The Sigil Art and the Gate-Incantation
Preparing the Witchery

"Once there was a minister who had four daughters. One night, when their father
had gone out to preach, the girls decided to try a project. They took off their underclothes,
hung them before the open fire, and retired to an adjoining room. Before long,
the wind began to blow a gale and they heard a terrific clawing and pounding
at the doors and windows. The girls being alone in the house were terribly afraid..."

-William S. Simmons

* * *

The Valley of the Shadow of Damnation

If it is your desire to gain a Witching, a Hexing to create some change in yourself, in this world, or in another in accordance with your own will, you must find a boundary between this world and the Unseen, and you must approach it with the steely nerves that a competent Witch or sorcerer always has. This "walk through the valley of the shadow of damnation"- the dark gap in which the sorcerously-inclined man or woman passes close to the ominous power of the "outside", is both frightening and exhilarating. If it were not frightening- if your passage to the hedge and beyond it does not cause you some feeling of disturbance or tension- you are not properly encountering and channeling the power of the "Outside", for it, by definition, is always uncanny and bothersome.

Before you can search out a Hedge-portal or boundary-edge, the "Hexing edge" of the Witch, you must condition yourself to the feeling of fear and trepidation, learning to integrate the emotional impact. Hedge-boundaries, in the old days, were actual hedges or fence-lines, stone walls, and the like. They could have been tree-lines or other natural boundaries. If you are fortunate enough to live in a small town or village that still has such boundary markers, you already know where you will be traveling to attain Hexing.

Of course, you don't go in broad daylight; Witching is attained at night- which is the day-time of the forbidden or reversed art. If you are working to diminish or destroy someone or something, you work during the time when the moon is waning to dark. If you are working to obtain or increase something, you work when the moon is waxing to full. The boundary between one's own village or living place is the ideal place, for its great power- but other places create a "boundary effect"- the "halo of otherness" that attracts the Witch seeking the beyond. A graveyard or cemetery is the most common of such places- and the better if it's dreary yard is not within sight of dwelling places for the living.

A forest-edge or edge of woods is the next best thing- a place where a wall of trees cuts across a field or meadow. At night, the graveyard or forest edge is ideal for gaining traffick with the Otherness. You should find such a place, as lonely and private as you can manage, which will become your "covenant place", the place where you reach out to touch the unknown. A very old well- preferably no longer used- in some stand of woods or in some field would be another excellent "hedge" location. When a fog or mist arises at night, the halo of otherness becomes nine times more powerful- never fail to use the ghostly mist if it arises, for it is a direct "intruder" or "visitor" from the Unseen, and acts as a tapestry of power which can give your workings ninefold power.

Before you attempt to use any of these covenant places, go there for a long space of nights- at night, in the dark, go alone. Sit in the silence or noises of the night, and fix your mind on the Otherness. If there are places nearby that clearly disturb your deep senses, go to them and keep a vigil there. Whisper the prayers of the faithful backwards when you arrive; do not bring light-sources. You must create the chill within your mind, the paranoia, the worry for body and soul. When you feel the "burn", immerse yourself in it. When you have done this enough nights, you are prepared for Witching- and you will know the time, for something will change in you, a feeling of strength. You need not do this "acclimation" work ever again.

When you have found your Hedge-edge, and have internalized the perspectives presented in this work thus far, you are prepared to attain to works of Witchery.


Mankind's Desires and the Seven Rulers in the Heavens

Any desire of your mind or heart is within the range of possibility, but you must know which of the seven "Rulers in the Heavens"- or spirits of the seven planets of the ancients- governs your desire.

The Moon governs the keys of Astral life, psychic visions and travel in an astral form, as well as the power to transform things- especially emotions, but also to bring the moon's fluid, transformative powers to other situations. The moon rules over dreams and the dream-realm or state, the seas and waters, the creation of illusions or the art of deceiving people, the growth of plants, the welfare of fetuses and infants, milk and dairy beasts, clairvoyance, the blood-cycles of women, the power to create fear and terror in others, and the fertility of women. This current of magical power is called "Lunar". It rules Mondays.

Mercury governs business dealings and cunning in dealing, as well as academia, tests, and scholarly learning. Mercury is the lord of divination, and the power of the spoken word- especially when the word is used to influence others. He is master of theatre, writing, and writers, as well as teachers. His power can influence the mind, or matters pertaining to the mind generally. He rules all forms of communication, and all forms of sorcery in a very general, masterful way. His current of magical power is called "Mercurial". Mercury governs the autumn season. It rules Wednesdays.

Venus governs all carnal desires and romantic desires, and the obtaining of love- in the very physical sense, or in a deeper sense. Her power can enchant the mind or senses with allure, to make people pliant to the wishes of the Witch. All works or acts of pleasure and beauty fall under her governing. Arts and music also fall to her; women generally and sexuality as a whole are governed by her. Relationships and partnerships are influenced by this current. This current is called "Venusian". Venus governs the spring season. It rules Fridays.

The Sun governs all matters pertaining to health and healing. It also governs matters of personal harmony, especially in the mind; it gives luck for all causes and helps to create friendships; those who wish wealth can seek it from this power. The sun aids in finding lost possessions, the spiritual enlightenment of the self (by realization of true "Goodness" that rises high above the back-and-forth of dark and light or good and evil). The sun helps the Witch to influence superiors, the workplace, social honors, and gain favors or promotions of authority or dignity. This current is called "solar". The sun governs the summer season. It rules Sundays.

Mars governs all "fiery red" curses- curses of wrath, spite, and chastisement. It governs all conflicts and fights- with weapons or with words. He gives energy and vitality, especially to men; he rules over the professions of the dentist, the surgeon, the barber, the butcher, policemen, and soldiers. Aggression and physical strength are in his purview; the gaining of courage as well. He governs politics and debates- wars of words- and all competition on an athletic level. He governs men generally and male sexuality. This sorcerous current is called "martial". It rules Tuesdays.

Jupiter governs all acquiring of wealth- as does the sun, but Jupiter moreso. He governs the gaining of authority and honors, abundance and growth for the home or bank, all roles of leadership, and ambition. The law is in his governance, as well as materialistic concerns like money. Masculine fertility is also in his power, as is protection from evil spirits. He governs weather and the sky-realm, and the act of divination through augury. This current is called "Jupiterian". It rules Thursdays.

Saturn governs all "cold, black" curses- curses of long-lasting spite, long-term affect, or curses that slowly weaken, wither, destroy, or drain vitality. In Saturn's governance are all buildings, land and the health or fertility of land, property, and the coming of old age. Binding- sorcerously constraining someone or something from taking certain actions or preventing a change in someone or something, is in Saturn's grip. All matters of death and funerals, as well as secrecy, the wraiths or shades of the dead, mounds and hills, trees, access into the Unseen world, obtaining esoteric knowledge, and matters of the home are in Saturn's power. This current is called "Saturnian". Saturn governs the winter season. It rules Saturdays.

The sigils for the Seven currents are here:




Of those who are in the Convocation of Shadows, Old Hobb can be petitioned for any need, regardless of what planetary current it belongs to. He is the specific master of the Mercuriual current, so all works of that type should enlist his aid, but he is the Sorcerous Word of the world itself, so all works of Witchery fall into his power. The Sky-rainer/Roaring Beast is the lord of the Jupiterian and Martial currents; those who work Witchery from within those currents will wish to make a specific passage and request to him for aid. The Earth-giver/ Death Omen is the specific mistress of the Lunar, Venusian, and Saturnian currents; the Sun is the master of the Solar current.


The Esoteric Language of Sigilry

When you have fixed in your mind and will what current governs your desire, you must express your will in the language of the unseen world. The language of the Unseen world is also the language of the deep or sub-conscious mind, and the language of the Other; it is a language that few know, and fewer use to communicate their will to these powers and places. It is the language of symbol, for the deep regions of the self, like the unseen regions of the world, speak in terms of symbols, not the words of the English language, or any other language.

The words you speak with those you meet in the village are fine for the sun-lit world; but a deeper, older language, that of sigilry and image, must be used when one deals with the Witching world. One must learn to transform the words of the English language, built from its letters, into signs and sigils which lose their conscious meaning, but gain and maintain a deeper "shadow" meaning- thus speaking to the deep self, and through the deep self, to the Other and the unseen world.

Before your acts of Witching can be assayed, the deep self and the Unseen must be "petitioned" in this way, literally shown your will in terms of a symbol or sigil. Creating a sigil is a sublime art, and it begins when you state your will concisely in a single written sentence- but your will must be stated in the present tense only, for neither the deep self nor the Unseen world operates in terms of past or future. This is a crucial understanding. If you wish to manifest a change, you cannot state (for example) "I wish to have an excess of money"- for if you manifested this, you would only manifest a condition of mind in which you found yourself wishing for an excess of money. You would state "Excess of Money"- and manifest that. You would not say "I desire for Mary to be cured of her disease"- that would only manifest a wishful state of thinking. You would manifest "Mary cured of her disease."

To create the sigil of your will, take the letters of the written-out statement and remove all redundant letters, and then collapse them into a symbol which no longer looks, to the conscious mind, like a statement. I will give two examples. To make a sigil from the word "Joe", you only have three letters to work with- there are no redundant letters:




But to make a sigil out of "Sara", you must remove one of the A's, for Sara has two- and one is redundant, and then collapse the other three:





Any sort of symbol can be made; the point is this: you, or an onlooker, will not see the statement, the word or the phrase- but the deep mind will. And so will the unseen world. Any request can be made- for changes in yourself, in another, or the world; harm can be manifested against another, but this requires a few extra elements which will be discussed later. Until one's Witching skill has improved and been established, it is best to remain with changes to the self and minor changes in the world of one's life.

I shall begin now a full-length illustration by example, which will follow us through this Grimoire. It is the story of a farmer, John Screecham, who hates his poor condition and desires to be wealthier. His property borders an old stone wall that is also the edge of his village, a sublime point of contact with the "outside". His will is governed chiefly by the Jupiterian current of sorcery, so he chooses that well, and his statement of will is this: EXCESS OF MONEY.

He takes that sentence and removes the redundant letters, leaving these: E X C S O F M N Y. And he collapses those letters into this sigil:





John then lightly burns the edges of the paper or parchment with a candle-flame- the flame that represents his burning desire. John spends several hours or days meditating on his sigil, staring at it without attempting to decipher it's meaning- just looking at the symbol itself. The deeper powers know what the message is; John need not know with his conscious mind. Until he is ready to make the petition, he keeps the sigil in a box, in a private place.

A few days later when the moon is waxing, John leaves his home on a Thursday night- Thursday, the day of Jupiter- and takes his sigil, drawn onto paper or parchment by his own hand, and walks to the boundary-line.



The Gate Incantation

When you have your petition-sigil made, as John did, you must walk, at dusk or at night, to the boundary or your covenant place. How you walk is important- you must visualize where in relation to your home the covenant place lies, and move from your door to the place and back again in a counter-clockwise path. John will walk from his door, turn left and walk to the gate of his property, down his west fence-line, and to the covenant place. When he returns, he will not retrace his steps- he will go around the other way, arriving back at his door. It doesn't have to be a perfect circle, but it must be left-ways.

As he walks- as when you walk- he will remember two key "markers" on the walk there, and two key markers on the walk back. This will be important for later. John remembers his gate and his fence-line for the walk there, and an old Elder tree and his barn on the way back.

Now, when John arrives at the stone wall holding his sigil-petition, he stops before it in the darkness and must make the gate-invocation, an invocation of the Otherness- and it comes in two parts. For the first part, you may say the Lord's Prayer backwards, or repeat the Salute to Old Hobb:

Master, low and profane, proud and mighty, thou has brought me to the tower of vision, where I live in the heights but see thee in the depths; hemmed in by mountains of virtue I behold thy glory. I come to you as a cunning witch, straddling the thorny hedge that keeps the powers of iniquity from overwhelming the world of daylight. I seek your darksome wisdom and powerful hand in my works of sorcery, the craft concealed under night from the eyes of righteous men. Let the Other reveal itself to me, and give force to my task!


Then, the Gate Incantation, which calls upon the Other, the shadow of society itself, and the shadows of the great powers:

Come now, dark uncanny Other, be you roused
Shadow of my life, unseen twin whose face I lack,
Come too, people of old Hobb, the demon lusty and sooty black:
Come now, savage folk, hateful masters, barbaric fires:
Come now hidden powers of the world of all the dead:
Come Hobb, come Roaring Bull, Come Watcher at the Death-Bed.
A sign of my desire here is inked with pen and fire
And carried to the edge of the spirit-haunted hedge:
Come now, dark unearthly Other, and seize it well,
Come now, wielding all the powers of hell,
And see my will manifest, by moon and shadowed forest.
First an omen, the Devil's own talk;
A game of masks, a witch's road, a reversed walk;
Then a witching, a counterclockwise turn,
A pantacle of signs, a sevenfold charm,
Ere the art is accomplished at my behest.



At this point, the Witch must cross over the hedge or boundary, and either bury the petition in the earth on the other side, or hang it from a tree-limb on the other side. If one is in a graveyard, merely walk a few steps forward or to a tree, and do your work of "giving" the petition. If one is using an old well, drop the petition into the well. A request is thus made to the Unseen, and one has done as the Witch does and "crossed over"- the mighty process has begun. The request made by the incantation has these parts:

1. First an Omen, the Devil's own talk
2. A Game of Masks, A Witch's Road, a Reversed walk
3. A Witching, a Counterclockwise turn
4. A Pantacle of Signs, A Sevenfold Charm

So first, John must return home- following the leftward route, and memorizing two more markers- and then goes to await an "Omen", or "The Devil's Own Talk". That is the first portion of the Witching.



Omens, or the Devil's Appearance

"As for the Powaws, they say they get their art from The Devil, but then partly by dreams
or night visions, and partly by the Devil's immediate appearance to them by various shapes,
sometimes in the shape of one creature, sometimes in another, sometimes by a voice..."

-William S. Simmons, Quoting Samson Occam

The powers of the Otherness must now send the Witch an omen that the operation can proceed. They have the petition; it has been forcefully made, and takes time to absorb into the strangeness of the Other place, to catch the hidden winds there, to snake and writhe about in the deep shadow, all the way to the ears of the source-powers. The omen that will arrive to give the sign to proceed will take one of four forms:

1. Dreams
2. Night Visions
3. An Animal
4. A Voice


Only the Witch can know when the Omen arrives- but they will know. The "burn" in the soul will be bright and certain. It may be a strange animal that suddenly crosses their path, on their way home from the petitioning, or later; it may be a dream or a vision; whatever form it takes, it must occur within 28 days of making the petition, or the Witching cannot be done for that petition.

John Screecham, three days after his petitioning, has a dream of a strange woman walking down a road in the country with him. When he wakes up, he immediately knows that this dream was no ordinary dream, but the Omen he was awaiting. The Other- or one of the powers from beyond- has bid him to continue on with the Spell, which he certainly will.


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All Text, aside from given citations, is Copyright © 2009 by Robin Artisson
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