Complicated/detailed Sigils, Can a sigil be too complicated? Options

Ok, so I've been drawing sigils lately, which I keep in my sigil diary (of course I cover the sigil with a piece of paper from both sides of the paper it was drawn on).

I have charged a couple of them, though I can't say I have seen any results yet (I usually wait a couple of days to a week after drawing them to charge the sigils, you know, so the sentence of desire isn't stuck in my head).

Now, I take some time to draw my sigils (not too long), using a ruler, rounded objects (like the bottom of a glass) to make [half-]circles, and all that good stuff. Some of my sigils look very "detailed", if that makes sense, and don't compare much to the examples Frater U.D. displayed in his book.

So, is there a possibility that sigils may contain too many elements (too many 'lines' or shapes, that is) for the mind to work with (keep in mind, before I put a sigil away to charge it later, I can ALWAYS find and know where all the necessary letters are), or am I worrying over nothing?

Thanks for your responses in advance.

Bless you!


EasT

Ok, so I've been drawing sigils lately, which I keep in my sigil diary (of course I cover the sigil with a piece of paper from both sides of the paper it was drawn on).

I have charged a couple of them, though I can't say I have seen any results yet (I usually wait a couple of days to a week after drawing them to charge the sigils, you know, so the sentence of desire isn't stuck in my head).

Now, I take some time to draw my sigils (not too long), using a ruler, rounded objects (like the bottom of a glass) to make [half-]circles, and all that good stuff. Some of my sigils look very "detailed", if that makes sense, and don't compare much to the examples Frater U.D. displayed in his book.

So, is there a possibility that sigils may contain too many elements (too many 'lines' or shapes, that is) for the mind to work with (keep in mind, before I put a sigil away to charge it later, I can ALWAYS find and know where all the necessary letters are), or am I worrying over nothing?

Thanks for your responses in advance.

Bless you!
EasT

The goal of sigils is to charge the mind and universe with your intent. If you feel tons of lines are necessary then so be it. A dirt magickian and true chaoite would eventually realize that all lines become the same in time, and physical objects are an extension of will.

seconded. I would add that if you have a 'complicated mind' then a complicated sigil is in order in any case. I can easily memorize a fairly complex figure clearly, a side effect of practicing visualization with mandalas and yantras. My sigils and figures need to be fairly chaotic and complex, or I have a hard time forgetting them.

peace

Hey, thanks to both you for replying here.

The goal of sigils is to charge the mind and universe with your intent. If you feel tons of lines are necessary then so be it.

Sounds about right. I guess that goes hand in hand with Frater U.D. stating that sigils are best drawn BY the magician who will charge it.

I would add that if you have a 'complicated mind' then a complicated sigil is in order in any case.

Makes sense. I do have a tendency to "over-do-it", so to speak. Let me put it this way, when I saw Frater U.D.'s example sigils if felt like there was "something missing"...if that makes sense.

My sigils and figures need to be fairly chaotic and complex, or I have a hard time forgetting them.

That is my most important reason for making them complex. I have a way easier time forgetting them after charging them.

Again, thanks for both of your replies, it definitely made me feel a lot more confident in my sigil drawings.

Bless you guys (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

IME sigils need not be overly complex, so it's easier to visualize them.

However depending on your methods and tastes more detailed sigils may be OK or even necessary.

My advice is to try both and see which style yields better results.

LVX,
N.

It essentially depends on what you're doing.

My first ally (I don't call her a servitor at this point, because I consider her independent) was a large design with a pentagram in a circle, and then a number of deity-related and astrological signs written within various parts of the circle. Others I've done, however, have been very simple designs.

My advice would probably be to do what I did for the ally just mentioned. The initial, highly intricate metasigil can be considered the equivalent of a DNA helix. It can also be put in the equivalent of a philactery; you don't need to memorise it, and you don't need to carry it around with you. It is the overall blueprint of the spirit. For intelligent or versatile spirits, I consider this a must. The ally in question is highly intelligent, emotionally complex, and capable of fluent (mental) speech. As an individual she is considerably more intelligent than the norm for the fictional race (Draenorian Orcs) that she is modelled on.

On top of that, however, this ally also had a single core sigil at the center of the pattern, which was what I am able to use as the usual sigil for calling her in a pinch, although she also has a mantra which I use.

As a final note, I would encourage you to remember that when you create a servitor, you are in a very real sense creating an astral life form. I learned to some extent the hard way, about the degree of ethical and spiritual responsibility that is necessarily involved in such. Your decisions will determine the living conditions of the being you create, and will also determine whether or not said spirit causes harm to yourself or others...and they can and often do become capable of this, given sufficient energy and poor programming. Whenever I create a servitor that I intend to have sentience or anything close to it, I always mentally repeat the last part of Optimus Prime's request speech to Vector Sigma, after which the Aerialbots were brought to life.

"Let them think for themselves, to grow in knowledge and wisdom, and let them always value freedom and life wherever they find it."