Not too long ago, while traveling abroad, I tucked a little book from my grandmother into my bag. It was a small, worn volume on hermetic magic written in Czech. The pages smelled faintly of dust and candle wax, and you could tell it had passed through many hands before mine.
One section in particular made me pause. It said that to recognize a magician or someone with supernatural gifts, they would often have an extra vertebrae. I remember reading that line twice, then staring out the train window and wondering how many people might secretly carry such a sign in their body without ever knowing it.
The book was quite old, and I don’t take every sentence in it as fact, but the idea caught my attention. So when I had more time, I started digging deeper into the symbolism and spiritual associations behind this curious detail.
The Spine as a Sacred Axis
In many traditions, the spine is seen as the central pillar of the body. Think of the kundalini in yoga, the coiled serpent energy said to rise along the spinal column, awakening each chakra as it moves upward. Or think of the concept of the axis mundi, the cosmic axis that connects the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. Our spine mirrors that same vertical line. It supports us physically, but it also represents our ability to channel energy, to stand upright in the world, and to reach toward higher consciousness.
But what happens when someone has an extra vertebrae? From a symbolic perspective, it is like having one more rung on the ladder. One more link in the chain between the earth and the divine. It is as if the body itself is shaped with additional potential, holding an extra step for the soul to climb.
Spiritually, extra vertebrae are a sign of heightened connectivity, a subtle mark of being linked to energies beyond the ordinary. You are carrying a body that hints at expansion, at something beyond the ordinary blueprint of human design. You are essentially meant to reach a little higher, to sense what others might overlook.
A Sign of Spiritual Sensitivity
People throughout history have looked at unusual bodily features as signs of spiritual gifts. A line in the palm, a birthmark, the presence of six fingers, or even the way someone’s eyes reflect the light.
In this sense, an extra vertebrae has often been interpreted not as a flaw but as a mark of heightened sensitivity. The idea is that these individuals may be naturally more attuned to subtle realms. They might feel energies strongly, have vivid dreams, or sense spiritual presences around them.
If you think about it, the back and neck are already sensitive areas. Many people feel tingles or warmth there when meditating, praying, or even during moments of awe. With an extra vertebrae, the energy flow could be slightly different, maybe stronger, like a river finding a new channel.
Transformation Through the Spine
Another perspective is that the extra vertebrae symbolizes an added potential for transformation. The spine is where we hold tension, memories, and even trauma. It is also where we straighten ourselves when we need strength. To carry an extra vertebrae could be read as carrying an extra chamber in the house of transformation. Perhaps it gives space for storing more wisdom, or for processing heavier lessons in this lifetime.
For some, this can also symbolize resilience. Just as trees sometimes grow knots or extra branches where they were once wounded, the body’s unique structures may echo deeper stories of survival and adaptation. Spiritually, it is a reminder that no two paths are identical, and that some people are literally built with hidden stories in their bones.
The Burden and the Gift
Of course, not everyone with an extra vertebrae is destined to become a magician or mystic. Some people might never even know they have one until a doctor points it out on an x-ray. Spiritually, though, having something uncommon in the body can carry both a burden and a gift.
The burden might show up as physical discomfort or the feeling of being different from others. Being set apart can sometimes feel lonely. Yet the gift is hidden inside that very difference. If we go back to the symbolism in my grandmother’s book, it suggests that those marked in this way may hold a quiet capacity to transform, or to connect with forces that move just beyond the ordinary. They might simply be here to reach a little higher, to sense and feel a bit more deeply. It does not mean they automatically step into the role of a sorcerer, but it does hint at an innate ability to see past the surface of things.
