Well, a gent asked me to talk a bit on how I go about crafting sigils.

That being the case, to start I feel it appropriate and pertinent to note that I do not follow a method akin to AO Spare's work - I do not use an Alphabet of Desire or such system save for when working with bindrunar, and even then, its a guideline rather than a set thing.

Generally speaking, I get the sigils directly from the spirit(s) I'm working with and/or interpret what I see, sense, smell, and so forth into a written form carrying the energy thereof.  It's something done with one part instinct, one part intellect, one part inspiration, one part spiritual guidance, and one part art, really. 

Rarely do I take inspiration from the work of others, as this is a stream of consciousness thing rather than an overly intellectual assessment of the essence of what I'm capturing.

When necessary, I intuit the intentions of the spirit into the sigil as well, sometimes tying it to specific a specific person or set of persons, allowing it to work for them and no one else, or other times its an open-ended ordeal.

With any luck, this will serve as inspiration for you folks to do something similar.

Regards,

SE

...or whatever else you happen to celebrate during this time of year (Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Saturnalia, Christmas, and so forth).

May this Solstice be kind to you, setting you up for marked success in the coming year.


Cordially,
SE

Earlier today I received a query from a guy who asked that I write a bit on the subject of the Fair Folk, Wee Folk, or Fae; after seeking approval (for the Fae are a mite touchy) I've sat down to press pen to virtual paper so that I might assist.  Bear in mind that most all of what I will write her is completely gnosis of the personal sort; it is what works for me, so it probably will fly in the face of what others believe.  Take it or leave it, as this is the sort of thing that will be verified only through practice; there's precious little written about them, as they are secretive folk who don't oft take too kindly to wandering, prying eyes.

That said, there's a great deal of conflation and confusion about them. Historically, they are legendary creatures of European folklore, thought to bewilder people, steal children, cause mischief, confuse travelers, and enchant any and all things.  Functionally, that description really isn't far wrong, as they, while varied, are generally rather good at beguiling others when it suits their needs and wants.

By and large, the Fae answer to one head honcho, and that head honcho is euphemistically known as the Green Man, the Puck, the Night Rider, Blue Cloak, the Corn King, the Holly King, Freyr, Ullr, and a host of other names. There are very specific names he's called when you're interested in approaching the Fae, but that's beyong the scope of what I'm talking about here.

They are nature spirits of a sort, and they are as diverse as we are and plenty numinous, appearing as fair, beautiful creatures ranging from the size of Tinkerbell to the size of us and bigger, or as squat and ugly as Goblins and trolls of ancient myth. The Ljosalfar, Svartalfar, Dokkalfar, Duergar, and all other hosts of elves are too of their banner, and they all have their own tribes and practices.  Some are more skilled with word and enchantment while others prefer mining, buried treasure, and smelting. There are very few constants in dealing with them outside of who they ultimately answer to and the fact that they generally don't like humans much.

Even the apparent allergy to metal is something that is entirely dependent upon what sub-race you're speaking of, as the idea of a blacksmith whose afraid of iron is downright stupid. Some of them don't like silver, bronze, or iron, whereas others can't get enough of the stuff and will, if you let them, depart with your nice things in hand - kid you not, in my old apartment 5 pizza pans went missing in the course of two months, never to be found again.

As a general rule, if you want to work with them and you haven't started a relationship, leave offerings of candy, water, and citrus outside and/or build a small house or home for them to visit, then leave.  Keep an eye on the fort, so to speak, and see what happens with it.  If moss begins to grow on, around, and in it, you'll know you have a visitor.  If the offerings were untouched, you either offered the wrong thing and need to ask them to show you what they like or they don't like something about your home, so the same need stands true.

If you see them, there's an old tradition that dictates that you should not be the first to speak, but in reality that depends on what you see and feel, and usually they're trying to tell you something if they show themselves.  Listen carefully and really try to feel what they're showing you; it'll make more sense that way. Do not eat or drink anything they offer you, but instead simply bow your head in thanks and let that be that.  Never try to look beneath the glamours they show, for that is oft considered to be terribly rude.

If they show up in your home, set ground rules as you should with any spirit.  Tell them what they can do and what they can't, and, by and large just try to be a decent host.  As a result of my working with them, they play with my cats and watch out for me - there are, periodically, ones that misbehave and get tossed out the front door...these things do happen, as they are tricksters.

On the negative end, being trickster and sprites, if they don't like you, you will know. You will get sick for no reason, probably develop phantom bruises, and will most likely have horrible nightmares for a while. If that happens, stop all work with them, give offerings outside your house, and then clean out your house physically and spiritually; that's a sign that they want nothing to do with you and they will bugger you up if you proceed.

Fae can be downright malicious, so if those symptoms persist, you will probably want to contact me for assistance.  When slighted, some of them will continue to screw with you until forced to buzz off.

That's all I can think of to write, for the moment.  If you have questions, fire away.

Regards,

SE

Edited to add:: my mistake, the individual who contacted me is a male, not a female.  Sorry about that!

I, in keeping with some of the gnosis received through the creation, execution, and practice of the information and keys in my book "Planetary Magic: Utilizing the Keys", decided to to take another step forward and evoke Moloch.

He had appeared, numerous times, through my work with the Keys, to the point where there was a connection of some sort to be found, but I was unable to understand what the connection was without further research.  In researching him, I found several associations between him and the Stars and, thusly, the Heavenly Wanderers found within planetary magical practices.  He was often considered to be a heavenly bull, a king of the things outside of man's control, and in some cases he's been called a Lord of Saturn.  Saturn functions as a sort of planetary gateway to deeper practices, so it made sense that the connection with the stars would exist.

My utilizing the Gayatri mantra further inspired me, as its a Vedic mantra used to inspire awareness as to humanity's place in the Universe's equation.  When using it, the name Moloch would come to my brain in accordance with starry roads and so forth, so it both interested and perplexed me for a long time.  Gunter's discoveries and results, as posted previously, were further verification of gnosis I'd been sitting on for quite some time.

That being the case, I decided to proceed and evoke Moloch and see what I could find out.

In keeping with my way of evoking spirits, I decided to keep it relatively simple. Doing so was not disappointing, though I have to admit that he proved to be a very interesting source to speak to.

After doodling the sigil that had been burned in my mind for some time, I found that he appeared quickly, without malice or any apparent desire to stir up fear.  Instead, the air in the room started buzzing with a strange current of energy and it was as if my tile floor became alive.  The shift in presence was immediately noticeable, and it felt like an extremely parental energy presented itself; I use the term "parental" rather than "maternal" or "paternal" because it was neither masculine nor feminine.  It was strong in that it was something that I could feel vibrating through my very being, but there was no aggression, anger, caretaking, or even swooning; instead, it was very present, but very ambiguous outside of this feeling of having a parent in the room.  It was like talking to something that's been around for longer than humans have been, and its a feeling I'd felt before in dealing with my Patron. The phrase "indescribable", ironically, is pretty damned descriptive here.

Along with this energy shift came a voice that resounded clearly in my mind, to the point where I could swear that he was talking at me in the room physically. The voice commanded respect, but was neither aggressive nor passive, offensive nor gruff...it was very factual and to the point without seeming overbearing or yielding.  Very strange.

Immediately after Moloch's appearance, I had the desire to grab my mortar and pestle and start compiling a blend of incense; in doing so, he dictated that I mash together various resins for a recel....Frankincense, Copal, Myrrh (as a base), and Benzoin (aka Styrax).  There was enough in the mortar that breaking it down wasn't really very easy, but on instinct I set myself to the task of doing so.  As I did, he spoke to and through me, saying that his function was to grind people down so that they were forced to confront the reality of their situation.  It wasn't a malicious intent even, but more like a refined version of what Satan does in the Abrahamic worldview.  He just challenges you and forces you to see the truth rather than the veil of illusion we're more comfortable with sorting out.

It felt like the evocation lasted hours, but in reality I was "out" for about twenty minutes. I half came out of the mindset when my partner texted me and let me know that she was coming home - she was 5 miles away and felt the result of my conjuration.

After setting my phone down and recovering from the distraction, Moloch didn't seem the least bit phased.  There was a clear sense of timelessness as far as his being was concerned, reinforcing the idea that humanity was a blink of an eye for him....weird as hell, really.

So I continued macerating the resins and then, out of the corner of my eye, this blue/green/gray vortex appeared; at first I thought something else was coming into the room, but then I noticed that the energy looked sickly and was actually being dragged out kicking and screaming.  There was this noticeable "wumph" sound, and then a distinct void in the room, though Moloch hadn't left.  Immediately after, my property was filled with this odd, comforting energy that I had seen and experienced several times when I was much younger.  I saw a stang over the altar that felt as if it had been driven into place, and then as soon as it had appeared the energy had settled into place and things felt as right as they could be. Some things that were in need of cleansing were obviously out of place and noticeable, so it was as if the evocation had led to the clearing of my mind and space that then showed me all that was left to be done.

Right before my lass returned home, I thanked Moloch for coming, as my recel had been crafted, and he left without any weirdness or unpleasantness.  I then set to work on the various things that needed doing and things went off without a hitch.  Now, my whole house has been invigorated and the life on my property has been given some oomph; leaves are greener and healthier, and there's less of the weird hangers-on that have been coming out of the woodwork since Sowen.  The same thing can be noticed down the entire street - even the neighborhood dogs have been, for want of a better term, blessed.

All in all, it was a very rewarding experience, and it gave some proof that I've been on the right track. Definitely worth investigating further, as I had a great deal of fun with it and the effects are still very present after 24 hours.

Happy Monday, folks.

SE