The Medusa Sigil & Full Moon Working

On November 7th, I posted on the We Are Aradia website and page, “There is a lot to say. There is a hell of a lot more to do. Know that we will be here (and everywhere) working to create community, to transform power into progress, and to support each other. We are Aradia. Stay tuned Witches.”

And I have been personally pretty busy working with my local community as well as posting some videos about magical resistance. And pissing off some folks in the process apparently, but I digress. Let’s get back to the doing.

The Eye of the Medusa

Yesterday I saw this post from my friend Ximon: “This Friday’s Full Moon is on Uranus and the fixed star Algol in Taurus. Taurus governs our survival needs, Algol is the Eye of the Medusa, and Uranus is sudden change, so our feelings may run a little wild. Keep in mind that the Gorgon’s head is a powerful protective symbol, the “Gorgoneion” amulet, so this could be a good time to do ritual work incorporating that imagery and Medusa’s protective power. Just be prepared for surprises, which Uranus specializes in!”

Now y’all, I’m not an astrology nerd. (Yes I know, I co-authored “Gemini Witch” with Ivo Dominguez Jr but that was under the truth of while I may not be huge into astrology, I AM really good about talking about being a Gemini and a Witch.) But what Ximon wrote about “the Eye of the Medusa” really stuck in my head.

As I fell asleep last night, Medusa was on my mind. Which is nothing new around here. This past year I created a special painting for Medusa as a deity of the Arts and the 2022 Gorgon’s Guide for Magical Resistance features art I made based on the Sicilian Trinacria. There’s also a statue on my desk I’m working on modifying because it’s an amazing statue – but someone put her in a bikini, so I’m re-sculpting her.

But last night, I was thinking about a sigil for Medusa. This morning as I sat at my desk trying to engage with another project, I remembered the sigil. I sketched it out and went, “hmm” and put it aside. Then my laptop screen refreshed to show me a post from Alaric Albertsson talking about protection talismans. The accompanying image showed the Algiz or Elhaz rune.

And wouldn’t you know it? That rune by chance is present in the base of the Medusa sigil, as I wanted the intersecting snakes to form a trident. Why a trident? Well, there’s a nod to Poseidon’s part in Medusa’s story, and that the trident is also found as a symbol among several justice deities I work with including Hekate and Durga. Now I don’t generally work with runes, but I also know there’s been misuse of this rune, so I see the connection here is overcoming corruption. Here’s one translation of the rune poem associated with Algiz:

The elk-sedge is native to the marsh.

It grows in the water. It can wound cruelly.

The blood of any man burns

who in any way dares to seize it.

There’s a lot of food for thought there. Perhaps we are the elk-sedge, just trying to grow where we’ve been planted, and have our basic human rights acknowledged. You want to take them? Well, see how that works out for you.

The Medusa Sigil

Now for the sigil:

Now as I mentioned above, this image came to me pretty much assembled in my head. My Sigil Witchery method is a step-by-step breakdown of what has intuitively happened in my head for decades. So there’s not exactly a clean and easy list of “this means this and that” but I will try and interpret the sigil so you can better understand the parts.

the Y’s represent Medusa’s snakes. There are 3 to represent not only the overall Gorgon energy, but also the threefold ideas of past/present/future and mind/body/spirit.
the snakes join into a trident representing sovereignty, protection, and justice. (Hekate, Durga, Kali Ma)
the spirals are a nod to the wings of the Gorgons, as well as energy in and energy out. They also ended up looking like fists in this design
the descending star roots the energy in the body of the practitioner, their place of work, home, and helps to ground and focus.
the crescent moon is a protective and collective moon, a nod to Artemis, Isis, Hathor as well.
the dots are what needs to be consumed/transformed/changed in order to be empowered.

Using This Sigil

So now we come back to Ximon’s suggestion of working with this full moon and ideas on how to use this sigil. Now if you come across this sigil and working after 11/15/2024, realize that this isn’t a one time thing, even if the astrology points to a particular moment. I see the full moon as being optimal for 3 days – and this sigil can be used to fortify yourself whenever you need it moving forward.

The goal of this sigil is to protect, empower, and prepare you for the necessary work. The idea I’ve been harping on this past week in particular is encouraging folks to consider the idea of the Embodied Divine. To see our own and all bodies as sacred, as containing essence of the divine. This doesn’t replace any external ideas of the divine and the gods, despite what some may fear. Instead it encourages the magical practitioner to see themselves as sovereign, capable, and interconnected with the world around them. #WeAreAradia recognizes that we must be the witches, no one is coming to save us, so it’s up for us to do the work. And when it comes to human rights work, calling on the Embodied Divine within can truly help root that energy to help sustain you for the long haul. And we’re not just working for some rights for some people, but all human rights.

So one of the easiest ways to use the sigil is to draw it on your body. You can do this with an anointing oil, a skin-safe marker, make-up, etc. It could be drawn on the hands or wrists, but I would especially recommend drawing it on your sternum for the first time. It can also be made into jewelry or something else for you to wear. It can also be used to protect vulnerable people who need protection in this way.

Or you can do this Full Moon Working:

The Medusa Full Moon Working

What you will need:

a candle – a tall white or black candle of the glass votive variety would be nice, but anything you’ve got is fine. Even a chime candle will do, just make sure it’s properly supported and you’re not creating a fire hazard.
something to draw on the candle with (either carving, a marker if it’s in glass, etc) I recommend drawing the sigil versus just printing it out if you can. Or at least trace over the print out.
lighter or matches
any other items you’d like to incorporate into the ritual, such as incense, an oil, etc

Gather your materials and prepare your ritual space however you normally do. Once that is set, take three deep breaths to focus on being present in your body: Breathe into your belly. Breathe into your chest, Breathe into your head. Take your candle materials and draw/paint/etch the sigil into the candle. Take your time, starting with the central snake and line, then build it out from there – adding the crescent, spirals, and star. Lastly add the 3 dots.

Light the candle and say:
I invoke the Eye of Medusa, the stare that petrifies injustice.
I call upon the Serpent that rises to the Star, the movement of wisdom unbound.
I find within myself the Embodied Divine, the sacred essence and spark of the Universe.
I see the tools of the gods & ancestors placed in my own hands, ready, willing and wise.
I walk the path of justice with many, protected and prepared, illuminating the darkness.
As above, so below.
As within, so without.
One and many are we.
So mote it be!

Sit the energy, breathe it in. Be aware of your body, your connection to the earth, and reach up to the sky above. If possible, stand and envision your body as the whole sigil. Do the 3 breaths again. When done, you can extinguish the candle and use it again at continuing full moons if using a large glass votive candle. If using a small candle, let it burn safely out in one sitting.

Take some time to rest and regenerate folks. There’s much to do and this is a marathon, not a sprint.