L-SIGILS

Dictionary of Occult - Hermetic and Alchemical Sigils

LADY POPE

Occ. WIRTH 1927 relates this 2nd arcanum of the Tarot pack with the Hebraic letter BETH, and with the constellation Cassiopeia : he accords the card the sigils of the horizontal single line

and the black disc

along with the binary

which relates to the columns behind the figure in the card.

LAHAD

Demon - LAHAD "the devil voice"

Mag. Sigil for spirit (perhaps derived from Lad, one of the names for the angel Metatron) given by HEYDON 1664 to represent the letter L in the secret writing called 'Alphabet of Angels and Genii’ :

LAMED

Occ. The 12th letter of the Hebrew alphabet (see HEBRAIC SCRIPT) for which many derivative forms are given within the tradition of secret alphabets, as for example in those collected by BARTOLOZZI 1675 :

WIRTH 1927 equates Lamed with the Tarot arcanum of the HANGING MAN. He gives the following forms as being derivative of the letter

and links the pictoqraphic origin with the idea of 'a goad’ : however, it is likely that Lamed was derived from an Egyptian hieroglyphic with the pictorial value of 'horizon' (see JENSEN 1970).

LAMP

Alc. DIDEROT 1763

LAPIS

Alc. For the generic sigils, see STONE.

SOMMERHOFF 1701 gives the sigils for a number of different stones, as follows :

Silex Calaminaris :

Lapis Prunellae :

Lapis Pumex :

Lapis Silex :

Lapis Silex Ustus :

Lapis Tutiae :

Lapis Lazuli :

For the last one, SIGNA 17C gives :

GESSMANN 1906 gives :

LUEDY 1928 :

and KOCH 1930 :

LAPIS ARMENTUS See MOUNTAIN BLUE

LAPIS LAZULI See LAPIS

LAUVIAH

Génie 11

vocale : Lauvoyah

évocation du 20° au 24°59′ du Taureau,

domine les 10° bélier / 22° gémeaux / 4° vierge /16° scorpion / 28° capricorne

chaque jour durant 20′, 3h20′ aprés le lever du soleil.

Il règne sur le physique et les actes de ceux qui sont né du 11 au 15 mai.

Lauviah

Genie 17

LAYER UPON LAYER

Alc. Several of these mediaeval sigils are clearly derived from the abbreviation of the latin stratum super stratum.

WORLIDGE 1651

ALCHYMIA 1563

ALCHEMICAL 17C

GESSMANN 1906

LEAD

Alc. Since all the sigils used for this metal are synonymous with those used for the planet SATURN, see also the entries under this name. The following sigils have been recorded specifically as relating to the metal :

WORLIDGE 1651

CROLLIUS 1612

SHELTON 17C

SIGNA 17C

SOMMERHOFF 1701

DIDEROT 1763

GESSMANN 1906

KOCH 1930

SHEPHERD 1971

LUEDY 1928 records two sigils from the Syrian alchemical tradition :

BERTHELOT 1865 records two sigils from Greek sources :

LEAD FILINGS

Alc. BERTHELOT 1885 gives two sigils from the Greek alchemical tradition :

LEAD OF ANTIMONY

Alc. ALCHEMICAL 17C

LEAD OF THE PHILOSOPHERS

Alc. SOMMERHOFF 1701

LEAD ORE

Alc. BERTHELOT 1885 records a sigil from ancient Greek alchemical sources :

LEAD SALT

Alc. SHELTON 17C

LEAD SUGAR

Alc. GESSMANN 1885 records a mediaeval sigil :

LEAF

Alc. BERTHELOT 1885 records a number of sigils all relating to the idea of leaf metal :

See also COPPER LEAF, GOLD LEAK, IRON LEAF, SILVER LEAF and TIN LEAF.

LECABEL

Génie 31

évocation du 0° au 4°59′ de la vierge,

domine les 0° taureau / 12° cancer / 24° vierge / 6° sagittaire / 18° verseau

chaque jour durant 20′, 10h aprés le lever du soleil.

Il règne sur le physique et les actes de ceux qui sont né du 24 au 28 aout.

LELAHEL

Génie 06

vocale: Lehabel

évocation du25° au 29°59′ du bélier

domine les 5° bélier / 17° gémeaux / 29° lion / 11° scorpion / 23° capricorne

chaque jour durant 20′, 1h40′ aprés le lever du soleil.

Il règne sur le physique et les actes de ceux qui sont né du 15 au 20 avril.

LEMURIAN See EARTH.

LEO

Ast. Zodiacal sign of the 'Lion', the printed sigil being derived from the mediaeval manuscript tradition (see JANUA 14C below, for example) , though ultimately from the Graeco-Byzantine tradition (see NEUGEBAUER 1959 below, for example), recorded in print by HYGINUS 1482 :

The Sigil is said by AGRIPPA 15l0 to be based on the shape of a lion's tail, though this is entirely fanciful, as many of the mediaeval variants would suggest (even AGRIPPA 15l0 uses variant sigil forms). Two common misuses of the sigil lead to confusion, and are worth recording. Sometimes the form

is given for Leo, though this sigil is in fact the NODE of a planet, especially the one called caput draconis. An example of this mistake may be seen in the glyph used in the medal for the American Numismatic Association designed by Vincze in WHITTICK 1971. Another common error is the reversai of the sigil - an example of which may be see in SIBLY 1790, where it may to some extent be excusable in view of the reversal of the copper plate after engraving :

Ancient Egyptian :

BERLIN 42AD

SPIEGELBERG 1911

STOBART 2C

Graeco-Byzantine :

NEUGEBAUER 1959

DIGBY 12C

GRAMMATICA 13C

ASTRONOMICAL 1400

CONJURATION 14C

JANUA 14C

LEUPOLDI 14C

MANSIONIBUS 1482

ASTROLOGICAL 15C

BONATTI 15C

QUADRANTIS 15C

RAWLINSON 15C

LAMBECIUS 1500

TABLES 15C

SCOT 15C

SCHYNAGEL 1500

THURNEYSSER 1574

MARY 16C

HIBNER 1651

BELOT 1667

SIGILLIS 17C

PROWSSE 17C

TABLE 17C

SIBLY 1790

ZADKIEL 1835

SEPHARIAL 1920

COLLIN 1954

NEUGEBAUER 1969

RUDHYAR 1970

LUEDY 1928 records a related sigil from the Syrian astrological tradition :

LEUPOLDI 14C gives a sigil for the constellation Leo :

and this is recorded by AGRIPPA 1510 for the sign.

LESIFUGES

Demon - LESIFUGES "brings riches and shortens life"

LEUVIAH

Genie 19

LIBRA

Ast. Zodiacal sign of the 'Balance'. The printed version of the sigil is derived ultimately from the Egyptian (see STOBART 2C below) via the Graeco-Byzantino, as for example in HYGINUS 1482. The sigil is said by AGRIPPA 1510 to be based on the form of a balance, but derivation from an Egyptian hieroglyph is more likely.

Ancient Egyptian :

BERLIN 42AD

SPIEGELBERG 1911

STOBART 2C

NEUGEBAUER 1943

Graeco-Hijzantine :

NEUGEBAUER 1959

WALTER 1970 records a Greek sigil :

ASTRONOMICAL 14C

CONJURATION 14C

SCHYNAGEL 1500

QUADRANTIS 15C

TABLES 15C

COLEY 17C

FOOTE 17C

PYTHAGORAS 18C

SIBLY 1780

ZADKIEL 1835

FLAMMARION 1897

MODERN ASTROLOGY 1906

SEMENTOVSKY 1950

HADES 1969

LEUPOLDI 14C gives a sigil for the constellation Libra

LIBRUM

Alc. VALENTINE 1671

CAPPELLI 1949 gives two mediaeval forms :

LIFE See ANKH

LIGHT

Occ. In her complex nunerological study BLAVATSKY 1888 gives two sigils

as the ‘sacred Ten (numbers or Sephiroth)’ which are the ‘Light’ - though this is the occult light - 'through which all things were made’. A sigil given by GABELLA 1615 in the graphic theory of occult symbolism derived ultimately from DEE 1564 is

which carries the implication that the Sun and the Moon face to face, in an image of the first day when light was created. This latter sigil also represents the 'philosopher's light’. A sigil given in LAW 1772 - as part of the study of Boehme's graphic occult system - is representative of half the nature of the created world :

the other half is the sigil for WRATH. This light sigil is derived from his 'One Globe' :

But see in this connexion EYE OF ETERNTTY. A sigil given for the expansive principle of Boehme's theosophy, which may be associated with the light polarity of the dualism which pervades his thought, is the simple

But see TERNARY- A Sigil for light is derived by WELLING 1735 from the alchemical sigil for DAY, intended to symbolise the outpouring of spiritual forces on to the material plane :

LEO 1914 gives the sigil

for Light and Dark. It will be clear from the above notes that the Light of the occultists is not the Light of modern physicists.

See the opposing sigils for DARK and WRATH, and also COSMOS.

LIGHTS See SUN and MOON.

LILITH

Ast. In modern astrology, the name given to a hypothetical Earth-Moon, the so-called 'dark Moon'.

SEPHARIAL 1918

GOLDSTEIN 1961

LILY

Alc. A sigil derived from the Greek alchemical tradition is given by BERTHELOT 1895, probably from the word krine

LIMATURA See IRON FILINGS

LIME

Alc. DIDEROT 1763

KOCH 1930

BERTHELOT 1885 records a few sigils derived from the Greek alchemical tradition :

LIME OF EGGSHELL

Alc. SHELTON 17C

DIDEROT 1763

LIME OF GOLD

Alc. DIDEROT 1763

LIME OF LEAD

Alc. GESSMANN 1906

LIME OF LYE

Alc. GESSMANN 1906

LIME OF VITRIOL

Alc. DIDEROT 1763

LIMESTONE

Alc. GESSMANN 1906

LIQUEFY

Alc. GESSMANN 1906

LIQUOR

Alc. ALBERTUS 1974

LIQUOR OF CALCINATED LEAD

Alc. DIDEROT 1763

LITHARGE

Alc. ALCHYMIA 1563

DIDEROT 1763

BERTHELOT 1885 records three sigils derived from the ancient. Greek alchemical tradition :

LITHARGE OF GOLD

Alc. SHELTON 17C

DIDEROT 1763

LITHARGE OF SILVER

Alc. ALCHEMICAL 17C

SHELTON 17C

DIDEROT 1763

LIVING See ANIMALIA and ANKH.

LIXIVIUM

Alc. SIGNA 17 C

SOMMERHOFF 1701 gives for sal alkali fixum the sigils

SCHNEIDER 1962

LIXIVIUM TARTARI

Alc. SOMMERHOFF 1701

LODESTONE

Ast. The following sigils were given under the napes of lodestoner, magnes or lapis magnes :

ALCHYMIA 1563

W0RLIDGE 1651

SHELTON 17C

SIGNA 17C

SOMMERHOFF 1701

SCHEFFERS 1775

GESSMANN 1906

LUEDY 1928

But see also MAGNET

LOETITIA

Geo. Sigil for one of the sixteen geomantic figures :

A multitude of variants (dots, stars, floral devices, etc.) is used to denote the same fourfold arrangement. Loetibia is linked by AGRIPPA 1531 with the element of Air, the planet Jupiter, and the zodiacal sign Taurus. The following sigils, derived from late mediaeval sources, are sometimes used to denote the planet Jupiter, as for example in TRITHEMIUS 1503.

AGRIPPA 1531

LOVE

Occ. Sigil given by KOCH 1930 as a rune moaning 'love' :

See RUNES

LOVERS ARCANUM

Occ. WIRTH 1927 relates this 6th arcanum of the Tarot pack to the Hebraic VAU, and accords it (presumably because of the element of 'choice' which one may read into the iconography of the card) the sigil

the important Pythagorean sigil which according to WIRTH 1927 is related to the 'primitive Vau' , and the hexagram which within the occult tradition is one of the symbols of union, as for example in the 'union of opposites' of the FOUR ELEMENTS.

LUCIFER

Demon - LUCIFER "the mornig star"

Mag. SCHEIBLE 1848 gives the sigil

for the spirit, and the sigil

for Lucifer and Beelzebub. The name Lucifer is also associated with the morning rising of the planet Venus in traditional astrology, and in certain mediaeval manuscripts one finds the Sphere of Venus marked the Sphere of Lucifer, though the sigils employed refer only to the planet VENUS, and not to the Spirit Lucifer.

See SPHERE

LUMEN MINUS See SILVER

LUNA See MOON

LUNA FIXA

Alc. ALCHEMICAL 17C

GESSMANN 1906

LUNAR

Alc. OMONT 1394 gives the sigil

from Greek texts.

LUTATION

Alc. The sigils are used exoterically for the operation of sealing or stopping up containers, and sometimes for the hermetic art itself, which is sealed from the outer world. But see LUTUM SAPIENTIAE.

WORLIDGE 1651

FRANCKLYN 1627

ALCHEMY 1650

SOMMERHOFF 1701

GESSMANN 1906

LUTE See BOTTLE, LUTATTON and LUTUM SAPTENTIAE

LUTUM SAPIENTIAE

Alc. The mediaeval sigils for lutum sapientiae or lutum philosophorum were often intended to denote the esoteric hermetic (or 'sealed') art itself - see LUTATION.

ALCHYMIA 1563