Symbols in Magic
Linguistic Frontiers January 20, 2024 Markéta Muczková 1 citation
Symbols in everyday communication and in magical practice are fundamentally different entities. In ordinary communication, a symbol's function depends on shared awareness of its arbitrary origin. In magical practice, symbols—such as those in sigil magic, Tarot, and amulets—are used to transform reality, yet they ignore this shared awareness as a necessary condition for their functionality. The paper explains the semiotic features of symbols, their role in communication, and how magical symbols operate under a different paradigm, where symbolic language is mandatory but the conventional origin of the symbol is not required for its effectiveness.