Symbols in Magic

Summary

Symbols in everyday communication and in magical practice are fundamentally different entities. In ordinary communication, a symbol's function depends on shared awareness of its arbitrary origin. In magical practice, symbols—such as those in sigil magic, Tarot, and amulets—are used to transform reality, yet they ignore this shared awareness as a necessary condition for their functionality. The paper explains the semiotic features of symbols, their role in communication, and how magical symbols operate under a different paradigm, where symbolic language is mandatory but the conventional origin of the symbol is not required for its effectiveness.

Study at a glance

Abstract

The following paper focuses on the role and function of symbols in magical practice. The first part explains the symbol as a semiotic term with all its fundamental features, including the necessary function and condition of ordinary communication. The next section deals with symbols that fulfill the essential role of transforming reality within the framework of magical practice. Examples of sigil magic, Tarot, and amulets explain the paradigm, which uses symbolic language as a mandatory condition for its existence and simultaneously ignores the shared awareness of the origin of the symbol as a constitutional element of its functionality. This paper demonstrates how the symbols used in everyday communication and the symbols used in magical practice are two different entities performing distinct kinds of function, and primarily that they differ in requirements for being created and functional.

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