A symbol of the Philosopher's stone. Depicted on the left image is Michael Maier's Emblem XXI from Atalanta Fugiens. When you’re just on the cusp of opening your mind and are embarking on your Wiccan journey, the first thing your seniors will tell you to do is to learn how to make and activate sigils.

Once you’ve sufficiently raised your heartbeat (or not) and cleared your mind, you need to visualize your sigil and your intent. Let there be nothing else in your mind but that. If there are any other thoughts or images in your mind, the sigil won’t charge properly. How to Activate a Sigil The spiral is a symbol of the goddess but the exact way it is deciphered as such is unclear. There are theories that say the shape represents the movement of the planets and stars across the night sky. Spell books – or "grimoires", an alteration of the mid-19th-Century French word grammaire – especially, were often illustrated with visual signs and symbols that were only meant for the creator. "Magic, even to this day is still a bit controversial, and so you have a long history of books that may have been created just for the individual to show to nobody," says Grossman. The Triple Horn is a testament to Odin’s wit and magical prowess that help him gain victory against seemingly insurmountable odds. It is borne by pagans who want help from the gods and the Universe to gain victory in trying circumstances.

However, the pentagram actually represents the four elements of life – air, fire, water and earth, accompanied by a fifth, the human spirit. A sigil is our will and intent condensed into one intricate symbol. It’s something that we make ourselves to project and focus our intentions and desires. Sigils are meaningless to everyone, aside from the person who created them and gave them meaning and purpose. Modern Sigils Are Everywhere Around Us Ancient alphabet used throughout North Europe and prominent in Scandinavia, used in modern times by various religious faiths, such as Asatru. Adopted by modern occultists and Satanists. Theistic Satanists may worship it as a deity or demon, while atheistic Satanists see it as a metaphorical symbol. The goat-headed Baphomet image seen here is a 19 th-century drawing made by Eliphas Levi as a metaphorical symbol from Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie. It was not originally created as a Satanic symbol or a deity. See also: Sigil of Baphomet and Statue of Baphomet.

Whether our sigils prove to be fruitful or not is not up to us. We do the legwork, but the Universe and Life either make it happen for us or don’t. All we can do is our best to get their help. A Few Parting WordsBecause the moon was associated with the female menstrual cycle, this is a symbol strongly associated with the feminine in all of us. The female reference also relates to the pagan belief that a woman’s life was divided into three stages: maiden, mother and crone. Once you’ve chosen the right words to clarify your intent, and you’ve written them down, simplify the phrase. Remove all vowels from your statement. Then, remove all repeating consonants until you’re left with a bunch of letters. Use What’s Left to Create a Symbol While some symbols associated with witchcraft – such as the pentagram – are universal, others are more unique. Perhaps the most personal of these are sigils, which Grossman describes as a blend of artistry and witchcraft. "They are magical symbols that are charged with some kind of an intention to change or manifest something in one's life," she says. No one really knows exactly how to decipher the Ankh but is believed that it is strongly associated with the gift of Life after Death because of its prevalence in the tombs of pharaohs. This is a representation of one of the most potent magical tools the Norse people record that they used.

After charging comes activation, naturally. It’s what you’ve been working towards, after all. To manifest your intent and get the Universe to help you change your reality, you need to activate the sigil. Otherwise, it’s just a symbol on a piece of paper. As you’ve already gathered, there’s a limit to our ability to actually change our reality. It’s nice to imagine ourselves as perfectly accomplished, firmly holding the threads of our lives in our hands. But if that’s not the way the Universe destined us to be, we simply won’t be. Right now, all you have is a piece of paper with a weird glyph on it. Sure, you know the meaning and purpose behind the sigil, but you still need to give it energy. Here’s how you do that. Draw Your Sigil Still, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to influence the Universe. Making sigils is an excellent way to accept that we indeed are the co-creators of our destinies. Sigils can also help us focus on our desires, visualize them, and motivate us to go after what we really want. There are a number of deities associated with the element of Earth as well, including Gaia, who often embodies the planet itself, and Geb, the Egyptian god of the land.In rituals, when the element of Air is called for, you can use this triangular symbol, or use a feather, incense, or a fan. Air is associated with communication, wisdom or the power of the mind. Do an outdoors working on a windy day, and allow the powers of air to aid you. Visualize air currents carrying away your troubles, blowing away strife, and carrying positive thoughts to those who are far away. Embrace the wind, and let its energy fill you and help you achieve your goals. Water is connected to the West and is typically related to healing and purification. After all, holy water is used in nearly every spiritual path! Typically, holy water is regular water that has had salt added to it -- an additional symbol of purification -- and then a blessing is said over it to consecrate it. In many Wiccan covens, such water is used to consecrate the circle and all the tools within it.