capriceum

Sigil Witchery starts off by asking what you would do with a secret magical language of your own. What would you use it for, and where would you write it? I’d write it in the froth of a latte, on the condensation of a window, trace it in the air with my hands when I’m nervous. I’d use it for strength and protection, luck, and prosperity.

The first chapter explains the history of mark making, and goes all the way back to prehistoric times. Zakroff describes how modern symbols share similarities to the 32 basic documented signs, and gives examples of what they have been used for across the ages.

In chapter two we learn the symbolism behind basic shapes and signs. Not too much depth is given for each, I suspect because it’s just meant to be an overview. (I read The Genesis of Form by Mark Verstockt in December, and that really gave me an understanding of the history of common shapes, symbols, and markings, and what they usually represent. It was the perfect preparation for reading this book. That book went into a bit more depth for some symbols, so I recommend it if you want to go deeper into the history and symbolism for shapes, especially triangles, circles, and squares.) But it is still an impressive collection of symbols that is great for reference. Zakroff even provides an empty table for you to write in your own word-symbol associations at the end of the chapter. I loved this idea and made my own expanded version in a Word document to print.

The third and fourth chapters are where the magic happens. This is where Zakroff explains how to use sigils and how to design them, respectively. This was the part I really wanted to get to, and it was very well covered. The author takes things step by step and provides many clear examples, so I had no confusion by the end and was ready to start practicing on my own.