Luxure de la Forme

The process of creating Sigils to be used in an upcoming painting, incorporating writing inspired by the concept of the work.

A sigil is a symbol created for a specific magical purpose. A sigil is usually made up of a complex combination of several specific symbols or geometric figures, each with a specific meaning or intent. In medieval ceremonial magic, the term sigil was commonly used to refer to occult signs which represented various angels and demons which the magician might summon.

The concept of "Gnosis" or the "Gnostic state" and using a sigil

"Gnosis is an intense state of no-mind, or one-pointedness, involving seeking out an altered state of brain consciousness. 'The direct perception of the Void' for all intents and purposes. It might be thought of as the state when the discursive mind shuts down, leaving an unfiltered access to the subconscious. At the point when the mind has ceased “moving” – movement is the sign of the psychic censor struggling to maintain control – the will (in sigil form, for example) is quietly dragged into the void, along with the surroundings."

Basically, when a point of complete tranquility and trance occurs, or, a complete overload of sensory occurs, the conscious thought process collapses, giving way to a moment of total stillness or nothingness in conscious brain activity; basically a void in the human thought process. At this point, in working with sigils, when the gostic state is achieved, one would direct all focus on the form of the sigil, taking it into the sub-conscious. Then, when the fleeting state ends and normal cognitive thought process returns, all thought of the sigil is cast away, and is not thought of again, letting the sigil only exist in the subconscious. If for example, the statement "It is my Will to run a marathon in my best time yet" is turned into a sigil, and then submitted to the subconscious through a Gnostic ritual, the idea will go to work in your subconscious, driving you to achieve this goal without you necessarily thinking about it in your waking life. And in this way, the motivation and ambition to carry out such a Will will be stronger and more successful than if you were just considering such goals consciously.

A few different methods of achieving Gnosis
Inhibitory gnosis is a form of deep meditation into a trance state of mind. This type of gnosis uses slow and regular breathing techniques, absent thought processes, progressive muscular relaxation, self-induction and self-hypnosis techniques. Means employed may also include fasting, sleeplessness, sensory deprivation and hypnotic or trance inducing drugs.

Excitatory gnosis describes a mindlessness reached through intense arousal. It is aimed to be reached through sexual excitation, intense emotions, flagellation, dance, drumming, chanting, sensory overload, hyperventilation and the use of dis-inhibitory, stimulative, or hallucinogenic drugs.