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Basic Sigil Magic by Phillip Cooper
Basic Sigil Magic by Phillip Cooper
SIGIL
MAGIC
PHILLIP COOPER
®WEISERBOOKS
York Beach, Maine, USA
First published in 2001 by
Weiser Books
P.O. Box 612
York Beach, ME 03910-0612
www. weiserbooks.com
Copyright© 2001 Phillip Cooper
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CoNTENTS
Introduction ................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . .. .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Bibliography ................ . .
........... ................................ . ................. 111
Index ............................................................................................ 113
INTRODUCTION
As WE EMBARK ON A NEW AGE AND WONDER what the future may
hold for us, it is a time to reflect on the past. We were previ
ously in the age of Pisces. Pisces rules, among other undesir
able things, prisons and restrictions. Pisces dawned-with
promises of a fairy-tale existence, the great oneness of hu
mankind, and the kingdom of heaven on Earth-with the
birth of Christ. There are numerous connections to the sign of
the fish at this time. The secret symbol for the early Christians
was the fish, Jesus was called Ichthus (the fish), and many of
his disciples were fishermen.1
Each age has certain characteristics and traits associated
with its sign. With the end of the Piscean age, we can see that
its promises were not fulfilled. The races are more divided than
ever, in spite of diplomatic, political, and religious cosmic sur
gery. The burden of sin and guilt taught by the world's reli
gions weighs far more heavily than it ever has. Far from re
lieving humankind of its burden, these religions have set it,
and more, firmly and squarely on our shoulders. Heaven must
have taken a wrong turn as it descended to Earth, because it
never arrived.
We will only survive the metamorphosis of the new age,
if we can let the past go. The transition from old to new will
The Psybennancer
1
INITIATION INTO
MAGICK
WELCOME TO THIS VERY SPECIAL BOOK that deals with the magical
process of sigilization! It is unlike any other book of instruc
tion, insofar as it attempts to present the truth about magick
and open an individual path to the inner mysteries. In order
to derive maximum benefit from this book, it is essential that
you proceed slowly and carefully, thinking deeply about the
paradigms presented to you. Despite ideas given in certain
types of literature, there is no such thing as "instant" magick
no rapid path to enlightenment. Patience is, therefore, the
motto to be adopted.
If I had to give you a single key-words that would serve
as your guide to real magick-it would be:
Input = Output
A major law of the cosmos states that you get "out" in direct
proportion to that which you put "in. " The ratio is invari
able. Also, note that time and money are not necessarily the
criteria. It is the quality of the input that matters.
4 EB Basic Sigil Magic
Social Magick:
Forming a Group and Making a Covenant
The bringing together of two or more people to perform ritu
als has certain advantages, as long as personality clashes are
avoided. Working rites with incompatible people is a com
plete waste of time, so get to know others first. If there is
common ground, nurture it. Any group rite has to have a
common objective, whether knowledge or acquisition, if it is
to survive. A basic constitution should be drawn up before
any ritual work is undertaken, no matter how simple or basic
the work may be. Rites should be planned so that each person
can function as an individual within the whole, and so that
the end product will benefit all. Don't let one person run the
whole show, with everyone else following. There should be a
cadre of adepti whose job it is to teach others. As such, they
should operate only with members on their own level, or for
instructive purposes. In ritual magick, everyone should have
their turn at taking every role in temple rites, seasonal cer
emonies, and initiations, otherwise a magical lodge becomes
a "cult" in the worst sense of the word. With four people, for
example, you may have four officers, each one taking respon
sibility for one element and its doorway, a fact that can be
used for any ritual, especially those designated as seasonal.
A seasonal rite is one that is dedicated to a season of the
year, whose purpose may be attunement, learning, acquisition,
or all of these. A rite at spring, for instance, may be performed
around the time of the spring equinox. Its aim might be the
planting of an idea that would bear fruit in the autumn. This
idea can be carried around the seasons, at each of the four
points of tidal change.1 Seasonal rites are very useful, both for
1 The four points of tidal change occur when the ecliptic and the celes
tial two sphere lines cross twice, at the vernal and autumnal equi
noxes, otherwise known as the March equinox (or first point of the
sign of Aries) and September equinox (or first point of the sign of
Libra). The two points at which the ecliptic is farthest from the celes-
Initiation into Magick EB 5
tial equator are called the solstices, and these occur in June for the
summer solstice (when the sun enters Cancer) and December for the
winter solstice (on entering Capricorn). In the southern hemisphere
these equinoxes and solstices mark the reverse situation.
6 EB Basic Sigil Magic
Truth
Self-Initiation
Materialism
phrases such as black and white, and assuming that one is be
neath the other, it would be more sensible to look for the truth
first, and then make judgments. It is regrettable that very few
practitioners do think. Instead, they simply accept that which
appears obvious and then try to make it work.
Universal Laws
are not, therefore, due to external causes, they are entirely in
ternal. It is impossible to overestimate the power of the sub
conscious mind. Not only will it carry out every command you
give it, but it will also answer all questions.
Everything in existence contains energy in numerous pat
terns. Matter without energy is inert and useless. In order to
understand the nature and workings of this energy, you must
find some means of dividing it into convenient units. There are
several systems that attempt to do this. By far the best is the
12 EB Basic Sigil Magic
• The mind;
• The emotions;
• The imagination.
These are the points of the trident. The handle equates to the
will. Briefly, to activate the subconscious, there first has to be
an intention. For example, something must be willed. This is
then directed into subconscious levels through either or all of
these three access points. Sustained will is equivalent to belief
and belief always gets results. The use of these three ap
proaches will be discussed in detail later on.
CRITICAL
SELF-ANALYSIS
THERE ARE MANY PROBLEMS THAT ACT a s "blocks" t o power; some
are obvious, others are not. To begin with, the most powerful
part of yourself is your mind, which can also be your worst
enemy, if left to its own devices. Any serious magician worthy
of the name must realize that in order to increase the chances
of success and improve the quality of his or her work, he or
she must gain mastery over the mind. By this I do not simply
mean the subconscious mind, I mean the conscious mind, for
this is where most of the difficulties start. Valuable though it
is, the conscious mind is often the very thing that gets in the
way both before, and during, a magical operation.
1 Frater U. D., Practical Sigil Magic: Creating Personal Symbols for Success
(St. Paul, MN: Llewellyn, 1990), p. 85.
2 See Aleister Crowley, ed., and S. L. MacGregor Mathers, trans., The
Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King ( York Beach, ME: Samuel
Weiser, 1995).
Critical Self-Analysis EEl 17
Inner balance and harmony are not only achieved, but multi
plied. This is the great law of tenfold return.
Critical Self-Analysis
In order to gain power, you must first start by looking at the
way you think in everyday life. Look at the way in which you
deal with life, and in particular, its problems. How do you
react? Do you give in, presuming that there is no hope; do
you worry, do you panic, do you shy away and divert power
into undesirable areas? In short, are you negative or positive?
Always remember, "As you THINK-So you ARE."
The type of thinking that you generally apply toward life
will always dictate what happens next. In other words, nega
tive experiences arise when your dominant thoughts have a
negative bias. The lesson is simply one of changing your think
ing from negative to positive. This needs practice, but it is well
worth the effort. Constantly look at yourself to see how you
react, and each time you find that you are being negative, stop,
remind yourself that your thinking will affect the outcome,
then change your approach to positive. You will find that nega
tive thinking is a "habit" that has crept into your life and only
by adopting a new and better habit can you be rid of it. Domi
nant, negative thoughts are bound to impinge on your magi
cal work, for they are part of you. By gradually ridding your
self of them, your magical work will improve enormously.
There are, however, other problems that directly affect
your magical work. Some stem from habit, others are more
subtle. On a deeper levet there are other problems that do
not manifest until you are beginning to make progress.
Effective magick is proportional not only to knowledge and
expertise, but also in the ability to overcome these addi
tional inner problems. I say "inner" because they exist deep
within the subconscious mind and are usually unnoticed.
Nevertheless, these barriers or blocks are very real. Until
they are removed, they will constantly divert power into
undesirable areas. These are the beliefs about yourself and
18 E9 Basic Sigil Magic
MAGICAL
PRELIMINARIES
THIS CHAPTER DEALS WITH THE TEMPLE, the Magick Circle, and the
Four Gateways of Power. A true Magick Circle is a symbol.
Unless it exists in the imagination, it is of no use. Note that
the temple and other pieces of magical equipment are only
used to enhance the magical operation by giving the mind
something to concentrate on. These things appeal to the intel
lect and to the emotions, helping the mind to focus on the
task in hand. By all means, have a temple, robe, and equip
ment. They can only help. But remember that, without the
right attitude of mind, none of these will serve any useful
purpose, other than costing you time and money. Eventuall]j
you can dispense with all of these if you wish.
The Altar
Additional Equipment
3 The colors of magick are fully discussed in Part II of this book, The
Psybernomicon.
Magical Preliminaries EB 27
anything. First, however, you must inform it that you are about
to issue an instruction. This is important, because you have to
get around the natural safety mechanism that prevents normal,
everyday thoughts from influencing the subconscious mind. In
short, you need a magical on/ off switch. This is accomplished
by using an opening and closing formula.
There are many of these and, although the basic procedure
and structure is essentially the same, you should construct your
own so that it becomes personaL Your opening formula needs to
be symbolic, because your subconscious mind deals with symbols.
By far the best symbol is that of the Encircled Cross.
This is the master symbol from which all others are de
rived. Most of you will be familiar with the Magick Circle.
This is a parody of the Encircled Cross symbol (see figure
2, page 30) . The true Magick Circle exists in your mind. It is
not flat; it is three-dimensional. This is where most mis
takes are made. The Encircled Cross, when viewed from
above a Magick Circle, is in reality, a sphere-a cosmic
sphere in which you work. To construct this in your mind
is quite easy, but it does require some practice. The results,
however, are well worth the effort.
Start by imagining a point of light within yourself at about
heart leveL This symbolizes your inner subconscious power.
Then form your arms into the cross. Imagine that a beam of
light travels from your center, vertically upward, terminating
above your head as a symbol of a crown. A similar beam of
light now travels vertically downward, terminating below your
feet as a symbol of a cubic black stone. The vertical axis is com
plete. Keeping the idea of beams of light traveling from your
center, imagine that one now travels out in front of you, ter
minating in the symbol of a Sword. This direction is known as
magical east. Move your attention to your right and see another
beam radiate outward to become a symbol of a Wand or spear
at magical south. Behind you now radiates a beam that termi
nates as the symbol of the Cup or chalice at magical west. Fi
nally, an arm travels out to your left, terminating as the sym
bol of the shield at magical north.
30 EB Basic Sigil Magic
East
North South
West
The six arms of the Encircled Cross are now complete. All
that remains is to add the circles to complete the Cosmic Sphere.
Starting at the crown above your head, imagine a circle of light
traveling to the right, through the cube at your feet, then to the
left and back to the crown. A second beam starts at the front,
magical east, and moves in a clockwise direction through south,
west, north and back to east again. The final circle starts at the
top anti travels through front, base, rear, and back to the top. You
now have a Cosmic Sphere containing a center, six arms radiat
ing out toward the appropriate symbols, and three rings con
necting these arms (see figure 3, page 31).
This formula may easily be ritualized by using gestures and
words, provided that you use your imagination while doing
this. It is the imagination that influences the subconscious, not
words. Naturally, you may think up your own, but here is a
suggestion.
It is useful to understand the symbolism of different parts
of the Cosmic Sphere. The crown symbolizes power, and it is
Magical Preliminaries ED 31
Top
Base
from here that power emanates into the four magical directions.
Power flows out from the crown, through the arms of the
sphere, to perform the task you have instructed it to do.
The arms of the sphere represent the four magical elements
in their respective colors: the element Air and the color yellow;
the element Fire and the color red; the element Water and the
color blue; and the element Earth and the color green. It is
through these elements that the power of the crown flows into
the world to create change.
Power that has been sent forth always returns. The power
that you send out from the crown through the elements returns
to the cubic black stone at the feet. Here, the power comes to
rest and germinates. Here, the intention of the mind and the
power bring your magical work to fruition.
There are many ramifications in the relationship of the
parts of the Cosmic Sphere. This brief discussion is by no
means exhaustive, but it does provide a basic framework for
the beginning practitioner. The power of the crown is upward,
32 EB Basic Sigil Magic
Magical work may now begin. When you are finished, you
must close down this Cosmic Sphere before returning to nor
mal time and space. This is done by simply reversing the
procedure. A suggestion for suitable wording follows.
Closing Formula
Say:
"I now declare this ritual complete and this Cosmic Sphere returned
to normality. "
34 EB Basic Sigil Magic
Thus, in short:
"In the first instance, there is life energy, constantly outpouring, with
out beginning or end. It is abundant and is designed to be used cre
atively."
36 E8 Basic Sigil Magic
"In the third instance, there is my w ill to determine what the future
should or should not be and the absolute truth of free choice. There
fore, I am bound by no beliefs other than those I choose to adopt."
[Imagine that the western doorway now opens, allowing blue
energy to pour through.] Say:
only get out in direct proportion to what you put in. This has
nothing to do with money, but it has everything to do with
personal involvement and the small sacrifice of time and ef
fort needed to gain results.
It is important to remember that you need to be able to
carry magical awareness around with you. It is not sufficient
Magical Preliminaries EB 37
CREATING SIGILS
at all times. Every help will be given and all questions answered
if you ask, for God is there to help. It is so very important that
you examine your beliefs about divinity and then remove all
concepts that are not valid or true. Wrong beliefs produce wrong
results every time. If your God appears to hate you, it is because
you believe this to be true, even though it is not! Remember that
no god seeks to restrict or deprive you, or to make you pay for
your supposed sins. These ideas are the legacy of the Dark Ages,
when narrow-minded religions were the norm. The unthinking
bigots and blind fools who fostered these idiotic schemes for
their own purposes are still with us today. Do not listen to them.
Instead, think about this carefully and come to your own conclu
sions. Open up to the reality of God and to the fact that this
intelligence seeks only to help you have whatever you wish.
God contact transforms lives by giving freedom-not by seeking
to control and direct you. By abandoning self-restrictive ideas
about universal intelligence, you automatically open up chan
nels to power that will astound you.
By virtue of connection, you have access to power and knowl
edge. There are, however, many other levels and dimensions
within the subconscious mind. If you consider the fact that ev
eryone has a subconscious mind, it naturally follows that we are
all connected to power and creative intelligence. We are also
connected to each other. Many extraordinary phenomena can be
explained by this linkage. For instance, nothing is forgotten.
Nothing is ever forgotten by your subconscious, it retains every
thing. You cannot really forget something. The problem is sim
ply one of not being able to recall something from memory. The
idea of total retention is confirmed by hypnosis, under which a
person can regress back to childhood and vividly experience
some long-forgotten event as though it were real. Memory has
many branches. One of these carries the total impressions of
everyone who happens to be related by blood. In other words,
you have inherited the memories of all those who went before.
Perhaps the most important link is the one you have with
everyone else-not only those who are alive, here and now,
but also those who are no longer incarnate. This does not mean
Creating Sigils EB 41
that you are still in contact. Aunt Hilda will not come back from
beyond the grave. All that is implied is that you are able to
contact (and experience) the past impressions of someone else.
To believe that these impressions are yours is sheer folly. Think
about this carefully. Do you really wish to subscribe to the
highly dubious concept of reincarnation, or the even sillier
dogma of karma, or can you now see how these recollections
are actually occurring through the linkages made by your sub
conscious mind? There cannot be any such thing as enforced
Earth life, in which we serve out some sentence, paying for
past mistakes of which we are not even aware. The whole con
cept is absurd and in direct opposition to common sense and
truth.
The linkage between yourself and everyone else is called
universal mind. Forget about superstitious claptrap concern
ing this. The universal mind is, quite simply, a perfectly natu
ral linkage on subconscious levels. It gives you free access to
many wonders, experiences, and memories. It also gives you
the total cooperation of every living being in creation, because
subconscious minds cannot, by themselves, say no. Here is the
great oneness-the universal brother- and sisterhood of hu
manity. Those who learn to rise above normal human failings
and contact the universal mind, will inevitably gain the com
plete cooperation of all others. The key, once again, lies in your
beliefs.
S ymbols
Basic Concepts
Sigils are images that unconsciously represent your desire.
The aim of sigilization is to create an image (usually a symbol
of some type) that represents your magical intention. The
image is made in such a way that your conscious mind will
1 Aleister Crowley, "The Great Beast 666," who initiated a new aeon of
spirituality in 1904, supposedly through communication with a discarnate
entity, Aiwaz. Thelemic magick is largely the legacy of Mr. Crowley.
2 Austin Osman Spare, From the Inferno to Zos: The Writings and Images of
Austin Osman Spare, vol 1 . (Seattle, WA: Holmes, 1993); Vera Wain
wright, Poems and Masks (London: Mandrake, 1991).
3 Gerald B. Gardner, founder of what came to be known as the Gardnerian
Tradition of Witchcraft, is best remembered as the individual chiefly
responsible for the Witchcraft revival in the modern West.
4 Kenneth Grant, Images and Oracles of Austin Osman Spare (London:
Frederick Muller, 1975), p. 7.
Creating Sigils EB 43
5 Spare, From the Inferno to Zos: The Writings and Images of Austin Osman
Spare, p. 50.
44 EB Basic Sigil Magic
'
I = ,
- ,.
P = Completed
sigil =
I
I
I
Spinning Mantra
The spinning mantra places the emphasis on the second and
fourth syllables of each line. The rhythm, speed, and excite
ment of this kind of mantra have a direct effect on the thought
process. You will have to practice the mantra for a period of
time before it can be used ritually. If you do not want to use
the spinning mantra, simply chant the mantra so that it sounds
euphonic as well as, somehow, magical.
Next you must charge your sigil. You may already have a
preferred way of doing this, but for those with less experi
ence, I will explain in chapter 5 one method that can be used
by those who prefer an excitatory ritualistic approach.
5
WHIRLING GNOSIS
Magical Gnosis
Gnosis is the Greek word for "knowledge" or "means of know
ing." It is used particularly in an esoteric sense. In the prag
matic interpretation, it is applied as much to a straightfor
ward intellectual investigation as to any paradigm of
consciousness modification or direct experience.
Among present-day magical practitioners, there is some
consensus that the inducement of a state of gnosis is an essen
tial prerequisite for any useful magical activity, be it divina
tion, evocation, invocation, or simple spell casting. In this
so EB Basic Sigil Magic
Inhibitory Gnosis
Excitatory Gnosis
The ego level or censor is 'a filter that prevents the totality of
information held in the subconsdous from overwhelming the
conscious mind. It also acts as a bridge that permits creative
thinking to be impressed into tlhe subconscious mind. When
the ego filter or screen becomes soft and easy to penetrate,
Charging Methods
Gone, but not forgotten, is not the way of sigil magick. Whatever
method you use to empower your sigit once it has been embla
zoned on your subconscious mind, it should be destroyed. This
act is actually the most important part of the process. By destroy
ing the sigil (which may be done in any number of ways, as already
suggested) your desire is forgotten.
Learning to Forget
8 Here is another technique you can try. It is fairly simple, but may
require a good deal of practice. Revolve around, using one foot as a
pivot. In other words "whirl," while looking at the sigil drawn on the
palm of one hand.
56 EEl Basic Sigil Magic
to do its job. The sigil floats away from conscious awareness and
into the depths of the subconscious. If you do not forget the de
sire, it is as though you have planted a seed, but keep returning
to it every day to dig it up and see how it has grown. Naturally,
an attitude that keeps asking, "Did it work?" serves to keep the
desire and the sigil firmly fixed in the conscious mind and away
from the subconscious powerhouse. Again, this is a "lust of result"
problem. You need to forget what you want in order for the sub
conscious to get to work and materialize your desire.
Free Belief
9 Ray Sherwin contends that, "The gnostic state has been entered when
awareness of the body disappears and self is centered in or totally
exterior to the body." Ray Sherwin, The Book of Results (Sheffield,
England: Revelation 23 Press, 1 992), p. 43.
6
1 I have used the same color sequence for the eight magicks used by Peter
Carroll in his book Liber Kaos (York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1992).
58 EEl Basic Sigil Magic
Ritual Intention
Words of Power
Repeat this several times. Now, can you see the difference?
You are using your emotions to put power into these words.
Finally, repeat the words several times and use your imagina
tion to see yourself pulsating with energy and goodness. Do
this with conviction for a minute or so.
There is now a considerable difference between the origi
nal approach and the final one. The words have not changed,
but the inner work has given power to these words. This is the
real secret of words of power and the difference in magical
work is astounding.
When speaking words you must put feeling and imagina
tion to work or those words are dead and lifeless. This requires
practice, but is well worth the effort. Always use your vernacu
lar prime, which is simply your native tongue. Its potency in
magick is unequalled.
Magical Incense
raising your arms above your head, palms up, fingers out. To
the south, make the gesture of the element of Fire by forming
a triangle with your hands, as if holding a small pyramid to
the brow. To the west, make a gesture of the element of Water,
perhaps a downward triangle or pyramid held at the navel.
To the north, make the gesture of the element of Earth, with
your arms down by your sides, palms down, fingers pointing
to either side. It is not possible to give exact directions. These
will have to be created individually so that they express your
thoughts, ideas, and intentions throughout the opening and
closing procedure.
You should develop gestures and finger postures for erect
ing the Cosmic Sphere, summoning and sending forth power
through the four gateways, closing the Cosmic Sphere, and any
others you deem necessary. Learn how to devise suitable ges
tures and finger positions that embody your thoughts, ideas,
and aspirations. As soon as the gestures and finger positions
have become self-acting with your imagination, it will be suf
ficient only to perform the gesticulation and finger postures to
achieve the effect or influence y our subconscious mind. With
regular practice, the whole thing will become automatic, releas
ing subconscious power in conjunction with your imagination,
your body gestures, and your finger postures.
Colors Directions
Yellow South
Silver West
Orange East
Green North
Red South
Blue West
Black North
White East
64 EB Basic Sigil Magic
Now it is time to leave the temple, each with his or her expe
rience, each with his or her own truth.
PART II
The Psybernomicon
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS BOOK we will examine
the concept of color in magick. Associations are built
up around colors, so we will examine different types
of magick by their respective colors. Each color corre
sponds to areas of activity, normal and magical, that
come under the heading of that magical color. The
colors may be used in magical work as an aid to fo
cusing your mind by varying the color as it is con
jured through the four gateways of power to suit the
intention of your sigilization ritual.
7
WHITE MAGICK
person who conceived the thought and for no one else. This
type of thinking is difficult to describe. It has to be observed
and understood if you are to gain the full value of the white
power. Every new invention, piece of music, and line of po
etry is the direct result of original thought. There are those who
imitate, and those who truly think. Everyone has this capac
ity, but few use it. This robs people of the opportunity to be
themselves.
White magick is the power of being. "Being what?" you may
well ask. Being yourself! To be yourself and realize your full
potential, you must strive to be original-to be yourself. That's
why the search for your "real" self is so important. At best, most
humans are a poor reflection of everyone else's ideas. Confused
and blind, they desperately try to make this image real, with
predictable consequences. All failure and lack in life is largely
due to people simply not being themselves. It is inescapable.
You may have heard the expression, "Why don't they think
for themselves?" Think for yourself. Throw out dogma, supersti
tion, and blind acceptance of the obvious and be yourself. It is
the key to success. When you are being original-in other words,
yourself-you draw on the vast potential of your subconscious
mind. Stillness and being you produce power. Now you can see
this explained in terms of magick. For magick explains every
thing to those who use it in original ways. I suggest that you
forget all previously held paradigms and ideas about magick.
You will find that, in reality, they were never any use to you.
Accept nothing without thought, both original and con
scious. The general attributions of the white power are quite
sensible-galaxies and nebulas are very apt. It was by looking
up at our own galaxy, the Milky Way, that humankind really
began to think about its place in the universe and its relation
ship with the stars. At first, there was no order or discernible
pattern, but there was the beginning of many ideas and pos
tulations. Original thinking was being applied. Something had
caused these stars to appear and that something was deemed
to be God. Later on, humans discovered that God also lay
within their own being.
White Magick EEl 71
BLACK MAGICK
The samurai warrior has no wish to die, but he does not fear
death, therefore he prevails over the fiercest foe.
As material beings, we are the physical hostages of the
Gnostic Demiurge, creator and ruler of the tangible world,
known also as Rex Mundi and counted by all who pursue
wealth and power. Those who declare "God is on our side" are
often its most faithful, if deluded, acolytes. Cohorts of the
Demiurge bear the insignia of religious, political, and bureau
cratic office, and move in privileged circles, yet are enslaved
by their own greed and gullibility. Rex Mundi, the King of the
World, represents everything temporal and illusory.
Black power represents restriction, limitation, and consoli
dation. Black magick slows things down and encourages pa
tience and steadiness. Black power is often associated with
time. Always remember that uncontrolled expansion is not
good. We need to apply the brakes to retain control and black
magick is the power of control. Either you control its energy,
or life is likely to restrict you.
9
BLUE MAGICK
you need, all you have to do is to take the trouble to open the
door and let it flow in. You can open this door by removing
self-restricting thoughts. Blue power is expansion in every
sense of the word, and expansion implies a free and unre
stricted flow. Any thoughts of holding on to, or grasping at
things, should be avoided, as such thinking implies insecurity.
When you are truly attuned to blue power, you can never want
for anything. You are secure, for abundant supply will always
exceed the apparent lack.
Envy and greed, similarly, point to a complete lack of un
derstanding of reality. Wanting to have what someone else has
is the wrong approach. It distracts your thinking. Conversely,
using this as a spur to better thinking is always fruitful. If you
want to become rich, then do not begrudge the rich their
wealth. Use it to inspire your wealth-self to be wealthy-not
in exactly the same way, perhaps, but in your own way. Think
rich, think wealth, think abundance. Remember, ask and it will
be given. Nothing will ever be denied if you ask and believe
in the laws of abundance. Depend on these laws and trust your
inner powers of plenty. Then, allow this power to flow. Never
allow the facts to dictate circumstances. The facts are largely
wrong, for they are the product of the restrictive thinking of
others. You will notice that abundance always manifests itself.
For most of us, this means an "abundance" of lack or a condi
tion of anti-wealth. The law always works: as you think, so
shall you be.
To seek the true abundance of the blue power, think abun
dance and allow it to flow into your life. Remember that you
are dealing with the principle of generosity and that this works
both ways. A wise person can be truly generous, for they will
never fear lack. There is no such thing.
Blue power is often considered lucky or fortunate. This is,
perhaps, stretching the point somewhat. Blue magick repre
sents expansion and opportunity. These may, at times, seem
lucky, but only because new horizons have opened up and re
strictions have been lifted, thereby bringing in optimism. Blue
magick gives us scope for expansion and gain.
Blue Magick EB 79
RED MAGICK
YELLOW MAGICK
GREEN MAGICK
ORANGE MAGICK
will get results. You have to use some blend, and you have to
use the imagination. You have to see in your mind's eye what
you want or nothing can happen.
The language of the subconscious consists of pictures and
symbols. Fortunately, this is partially taken care of in our
makeup. Try thinking about something without looking di
rectly at it and you will find a picture in your mind. The same
applies to feelings. They both create pictures. The role of the
imagination is to create the picture, rather than to draw on
memory. To do this is quite easy. If you are good at visualiz
ing, simply hold the picture or symbol (sigil) of that which is
desired in your mind at the high-point or peak of gnosis dur.:.
ing a ritual. Your subconscious will always respond and give
power to this.
An apparent inability to create pictures in your mind is
largely due to tension. The more you relax, the easier it gets.
Forced visualization exercises are not recommended. To imag
ine something is natural and easy; you do it all the time. Cast
your mind over any subject and you will see a picture, albeit
briefly. The trick is to keep this subject in mind and allow the
picture to form, while avoiding strain or seeing minute details.
Relaxation is always the key to successful magick. Always re
member that you do not have to keep your eyes closed to imag
ine. Do whatever comes naturally.
Silver power governs our response to life and our habits,
so it naturally follows that progress is made when you discard
those habits that are unproductive or bad. This area of life is
well worth a study in its own right, and you will be surprised
just how habit-bound you really are. One of the keys to get
ting results is that, when new thought becomes habit, it works
automatically. The lesson is plain to see: change your thinking,
encourage new, more desirable habits, and everything will
change for the better and stay that way, automatically.
If things are not going well for you and there is discord in
your life at the moment, it may be that you are out of tune with
the cycles of nature and the elements. Especially a woman who
is out of phase with the Moon can reachieve synchronization
Silver Magick EB 97
1 You can use Llewellyn's Moon Sign Book. You can also buy Celestial
Influences calendars, by Jim Maynard (Quicksilver Publications). In
England, Prediction Magazine contains a lunar aspectarian.
98 E9 Basic Sigil Magic
As the Moon waxes and wanes, so you will rise and rest in
perfect harmony with the tides of cosmic power. You will re
spond to the rhythms of life-energies and, so, achieve far more
than was previously possible. You and the energies of life will
come together in perfect harmony. Do not question; do not ask
how or why; simply allow this to happen by opening your mind
to this vast potential. Trust the power and it will be so. Relax
when you perform this exercise. Let go and allow this power to
work for you in the the unseen levels of your subconscious
mind. Following this simple ritual for six months calls for self
discipline and organization if you are to avoid distractions.
Silver power can also be used to protect you against your
enemies or those who wish to harm you. It can protect you
from adversity of all kinds and from all quarters. Take your
time in planning your rituals. The altar can be placed at magi
cal west for the performance of silver magick. Don't forget to
use silver-colored correspondences-altar cloths, candle hold
ers, a silver candle. Use a good-quality lunar incense, using the
same recipe every time. A useful variation here is to imagine
that the crown has eight jewels set into it (one for each magi
cal color) . See the silver jewel begin to glow and get brighter.
As you open each gateway, see this energy enter and fill the
ritual space before the commencement of the ritual.
• • •
Now is the time to pause and consider carefully all that has
been presented to you. Consider everything that has been writ
ten. Do not adopt one or two ideas that seem to appeal and
then reject the rest. This is not the way to learn the truth or
take control of your potential. In particular, avoid the tempta
tion to rush ahead in the hope that you can extract the "nitty
gritty" and thereby find a shortcut to success. This is not
possible, for the only real way to power is through the two
fold process of unlearning the erroneous and discovering the
truth. This takes time and there is no easy way, despite the
promises made in certain instant magic books.
MAGICAL TECHNIQUES
AND EXERCISES
BEFORE EMBARKING O N THE FOLLOWING EXERCISES, you may find it
extremely beneficial to make up a chain of about forty beads.
These can usually be obtained from any craft shop. If you
have a problem purchasing beads, use a knotted cord instead .
The chain of beads can b e used t o show how many distur
bances occur during your exercise period. It is a method com
monly used by Tibetan monks. Every time you experience an
intruding thought, move one bead. This will let you know
how many interruptions there were.
Image Control
1 Alternatively, you can use the four tattva symbols and the methods
outlined in Ophiel's book to develop this faculty in yourself. See
Ophiel, T he Art and Practice of Getting Material Things Through Creative
Magical Techniques and Exercises EB 101
Visualization (York Beach, ME: Samuel Weiser, 1975), p. 86, which has
been retitled: T he Art and Practice of Creative Visualization (1997).
102 EB Basic Sigil Magic
By now, you should be quite familiar with the Cosmic Sphere and
the Four Gateways of Power. If not, you should become familiar
with them before you proceed with this magical paradigm.
Using the concept of color magick and a sigilized intention,
we will build up a hypothetical rite using yellow magick. Bear
in mind that it is not the color itself that causes power to flow,
but the associations made in your mind-in this case, the color
yellow for charging a healing sigil. Prepare your temple space.
You may wish to use two candles-one plain, to symbolize
your subconscious power, and the other yellow, to symbolize
the color of the magick you are using. You will need two ves
sels-one for burning your incense and the other for the sym
bolic destruction of the sigil.
Remember that you have to work within your imagination,
in an imaginary Inner Temple, in this paradigm. Basically, this
is a magical activity that is done within a nonlocal space ac
cessed by your imagination. The idea is to create a consistent,
realistic fantasy temple that includes all the symbolism you
wish to encounter. You will enter this Inner Temple, opening
the four gateways in such a way as to induce an inhibitory form
of gnosis-one in which the operator is in a light state of trance
known as "measured gnostic conjuration."
Perform the Sun/Moon centering (see page 27) and then
erect the Cosmic Sphere. This serves to protect you and to con
tain the power that you are about to raise. Now imagine that
you are entering into an Inner Temple (see page 1 02). Using
your imagination, see a doorway before you and see yourself
passing through that door, into the Inner Temple with its four
doorways. (Those of you who have read my other books will
tain reaching high into the sky, gleaming with light and power.
Hold the sigil firmly in your mind until you believe it has been
emblazoned on your subconscious, or for a minute or two at the
very least. Then see the fountain change to a calm pool again.
Reverse the procedure by using your imagination to see and feel
the weapons being returned to their correct doorways, begin
ning at north (Shield), then west (Chalice), south (Wand), and,
finally, east (Sword). At conclusion, leave the Inner Temple, and
destroy the sigil or prepare it for disposal. Then disperse the
Cosmic Sphere and return to normality.
Building up the depth of trance can and does take some
time. Returning to normal consciousness can be done more
quickly. All this, of course, can be done as a seated meditation.
It is far better, however, to combine physical action with inner
imagination. With regular practice, you will find that you are
capable of inducing a state of gnosis and maintaining it. This
ability can only be acquired through training and practice. It
will enable you to carry out these ritualistic manuevers in a
magical operation, and still be able to hold your magical state
of awareness. You should be able to quickly deepen the state, or
bring yourself up to near-normal hypothetical consciousness
when necessary, and to do all this while standing up as an
active participant in the ritual. There is bound to be a teeter
totter effect in gnosis (trance depth) as you rise from passive to
active participation. These techniques are not minor auto-hyp
notic processes. They are a more direct vehicle, through which
the magician can produce a desired effect in accordance with
his or her will.
The following assumes that your intention has been de
cided on and rendered into a graphic sigil. Your temple, altar,
and equipment have been prepared. Incense and a bit of drum
ming can also assist, but the ritual is best done somewhere
where you are not likely to provoke an interruption. Unless you
are an adept-in other words, you have complete confidence
in your abilities-you are unlikely to succeed in performing
just one ritual. Far better, in the early stages, to restimulate the
sigil over a fixed period-say a week or ten days. You must
decide on this for yourself.
108 EB Basic Sigil Magic
"I now declare this gateway open so that the yellow power may flow
freely into this temple. "
[Face west.]
"To the west the gateway of Water and the land of images. "
[Visualize the doorway.]
"I now declare this gateway open so that the yellow power may flow
freely into this temple."
[Face north.}
"To the north the gateway of Earth and past mysteries. "
[Visualize the doorway.}
"I now declare this gateway open so that the yellow power may flow
freely in this temple. "
The main body o f the work is now carried out using the
symbolism of the pool and fountain. This is also a good time
to light "the second candle, symbolizing the color of magick
you are conjuring. It is also a good time for the drumming or
Magical Techniques and Exercises EB 1 09
Conclusion
Magick starts in the mind by using symbolism, creative imagery,
and gnosis. It uses some form of sleight-of-mind technique, as
well as symbolic exercises such as the Cosmic Sphere and Four
Gateways of Power. Magical equipment serves only to enhance
this. Provided it is used in a commonsense fashion, it can most
certainly help to promote the right frame of mind and thereby
speed up results. The principles given in this book are sufficient
to ensure success in practical terms, provided that they are read,
110 EB Basic Sigil Magic
paradigm, 53 subconscious
performing, 36 language of, 96
procedures, 18 mind, 11, 15, 18
rubric, 108 Sun, 85
robe, 23, 25 Sun/Moon centering, 26, 27, 28, 35,
rubric of master ritual, 64 105
Sun/Moon-disc centering, 37
Saturn, 74 superstition, 16
Saturnian, 74 sword (air), 34, 35
Schueler, Gerald J., 71 symbol, 41, 96
self-analysis, 15, 20 symbolic pattern, deliberate erection
critical, 1 7 of, 38
self"confidence, 85 symbolism, 1 09
self-defence techniques, magical,
83 telesmatic image, 1 3
self-discipline, 15 temple, 23, 24, 53, 64, 102
self-hypnosis, 1 04, 1 05 inner, 61
self-initiation, 6 Thelemic magick, 42
individual path to, 5 thinking, 70, 95
Sherwin, Ray, 55 type of, 1 7
shield (earth), 29, 34 thuribles, 61
sigil, 42, 43, 64, 96, 100 tidal change, four points of, 4
activity, 1 04, 105 trances, 51, 105
charging your, 45, 56, 63 musical, 51
constructing, 44 Triangle of Art, 52
creating, 39 truth, 1 3
creating mantric, 47 your own, 6
decorated, 45, 46
encoding in the subconscious, 55 universal
graphic, 43, 53 energy, subconscious, 39
spells, 36 intelligence, 39
wealth, 79 laws, 1 0
sigilization, techniques of, x mind, 39, 41
sigilized intention, 105 Uranus, x, 69, 71
social magick, 4
solar power, 59 Venus, 87
Solomon, 16 vibrating, 54
solstice visualization, 100
summer, 5 vitality, 85
winter, 5
sanies, 54 wand, (fire), 34, 35
sound, the magical use of, 62 war, 82
Spare, Austin Osman, ix, x, 41, 42, water, 20, 21, 31, 34
43 whirling, 54, 55
speech, 91 Dervish dance, 50, 51
stage magician, 53
one, 27 words of power, 59
three, 35
two, 28 yellow, 31