V-SIGILS

Dictionary of Occult - Hermetic and Alchemical Sigils

VABAM

Demon - VABAM "who tells truth of hidden treasures"

Mag. Kama and sigil for this spirit given by HEYDON 1664 to represent the letters U and V in the secret writing called 'Alphabet of Angels and Genii' :

VALAC

Demon - VALAC "lord of snakes"

VALERIAN

Alc. BERTHELOT 1885 records a Greek sigil :

VAPOUR

Occ. BERTHELOT 1885 gives the Greek alchemical sigil

a text which implies that this is a ceiestiaJ vapour : see both SKY and CELESTIAL VAPOUR.

VAPOUR BATH

Alc. DIDEROT 1763

GESSMANN 1906

VASARIAH

Génie 32

vocale: vasarÿah

évocation du 5° au 9°59′ de la vierge, domine les 1° taureau / 13° cancer / 25° vierge / 7 sagittaire / 19° verseau chaque jour durant 20′, 10h20′ aprés le lever du soleil.

Il règne sur le physique et les actes de ceux qui sont né du 29 aout au 2 septembre.

VAU

Occ. The 6th letter of the Hebrew alphabet (see HEBRAIC SCRIPT), for which many derivatives are given within the tradition of secret alphabets, notably those Collected by BARTOLOZZI 1675

WIRTH 1927

Aquates Vau with the LOVERS ARCANUM of the Tarot pack, and gives the derivative forms as the graphic etymology for the letter, which he traces back to the idea of 'small hook' ; however, research into the Egyptian pictorial origin for the letter indicates a development along lines of the following – hieroglyphic

hierarchic

old Tamudic

South Arabian

Old Phoenician

Moabite

and since the pictorial equivalent of the Egyptian hieroglyphic is a 'kno' suggesting the idea of 'opening' or 'entrance' then the significance of the link with both the LOVERS ARCANUH and with the Pythagorean sigil for 'choice' (suggested by WIRTH 1927)

which relates to the form of the Moabitte equivalent, becomes clear.

VAYU

Occ. An oriental equivalent of the European AIR element, associated with the Anahata or Heart chakra :

The sigil is recorded in a Western contort by AVALON 1919, ana is sale to be smoky grey colour.

VEGETABILIA

Occ. The following siqils do not refer specifically to vegetative life, but to the concatenation of forces which through an invisible activity support vegetative life : thus, in terms of modern occultism, the term is approximately the equivalent of the ETHERIC.

HOMER 1723

HOMER 1757

WIRTH 1931 gives

But see also HOMER'S GOLDEN CHAIN,

VEGUANIEL

Demon - VEGUANIEL "archdemon of fortune

VEHUEL

Génie 49

VEHUEL vocale: vëvael

évocation du 0° au 4°59' du sagittaire,

domine les 18° taureau / 0° lion / 12° balance / 24° sagittaire / 6° poissons

chaque jour durant 20', 16h aprés le lever du soleil.

Il règne sur le physique et les actes de ceux qui sont né du 23 au 27 novembre.

VEHUIAH

Génie 01

vocal Véhouyah

évocation du 1° à 4°59 Bélier, domine les 0° bélier / 12° gémeaux / 24°lion / 6° scorpion / 18°capricorne

Chaque jour Durant 20′ dès le lever du soleil

Il règne sur le physique et les actes de ceux qui sont né du 21 au 25 mars.

VENEREAL DISEASE

Occ. SHELTON 17C

VENTER ARIETIS

Ast. The second of the mediaeval lunar mansions, called Al Butain in the Arabian astrological system, the sigil being preserved in MANSIONES 14C

A sigil which has been employed in amuletic use, ar;s associated with this mansion, is given by ABANO 1303 :

VENTER GEHTNORUM See SIDUS PARVUM

VENTER LEONIS See CAPTLLUS

VENTER VIRGINIS

Ast. A sigil given in ABANO 1303 was employed for amuletic purposes, and associated with the thirteen lunar mansions of the astrological tradition :

VENUS

Ast. The modern sigil for this planet is derived ultimately from the Greek astrological system? by way of the mediaeval manuscript (see for example CONJURATION 14C), the printed version being found in HYGINUS 1482 :

AGRIPPA 1531 traces its form to the mirror, but DEE 1564 gives a construction from the Sun and the four elements. LEO 1914 says that the sigil

is 'symbol of Spirit triumphant over matter, circle over cross' (see HERMETIC TRIAD) , though this largely contradicts the hermetic tradition which sees the Venusian impulse as essentially involving a descent into incarnation, an entanglemenL in matr.er (hence perhaps the esoteric significance of Agrippa's 'mirror'). When SOMMERHOFF 1701 wrote Venus Microcosmi sunt Renest, he had in mind that the 'renes' were the seat of human affections - a distinct link with the Venus Pudica of both the occult and the artistic tradition.

Egyptian demotic : NEUGEBRUER 1959

Craeco-Bizantine : BERTHELOT 1885

OMONT 1894

MEDIAEVAL : CONJURATION 14C

THESAURUS 14C

RAGOR 1474

CANONES 15C

DOMORUM 15C

LIBELLUS 15C

SCOT 15C

SIGNIFICATIONES 15C

SCALIGER 15C

SCHYNAGEL 1500

AGRIPPA 1510

DARIOT 1057

ALCHEMY 1650

GIUNTINI 1583

PLANETS 1617

ALCHEMICAL 17C

SHELTON 17C

VALLEMONT 1707

SOMMERHOFF 1701

SIBLY 1817

LUEDY 1928

DEUTSCHE 1961

CARBONELLI 1925 (mediaeval)

CHASSANT 1884 gives a mediaeval form

See also the sigils used by thn alchemists for COPPER, a term which is synonymous for Venus.

See also AMTSSIO, HEXAGON, ORIGIN and SPHERE OP VENUS

VEPAR

Demon - VEPAR "the water master"

VERCHIEL

Mag. BRAHE 1582 gives several mediaeval characters for the 'angel of Leo' :

HEYDON 1664 gives the same name as the genius of the geomantic Fortuna minor and Fortuna major, though the sigil he gives for this genius

is probably related to that given for the ruling spirit of Leo by AGRIPPA 1531 :

VERDIGRIS

Alc. There is some confusion regarding the many siqils which have been preserved to denote vordigris, a confusion which probably stems from the variety of names by which the sigils are described or listed. The following are selected from the least dubious of the numerous sources.

SIGNA 17C

SOMMERHOFF 1701

DIDEROT 1763

GESSMANN 1906

CARBONELLI 1925

SCHNEIDER 1962

GESSMANN 1906 also lists variants under the name of Greek verdigris :

See AERUGO

VERMILION

Alc. SHEPHERD 1971 gives the sigil

but hefore the use of modern dye pigments, this was one of the names given to the pigment of CINNABAR.

VESPERUS See SPHERE

VESTA

Ast. Symbol (perhaps) originally given by WILSON 1319 for a planet (actually an asteroid) in orbit between Mars and Jupiter :

WILSON 1819

KOCH l930

SHEPHERD 1971

THIERENS 1931 suggested

as the sigil for the 'planetary principle' of the Roman Vesta and the Greek Hestia as the 'higher octave' of Mars.

VETIS

Demon - VETIS "the life Promiser"

VEULIAH

Génie 43

VEULIAH vocale: veuvalÿah

évocation du 0° au 4°59' du scorpion,

domine les 12° taureau / 24° cancer / 6° balance / 18° sagittaire / 0° poisson

chaque jour durant 20', 14h aprés le lever du soleil.

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

VIA

Geo. Sigil for one of the sixteen geomantic figures :

A large number of variants (stars, dots, floral devices, etc.) is used to denote the same four-fold structure of the sigil. Via is linked by AGRIPPA 1531 with the element of Water, the planet Moon, and the zodiacal sign Leo. The following sigils are derived from late mediaeval sources, and are some Limes used to denote the Moon - as for example in TRITHEMIUS 1503 who gives (no doubt in copyist error), the form :

AGRIPPA 1531

VINEGAR

Alc. BERTHELOT 1685 records several sigils from the Greek alchemical tradition :

SIGNA 17C

TABLE 1676

VALENTINE 1671

SOMMERHOFF 1701

DIDEROT 1763

GESSMANN 1906

For three-fold distillated vinegar, the following sigils are given :

VALENTINE 1671

SHELTON 17C

SOMMERHOFF 1701

GESSMANN 1906

SOHMERHOFF 1701 gives the following for distilled vinegar :

SCHNEIDER 1962 records the sigil

for Acetum vini rubri , and

vinum mortuum.

WALTER 1970 gives two of the uore simple sigils derived from the ancient Egyptian alchemical tradition :

VIRGIN

Occ. The 'cabbalistic' sigil for virginity is given by SHEPHERD 1971

but in regard to this sigil, see RU.

SOMMERHOFF 1701 gives the sigils

for virgin Earth.

GESSMANN 1906 gives for Virgin Wax :

The zodiacal sign VIRGO is sometimes called Virgin.

VIRGIN EARTH See VIRGIN.

VIRGIN WAX See VIRGIN and WAX.

VIRGO

Ast. Zodiacal sign of the 'virgin', the printed version of the sigil given by HYGINUS 1492, derived from the mediaeval manuscript tradition :

The sigil is said by AGRIPPA 1531 to be based on the shape of an ear of corn - the Spica carried in the arms of the constellation figure, but this suggestion is as unfounded as the suggestion of KIRCHER 1655 that it was derived from three ears of corn.

ALLEN 1899 records the idea that the sigil is derived from the initials MV, for MARIR VIRGO, though an esoteric tradition derives the form from a legend concerning the Fall of Kan (see SETTINGS 1978).

Egyptian demotic BERLIN 42AD

STOBART 2C

SPIEGELBERG 1911

Graeco-Byzantine NEUGEBAUER 1959

MEDIAEVAL DIGBY 12C

ASTRONOMICAL 1400

CONJURATION 14C

JANUA 14C

LEUPOLDI 14C

MANSIONIBUS 1482

FIRMICUS 1499

LAMBECIUS 1500

BONNATI 15C

ASTROLOGICAL 15C

QUADRANTIS 15C

RAWLINSON 15C

TABLES 15C

SCHYNAGEL 1500

TRITHEMIUS 1503

MESSAHALAH 1504

AGRIPPA 1510

DARIOT 1557

THURNEYSSER 1574

SIGILLIS 17C

BLUNDEVILLE 1602

HOROSCOPE 1614

HEYDON 1650

BELOT 1667

LUCCA 17C

MAGICI 17C

TRACTS 17C

FREHER 1717

WELLING 1735

GEHEIME 1785

GEHEIME 1788

CARRICHTERUS 13C

PYTHAGORAS 18C

WILSON 1820

ZADKIEL 1835

POISSON 1891

GESSMANN 1906

WIRTH 1927

NEROMAN 1937

RUDHYAR 1970

NEERACHER 1967

PERRY 1971

LUEDY 1928 records a sigi.1 from the Syrian astrological tradition :

LEUPOLDI 14C gives the sigil

for the constellation of Virgo. See also SPIRIT OF VIRGO

VIRIDE AES See VERDIGRIS

VISHNU

Occ. The occidental sigil for the element of WATER is linked by BLAVATSKY 1888 with Vishnu, the 'god of the moist principle and water (Narayana, or the moving Principle in Nara, water)' as an exoteric symbol :

VITRIOL

Alc. BERTHELOT 1885 records the Greek sigil :

ALCHYMIA 1563

WORLIDGE 1651

FRANCKLYN 1627

ALCHEMY 1650

VALENTINE 1671

TABLE 1676

ALCHEMICAL 17C

SHELTON 17C

SIGNA 17C

SOMMERHOFF 1701

DIDEROT 1763

SCHEFFERS 1775

GESSMANN 1906

LUEDY 1928

SCHNEIDER 1962

See also COPPERAS, OIL OF VITRIOL, ROMAN VITRIOL, VITRIOLIC ACID, VITRIOLIC FLOWERS, VITRIOLIC SALT and WHITE VITRIOL

VITRIOLIC ACID

Alc. GEOFFROY 1718

DIDEROT 1763

VITRIOLIC FLOWERS

Alc. GESSMANN 1906

VITRIOLIC SALT

Alc. GESSMANN 1906

VITRUH

Alc. Generally these sigils are applied to GLASS, and are accordingly listed under this heading, but within a specifically alchemical context the sigils may sometimes be applied Lo tha idea of a 'glass vessel '. For vitrum (unspecified application) ALCHEMY 1650 gives the forms

SOMMERHOFF 1701

VOLATILE

Alc. GEOFFROY 1718

GESSMANN 1906

SOMMERHOFF 1701 gives

for volatile and

for sal volatile.

VOLATILE ALKALI See AMMONIA

VOLATILE SAL ALKALI

Alc. GEOFFROY 1718

DIDEROT 1763

VULCAN

Ast. The following sigil is given by THIERENS 1931 to symbolise the Roman Vulcanus and the Greek Hephaestos as planetary principles in astrological esotericism :