The number 72 echoes through both modern digital culture and ancient esoteric traditions in a way that deserves thoughtful exploration. While at first glance the idea of “72 original emojis” and the “72 sigils that King Solomon destroyed” may seem disconnected—one rooted in our tech-heavy communication culture, the other in arcane mysticism—there are deeper symbolic, psychological, and even spiritual parallels that can be drawn. This essay seeks to explore the possible relationship, decode the metaphor, and arrive at a truth that bridges the ancient with the modern.
- The 72 Sigils of Solomon: Spirits, Symbols, and Power
The 72 sigils traditionally refer to the spirits cataloged in the Lemegeton, also known as the Lesser Key of Solomon. These spirits—known as the “72 demons of the Goetia”—were said to have been summoned, bound, and sealed by King Solomon using his divine wisdom and a magical ring given by the Most High. Each spirit was associated with a specific seal or sigil—a unique geometric symbol that functioned as a key or “emoji” in its own right, encoding metaphysical power and influence.
These sigils are not mere demonic tokens. They are fragments of human consciousness—manifestations of desires, fears, talents, vices, and virtues. Solomon didn’t “destroy” these spirits but rather bound and commanded them to work for good. In esoteric teachings, these 72 represent aspects of the lower self, or ego, that must be understood, integrated, or sublimated.
- The 72 Original Emojis: Digital Sigils of the Modern Mind
In modern communication, emojis are not just decorations; they function as symbols that carry nuanced emotional, social, and even archetypal meanings. The first standardized emoji set (created by Shigetaka Kurita in 1999) had 176 pictographs, but many lists highlight the “core” or “original” 72 as those that were widely adopted across major platforms.
Just as the sigils in Solomonic magic communicate and command metaphysical entities, emojis allow modern users to express emotions, identities, and intentions that go beyond language. They’ve become the visual language of the digital subconscious. Each emoji is a distilled emotion, action, or concept—like a glyph that encapsulates a state of being or a psychological impulse.
- Symbolic Parallels: From the Occult to the Cloud
From this table, a symbolic echo becomes clear. The ancient world used sigils to navigate inner and outer forces. We use emojis to navigate and project feelings in a socially connected yet spiritually fragmented world.
- Is There a Hidden Connection?
While there’s no direct historical lineage from Solomon’s seals to Kurita’s emoji designs, the psychological archetype is eerily consistent. Carl Jung might argue that both emojis and sigils are part of the collective unconscious—symbols that emerge to mediate our internal experiences with the external world.
Could it be that the 72 emojis are the subconscious re-imagining of the 72 spirits? In a modern age where rituals have been replaced by algorithms and sacred seals by social symbols, emojis could be viewed as the secular sigils of our era. They represent impulses—lust (heart eyes), wrath (angry face), gluttony (food icons), fear (scared face), and even transcendence (sparkles, stars, halo).
- What’s the Truth?
The truth isn’t necessarily found in literal lineage but in the shared symbolic function. The Moors, the ancient mystery schools, and Solomon all understood the power of symbols. Today’s digital generation is rediscovering this—not through scrolls or grimoires, but through screens.
The 72 emojis can be thought of as reflections of the same 72 elemental aspects of the human psyche. While Solomon sought mastery over them, we often allow them to rule us—typing them into our messages, letting them dictate how we appear online, unaware of their deeper psychological warfare taken place.
The number 72 echoes through both modern digital culture and ancient esoteric traditions in a way that deserves thoughtful exploration. While at first glance the idea of “72 original emojis” and the “72 sigils that King Solomon destroyed” may seem disconnected—one rooted in our tech-heavy communication culture, the other in arcane mysticism—there are deeper symbolic, psychological, and even spiritual parallels that can be drawn. This essay seeks to explore the possible relationship, decode the metaphor, and arrive at a truth that bridges the ancient with the modern.
- The 72 Sigils of Solomon: Spirits, Symbols, and Power
The 72 sigils traditionally refer to the spirits cataloged in the Lemegeton, also known as the Lesser Key of Solomon. These spirits—known as the “72 demons of the Goetia”—were said to have been summoned, bound, and sealed by King Solomon using his divine wisdom and a magical ring given by the Most High. Each spirit was associated with a specific seal or sigil—a unique geometric symbol that functioned as a key or “emoji” in its own right, encoding metaphysical power and influence.
These sigils are not mere demonic tokens. They are fragments of human consciousness—manifestations of desires, fears, talents, vices, and virtues. Solomon didn’t “destroy” these spirits but rather bound and commanded them to work for good. In esoteric teachings, these 72 represent aspects of the lower self, or ego, that must be understood, integrated, or sublimated.
- The 72 Original Emojis: Digital Sigils of the Modern Mind
In modern communication, emojis are not just decorations; they function as symbols that carry nuanced emotional, social, and even archetypal meanings. The first standardized emoji set (created by Shigetaka Kurita in 1999) had 176 pictographs, but many lists highlight the “core” or “original” 72 as those that were widely adopted across major platforms.
Just as the sigils in Solomonic magic communicate and command metaphysical entities, emojis allow modern users to express emotions, identities, and intentions that go beyond language. They’ve become the visual language of the digital subconscious. Each emoji is a distilled emotion, action, or concept—like a glyph that encapsulates a state of being or a psychological impulse.
- Symbolic Parallels: From the Occult to the Cloud
From this table, a symbolic echo becomes clear. The ancient world used sigils to navigate inner and outer forces. We use emojis to navigate and project feelings in a socially connected yet spiritually fragmented world.
- Is There a Hidden Connection?
While there’s no direct historical lineage from Solomon’s seals to Kurita’s emoji designs, the psychological archetype is eerily consistent. Carl Jung might argue that both emojis and sigils are part of the collective unconscious—symbols that emerge to mediate our internal experiences with the external world.
Could it be that the 72 emojis are the subconscious re-imagining of the 72 spirits? In a modern age where rituals have been replaced by algorithms and sacred seals by social symbols, emojis could be viewed as the secular sigils of our era. They represent impulses—lust (heart eyes), wrath (angry face), gluttony (food icons), fear (scared face), and even transcendence (sparkles, stars, halo).
- What’s the Truth?
The truth isn’t necessarily found in literal lineage but in the shared symbolic function. The Moors, the ancient mystery schools, and Solomon all understood the power of symbols. Today’s digital generation is rediscovering this—not through scrolls or grimoires, but through screens.
The 72 emojis can be thought of as reflections of the same 72 elemental aspects of the human psyche. While Solomon sought mastery over them, we often allow them to rule us—typing them into our messages, letting them dictate how we appear online, unaware of their deeper psychological weight.
- Closing Reflection
So, are the 72 emojis related to the 72 sigils of Solomon? In the spirit of esoteric thought: as above, so below. The medium has changed, but the message remains. Both are tools of expression. Both are mirrors. One was used to command demons; the other to navigate a digitized world of data, emotion, and attention.
The real question is not whether they are related—but whether we, like Solomon, will learn to master these symbols… or remain unknowingly possessed by them.
