The Sigil of Lucifer - An Exploration

The symbol which has become known as the Sigil of Lucifer is from a cluster of symbols found in the Grimorium Verum (Latin for “Grimoire of Truth”) which are supposed to be used in the calling forth of "Lucifer" (literally "Light Bringer" in Latin,) the archetype of discovering hidden knowledge and approached as an entity in the context. This sigil is believed to have most likely derived from a magic square, the origins of which are now lost. Other than this, very little has been written describing the meaning of the various components of this Sigil. Here I will share the various insights that I have personally gained over the years through contemplation. You may have your own insights and you are encouraged to explore these symbols further on your own.


Triangle

The Sigil of Lucifer includes two downward pointing triangles. There is a large one and also a smaller one formed in part by the X. The smaller one is a symbol of elemental Water - the realm of the emotions. In addition, it is a representation of the Subconscious Mind and a symbol of the Feminine polarity. This is appropriate because Lucifer is the Latin word for the planet Venus (named after the Roman goddess of the same name) in its aspect as the Morning Star. In every culture that I can think of, past and present, the planet Venus has been considered feminine. Also, in the Left Hand Path of Hindu Tantra (the origin of the term “Left Hand Path”) the divine feminine is heavily focused on.

The term Left Hand Path itself is sometimes said to have originated from the Hindu Tantric custom of having the woman sit to the left of her male partner during their practices. Based on the shape of the larger triangle it could easily be thought of as the bottom point of an inverted pentagram. The pentagram itself is also associated with the planet Venus. If we track the movement of Venus against the backdrop of stars, it traces a pentagram in the sky every forty years.

Of course a pentagram (inverted or otherwise) has five points and if this triangle is one of these, it would be the point related to the element of Spirit. In an inverted pentagram this Spirit is considered to be incarnate in Matter. It is my opinion that the term Quintessence is more accurate than Spirit. Quintessence is the Fifth Element. It comes into existence when the element of Earth is broken down into its component elements of Water, Fire and Air (sometimes called Salt, Sulphur and Mercury in the art and science of Alchemy), each of which is then separated, purified and recombined. In a sense we can say that Earth is the corrupt and mortal form whereas Quintessence is the perfected and immortal form. Therefore, this larger triangle represents the alchemical process of turning Earth into Quintessence. This process is called Apotheosis, or becoming divine. This is one of the primary goals on the Left Hand Path.


V

The letter “V” is at the bottom of the Lucifer sigil. There are many ways to interpret this element. Here are a few of the ideas that have come to me while contemplating it. V stands for Victory. Victory is any manner of achievement. Along with victory comes a well-deserved sense of Pride, one of the folkloric attributes of Lucifer. This needs to be distinguished from an overinflated sense of pride, which is simply delusion. A genuine sense of Pride is a result of achieving your goals. The V hand sign or “mudra” is made with the index and middle fingers extended and spread apart while the rest of the fingers are curled in. When displayed with the palm facing outward it represents both Victory and Peace. To reverse this and show the sign with the palm facing inwards is considered a vulgar sign and is used to insult another person.

In occult tradition, the V posture, standing with each arm up at a 60° angle is referred to as the Sign of Typhon. Typhon is a half-brother of Prometheus and is described as a dragon or flying serpent with one hundred heads. In some stories, Typhon was created to be the arch-villain of Zeus, king of the gods and as such Typhon can be seen as a force of Chaos. The V posture is also referred to as the Sign of Apophis, named after an Egyptian serpent god of Chaos. Both have much of the same meaning as a force which breaks down the established Order allowing for new forms to arise. In Alchemy this is the stage of Fermentation. We can perhaps go back even further in history and connect this with the Sumerian-Babylonian dragon goddess of chaos, named Tiamat. I encourage you to research the mythology of Tiamat for further insight into this.

The letter V is the middle letter in the Latin word LVX, meaning Light. This of course brings us back to the meaning of Knowledge and Awareness. There are other traditional occult postures for the letters L and X, each with their own meanings. The letter V is also the Roman numeral for the number Five. There are five points on a pentagram, the same shape that the planet Venus traces in the sky when it goes through its eight year cycle five times. Venus, when seen in the morning after all the other stars and planets have faded from view but before the sun has risen, is referred to as The Morning Star. Light being a universal symbol of knowledge and awareness since time immemorial, the Morning Star calls forth or heralds the light of day. This is symbolic of a dawning awareness and shares a similar meaning to the rooster in this regard. The ancient Romans actually used the word Lucifer to describe the Morning Star. With all this in mind, it is interesting to note that the letter V is also the first letter of the word Venus.

Another connection with the number five is the idea that we are in the Fifth Age. This comes from the concept that the ancient Mayans believed themselves to be living in the Fourth Creation. This also meant that the End of the World had occurred three times previously and replaced by a new creation. December 21st, 2012 CE marked the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar and the beginning of the Fifth Creation or what I refer to as the New Luciferian Era.


X

The X symbol is found near the top of the Sigil of Lucifer. This is a very powerful symbol on its own. A few associations that come to mind right away include the saying, “X marks the spot,” usually in reference to the location of buried treasure. Buried treasure in itself is an interesting concept. Treasure is anything of value. For this treasure to be buried means it is hidden, specifically under the surface of the Earth. It can be read as a symbol of the valuable insights one can gain from their own subconscious mind.

An X is also a Crossroads. This is the place at which one must make a decision that will change their life in some way. To be stuck at a crossroads is to be faced with such a difficult choice that we are hesitant to choose one path or another. It is important to weigh our options carefully, but ultimately one must actually make their choice and take personal responsibility for the consequences that follow. The crossroads is an in-between state and is traditionally said to be where one goes to meet the devil. Tales from folklore sometimes speak of obtaining a new skill from such a meeting. The devil is often a symbol for one’s own shadow – the collection of all the repressed traumas and rejected parts of the self. To become aware of, heal and integrate these shadow aspects of the self is to reclaim a part of one’s own soul. You attain a greater level of personal integrity and strength from meeting and embracing one’s own shadow.

X is also a Roman numeral. Its value is 10. In our standard base ten numbering system this represents a jump to a higher order. We’ve expanded into two columns of significance: a Tens column and a Ones column. The Arabic numeral 10 is composed of 1 and 0. In ancient times these two numbers were sometimes thought of as a "something" and a "nothing." The shape of the numerals themselves can also be said to represent the penis and the vagina, the combination of which creates new life. In modern times we also use the 1 and the 0 to represent On and Off. We call this Binary, meaning essentially Duality. Interestingly enough if you were to regard the numerals "10" as a Binary number, it would calculate out to the value of two, which again reinforces the idea of duality. To extend the analogy we can even say that it represents the Key to Life, which is the act of creation through the combination or resolution of a duality. Even the shape of an X shows the uniting of two things. In the sense that it is a cross, some have said that it represents the intersection of Heaven and Earth. All different ways of saying the same thing. Again, in the Hermetic Kabala the number 10 represents the fulfillment of the entire process of creation, from creative spark to full manifestation.

It also happens to be the last letter in the Latin word for Light, which of course is LVX. As mentioned above, the letter V can represent the Fifth Age that we have just entered. The X can represent the task we have in this New Luciferian Era to manifest the Light through our creative actions in this life. The traditional X posture in occultism is made when the individual places each of their hands on the opposite shoulder, creating an X over their chest with their forearms, right over left. It’s called the Sign of “Osiris Risen” and refers to the resurrection of Osiris from death and his ascension to the stars. I propose we could easily modify this to be more appropriate for the Left Hand Path by crossing left arm over the right arm and to focus more on the ascension to godhood. It is my personal inclination to do so, and furthermore to refer to this modified posture as the Sign of Marduk.


Source:
by Jeremy Crow  >>