Hello, good people of the internet, and welcome to The Forty Servants in Theory and Practice, a series where I take a deeper look into the philosophy, use, and evolution of The Forty Servants system, drawing on nearly a decade of hands-on experience and magical experimentation.
Each entry in this free section of the series will focus on one Servant at a time, offering background insight, design history, divination reflections, shadow aspects, magical applications, and how my personal understanding of each has shifted or deepened over the years.
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So, let's go…
THE IDEA
The Idea shows us how to be original, inventive and creative. It encourages us to see that inspiration is always around us.
ARTWORK
The artwork for The Idea originally comes from a cover of one of the single digital issues of my comic THEM, which came out in 2012. THEM was a hypersigil comic that, I’m pretty certain, resulted in the creation of The Forty Servants. I’ll not go into detail here, but if you want to read about the comic and all the various hypersigilistic elements, you can check out the blog series over on my website.
Both the comic and the final Servant image reflect the same thing. Something new has entered creation and is growing. What once only existed in the darkness is now in the light. What was potential is now manifested. But it is still in an early stage. It may or may not find root and thrive, or it may get stomped on and die.
In the comic, The Idea starts as a seed and comes into creation as such, but when I was putting the deck together I felt that the seed wasn’t a striking enough image, or that it might not be obvious at first glance what it is meant to be, whereas a small plant or flower is immediately recognisable.
For me, The Idea exits in the same space as The Explorer, and the light of The Sun can be seen on its centre petal. The art for The Idea is one of my favourites from the entire deck, while it is simple, I feel it perfectly captures the essence of what it aims to represent. There is something a bit 2001: A Space Odyssey to it with its sense of otherworldliness, something alien, something higher order.
But also something on a mission.
THE SIGIL
The sigil is a stylised version of the flower image, but, to me anyway, it also looks like a tree and so captures both the potential and the result. It is both the new growth and the final form. So when using the sigil for The Idea, there is a sense that the outcome is already assured.
The sigil can be used when you need inspiration for a new creative endeavour or project, but it isn’t limited to creativity in the arts. Place it on your workspace or desk. Use it to clear out old stagnant energy and increase new creative energy in any area of your life, such as in relationships or hobbies. Draw it on your hobby utensil or items. Draw it on a piece of paper and carry it with you as a totem or talisman.
Keep an “Ideas Journal” and draw the sigil on the front of the book. Draw it on your musical instruments or hang it in your music room or wherever you practice.
Keep it under your pillow or mattress to help with receiving inspiration in your dreams.
Sigil Quick Uses: Keeping inspiration flowing in your workspace, increasing creative focus and clarity, removal of stagnant energy, and inspiration.
DIVINATION
The Idea means that something new has entered your life, and it wants to be noticed. Some new seed has been planted and needs to you tend to it for it to grow into its full form. This first glimpse can often be hard to see or recognise, so if The Idea comes up in a reading make sure you are on the lookout for it.
When The Idea comes up in a divination it is often a call to action to start, sketch, plan, speak, or explore. It’s saying you need to start something. Something is looking for attention and is asking you to help it manifest in the world.
Maybe it’s a concept for a new project, an unexpected solution to a long-standing problem, or just a feeling that something “wants” to be made through you. Your job is to be the midwife and make sure you deliver the idea into the world without imposing your own restrictions, constraints or other contractions on it. The process often feels to me a bit like trying to remember something, but the “something” is something new rather than something you once knew but have forgotten.
If you’ve been feeling creatively blocked, The Idea may not mean something new is coming, it might be that something already came, and you dismissed it. Go back. Think again. What did you overlook, talk yourself out of, or shelve “for later”?
Sometimes The Idea doesn’t appear as a fully formed plan but rather as curiosity. Something nags at your attention, something you can’t stop thinking about. That’s the Idea trying to gain traction. If you ignore it, it may move on. These sparks are transient. What you don’t act on, someone else will.
And remember, The Idea isn’t just about creativity in the artistic sense, it is relevant to all areas of life.
SHADOW REVERSAL
Reversals in The Forty Servants don’t signify the opposite of the normal energy of the Servant but more a dysfunctional version of it, or a detrimental misuse or misunderstanding of the qualities.
In its shadow form, The Idea represents stagnation and lack of innovation. It's the sense of being in a rut or doing the same things over and over again yet hoping for a different outcome. Are you recycling old ideas because “it works” or because “that’s the way its always been done”?
A reversed Idea often looks like imitation or mimicry. Are you trying to look and sound like someone else rather than doing something more personal or original?
Perhaps you are putting too much pressure on yourself to create. Are constantly asking yourself “What if I can’t think of anything?” or “What if my ideas aren't good enough?”. Have you a belief that you can’t create or that everything you think of has already been thought?
Perhaps you’re recycling old angles because real innovation feels risky. Or maybe you're frozen by perfectionism. Are you waiting for just the right moment before you do something? If you wait too long the Idea will go find someone else who will help it manifest.
MAGICK
Evoke The Idea when creation is central, such as when starting a new project, when you have a problem to solve, or when you need to shift in a new direction. Draw the sigil on a candle and let it burn down. Draw the sigil on a stone and carry it with you in your pocket. Draw the sigil on your pen, pencil, paintbrush, hammer, scissors, laptop, on or under your desk or workspace, or use it as your phone or computer background or wallpaper image.
If you want to place the energy of The Idea into a room or workspace but don’t want to have to explain or justify the sigil to people then use the artwork instead, it will draw less unwanted attention to itself but work just as effectively.
I find visualising the image of the card to be very helpful when I need some inspiration. This doesn’t have to be anything too taxing, instead aim to get the “feel” of the servant and the sense of something new “arriving” or descending from above.
One of the most effective ways to work with The Idea is through invocation. Not just asking for a great idea, but allowing yourself to become the vessel for one. You can say, “I open myself to what wants to come through,” and then wait. Keep your notebook open. Go for a walk. Let the thoughts drift until something sticks. Don't force it. Let it arrive as it wants to. Allow the Idea to be what it is rather than trying to tell it what it should or needs to be.
Ideas tend to want to manifest and if you haven’t the time or aren’t doing the necessary work ideas often go find someone who will help manifest them into reality. How many times have you had an idea but not doing anything with it only later to find someone else has done the exact same thing?
If you genuinely just don’t have the time to work on your idea right now but know that you will do so later, then you could use The Idea to anchor this particular idea to yourself. But don’t wait too long, it won’t hang around forever. Draw the sigil over a written description or sketch of your concept, then burn a candle with the intention: “This idea is mine to bring forth.” Repeat the process regularly to reinforce your connection.
SERVANTS COMBINATIONS
The Idea works well with all the other Servants to help bring fresh creative energy to whatever other Servant you want to work with. But here are a few combos for you to experiment with:
Try The Idea with The Thinker to help structure that initial concept into a coherent plan. The Thinker can help you examine an idea’s strengths, flaws, and implications before you move forward with it.
Try using The Idea with The Witch to get inspiration on your magick rituals and approaches. The Witch brings raw magical power to the creative spark of The Idea and thus helps the Idea manifest. If you’re looking to bring a magical or artistic vision into reality, this combination is excellent for manifesting something through ritual, art, or spiritual insight. Ideal for magical writing, hypersigils, visual arts, or any sort of mystical based projects.
Where The Idea provides the concept, combining it with The Road Opener will clear the path for its execution. Use this pair when you feel stuck in the early stages of a creative project, or when outside obstacles are blocking progress. It’s excellent for getting momentum behind new ventures.
Combining The Idea with The Media is perfect for promoting a concept or getting your ideas heard by others. If you’ve developed an Idea to share it, publish it, or spread it, The Media will help you find the right tone and audience. A great pair for marketing, creative careers, and social or public messaging.
If you’re in a situation where you need to think fast and creatively to solve a complex problem, the duo of The Idea teamed with The Fixer is likely to be extremely effective. The Fixer brings determination and see-through to The Idea’s inspiration. This is good for business magick, entrepreneurship, strategy, or for getting unconventional solutions.
THE FORTY SERVANTS IN THEORY & PRACTICE SERIES SO FAR
ARTICLES:
THE WITCH
THE GATE KEEPER
THE MOTHER
THE FATHER
THE PROTECTOR
THE SAINT
THE CONDUCTOR
THE PROTESTER
PATREON LECTURE VIDEOS:
001 — Introduction
002 — Beg, Borrow, Be.
003 — Art History
004 — The Book Of Pacts
005 — Pathworking Astral Addresses
And that's it for this time, I hope you got something good from it. If you'd like to chat about it, you can leave a comment below, or come find me on Bluesky!
If you would like to support me in doing all the things I do, then feel free to join the PATREON, buy a FORTY SERVANTS deck, get me a book or something from my Amazon Wish List, or just send me some money via PAYPAL. It all really, really helps, and is very much appreciated.
So, until next time,
MAY YOUR BEST DAYS BE AHEAD!
Tommie