F.A.Q.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a sigil?

It’s a fancy way of saying “symbolic drawing.” But it’s more than that, too. A sigil is a representation of an idea, and more specifically, a goal, dream, ambition, hope or desire. By writing out something you truly want to happen in your life, and turning those words into a symbol that is personally meaningful to you, it brings that entirely imaginary thought one step closer to existing in the real world.

Of course, you’ll hear lots of different takes on the word “sigil,” and on how sigils work. Some people insist that they’re simply tools to allow a person to focus their will and desire in a more effective way. Other people believe that sigils are a method for tapping into the hidden realm of the supernatural, the mystical and the magical (or magickal, if you prefer).

At the core, however, we’re just talking about drawings that have a specific intention and meaning behind them. Everything else is up for exploration and debate.

Do sigils really work?

They certainly seem to. Why that happens is very much up for discussion, but it’s not uncommon for people to use sigils as “proof” that there is more going on in the world than we currently understand. Don’t take our word for it: Do a web search on “sigil magic.” You’ll find overwhelming numbers of websites, videos, blog posts and discussions about sigils, all of them seemingly taking the idea that they not only work, but work reliably well, for granted.

The best way of finding out if sigils work is simply to test them out for yourself. We’ve provided a simple, step-by-step guide to making sigils, and you’ll find that the process is quick, free and doesn’t require anything even approaching a belief in the supernatural. Give it a try and see if it works.

This site is built around the assumption that sigils do work, and that they can be useful tools for people of all backgrounds and beliefs. Why do they work? Who knows … Maybe it really is magick!

What do you mean by “magick” exactly? And why are you spelling it wrong?

There’s a reason for that. “Magic” already has two meanings in our society: Illusions by theatrical performers, and fantasy concepts about things that are, by definition, not real. The “k” is to indicate that we’re talking about things that some people would dismiss out of hand as superstition or religion, and that we’re treating it as at least plausibly grounded in some kind of truth.

This also means that we’re coming from a tradition called “Chaos Magick,” which is a really dramatic way of saying “some of this occult stuff might actually have something to it.” The core concept of chaos magick is that belief should be treated like a tool, not a straightjacket.

Here’s a simple thought exercise: If sigils only work because you believe in them — like the placebo effect — that still means they work. Belief in something that can’t be proved to be “real” still had a meaningful, real-world effect, and that effect was created intentionally be the person who created and activated the sigil. If all that’s true, isn’t there some great value in learning to use the powers of belief to improve your life?

Does that mean magick is real?

It’s certainly real enough to be a useful tool. It’s almost like asking “Is meditation real? Is positive thinking real? Is psychology real?” Of course they are. And, in the right context and with the right intent, they can be effective tools. Magick is the same kind of thing.

Does that mean pagans, Wiccans, psychics and tarot-readers have access to the supernatural? Who knows? But sigil magick isn’t owned by the occult in-crowd, and you can be of any faith — or no faith at all — and still see the exact same results as a firm believer.

Can I make my own sigils?

Yes! Please do. Here’s a free guide to the basics.

Why would I buy one from you then?

Because our sigils are beautiful. They’re really more like works of art. We’ve been at this for a while, and we know what we’re doing. There’s a certain prestige to having your words and intentions transformed into something completely unique by someone who really gets the sigilist craft.

Plus, some people are really intimidated by doing anything quite so creatively odd, and that’s enough to put them off actually making a sigil and going through the activation process. If that’s the only thing holding them back from making their dreams a little more real, we can help. We’ll give them the best damn sigil money can buy. And for $10, they’re a steal.

Can I get a tattoo of one of your sigils?

If you like the art I’ve created enough to make it a permanent part of your body, who am I to say “No”? Go for it. Heck, send me photo of the completed work!

If you’re a tattoo artist and want to offer SigilDaily sigils to your customers, all I ask is that you let the clients know the source of the art, and drop me an email letting me know what you’re doing. The last thing I want is to be blindsided by some disgruntled tattoo studio customer complaining to me that the magic ink they were sold isn’t working right.

For a more nuanced version of this answer, check out this blog post.

Is this “witchcraft” or “black magic”? I don’t want anything to do with that.

No. This is sigil magick, and apart from the fact that it’s kind of a fringe thing that also involves the word “magic,” there’s no connection to either. You can learn about sigil magick and practice it daily without having even the slightest belief in the supernatural. That’s generally not the case with witchcraft.

“Black magic” means a lot of different things, and none of it has anything to do with sigil magick.

Will you make a “black magic” sigil for me?

If it’s something you insist on calling “black magick,” we’ll likely pass. That’s really the kind of sigil you should be making yourself.

This stuff is pretty interesting. Where can I learn more?

Start with this video by comic book legend Grant Morrison.

Morrison’s introduction is fantastic, but if it’s not quite what you’re looking for, you can also find some interesting perspectives on the topic in the works of Robert Anton Wilson, Aleister Crowley, Austin Osman Spare, and Frater UD. Just remember to take everything you read with a grain of salt. A big one, in some cases.

What about the “rules” of sigil magick? I’ve heard that sigils must always be written in the present tense, can’t contain negative statements, and must follow a bunch of other rules to work.

There’s no easy way to say this: Occultists in the turn of the 20th century had some pretty strange ideas. If you read their thoughts on sigil magick (and ritual magick in general), it’s clear that a lot of what they were saying didn’t come from arcane tomes or thousand-year traditions, but rather from the “theories of the mind” that were popular in the late 1800s. Those “rules” largely originate from the pop-science fads of the era — early versions of psychiatry and psychoanalysis — and owe far more to the ideas of Jung and Freud than they do to any occult tradition. Today, a lot of the assertions from that era seem pretty silly, and that’s equally true when it comes to things like sigil magic. That said, if you want to follow those “rules” just to be on the safe side, go for it. Or, better yet, test them out for yourself.