Sigils created with magical powers by the Icelandic people. Pictured is the stave known as Ægishjálmur. The direction in which the pentagram points is of significance. When the single point points upwards, it is indicative of the human spirit rising above earthly desires. The inverse depiction represents the human spirit embracing his carnal and materialistic side. Sigil making isn’t difficult, but it isn’t something you can do in a crowded room. Sure, maybe you’d love to create and activate a sigil in the middle of a school cafeteria to help you with your exam, but, chances are: Pamela Colman Smith wrote in a letter that it was "a big job for very little cash" – but her vibrant illustrations were key in widening the appeal of tarot. "I think there's something about her intuitive understanding of these archetypes and her skill as an amazing graphic artist," says Hundley. "She went to the Pratt Institute, and was really well versed in commercial art and posters. So she understood how to convey them in a way that felt very inclusive, and allowed other people to understand them in a way I think they maybe didn't before. Tarot owes a huge debt to what she created." 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.

Don’t let this be the case with you. If you really think you can’t create a sigil on your own, you can always use the Witch’s Sigil Wheel to create a design that will represent your intent.

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Occasionally, the triquetra appears within a circle, or with a circle overlapping the three pieces. After you’ve simplified your sentence of statement, use what’s left to create a symbol. It doesn’t have to be elegant or particularly appealing. Scatter the letters around and layer them around or on top of each other until they no longer look like letters. The corn dolly played a significant part in the pagan history of subsistence farming. The pagans of old believed that the spirit of the corn lived in the fields. When the corn was harvested, the spirit was deprived of its home and food.

Anything you can imagine, you can achieve. Of course, some dreams and desires are more manageable to manifest than others. That’s why common sense and maintaining a realistic outlook are vital when casting. Pentacles are easy to make and hang around your home. You can create one out of grapevines or pipe cleaners, and use them as symbols of protection on your property. They also aren’t a replacement for action. You can’t just wish to have a fantastic job and sit around the house waiting for it to happen. Don’t be lazy.

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Ancient alphabet used throughout North Europe and prominent in Scandinavia, used in modern times by various religious faiths, such as Asatru. Considered to be the unspeakable name of God, written as YHWH. The four letter name has many pronunciations and can be seen over 7,000 times throughout the Hebrew Bible. As symbol, it was incorporated into the Greek Tetractys by Jewish Kabbalistic occult tradition as an evolving arrangement of ten letters. In gematria, YHWH has a numerical value of 72 (center image). The right image contains the Tetragrammaton in tetractys formation, accompanied by the late-Renaissance Pentagrammaton, below. Sigils are generally something we make in a peaceful environment. Not to mention, last-minute sigils are rarely effective as they don’t have time to manifest our desires. Create a Focus Area One of the four elements of pagan beliefs, Air does not just represent the ether but also the breath of life.

The planet itself is a ball of life, and as the Wheel of the Year turns, we can watch all the aspects of life take place in the Earth: birth, life, death, and finally rebirth. The Earth is nurturing and stable, solid and firm, full of endurance and strength. In color correspondences, both green and brown connect to the Earth, for fairly obvious reasons. Spiritualists who equate desire with suffering might think of sigils as the devices of our downfall. After all, we use them to manifest our desires, don’t we?The Hopi peoples of the American Southwest indicated Earth not as a triangle, but as a labyrinth with one opening; this opening was the womb from which all life sprang. In alchemy, the element of earth is represented by the triangle with a crossbar. The symbolism of eyes appears in many different cultures and civilizations -- it's no surprise that the image of an "all-seeing eye" is common in today's society! In Reiki, the eye is often associated with knowledge and enlightenment -- the Third Eye -- and it typically is connected to the true soul. Most commonly, people combine visualization with a symbolic burning of the sigil. You can also use one of the three other elements and either bury the sigil in Earth, wash it away with Water, or blow on it with Air. The pentacle is simply the pentagram enclosed in a circle. Because pagan rituals associate the circle with power, eternity and the infinite, it can be said that the pentacle enhances and empowers the basic pentagram with an infusion of additional energy. 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 Words