Is there such a thing as too much hope? I don’t think so – especially when it’s mixed with tempered wisdom, effective action, and foundational efforts to build upon. Hope is some seriously powerful fuel in that combination. Especially when it comes to Witchcraft.
Buckle up, because this is more than just posting a sigil.
A Hopepunk Traveling
Why am I talking about hope? Well, the last two weeks of July were a fascinating journey – physically as well as emotionally. You see, on July 21st, my partner and I began the long trek from Rhode Island to Atlanta, GA for Mystic South. In years past, we’ve make the journey into a tour with workshops and performances along the way, but this year I felt the urge to just make it about visiting family and friends as we headed south.
The first stop was in New Jersey, where my family had gathered to celebrate the graduation of our youngest nibling. Near the end of the party, our phones alerted us to the news that Biden would not be seeking re-election. Driving to our next destination that afternoon, the mood was a mix of anxiety and contemplation. (Especially as we passed what I called the “fields of cursed corn.”) But as his endorsement for VP Kamala Harris was made clear, the next 24 hours were full of wonder, hope, and amazement. The internet re-discovered the phenomenon of “hope-scrolling” (vs “doom-scrolling”) as new records were broken in terms of fundraising, endorsements, and new voter registration.
The incredible thing was, it wasn’t just a vibe online. As we went out and about, continuing on our trek to Mystic South through the mid-Atlantic region and into the South – we discerned a noticeable cheer along the way. Folks at gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, etc – all felt a bit lighter. And having toured across this country extensively since 2006, I can definitely say the vibe was distinct and remarkable.
At Mystic South…
And that vibe was absolutely permeating Mystic South as well. Right into my Advanced Sigil Witchery workshop that took place on Friday afternoon, July 26th. (No one should be surprised by this development.) In this workshop, we go deeper into design considerations, how to build flexibility and creativity, and making the process more potent. With the last exercise, I broke out the prototype for the Sigil Witchery Oracle (coming out October 8th) and suggested we create a sigil to help keep the momentum of the vibe going forward for a successful election this November in the United States that kicks the shit out of christo-fascism and other ideas harmful to a democracy for all.
Once we came up with the list of elements to be worked into the sigil, I pulled the following cards from the Sigil Witchery oracle prototype: asterisk, pentagram, zigzag, Y, wings, diamond, spoon, infinity + three directional design cards (above, below, without). The deck is intended to help stimulate creativity, so you don’t have to use every card you pull. Sometimes the cards help you figure out what you don’t want. But this time, everything was relevant and aligned with the words we had selected. I especially love that both “above” and “below” showed up, because we want the working to tap into exactly that kind of magical balance and flow. The “without” helped us place the star at the top as a goal to reach for.
The Tower, The Star, & Backing Hope
Folks who have been participating in the year-long program that T. Thorn Coyle and I have been running called “Invoking the Star” may recognize some similarities to the sigil we crafted for that working (the star, snake, and asterisk). Which I realized after the fact, because that’s how brains work lol – but it also makes a lot of sense as there are overlapping goals. As I mentioned in the workshop as we crafted the sigil, for several years now I have been very enthusiastic about talking about the time of the Star. That as magical practitioners – while it’s important to acknowledge the effects of the Tower, we can’t fixate on the dread and destruction. We must be ready to act to help in order to build a more hopeful and illuminated future.
Which brings us back to hope and its power. I know some folks have been dismayed or concerned at the surge of hope and enthusiasm for various reasons. That perhaps folks were being a bit TOO enthusiastic, that it won’t be sustained all the way to November, that it’s a sign of folks jumping on a cult or personality bandwagon without acknowledging the whole picture, and so on. Y’all, the left is made up some of the most critical and conscious folks I know. Almost to a fault. As I said with the Living Democracy Sigil, “To live democracy is to understand that it’s not perfect and that it takes hard work to grow and maintain it. Also, that we all must participate in the process to make it function.”
I seriously don’t think that the burst of hope is displaced from understanding the root issues or that people could lose sight of the work that is needed. Y’all, we’ve been through a hell of a lot through the last 8 years and we NEED that energy to burst forward so that we can heal, focus, and get ready for the next step. To say “there’s too much hope” is to light a candle for your spell and then decide the light is too bright so you snuff it out. You have to let it burn and bring that light. It needs to be fed with your will and action. Which is why we need to keep that momentum going and make sure its grounded in both mundane and magical efforts. This sigil is just one part of many ways to help guide our way. #WeAreAradia
The Enhanced Sigil
If you’re a regular to my sigil posts, you will notice that the final design has been augmented from what was on the whiteboard above. That sigil is perfectly fine and useable. However, with only an hour to teach what normally can be at least 90-120 minutes, the more I sat with the image, the more a new version of the sigil emerged in my mind. The stylized snake from the zigzag has become an actual snake (and you can imagine the head as part of the spoon symbolism in addition to being part of the infinity shape and again at the bottom diamond), the diamond has been multiplied by 3 and layered behind the snake for strength and at the same time, echoes the initial zigzag design. And of course, it’s blue.
Suggestions for Sigil Use:
- Save the image on your devices
- Add it to white or blue candles
- Use as a focus in meditations and rituals, and whatever workings feel inspired and in-line with the intention of the sigil.
- I also added the design to my threadless shop and proceeds benefit Fair Fight (voting rights)
- Use as protection and as a guide for communication while doing the physical work necessary
- By request, I’ve also added a pair of vinyl candlewraps to my own shop site – with the proceeds going to ActBlue
Remember, the political IS personal.
Don’t forget there’s a whole collection of sigils for helping with voting.
To find out more about this method of crafting sigils, checking out Sigil Witchery.
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