Magickal Knot and Spellwork

Let’s dive into some knot magick! Start by gathering three pieces of cord or thin rope, each at least three feet long, along with a bead with a hole large enough to fit a doubled cord and a sharp pair of scissors. We’ll dress our knots in classic Fiber Magick fashion using cinnamon powder and rosemary oil. If needed, olive oil can be a substitute, but rosemary oil is worth having for its many uses. With cinnamon and rosemary, you can weave intentions of love, protection, health, or wealth—the magic is in your mindset and the focus you pour into the spell.

Today, I cut lengths of cotton macrame cord. I always choose natural fibers for magick, since spells might require burning or burying the material to finish. Using anything harmful to the environment would run counter to the purpose.

Before beginning, I like to create a sacred space for the work. One way I mark my spiritual crafting is by lighting a candle and reciting a poem. When it’s done, a few closing words and blowing out the candle help bring us back to the everyday world.

A picture in the mind so vivid,

it flows down the artist’s arm,

coming alive to meet the world

as clothing fine or blanket warm.

Woven deep within each thread,

love so strong it cannot fade.

So much more is shared and known

when we give life to the handmade.

What I love about knot spells is their simplicity and focus on intention. Whatever the goal—prosperity, a shift in reality, love, health, or anything else—you’re either binding that intention or attaching it to yourself through the knots. The knots hold the magic, charged with your specific purpose. They can also be used to trap unwanted energies and remove them from your life. As with any magical practice, it’s important to ground and center yourself first, and to release any stress or tension that might disrupt the spell. For this, I like using the Chain Stitch Spell, which works with or without a hook.

Perform a Chain Spell to banish or release.

Start by making a slip knot and forming chains, filling each link with intention as you go. You can send away stress or infuse the chains with healing energy. Once you’ve made enough, hold the ends, count to three, and exhale sharply as you pull the chains free.

Knot magick may appear simple, but it’s more powerful than it seems. Incorporating knot work into your practice lets you channel your inner Fiber Magickian by choosing cords with meaningful colors and materials. Anoint the ends with oils, pass them through cleansing smoke, and layer intention upon intention.

Today’s focus is on Social Justice, and one pressing issue is the lack of access to clean water for all. Let’s keep this challenge in mind as we work together—sometimes imagining a perfect world where fresh water flows freely for everyone, and other times reflecting on the root causes of this problem.

With that in mind, let’s move on to the basic knot spell, or witch’s ladder. You might already know the poem recited during the process, but there’s a specific pattern to follow when tying the knots. While the knots themselves are simple, their sequence is key. Each knot is tied in order, paired with its verse, and infused with intention. Precision in placing the knots is essential, as it sharpens focus and strengthens the spell’s power. The process is intentional and makes use of the cord’s full length.

We can make the spell more powerful by adding small touches, like dabbing a bit of oil along your cord. As you do, breathe in its scent and picture healing light flowing into it. This not only strengthens the spell but also calms your mind, helping you focus on the healing. Then, take a pinch of cinnamon and repeat the process, this time concentrating on strength, filling both the spell and yourself with the power to carry it through. Hold one of your cords gently in your cupped hands and imagine a body of water close to you. I’m in South Florida, so I’ll picture Lady Florida’s River of Grass in the Everglades. Choose a place you know well to create a vivid image in your mind. All water is connected, part of Mother Nature—see her flowing clean and free, with plants and animals thriving in the sunlight. Sit with that vision and focus on our intention, knowing Mother Nature can work with it, guiding us to make it real. So Mote It Be. Now, let’s tie the knots, keeping the vision of a healthy body of water clear in our minds.

By knot of one, the spell’s begun.

By knot of two, the magick comes true.

By knot of three, so shall it be.

By knot of four, this power is stored.

By knot of five, my will shall drive.

By knot of six, the spell I fix.

By knot of seven, the future I leaven.

By knot of eight, my will be fate.

By knot of nine, what is done is mine

Place this cord on your altar as a reminder to visualize our intended outcome and inspire us to take action, allowing it to manifest. So Mote It Be! Don’t be surprised if an opportunity arises soon—perhaps an invitation to an Earth Day event or a petition to sign. You’ll have the chance to manifest the magick. True magick lies in the actions we take.

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The Gordian Knot

Next, we will consider the Gordian Knot. The term “Gordian knot,” commonly used to describe a complex or unsolvable problem, can be traced back to a legendary chapter in the life of Alexander the Great.

As the story goes, in 333 B.C., the Macedonian conqueror marched his army into the Phrygian capital city in modern-day Turkey. Upon arriving in the city, he encountered an ancient wagon, its yoke tied with what one Roman historian later described as “several knots all so tightly entangled that it was impossible to see how they were fastened.”

Phrygian tradition held that the wagon had once belonged to Gordius, the father of the celebrated King Midas. An oracle had declared that any man who could unravel its elaborate knots was destined to become ruler of all of Asia.

According to the ancient chronicler Arrian, the impetuous Alexander was instantly “seized with an ardent desire” to untie the Gordian knot. After wrestling with it for a time and finding no success, he stepped back from the mass of gnarled ropes and proclaimed, “It makes no difference how they are loosed.” He then drew his sword and sliced the knot in half with a single stroke.

That same night, the city was rocked by a thunder and lightning storm, which Alexander and his men took as a sign that he had pleased the gods. True to the prophecy, he went on to conquer Egypt and large parts of Asia before his death at age 32.

Thanks to the enduring popularity of the Alexander fable, the phrase “Gordian knot” has entered the lexicon as shorthand for an intricate or intractable obstacle. Likewise, the saying “cutting the Gordian knot” is now commonly used to describe a creative or decisive solution to a seemingly insurmountable problem.

Let's use this knot to do some magick…

Prepare your cord with oil and cinnamon

Take the cord in your palms and meditate on a situation that keeps us all from enjoying clean, fresh water. It could be an industry that pollutes or a pipeline that leaks. If you have a local situation you know of, be specific about the person, place, or thing you want removed from the picture. Do this in a way that reflects the greatest good and harms none if possible. Let’s send out encouragement to do what is right and to stop pollution and division.

While reciting the knot magick spell, tie your 9 knots on top of each other. Really pull the ends of the cord. Make this mega knot impossible to untie.

When you finish holding this seemingly impossible-to-untie knot up before you and declare, "It makes no difference how they are loosed!"

Cut through the knot with your scissors and let the pieces fall to the ground.

If the cord you used is made of a natural fiber, you may want to burn or bury it to completely eliminate the threat.

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Knot magick is simple but very powerful. We can’t keep pouring from an empty cup. We need a knot that will replenish our energies.

The Knot of Hercules

The Knot of Hercules is also called the love knot, marriage knot, reef knot, and square knot. It is a strong knot created by entwining two ropes. It originated as a healing charm in ancient Egypt and became best known in ancient Rome as a protective amulet. I use this knot to tie handfasting cords, simple yet meaningful.

According to the Roman writer Pliny, the decorative device of the Hercules knot could cure wounds, and its popularity in Hellenistic jewelry suggests that it was thought to have the power to avert evil. The symbolism of the knot survived well beyond its religious use and became a common motif in medieval and Renaissance love tokens.

In Greece, the Hercules knot is still used extensively in medicine. The practice of using this simple binding knot dates back to the ancient belief that wounds heal faster when bound with the Hercules knot.

Pick up another length of cord. Prepare it with the oil and cinnamon. Cup it in your hands and imagine cool healing energy pouring down from above us like a gentle rain. Soak it in and send it into the cord.

Hold the ends in each hand and tie the square knot. Right over Left, Left over Right. Place the resulting necklace over your head so that the knot falls at your heart chakra. Breathe and accept the healing. You can move it up to your throat chakra or wear it like a headband during meditation.

You can also make a handheld version with the bead. Tie 3 Hercules knots near the middle of the cord. Draw both ends through the bead. Cut off the excess and fray the ends to secure the bead. Wear this talisman on the middle finger of either hand to place over the chakra that needs attention or between your palms when meditating. This also makes a useful Reiki tool. Use it as a Reiki bank, then gift it to a friend in need.

Sliding Knot

This knot is a great way to close bracelets and necklaces without any hardware. It works like magick and is a staple in many sleight-of-hand rope tricks.

Cut your desired length of cord and place any beads or charms you want on your finished piece. This may also be done afterwards using jump rings.

Cup the cord in your hands and place intention into the cord.

Cross the left end of the cord over the right end.

Thread the left cord around and under so it comes back towards you. 

Thread the cord back over to create a loop.

Repeat this process to create two loops, making sure that your second loop is to the left of your first loop. 

Thread the end of the cord through the loops. 

Pull the cord so the loops close tight.

Turn your work around and repeat this process with the other end of the cord.

Cut ends and fray to secure.

Go to the Fiber Magick YouTube channel to watch me do it.

I hope you have enjoyed this taste of knot magick and will think of ways to include knotwork in your magick. Thanks for playing with me. Stay Crafty, Opal Luna