Book of Shadows

Magical Symbols

Ankh: An Ancient Egyptian symbol representing divine authority and power over life and death, therefore sovereignty, reincarnation, and the balance of polarities. The handle represents the masculine principle (Osiris), and the looped top represents the feminine principle (Isis).

Baphomet: An image designed by the nineteenth-century occultist Eliphas Levi, based on an idol that the Knights Templar supposedly worshipped. Levi's Baphomet is meant to be a symbol of the alchemical process and the synthesis of dualities.

Chaostar: In true chaote fashion, this symbol comes from a fantasy novel called The Eternal Champion by Michael Moorcock. It has been adopted by occultists as a symbol of Chaos Magic, a philosophical approach to magic that emphasizes experimentation and choosing one's own beliefs and perceptions. Its eight arrows make it resemble the Star of Ishtar, and represent infinite possibilities.

Cross: One of the most universal human symbols; versions of it appear in almost all cultures, and it represents all sorts of different things. In alchemy, it represents the balance of polarities, the four elements and quintessence. In Hinduism, the swastika is a cross that represents the Sun, good luck, and benevolence.

Elemental Symbols: The alchemical symbols for the four elements are triangles.

Earth: A downward-pointing triangle with a horizontal line through it. Earth represents stability, fertility, abundance, growth, health, rigidity, strength, fixation, health, and the physical world. It's associated with North and winter, and its properties are cold and dry.Air: An upward-pointing triangle with a horizontal line through it. Air represents intellect, insight, scholarship, communication, eloquence, commerce, travel, volatility, and the mental world. It's associated with East and spring, and its properties are hot and wet.Fire: An upward-pointing triangle. Fire represents expansion, sexuality, passion, desire, vitality, courage, willpower, success, compitition, destruction, power, purification, enlightenment, and the spiritual world. It's associated with South and summer, and its properties are hot and dry.Water: A downward-pointing triangle. Water represents change, love, peace, sleep, inspiration, empathy, healing, purification, primordial chaos, creativity, potential, resurrection, and the emotional world. It is associated with West and autumn, and its properties are cold and wet.

Eye of Horus: An Egyptian symbol, also called the wedjat, that represents the eye that the god Horus lost in his battle with Set. It was very often used as an amulet in Ancient Egypt, which would protect its wearer. It was especially used as protection for the dead, and as a healing agent.

Goetic Seals: Sigils from a grimoire called the Lesser Key of Solomon that are the insignias of the 72 demons who supposedly built Solomon's temple. There are many sigils representing spirits throughout this grimoire and others, but the 72 Goetic seals are the most famous.

Hieroglyphic Monad: A pseudo-alchemical symbol invented by John Dee, which he wrote an entire book to explain. It's a composite symbol representing the Moon, the Sun, the four elements, fire, and the universe at large.

Hexagram: A six-pointed star made of two overlapping triangles. Called the Star of David in Judaism. It is made of all four elemental symbols, and therefore represents the unification of the elements. It also embodies the occult maxim "As above, so below." The Unicursal Hexagram is the symbol of the religion of Thelema.

Kabbalistic Tree of Life: The central symbol of the Jewish esoteric system of Kabbalah. Each circle on the "tree" is a vortex of light called a sephiroth, and they represent emanations of God. At the top is Kether (the Godhead), Binah (Understanding), and Chokmah (Wisdom), in the middle is Chesed (Mercy), Geburah (Severity), Netzach (Victory), Hod (Splendor), and Tiphareth (Beauty), and at the bottom is Yesod (Foundation) and Malkuth (Kingdom). The process of spiritual ascension in Kabbalah involves metaphorically "climbing" the tree.