To be honest, I have a complicated relationship with compression socks. There are potential benefits of wearing compression socks for those with POTS or other chronic illnesses, but for me sometimes the struggle of getting them on outweighs the benefits that I notice for myself. I’ve recently started to wear them more frequently and it dawned on me that I can make it a part of my practice to embroider quick sigils into my compression socks.
Sigils are a (potentially) quick way to imbue magic and manifest intent. There are a variety of methods to create your own sigils, and I highly suggest researching sigils and finding a method that speaks to you. Since there is no right or wrong way to make a sigil (as it is ultimately an artistic manifestation of your intent), I would recommend something as easy as searching for sigil making on sites like Pinterest and using or modifying a method that you find comfortable. You may feel pressure to make your sigils look a certain way at first, but you should feel freedom to customize your sigilmaking in ways that reduce any stress it may give you.
These sigils can be embroidered or drawn on other items of medical clothing or healing objects – from cloth heating pad covers to your most comfortable pair of sweatpants. Since I’ve been navigating my own feelings surrounding compression socks, I felt compelled to imbue them with the intent of healing and energy.
Sigil Embroidery
You will need:
- Pen and paper to sketch out sigil (optional)
- Item to embroider on
- Embroidery floss in the color of your choice
- Embroidery hoop (optional)
- Needle
- Scissors
- Temporary writing utensil to sketch design on your item of choice (optional)
Process:
- Create your sigil.
- There is no wrong or right way to create your sigil, just create an image while focusing on your desired intent.
- For this project, I actually used a sigil that I had created several months prior. In the future I will make a detailed post on how I like to create my own sigils, but here is the sigil that I ended up using for this pair of compression socks:
- Sketch the sigil you created onto the item you wish to embroider it on.
- For the compression socks I used, a pencil did the trick, but for other items you may need to use an embroidery pencil, washable marker, or chalk.
- If you created your sigil digitally, try not to get discouraged if you are having trouble copying it by hand. You can consider simplifying your sigil for this purpose, but I encourage you to embrace the differences. There is intimacy and power in things made by hand, and I feel like the imperfections add charm.
- Select the color of your embroidery floss.
- You can go off of magical color correspondences or just choose whatever color speaks to you. For me, I felt drawn to embroider my sigil in green, and from there I narrowed down which specific shade I wanted to use.
- Thread your needle with embroidery floss.
- Threading needles can be tricky – try not to get discouraged if you can’t get the hang of it or need to ask for help. Consider using a needle with a larger eye or using fewer strands of embroidery floss.
- Start embroidering!
- Depending on the item you are embroidering, you may want to stabilize the fabric with an embroidery hoop so it doesn’t bunch.
- For my compression socks, I used a backstitch. If you are new to embroidery (or simply need a refresher!), this blog post provides a great primer for common stitches.
- Casting off with intention.
- When it is time to finish my sigil embroidery, I like to really focus on my desired intention when I am casting off/knotting the floss at the end of the process.
- To “charge” the sigil, I like to run my index finger over the sigil a few times, letting my finger trace the path that I just embroidered. I think of the intention of the sigil and what I envision the manifestation of the intention to be. For these compression socks, I envision the relief they will bring me and how they can be a helpful tool for managing my illness.
POTS and Cauldrons 