Symbols can be found all over the world - in magic, in nature, in architecture, in artwork, on tapestries, within sacred structures and carved into stone. Meanings may be specific to, similar to, or may vary across cultures and spiritual beliefs as well as through time.

** To preface this post, this is NOT an exhaustive list of the ways to use symbols in magic nor is it exhaustive to the types of symbols there are out there throughout history, various cultures, and spiritual beliefs. These are just some of the more commonly known. **

THE USE OF SYMBOLS

Symbols can be used for protection, for prosperity, for healing, for health, for the seasons, for travel, for strength, for direction, for power, for divination, for stronger connections and communication with the gods, for creativity, for insight and wisdom, and even love, along with a number of other uses.

Symbols can be inscribed (inscribe onto ritual items, candles, bark, tools, or even in the soil of the earth), written/drawn (writing in ink is another useful way to invoke the power of symbols and bring them into your conscious world - on paper, on parchment, in your grimoire or BOS. You can even use water, spit, or makeup to invoke power but keep the symbol concealed or use blood for a potent kick of power), burned/carved (into wood, stone, leather, or other material), read (divination - think runes), worn (as an amulet or talisman, carried in order to stay out of harm’s way or to come across good fortune, to not lose direction), configured (in layouts of crystals, candles, salt, herbs, tea leaves and the formation of your alter itself can all bring these symbols to life for you in ways that are deeply meaningful), and even tattooed.

PERSONAL INTERLUDE

I have several forms of symbols tattooed on my body that I chose to carry with me purposefully and permanently. They include individual runes, bindrunes, the elemental symbols, a sigil, staves, a triskelion, a spiral, a valknut, Gungnir, Mjolnir, sacred geometry shapes, rune kennings that stretch the length of my shoulders, as well as raven, crow, wolf, snake, owl, and bee for their symbolism, and a falcon that represents Freyja. I also have the Norse story of creation tattooed in the Mammen style of Norse knotwork.

COMMON TYPES OF SYMBOLS

SIGILS

Sigils can help you to achieve goals, co-create your reality, self-actualize your potential, and fulfill your dreams and desires. Sigil magic helps you to step into your power as a creator.

A sigil is a symbol you create with the intention of changing your reality in accordance with your will. All sigils are encoded with a specific purpose, for example, to attract a romantic partner, to set strong boundaries, to be more financially prosperous, to heal your inner child – the possibilities are limitless.

While sigils were used in the past to symbolize and conjure up spirits, these days, sigils are used in a personal way to symbolically represent and manifest our own desires.

Sigil magic is the formal practice of creating sigils (or intention-charged symbols) to change your reality. Those who practice sigil magic incorporate self-reflection, creativity, willpower, and ritual to manifest their desires. Sigil magic is based on the philosophy that we are co-creators of our reality. As such, we are empowered to make the changes we desire so long as they align with our ultimate destiny and the will of life.

STAVES

The culture of Iceland is full of mythology and magic. From the Sagas and Eddas of the Vikings; to elves and trolls and stories of witchcraft, Iceland is indeed the land of magic and magical creatures as well as Galdrastafir; an Icelandic word which translates to [galdra] “magical” [stafi] “sticks” or staves.

The Galdrastafir were inscribed or painted in order to create magic, to bring about a desired effect or outcome. These symbols had a wide range of powers and were very relevant to what the Icelanders of the time needed; for example, there were symbols to kill an enemy's cattle, for fertility, to guide people through bad weather, to ward off thieves, and even some to bring victory during competitions of wrestling, called glíma.

The Icelandic magical staves are symbols found in books that tell of symbols of magic said to have power. They started to appear in the late middle-ages between the 15th and 19th centuries, but most date from the 18th century.

RUNE KENNINGS AND MAGICAL ALPHABETS

Icelandic runes developed in a slightly different way than Scandinavian. While common people in Scandinavia kept the runes as a writing system through the middle ages, Icelanders seem to have adopted the Latin alphabet quickly after conversion. They didn’t forget about the runes however, but preserved the knowledge in manuscript books that were copied again and again for hundreds of years.

In early modern times, runes became fashionable amongst scholars in Scandinavia. The Icelandic Rune Poem, also known as þrídeilur, was preserved in a 15th century manuscript and is really more of a list of rune-kennings than a poem. Many more such kennings, known as dylgjur are listed in the manuscripts, and can be used to conceal messages in poetry by inserting a runic kenning in each line.

The many strange alphabets found in the runic manuscripts are mostly invented by Icelandic sorcerers in the 15th-17th centuries. At the time magical alphabets were trending all over Europe amongst scholars, alchemists, magicians and charlatans. This trend spurred Icelandic magicians to create their own secret alphabets, which they did up until the brennuöld (the burning age) in the late 1600s when people were burnt at a stake for possessing runic knowledge or books.

Some of these alphabets seem to be inspired heavily by real runes and might in some cases be remnants of earlier traditions, others are more inspired by the Greek and Hebrew alphabets or by astrological and alchemical symbols. And yet others seem to be runic ciphers.

THE ELDER & YOUNGER FUTHARK (RUNES)

These are the runes that just about everybody learns first, and they’re what you’ll see on just about every set of divinatory runes you’ll likely ever see in a shop. With 24 runes that represent sounds commonly found in English, these runes don’t require too much study to be able to use proficiently. The Elder Futhark runes were in use from around 300 CE to right around 700-800 CE, just before the beginning of the Viking Age. In the 8th century, these runes were refined and replaced by a shortened set of runes, due to changes in the spoken language. This shortened alphabet is known as the Younger Futhark. The vast majority of Elder Futhark inscriptions that we’ve discovered are very short, usually only a word or two; often a name. The Elder Runes were rarely used to convey actual information, on the contrary most of the remaining inscriptions are written in riddles and codes. To the early Germanic tribes, the very act of writing something down seems to have been a kind of magic in and of itself.

Different Germanic peoples, including Goths, Anglo-Saxons, Frisians, and early Scandinavians, used somewhat different runic alphabets. Into the 8th century, the basic Scandinavian futhark consisted of 24 letters.

Roughly 260 of the approximately 350 known Elder Futhark inscriptions are found in Scandinavia. The remainder are from continental Europe, with some from as far east as the Black Sea. Surviving inscriptions in the Elder Futhark are usually short and appear on artifacts such as jewelry, tools, and weapons. Typically they are found in graves and bogs and on materials that have the best chance of preservation, such as bone and metal. Presumably, there were longer inscriptions on wood, leather, and other organic materials, but most have been lost. The 65 or so early inscriptions found on runestones appear mostly in the late Elder Futhark or Proto-Norse period and principally in Scandinavia.

The runes of the Younger Futhark are called ‘long-branch runes,’ because they are carved with full or long vertical strokes. With local variations and differences among carvers, the Younger Futhark’s 16 long-branch runes were the common form of Old Norse writing throughout the Viking Age.

RUNES IN DIVINATION

Runes themselves can be seen as a simple 24-character alphabet, though this does little to capture the deeper meanings of the characters themselves. Each rune does have its own unique sound and words can be created by arranging them together as mentioned above.

Each rune also has several different meanings. If you’re a fan of Egyptology, then you can relate ancient runes to something like a hieroglyph, or a “picture word.” Though runes don’t appear as beautifully gilded images like we see on the walls of the great tombs, each rune is symbolic. Each rune may have 3, 4, or even 5 symbolic meanings that will be determined by the context of the situation and the other runes they appear around or between.

Each rune can be carved on an individual stone, piece of wood, or fragment of bone. These are cast and left to the gods to determine their pattern as they come to rest.

Despite later Icelandic magical texts using runes and rune-like symbols, there is no evidence for the Vikings using runes as divinatory aids. The evidence is an extension of Tacitus' statement that the Germanic tribes marked sticks and used them to take auspices. This pre-dates the Viking Age by 700 years, and thus cannot be accepted as solid evidence for Viking usage. It is possible that Germanic peoples used runes for divination, but there is no evidence that the Vikings cast the runes to foretell the future. The evidence for divination in the Viking Age suggests a culture of prophecy by seeresses which are known as volva and the practice of seidr.

So... group members:

What symbols are you familiar with?

What symbols do you use in your own magic?

What symbols would you like to learn more about or maybe use in the future?

What are some symbols that may not have been mentioned here that you have learned about while studying the craft? Symbols that are a part of your culture and/or spiritual beliefs?