract sigil slips past rational defenses
• Implanting in the Unconscious: The charged sigil becomes a seed in the unconscious
• Avoiding Lust for Result: Forgetting prevents conscious interference
• Symbolic Language: The unconscious thinks in symbols, not words

Chaos Magic and the Evolution of Sigils

The Chaos Magic Movement

In the 1970s-80s, chaos magic emerged as a postmodern approach to occultism, emphasizing results over dogma, experimentation over tradition, and psychological models over spiritual ones. Chaos magicians adopted and refined Spare's sigil method, making it the cornerstone of their practice.

The Chaos Star: Symbol of Infinite Possibility

Structure: Eight arrows radiating from a central point
Meaning: Infinite possibility, rejection of dogma, paradigm-shifting

The Chaos Star (also called the Symbol of Chaos or Chaosphere) represents the philosophy of chaos magic: belief is a tool, reality is fluid, and the magician should be free to adopt and discard paradigms as needed.

The Eight Arrows Can Represent:

• Peter Carroll's Eight Colors of Magic: Different types of magical work
• Infinite Directions: All paths are valid
• Paradigm Shifting: The ability to move between belief systems
• Chaos and Order: Dynamic balance between structure and freedom

Advanced Sigil Techniques from Chaos Magic

Mantric Sigils: Create a mantra from your statement of intent, then chant it repeatedly until it loses meaning and becomes pure sound.

Automatic Drawing: Enter a trance state and let your hand draw the sigil automatically, without conscious control.

Digital Sigils: Use computer programs or apps to generate sigils from text.

Hypersigils: Extended magical workings (novels, films, art projects) that function as large-scale sigils.

Servitors: Creating Thought-Form Entities

What is a Servitor?

A servitor is an artificial spirit or thought-form created by the magician to perform a specific task. Unlike traditional spirit evocation, the servitor is entirely created by the magician's will and imagination. The servitor's sigil acts as its 'body' or anchor point.

Creating a Servitor: Complete Process

1. Define the Purpose
What specific task will the servitor perform?

• Protection of your home
• Finding lost objects
• Attracting opportunities
• Habit formation or breaking

2. Design the Servitor

• Name: Create a unique name (often from the purpose using Spare's method)
• Sigil: Design a symbol to represent the servitor
• Appearance: Visualize what the servitor looks like (optional but helpful)
• Personality: Give it traits suited to its purpose (protective servitor = fierce, finding servitor = curious)

3. Birth the Servitor
Perform a ritual to bring the servitor to life:

• Draw or carve the sigil
• Speak the servitor's name and purpose
• Charge the sigil with energy (as in Spare's method)
• Declare: '[Name], I give you life and purpose. You will [task]. You will serve until [condition].'

4. Feed and Maintain
Servitors need energy to function:

• Attention: Acknowledge the servitor regularly
• Offerings: Incense, candles, food, drink
• Emotion: Direct feelings toward the servitor
• Success: Thank it when it completes tasks

5. Set Termination Conditions
IMPORTANT: Always include an end condition:

• 'You will serve for one year, then dissolve'
• 'You will serve until [specific goal] is achieved'
• 'I can dismiss you by [specific action]'

6. Dismissal
When the servitor's purpose is complete:

• Thank it for its service
• Declare it released from duty
• Destroy or bury the sigil
• Perform a banishing ritual
• Consciously forget about it

Servitor Ethics and Warnings

• Never create servitors to harm others: This creates negative karma and can backfire
• Always include termination conditions: Servitors left running indefinitely can become problematic
• Don't create too many: Each servitor requires energy and attention
• Be specific: Vague instructions lead to unintended results
• Take responsibility: You created it, you're responsible for it

Practical Sigil Magic: A Complete Guide

Choosing Your Method

• Traditional Solomonic: For working with established spirits and planetary energies
• Spare's Method: For personal desires and psychological reprogramming
• Chaos Magic: For experimental, results-focused work
• Servitors: For ongoing tasks requiring autonomous action

Timing Your Sigil Work

While chaos magicians often ignore timing, traditional practitioners consider:

• Planetary Days: Sunday (Sun), Monday (Moon), Tuesday (Mars), Wednesday (Mercury), Thursday (Jupiter), Friday (Venus), Saturday (Saturn)
• Planetary Hours: Each day is divided into planetary hours
• Moon Phases: Waxing for growth, full for power, waning for banishing, new for new beginnings
• Personal Power Times: When you feel most energized

Materials and Tools

• Paper and Ink: Traditional parchment and dragon's blood ink, or modern paper and pen
• Carving: Wood, wax, clay, or candles
• Digital: Computer-generated sigils (controversial but effective for some)
• Body: Temporary tattoos, body paint, or visualization

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Lust for Result: Obsessing over the outcome prevents the sigil from working
• Vague Intentions: 'I want money' vs 'I receive $5000 by [date] through ethical means'
• Negative Phrasing: 'I am not sick' vs 'I am healthy and vibrant'
• Skipping the Charging: The sigil must be charged with energy to activate
• Not Forgetting: Consciously dwelling on the sigil interferes with its work

Correspondences Table

Tradition	Time Period	Key Features	Best For
Solomonic Seals	Medieval-Renaissance	Complex geometry, divine names, planetary symbols	Spirit work, planetary magic, traditional ceremonial practice
Rosicrucian	17th-18th century	Rose cross, alchemical symbols, Christian mysticism	Spiritual alchemy, initiatory work, Christian esotericism
Spare's Method	Early 20th century	Statement of intent, letter removal, abstract design	Personal desires, psychological reprogramming, accessible magic
Chaos Magic	1970s-present	Results-focused, paradigm-shifting, experimental	Modern practitioners, those who reject dogma, creative magic
Servitors	Modern	Thought-forms, autonomous entities, task-specific	Ongoing tasks, protection, habit formation

Further Study

Grimoire Tradition:

• The Key of Solomon (Mathers translation)
• The Lesser Key of Solomon (Crowley/Mathers edition)
• The Magus by Francis Barrett

Modern Sigil Magic:

• The Book of Pleasure by Austin Osman Spare
• Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine
• Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter J. Carroll
• Sigil Witchery by Laura Tempest Zakroff
• Hands-On Chaos Magic by Andrieh Vitimus

Conclusion

Sigil magic represents the evolution of Western occultism from complex ceremonial systems to streamlined, accessible techniques that anyone can use. From the elaborate seals of Solomon to the minimalist glyphs of chaos magic, sigils remain one of the most practical and effective forms of magical practice.

Whether you work with traditional Solomonic seals, create personal sigils using Spare's method, or experiment with servitors and chaos magic techniques, the principle remains the same: compress your intention into a symbol, charge it with energy, and release it into the unconscious to manifest.

May your sigils be potent. May your intentions manifest. May you wield this knowledge with wisdom and responsibility.