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The New Mexico Land Protection Sigil

The New Mexico Land Protection Sigil

Last updated on: May 21, 2026 at 9:54 am by Laura Tempest Zakroff

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The New Mexico Land Protection Sigil 2026-05-21T09:54:33-08:00 Laura Tempest Zakroff

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We are of, from, and connected to the land and we must protect it from exploitation. To help with this work, meet the New Mexico Land Protection Sigil. I’ve also added a variation that can be customized to fit similar efforts in other locations.

Sigil Creation in the Land of Enchantment

Last month I had the opportunity to travel to New Mexico to do a solo art retreat at a friend’s home in the high desert. Before embarking on that journey, I scheduled two workshops as part of my trip – one (Sigil Witchery) in Albuquerque at Old Town Herbal and the other (Choreomancy) in Santa Fe at Electra Gallery.

The first time I visited and taught in New Mexico was 2006, but it wasn’t until I started visiting regularly a couple years ago with one of my dear friends that the land really spoke to me – and possibly stole a chunk of my heart. The most recent time I had taught in New Mexico was in 2018 down in Las Cruces and later designed an image for their Pagan Pride event, so it was a real pleasure to connect with the larger magical community in the state again.

In every Sigil Witchery workshop, as part of the class, we co-create a sigil using the method so that everyone can see how it is done in real time. For this particular workshop, the issue we decided to focus on is land protection and conversation due to recent news, especially concerning Chaco Canyon. My thanks to the fantastic group of students who helped create this sigil!

Built into this Sigil…

whiteboard from workshop

The following elements or ingredients were worked into this sigil:

protection
preservation
anti big-biz/colonization = no exploitation
land sovereignty
enhancing reciprocal relationships, encouraging the connection to engage with the land respectfully
land back
focus HERE and spread far and wide

The Sigil Itself

Now you may notice two different designs in the whiteboard drawing:

Our first design has a spiral at the center of the triangle. In the second design, we replaced the spiral with the Zia. From the website of the Zia Pueblo, “The Zia Sun Symbol is a sacred emblem of the Zia Pueblo people, one of the 19 Native American Pueblos of New Mexico, USA. The symbol is a simple but powerful representation of the Zia worldview and its four sacred obligations. It has become an iconic symbol of the state of New Mexico and is recognized and revered by people around the world.

The Zia Sun Symbol consists of a red circle with four sets of four rays emanating from it in four directions. The number four is a sacred number to the Zia, representing the four cardinal directions, the four seasons of the year, the four stages of life, and the four sacred obligations one must develop: a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the welfare of others.”

Because of this powerful meaning and the focus of the sigil being protecting land in New Mexico, the final design uses the Zia.

Land Protection for Other Places

While the initial sigil with the Zia focuses on New Mexico, I recognize that there’s many other places where the land is under threat. So I have also released this “blank” version where you can customize the inside of the triangle with a symbol that represents the land you are trying to protect.

How to Use This Sigil:

draw in ritual rites and spellcraft workings that focus on protecting the land
use as an emblem of protection and wisdom to spread awareness
bless the boundaries of land with the sigil (without causing damage or harm)
as a gateway to respectfully connect with the spirits of the land
amplify legislation and movements that protect the land

To find out more about this method of crafting sigils, check out Sigil Witchery.

Religious Art

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laura tempest zakroff

magical resilience

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About Laura Tempest Zakroff

Laura Tempest Zakroff is a professional artist, author, performer, and Modern Traditional Witch based in New England. She holds a BFA from RISD (the Rhode Island School of Design), and her artwork has received awards and honors worldwide. Her work embodies myth and the esoteric through her drawings and paintings, jewelry, talismans, and other designs. Laura is the author of the bestselling Llewellyn books Weave the Liminal, Sigil Witchery, and Anatomy of a Witch, as well as the Liminal Spirits Oracle (artist/author), The Witch’s Cauldron, and co-author of The Witch’s Altar with Jason Mankey. Laura edited The New Aradia: A Witch’s Handbook to Magical Resistance (Revelore Press). She is the creative force behind several community events and teaches workshops online and worldwide. You can read more about the author here.

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