The Queen’s Letters

a modern magical symbol set powered by the songs of Queen

brief Q&A

Q: What are these for?

A: The Queen’s letters have three primary uses: as a divination tool, as individual magical talismans that provide various magical effects, and as a magical alphabet for writing spells and prayers.

Q: How do I use the Queen’s letters for divination or fortune-telling?

A: Get a stack of index cards (or a deck of blank playing cards for extra class) and draw each symbol and its root word (you can also include meaning if you want to get fancy) on one of them. You can add additional doodles, stickers, collage art, etc if you want. Then shuffle and deal them out like Tarot or oracle cards, study the results, and interpret them based on the meanings and your own personal associations. You can develop additional personal flourishes as you get used to them, like reading reverses the way some Tarot readers do.

Q: How do I use the Queen’s letters as magical talismans?

A: Write one somewhere on your skin with a body-safe marker. Write one on a piece of cardstock, fold it, and keep it in your pocket. This is pretty flexible; any method of keeping a representation of the symbol on you works. You just need to focus on your intent when creating it. When you’re done with it, remove it or destroy it with magical intent as well to offer it back to the other side.

Q: How do I use the Queen’s letters as a magical alphabet for writing spells and prayers?

A: I am in the process of developing a full grammar for when the Queen’s letters are used as a magical alphabet, including grammatical and magical meanings attached by using letters as subscripts or superscripts around full-sized text. You can find a start on that on this page, but it’s not finished. Until then, the basic method is to write out your message on some kind of paper, copy it as graffiti somewhere publicly visible (if you can't find a good place, posting a picture on the internet is the next-best option), and then ritually destroy the original paper in whatever way works for you. For maximum impact, it's important to include a translation, but it doesn't have to be literal.

Q: How many of the Queen’s letters are there?

A: There are forty-five letters associated with Queen songs (one for every phoneme in the English language plus a word-ending “silence mark”) and nine numerals associated with David Bowie songs, adding up to fifty-four in total. This is the number of cards in a deck of playing cards that includes two jokers.

Q: Where do the prayers made with this alphabet go?

A: To the immortal spirit of Freddie Mercury, naturally. It is also possible to have him pass it on to an ally of his on the other side, such as fellow ascended dead rock star David Bowie or the Greco-Roman messenger god Hermes/Mercury.

Q: What is the point of the numerals?

A: Sometimes you might need to specify a number and not want to do it phonetically. They also cover some grammatical needs. In addition, some of them introduce advanced magical or mystical concepts that might be useful for more complex spells (as well as introduce the potential for numerology as part of spells). Finally, they let David Bowie have better access to the Queen’s letters, and he’s a very insightful and useful spirit ally.

Q: How do you write a zero in the numerals?

A: A zero is simply the horizontal squiggle from the ship character that represents the water there. It is not considered a character in its own right.

Q: Why did you create the Queen’s letters?

A: I wanted to see if I could.

the Queen’s letters

side A
symbol	root word/phoneme	meaning	talismanic power	associated song
	Flame	the inner spark and its persistence; the need to feed and nurture one's own divinity	helps maintain one's psychic energy and will to live	“Keep Yourself Alive”
	Dawn	the future and the fight for it; getting there one day at a time	manifests improvement (in general or in something specific) day by day	“Doing All Right”
	Rat	small misfortunes; cunning sabotage; cleverness and wisdom, especially turned towards destruction	averts misfortune, especially if deliberately directed	“Great King Rat”
	Song	joy as defiance; the antidote to silencing; self-expression	strengthens the bearer's ability to express their truths; prevents one's voice from being silenced	“My Fairy King”
	Eye	foresight, intellectual vision; the state of being woke	keeps the mind and psychic senses alert; expands awareness	“Liar”
	Egg	untapped potential; temporary sheltered stasis	manifests an epiphany; prepares the bearer for a major change	“The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke”
	Heart	the power of passion and vulnerability; the quality of being able to open up and give	invites benevolent attention and averts harmful attention	“Funny How Love Is”
	Storm	authoritative power, a claim to sovereignty, claiming one's due	adds authority to the bearer's claims and demands; manifests the reward you deserve	“Seven Seas of Rhye”
	Cat	the outcast, counterculture, and revolutionary animal; just some person, but a cool one	draws likeminded souls and companions in shared struggles to the bearer's side	“Killer Queen”
	Key	the secret wisdom and hidden knowledge of the downtrodden	thwarts eavesdropping and surveillance; facilitates insight into deeper meanings	“Lily of the Valley”
	Crown	personal sovereignty; pride and dignity; human rights due any individual	manifests confidence and enhances ability to command respect	“Now I’m Here”
	Foil	an obstacle or adversary; that which opposes and thwarts	reflects negative energies that would otherwise hit the bearer back at the source	“Bring Back That Leroy Brown”
	Teeth	a danger or threat; the ability to back up a threat; the capacity for self-defense	enhances the bearer's capacity for self-defense; offers general protection from danger and malice	“Death on Two Legs”
	Home	where you belong; shelter, stability; heritage, ancestral wisdom	assists the bearer in finding safety and shelter	“You’re My Best Friend”
	Dog	opposing forces who are not the true enemy; misguided mooks; a "cat" in the wrong uniform; that which dogs us despite the best of intentions	promotes understanding and clears barriers to communication	“The Prophet’s Song”
	Justice	knowledge of right and wrong; taking accountability; repairing past harms	grants strength for difficult conversations; encourages virtue in one's interactions with others	“Love of My Life”
	Hook	that which lures you in; the trap of material attachment	protects against material temptations and mental traps set by base desires and impulses	“Good Company”
	Bone	resilience; inner or ancestral strength; what is left when everything else is gone	grants resilience and inner strength	“Bohemian Rhapsody”

side B
symbol	root word/phoneme	meaning	talismanic power	associated song
	Fare	the price you pay for freedom; travel and its costs; greater access to resources or information	manifests wealth; promotes greater access to resources	“The Millionaire Waltz”
	Bell	a call to action; a summoning; raising awareness	assists in summoning and manifestation of one's desires in general	“Somebody to Love”
	Flower	the connections between all people and things; the continuation of love, friendship, and community; renewal and return	preserves, protects, and empowers one's connections to others, or a specific connection	“Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)”
	Champion	being a winner, especially in the face of overwhelming odds; fighting valiantly for a cause; the underdog coming through	grants strength and good fortune in conflict or competition	“We Are the Champions”
	Yarn	an entertaining tale; the spinning of a story; narrative and its foibles	empowers the bearer to compel attention and belief; assists in controlling one's own narrative	“Let Me Entertain You”
	Comet	speed; raw energy; someone who cannot be controlled; a loose cannon	boosts energy and mood	“Don’t Stop Me Now”
	Dragon	a trial or challenge; a powerful force of ambiguous alignment; hard times as a teacher, learning from adversity	eases difficult struggles; promotes gaining insight or otherwise learning from challenges	“Dragon Attack”
	Maze	a puzzle; a problem that has a solution; the drive to find the path out of here	protects against irrational thinking; encourages a solution-oriented mindset	“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
	Fist	action, personal power, making things happen	encourages action and the making of effective decisions; enhances personal confidence and power	“Action This Day”
	Frog	a leap upward or forward; crossing boundaries or borders, or someone who does so	grants protection or strength on some kind of journey	“Calling All Girls”
	Moon	the unknown; the other; a person who is an unknown quantity or factor (i.e. not yet viewed favorably or with enough trust to be considered a "cat")	assists in navigating strange and confusing situations; makes the bearer harder for others to read	“Cool Cat”
	Ship	a group with a common goal; a functioning society; "we're all in the same boat"; navigating by shared ideals	inspires kindness and understanding; braces against compassion fatigue	“Under Pressure”

numeric side
symbol	numeral	meaning	talismanic power	associated song
	1	the thinking self (as opposed to the instinctual and feeling self indicated by the flame character); the human condition as spiritual traveler	enhances astral travel capabilities; expands the mind	“Space Oddity”
	2	internal conflict; self-examination and self-knowledge; the shadow and one’s struggle with it	promotes self-knowledge and the resolution of inner conflict	“The Man Who Sold the World”
	3	increase; growth; becoming something new	assists in the process of deliberate change and becoming	“Changes”
	4	peace of mind, emotional balance; hope as a restorative or rejuvenating force	calms the mind and encourages positive thinking	“Starman”
	5	one who breaks the mold; a rebel	grants confidence and protection to those breaking social norms	“Rebel Rebel”
	6	harmony, however long it lasts; a momentary victory	improves self-confidence and the will to fight	“Heroes”
	7	joyful motion; a dance or the concept of existence and the cosmos as a dance	promotes joy; encourages physical activity	“Let’s Dance”
	8	the other side; moving between different realities	helps the bearer distinguish polyvalent truths from illusion and falsehood	“Underground”
	9	the infinite, the divine; an ascension	brings the bearer closer to the divine	“Blackstar”

final side
symbol	root word/phoneme	meaning	talismanic power	associated song
	Ghost	powerful lingering memories and emotions; voices from the past; things learned from the past	strengthens the bearer's connection to their ancestors (related or otherwise) and their own past; enhances memory	“Radio Ga Ga”
	Scar	survival; healing; proof that you have lived	encourages healing and recovery; eases difficult memories	“It’s a Hard Life”
	Chain	that which grounds us, for better or worse; reality and its flaws; the status quo	improves grounding; assists with breaking bad habits	“I Want to Break Free”
	Measure	that which is allotted; limits and boundaries; concrete planning	assists in making and following through with plans; improves the bearer's ability to work within limits and boundaries	“One Vision”
	Year	cycles; progress; revolution	manifests positive change on a large or communal scale; helps the bearer get or stay in tune with the cycles of their world	“One Year of Love”
	Gate	a threshold; looking both ways; duality	promotes the ability to handle polyvalent truths; helps bridge the gap between differing opinions	“Pain Is So Close to Pleasure”
	Torch	keeping memories alive; carrying forward the wisdom of the ancestors and the past	summons the wisdom and strength of one's ancestors, whether actual relatives or otherwise	“Who Wants to Live Forever”
	Path	the way you get where you're going; an experience both personal and shared; "the journey, not the destination"	assists in getting the bearer where they need to be at this point in their life; encourages bonds with others headed in the same direction	“Princes of the Universe”
	Window	the window of opportunity; a chance to get what you want; seize the day; "where there's a will there's a way"	helps manifest a goal the bearer is actively pursuing	“I Want It All”
	Rain	cleansing; a washing away of negative energies	cleanses negative energies from the bearer	“Rain Must Fall”
	Feather	capacity for flight; rising above	protects the bearer from attempts to drain their energy or bind them; assists in rising above petty conflict	“Ride the Wild Wind”
	Clover	making peace with one's fate; love and sentiment, especially as opposed to a harsh reality	provides peace of mind and emotional comfort in difficult times	“These Are the Days of Our Lives”
	Jar	that which is worth preserving; unspecified but significant value	reminds the bearer of their worth and reinforces self-esteem	“Bijou”
	(word-ending or “silence” mark)	endings and what lies beyond; the unknowable and the numinous; "nothing ever ends"	encourages bravery and strength, especially in times of grief and loss; manifests a new beginning in a time of endings	“The Show Must Go On”
	Item	just some thing; the significance of the insignificant; an animist universe; the last small step to completion and beginning again	manifests consistent small joys and improves the ability to notice and value them	“A Winter’s Tale”

side A

side B

numeric side

final side