• Forums Software Updates

    The forums will be undergoing updates on Sunday 10th November 2024.
    Little to no downtime is expected.
  • We have updated the guidelines regarding posting political content: please see the stickied thread on Website Issues.

Weird Experience With Sigil Magic

Historically speaking, many practicioners of magic and magick have used meditation of various sorts (be it isolation or yoga, etc.) in order to become more attuned to themselves. This is a necessary part of 'the work'. If signs and symbols start to well up from the subconcious and intrude on 'normal' everyday conciousness, this is probably a result of the person not being more aware of themselves - they are less attuned to themselves.
 
Becoming "...Detached from... reality...", and "...see[ing] signs and wonders everywhere" is also known outside the magic[k]al community as "going psychotic" or "schitzoid". The "Magical Perspective" is identical in everyway to as a psychotic/schitzophrenic world view; "Everything has a secret meaning to me".

If allowed to become your dominant perspective it would quickly go from being wonder at the interconnectivness of all things, via "The song of the sparrow from my neighbour's garden tells me that I should wear green today" to (and I quote a genuine schitzophrenic here) "[We're] under attack by right-wing invisible Ninja, from Japan, who are using Mind Bombs that only I can stop!"

The secret is to only allow yourself to use the Magical Perspective when you're actually doing a Working or, alternatively, only do your workings when you're in a naturally Magically Perspective state (like lucid dreaming :rolleyes: ). Overuse it and the 'men' in white coats will come and take you away... (or should that be the twelve foot reptoids?...) :hmm:
 
I also wanted to tell you this: almost anyone will tell you, it is the power of your own mind at work here, no matter how you are organizing/focussing it. That's what it comes down to. Even if there is a energy exterior to your self that you are tapping into, what the sigils are doing is acting as a device to formalize or focus your intent.

There are mysteries and signs all over, but it's in us to see or not. The more you think of yourself as a vessel for something outside yourself, the less you will be able to control and use this power. Always remember it is YOU that is doing it. The sigils are no more powerful, in and of themselves, than a microscope is, sitting on a shelf. It's only when a biologist uses it to look at cells that someone's disease is cured.
 
The idea Niles touched on earlier that magickal consciousness is equivalent to madness is spot on. The big difference is that unlike a schizophrenic the magickian has a structure into which s/he can put the experiences that would otherwise lead to madness - for many this is the kabbalistic Tree of Life - which can be used to explain and compartmentalise all of those synchronicities and the "interconnectivness of all things" - well thats the idea anyway, whether it works is another thing...
 
Ah, The Tree Of Life!
Is there anything it can't do?!
:wow:
 
bet it couldnt make me a cup of tea and sit down to warch a nice film with me whilst making polite chit-chat.
 
I had a go with a sigil or two recentl, after reading an interview with GM. Within hours, my life became a lunatic mass of coincidences, largely centred on situationist art, for some reason. My original version of this post described the lot, but I just sounded mental and obsessive, which I feel goes to underline some of the points about maintaining perspective whilst working with this stuff.

That said, the magic I recently did to find a lost and rather vital object worked so well and quickly that I was genuinely gobsmacked (rare). So it looks like I'll be trying again.

Hey! Theoretically, this entire board is what Morrison calls a 'hypersigil'. Think what we can accomplish...
 
:rofl:
Situationist art! Fantastic!
Sorry - that has really cheered me up.
Shame you didn't post the
mental and obsessive
Click to expand...
version - I am sure I would have found it quite reasonable.
Messing with reality can definitely be a confusing business!
 
Trying not to go too O/T...

I once heard a story about similar coincidental stuff, but it was more to do with Satan.

Someone told this guy that Satan was the lord of all material things as they strolled up a beach. He didn't believe this person so he wished, messing about, asked Satan for a condom (no, I dunno exactly why that). Now, no - he didn't find one washed up on the sand - that'd be normal. He instead, seconds later, saw a bum-bag stuffed full of the things in front of him.

I saw that little anecdote on TV, and featured other such situations with people asking for things in a similar manner. You could quite easily though have a couple of coincidences and think that they were gifts of Satan. Which is rather heavy...

I believe that if you trust the universe, it'll look out for you... Don't ask me why... that's not to say things can't go wrong... So I see Sigils/asking Satan/Magick to some extent as tied to this, although it's a way of connecting with this side of life that a lot of people aren't really able to cope with. Think positive, and stay out of the shadows...
 
Pretty much the way I've always thought of it. Keep it cheerful and don't go mental.

On a purely theological note, the 'Satan as lord of all material things' vibe appears to be a corruption of the (Cathar?) belief in Rex Mundi, King of The World, creator of our reality or something.
 
I was wondering about what techniques folks have used to charge sigils.

I seem to be having a nice successful time with them, but I'm trying to use them only as a way to clear any 'blockages' I can't get rid of using various other techniques. I have a good degree of trust in my unconscious to sort such stuff out if I can't consciously do it - although the conscious methods would be preferable.
 
There are so many you can't count them. Meditation is one, but takes lots of practice, masturbation seems to be one that people prefer (for some reason), exhaustion, fear, excitement (Grant Morrison talks about charging it whilst bungie jumping), spinning in circles until you get dizzy etc.

The point is to switch off your concious mind just for a second to allow the sigil to get through.

However, Jan Fries says that writing a letter to your subconcious mind can be just as effective, but I believe you have to be polite and be careful what you wish for.
 
I also seem to remember on another messageboard about someone charging a servitor by geting a friend to push on his chest until he was on the edge of fainting. Apparently the results were tremendous.
 
razorblimp said:
There are so many you can't count them. Meditation is one, but takes lots of practice, masturbation seems to be one that people prefer (for some reason), exhaustion, fear, excitement (Grant Morrison talks about charging it whilst bungie jumping), spinning in circles until you get dizzy etc.

The point is to switch off your concious mind just for a second to allow the sigil to get through.
Click to expand...

Well sometimes I want to do a sigil at work, so that's the second option out. :oops:

Since I'm an experienced meditator, I'll possibly try that for anything important. I think I've found (through experiment) how to open up my unconscious enough to shove soething in there, so we'll see how that works.

Once again, this reminds me of the whole 'Faculty X' thing of Colin Wilson - getting beyond the ordinary state of mind to allow other things to come into play.

However, Jan Fries says that writing a letter to your subconcious mind can be just as effective, but I believe you have to be polite and be careful what you wish for.
Click to expand...

I can see that working well. I've found that it's sometimes very hard to actually admit a problem in some ways - such as by writing it down or telling someone, and there seems to be a real struggle and then release when you do it.
 
Well sometimes I want to do a sigil at work, so that's the second option out.
Click to expand...

Like it matters for the more dubious practicioners of sigil magick.
 
This is a fascinating subject. Can anyone recommend some reading material so I can look into it further?
 
Elffriend said:
GiantRobot said:
Elffriend said:
This is a fascinating subject. Can anyone recommend some reading material so I can look into it further?
Click to expand...

Read: http://www.grant-morrison.com/mag.htm

and

http://www.chaosmatrix.org/library/chao ... chaos.html

and enjoy! 8)
Click to expand...

Thank 'ee GiantRobot, I shall enjoy especially if my sigils work :D
Click to expand...

For the most part, they do work. I've a few that have not kicked in yet, but often it can take a few months. One of the main things seems to be forgetting that you've done it, and to forget your goal too (not easy), so it's best to start with something small. I found as soon as I forgot the two that have worked so far, and stopped bothering with them, they started working.

Dunno how they work (and I don't really care), but they do seem to with a good degree of success. :shock: :D
 
Sometimes it's good to do several of them at the same time, so that the act of forgetting becomes easier. They've been likened to a watched pot never boiling.

Also, I've mentioned it before in the last couple of days, but Jan Fries Delves into sigils in his book Visual magick.

There's also an article about Austin Osman Spare, the Godfather of sigils on the Fortean Times website
 
I am having trouble (already) with the charging. I find it very hard to free my conscious mind for any length of time.
 
Elffriend said:
I am having trouble (already) with the charging. I find it very hard to free my conscious mind for any length of time.
Click to expand...

Visualising the sigil during orgasm is one good way to cram it into your subconscious. It's very effective...

:shock: :oops:
 
Okay.......I'll try that :oops:

But obviously not now because I am at work and it may cause a scene in the library :D
 
Elffriend said:
Okay.......I'll try that :oops:

But obviously not now because I am at work and it may cause a scene in the library :D
Click to expand...

That's why I recommend learning meditation and altered states. ;)
 
If it helps, I often leave the sigil alone for a few days and then put it in my car, near the speedo. On the occasion I glance down I notice it, and for a split second wonder what it is, enough of a blip in my conciousness to force it through to my subconcious. It may also help to set it as computer wallpaper. You'll notice it from time to time, but for the most part you won't, but as long as you aren't conciously thinking about charging it, it'll probably get charged just from noticing it.

Some people burn them when they feel it's gotten through, or throw them away then it's no longer an issue for them.
 
How do you know when it has got through to the subconscious though?
And does it have to be hand written? Can it be done on a PC? Can the sigil be created say in Photoshop?
 
Elffriend said:
How do you know when it has got through to the subconscious though?
And does it have to be hand written? Can it be done on a PC? Can the sigil be created say in Photoshop?
Click to expand...


As far as I'm aware, just about all experiences you have end up in the unconscious. From what little I know, with sigils, the trick is to get it as deep as possible - because the deeper parts of the unconscious are the most powerful. Also, as far as I know, you can use anything as a sigil (it helps to look at religions and society to see how many sigils we use all the time, whether it's jingles on the radio, crucifixes or the Coca Cola trademark). The only point to remember is that preferably the sigil should be completely abstract, so only your unconscious can understand it. This helps with getting the conscious to forget it, so the far more powerful forces of the unconscious can get to work.

That's my understanding of the Chaos Magick I've come across, anyway - but it's all my opinion.
 
Thank you. That answers my question :D The tricky bit is the wording, making it unambiguous, but I'm working on it.
 
Elffriend said:
Thank you. That answers my question :D The tricky bit is the wording, making it unambiguous, but I'm working on it.
Click to expand...

Yes - that's important. It kind of reminds me of the Monkey's Paw episode of the Simpsons - you have to be careful about what you wish for. Another reason to start small. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top