Protection Sigil: Harness the Magic of Ancient Symbols

A protection sigil is a very personal form of magic and can represent many different meanings or intentions. This is what makes designing a sigil so fun and unique to you! Depending on your witchcraft beliefs or spiritual practice, you can also include symbols used throughout history (Norse, Celtic, Greek, Enochian, Wiccan, etc.) to create the perfect magic sigil for you!

You can wear it as a talisman, amulet, or even as a tattoo! Protection sigils are often used in rituals, spells, and ceremonies to create a sacred space for the spiritual practitioner(s). Alright, let’s jump into all the details!

Please note that I make every effort to ensure this information is correct and accurate through my own experiences and referencing sources throughout this article.

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What are Protection Sigils?

The term sigil came from the Latin word sigillum and means seal or signet. A protection sigil is a symbol or design you make to help communicate with your unconscious mind. Sigil magic allows you to define your intentions or goals in order to bring them into reality.

The subconscious mind is able to easily accept visual symbols or pictures. However, the conscious mind constantly puts up barriers and limitations. By creating a symbol to represent your outcome, and charging it with spiritual energy (music, meditation, etc.), you can easily communicate it to your subconscious self and go around your conscious mind.

After that, your subconscious will continue to seek out your intention until it fully manifests. Place protection sigils on any surface you choose including phone cases, candles, or even behind wallpaper in your home to help protect you spiritually against negative energy or influences.

How To Make a Protection Sigil

Making a protection sigil involves taking an intention or goal and simplifying it into a symbol or design. There are a variety of protection sigil creation methods, but the most common are pictorial, magic squares, magic circles, automatic writing, and word sigils.

I highly recommend you read about them more in-depth in the link above, to fully understand sigil creation and its history. Remember, there’s no wrong way to create a protection sigil so don’t allow these types and techniques to limit you! Create what feels natural to you and let your intuition influence you. I encourage you to experiment with different types of sigils to find what works best for you!

Why You Should Create A Protection Sigil

I believe you should always make your own protection sigils because it helps them directly link to your unconscious mind. When you use a protection sigil created by someone else, the connection won’t become as strongly ingrained into your unconscious mind. However, there are many spiritual practitioners who believe sigils created by another person work just as well. 

When creating a protection sigil using symbols, it’s important to really understand the symbols you’ll be layering and including. Your symbols must truly represent your desired outcome or intention.

Once you’ve chosen your symbol, you’ll want to add other elements to amplify its power and resonate with your energy. These elements may include colors, shapes, and other symbols that enhance your intentions. Designing a protection sigil is very personal and creative; the possibilities are completely up to you!

How To Use A Protection Sigil

Also remember to mix the mundane with magic, and use common sense for practical safety measures! This can involve adding locks to your doors and exterior lights for physical protection. Alternatively, it can also look like putting up relationship boundaries for personal and emotional protection. Once the mundane is complete, feel free to incorporate your protection sigils!

Adding protection sigils to your spiritual practice can help shield you from negative energy and help your intentions come to fruition. There are many ways to activate or charge your protection sigil (music, meditation, adding Moon Water, etc.). However, my favorite way is to burn it while visualizing spiritual energy flowing through it and out into the Universe.

However, you can also choose to place it somewhere permanent like wood burned onto a wooden spoon, on your skin with makeup or as a tattoo, or on the bottom of your shoes!

Symbol Ideas For Your Protection Sigil

Understanding the meaning of your selected symbol enhances your protection sigil’s effectiveness. Remember to choose symbols whose meanings align with protection, safety, defense, etc. This is my go-to technique when beginning and creating any type of sigil!

A few ideas include the Pentagram, Sacred Geometry, or other Pagan and Witch Symbols. However, depending on your spiritual path, there are many other symbols you can include!

Norse Symbols

Norse Runes are symbols making up the written alphabet of the ancient Germanic people of Europe. The Norse runic alphabet consists of 24 letters divided into three categories of 8 runes each, called Aetts.

Each Norse Rune has a specific meaning. My favorite runes to use for protection are Algiz (represents the protective antlers of a deer or elk) or Thurisaz (represents a thorn on a branch)

Runes were often used for spiritual purposes, to mark borders, or to honor and remember loved ones who have passed. Standing Rune Stone carvings are found primarily in Scandinavian countries, with over 2500 stones in Sweden alone.

If you’re a Norse Pagan or Witch you could easily incorporate Norse Symbols into your protection sigils (I have a deep love for Huginn and Muninn). One of my favorite techniques is layering these symbols, called Bind Runes; easily stack them to include multiple symbols into your protection sigil! See also: Awesome Strength Runes For Superior Magic

Celtic Symbols

Celtic Oghams are full of magic, and their meanings are connected to the energy of trees and animistic beliefs. Oghams are written vertically and read from bottom to top (as you would climb a tree). The letters are composed of notches that look similar to tree branches.

The Ogham alphabet is said to have been created by Ogma (the god of knowledge and learning), but no further information is provided. It’s thought to have been created between 200 and 300 CE, and there’s no evidence suggesting it existed before the Roman era. Due to its structure, sounds, and vowels, it’s believed Ogham has Latin roots.

Greek Symbols

The Evil Eye also called Nazar is a popular protection symbol to protect against jealousy and negative energy. It’s found in Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, Asia, South America, and many other countries. Eyes have magical powers and serve as the doorway to the soul.

Once you’ve added the Evil Eye symbol to your protection sigil, enhance its power by incorporating other Greek symbols. An excellent example is adding the Omega or Alpha symbol to represent the beginning and end of a protective circle.

Enochian Alphabet

When Austin Osman Spare published his book The Book of Pleasure, he was trying to avoid using the ceremonial Enochian magic Aleister Crowley incorporated into his practice. As I discussed in the How to Make a Sigil article, Spare called his technique sigilization.

However, depending on your spiritual practice, you may choose to include more of the ceremonial methods of Aleister Crowley and members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn or Ordo Templi Orientis.

They often included the Magical Elements of Air, Fire, Earth, Water, and Spirit in their ceremonies; as well as the Enochian Alphabet and magic. The Enochian Alphabet was created by John Dee and Edward Kelly in the 16th century (although they called it Celestial Speech). They believed it was the language of angels and Enoch was the last human to understand it before them.

Wiccan Symbols

During the 1950s, Gerald Gardner created the religion Wicca by combining ideas from Francis Barrett, Johannes Trithemius, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and other Western witchcraft traditions. Wicca also draws inspiration from Middle Eastern and Celtic holidays.

Due to the possible involvement of Trithemius, Agrippa, and Barrett in creating the Theban Alphabet (its origins are mysterious, which was probably done deliberately by the creator), these symbols are typically used by Wiccans. Although they aren’t exclusive to their practice.

Fun fact: Gerald Gardner also created the name Book of Shadows to describe a Grimoire. He also popularized the term Wheel of the Year (which was originally mentioned by Jacob Grimm; yes as in Grimm’s Fairy Tales).

Can You Use Sigils to Protect Others?

You should only use sigils to protect others with their consent. It’s not ethical to put your will and spiritual beliefs onto someone else without their knowledge or agreement.

However, if someone asked for your help, feel free to create a sigil with their intention in mind. Find a way to include them in the process too!

Alternatively, you can try creating a basic protection sigil with a simple intention like “May all beings stay safe and protected.” This includes the well-being of many people without singling anyone out.

I hope this helps you create your own unique Protection Sigil! Lots of love to you, and remember, as always…