Sigils [Various Questions]
What is a sigil?
A sigil is a type of symbol used in magic. The term has usually referred to a type of pictorial signature of an angel, demon or other entity. In modern usage, especially in the context of chaos magic, sigil refers to a symbolic representation of the magician's desired outcome.
The term sigil derives from the Latin sigillum, meaning "Seal".
In medieval ceremonial magic, the term sigil was commonly used to refer to occult signs which represented various angels and demons which the magician might summon. The magical training books called grimoires often listed pages of such sigils. A particularly well-known list is in The Lesser Key of Solomon, in which the sigils of the 72 princes of the hierarchy of hell are given for the magician's use. Such sigils were considered to be the equivalent of the true name of the spirit and thus granted the magician a measure of communication or "control" over the beings.
An excerpt from Sefer Raziel HaMalakh featuring various magical sigils (or סגולות, segulot, in Hebrew).
A common method of creating the sigils of certain spirits was to use kameas (magic squares) — the names of the spirits were converted to numbers, which were then located on the magic square. The locations were then connected by lines, forming an abstract figure.
The word sigil... has a long history in Western magic. The members of the Golden Dawn were perfectly familiar with it (″combining the letters, the colours, the attributions and their Synthesis, thou mayest build up a talesmatic Image of a Force. The Sigil shall then serve thee for the tracing of a Current which shall call into action a certain Elemental Force″) and it was used in the making of talismans. The sigil was like a signature or sign of an occult entity.
The use of symbols for magical or cultic purposes has been widespread since at least the Neolithic era. Some examples from other cultures include the yantra from Hindu tantra, historical runic magic among the Germanic peoples, or the use of veves in Voudon (Voodoo).
More...
Some sigils are channeled with automatic writing or in possession states. The study of a sigil, its forms and the memorization of these (to use in your mind through visualization) can help in evocation / invocation work, as well as in communicating with the entity.
A great exercise would be to look at the sigil for a few seconds without blinking and then close your eyes and try to reproduce the sigil - as detailed as you can - in your mind (Inner eye) through the visualization.
Some people say that when a new being appears, even impostor entities, if the witch asks for (to verify the real identity) his/her sigil, -is law-, the being will show her/his true sigil in the witch´s mind.
Can an entity have more than one sigil?
Definitely yes! Sigils are means of contact, spirits can have more than one sigil to contact them. Think of them, like phone numbers, a person can have several numbers and the answer will be the same.
Some will be more effective than others. It depends how accurately who ever made the sigil was able to transcribe the seal or feel the entity’s energy, while creating the sigil.
Sometimes, theres also different sigils to call specifics aspects or personalities of the same entity.
Also the entities can give you a personal sigil for your personal use, this will facilitate your personal connection with the being/s or to contact them quicker.
Blood/Semen/Oils in Sigils?
Blood itself is a very personal substance, which can help connect your sigil closer to you to allow it to work better, not to mention how potent of a substance it is. The feelings of pain are powerful, and chock full of energy begging to be put into something for use.
Let’s start with blood, and think about it for a bit. Blood is essentially our life force. It pumps through our bodies, circulating nutrients and energy that allows us to do, well, everything. It carries not only our DNA (great for personalization), but the energy we get from our food. Both of these things are very useful for charging sigils.
So, how would one charge a sigil with blood? Prick a finger with a needle, and dab it on the sigil. Boom, done. Simple as that. An excess amount of blood isn’t needed, just a small amount, because of how strong a substance it is; not to mention there is no reason to draw more than that and put yourself in any potential danger.
There are also witches who use their period blood in magic, for various purposes. Period blood, would have a different association with it than regular blood, seeing as the source of it is very, well, “specific,” but if you’re not opposed to doing so, that can also be used to charge a sigil.
One of the “earliest” and “most basic” charging methods involves putting three of your bodily fluids onto your sigil - spit, blood, and semen. It is quite a powerful and personal combination if you feel it is something you are comfortable with doing.
Of course, please be safe and clean when you are using any sort of blood in magic. Make sure your tools are sterile, the area around you and where you plan to draw blood is clean, and you have proper materials to clean up and bandage yourself afterwards.
Next, we’ll talk about pain. Many times, the pain we feel is small, from stubbing a toe or getting our hair caught in something. Other times, it can be almost crippling, stopping us from moving or doing anything we need to do. As horrible as it can feel to be in pain, there is no reason that it can’t be channeled in a more productive manner.
You can either wait until you are already in pain, then funnel that into a sigil to give it charge, or you can inflict it yourself. A simple and easy way would be to snap a rubber band on your wrist and focus on that sensation. Another would be pricking your finger for the pain; this, of course, also draws blood, so you could use that to add an extra charge on top of the pain from the needle. (Double whammy!)
Another way pain can be induced to use in sigils, is by positioning your body in the death posture. This pose is very exhausting on the body and the mind. You twist your body in such a way, and hold that pose, until you can’t hold it any longer; when you release yourself from the pose (sources speak of “collapsing” but our recommendation is to not stay in the pose for that long in case of serious injury), focus on your sigil and let the pain and exhaustion from the death posture funnel into it to charge it.
Sigils, print or draw?
The short answer is: it is fine to just print out sigil, it’s all about what feels right for you and what gets you into that magickal mental state.
For some out there printing sigils out does that for them (Because of the perfection of the forms-Less distractions)
Some prefer to manually draw the sigils, channeling their power, empowering them during creation, and feeling their energy in the art of reproducing them.
Sigils as tattoos?
Why not? But...take some time and see if there is an entity you are drawn to or form a relationship of some sort with. The last thing you would want to do is have a permanent link to an entity that may not work with you as sometimes happens...
So... you do not want to do this unless the demon is your patron, demon companion or you already have a relationship with them, because you would be essentially calling their energy into your life permanently. The option to banish if their energy is making you sick, or incompatible with you in some way, would no longer be an option...