Divination: Working With Sigils - Intention as a Form of Divination

by Melanie Paquette

If you look for the definition of ‘divination,’ you’ll typically find something along the lines of fortune telling, predicting the future, or prophesying what is to come. In a previous article, I shared an alternative way of looking at divination:

looking at the present from a different perspective and seeing connections that were otherwise invisible.

The future is a set of possibilities - a web that weaves together different paths and outcomes based on where we’ve been and where we are now. Each time we walk the web, it changes – new connections are made, old ones are severed – resulting in an ever changing landscape of paths to travel and many possible outcomes from travelling those paths. This view aligns well with a branch of modern magic called chaos magic. In chaos magic, the essence of magic (divination being a form of magic) is that our perceptions of the world are a product of our beliefs. By deliberately changing our beliefs, we can change the way we perceive the world. Chaos magic rejects the notion of absolute truth and preordained fate and introduces the concept that belief, or intention, are the most important tools of any magical working.

If the future is a set of possibilities, and we can change our perception of the world (and therefore the world itself) by changing beliefs or setting intentions, then we can use intention as a way of influencing possible outcomes – to open up more or different pathways in the web of possibilities.

Chaos magic uses sigils as a way of focusing intention and allowing us to change our beliefs subconsciously. A sigil is any symbol that holds a particular meaning or intention - it gives form to intention in an abstract way. It holds our intention while allowing our conscious mind to let it go.

The sigil I’ve created here is one that holds the intention of Ninth Wave Arts and the programs we offer – folk arts and wisdom, community, connection to nature, creativity, and wellness.

By setting this intention into an abstract form, we can allow it to take root in our subconscious, and see what possibilities open up as a result.

There are many ways you can create sigils for yourself. My favourite is to list some keywords that form my intention, and then associate them with a symbol that represents that intention for me. Then, I find a way to combine all of those symbols into a sigil. If that approach doesn’t resonate, you can find many different sigil generators online that will translate your intention into a sigil based on words or phrases you type in. There are also a number of great books on sigil magic if you really want to dive in.

When you create a sigil, it’s important to allow the sigil to do the work – don’t try to remember all of the components that went into the sigil or memorize the intention behind it.

It holds the intention energetically. You can set the sigil on your altar, carve it into a candle, burn it, bury it, release it to water, or tuck it into your pocket, wallet, or bag to carry the intention with you. If you’re inspired to create your own sigils after reading this article, feel free to send them our way – we’d love to see them!

Melanie hosts workshops and offers Tarot readings. Check out her offerings on our website.