Magickal Knots and Spell Work

Fiber Magick Workshop

Magickal Knots and Spell Work

Merry Meet. My name is Opal Luna. I am the author of Fiber Magick, A Witch’s Guide to Spellcasting with Crochet, Knotwork, and Weaving. Let’s do some knot magick!

To play along you will need 3 lengths of cord or thin rope at least 3 ft. in length, a bead with a hole large enough for a double thickness to fit snuggly, and a pair of sharp scissors. We will be embellishing our knots in Fiber Magick fashion using Cinnamon powder and Rosemary oil. You can also use Olive oil in a pinch, but I suggest you invest in a bottle of rosemary due to its universal uses. With cinnamon and rosemary you can add all the intentions from love to protection, health to wealth. The deciding factor will be your mindset and the focus you give to the spell.

I have cut lengths of cotton macrame cord for today. I always use a natural fiber when performing magick because it may require that you burn or bury it to complete your spell. It would be counterproductive for us to bury something harmful to the environment.

Before we begin, we should set the stage by creating some sacred space to work in. One of the ways I like to bookmark my spiritual crafting is by lighting a candle and reciting a poem. That way when we are done, we can say a few more words and blow out the candle and we are right back in the real world.

A picture in the mind so clear,

it must travel down the artist's arm.

And come alive to greet the world.

as clothing fair or blanket warm.

Hidden deep within the thread,

love so strong it will not fade.

So much more is passed along.

when we give life to that handmade.

What I love about knot spells is the simplicity. It’s all about your intention. Whatever the work is, you’re trapping that intention or joining something to you with the knots. Could be prosperity, a change in reality, love, health, whatever. The knots hold that magick infused with whatever your intention may be. You can also trap unwanted elements in the knots and thus remove them from your life. As with any magickal practice it is a good idea to ground and center before we begin. It is also beneficial to remove any stress or tension from ourselves that could prove counterproductive to a spell. To do this I use the Chain Stitch Spell. You can do this with a hook, but it is not necessary. Let’s make a slip Knot…

Perform Chain Spell to banish and to send out.

Knot magick is simple but don’t be deceived. When you incorporate Knot work into your magickal practice you can go full Fiber Magickian and think about the color of your cord and what it is made of. Anoint the ends with oils and pass it through smoke. On and on for many layers of intention.

Our focus for today is Social Justice. A very real social injustice that we see in the world today is in the availability or lack thereof clean water for all people. I would like us all to keep that struggle in mind as we work today. At times we will strive to picture a perfect world with fresh water for all. At other times we will picture a cause of the problem.

Now that we have cleared ourselves let’s move on to the basic knot spell or witch's ladder. You may have heard the poem that is recited when tying the knots before but there is a pattern when tying your knots that you may or may not know about. The knots are simple but there is an order to the tying. The knots are numbered in the order in which you tie them. As you tie each knot you recite the appropriate verse and focus your intention to be caught in the knot. Placing the knots just so takes concentration and adds to the effectiveness of the magick. You are tying these knots very intentionally and efficiently involving the entire length of the cord.

Let’s take a closer look – (change camera)

We can further enhance the effectiveness of the spell by adding a few embellishments. Such as taking a dub of the oil and running it down the length of your cord. As you do breathe in the scent and imagine healing light being infused into it. This has the added benefit of calming you so that you can better focus on the healing.

Now take a pinch of cinnamon and do the same thing but this time think strength. Give this spell and yourself the strength to follow through.

Pick up one of your cords and hold it in your cupped hands.

Now, I would like you to picture a body of water near you. I’m in South Florida. My home is right up against the Everglades, so I will picture Lady Florida’s River of Grass. You pick a place you are familiar with so you can get a very clear picture in mind. All water is connected and part of the Mother. See her flowing freely. Clean water, healthy, indigenous plants and animals all thriving in the sunshine. Just sit with that a moment and visualize our intention. Imagine what that would look like. Mother Nature can work with this. Nature will always find a way. She will move us to manifest this. So Mote It Be.

Let's tie the knots and as we do allow the vision of a healthy body of water come into focus 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 where it can remind you to visualize our intended outcome and move us to take the action, so it will manifest. So Mote It Be! Don’t be surprised if an opportunity presents itself soon. Maybe an invitation to an Earth Day event or a petition you could sign. You will be able to choose to manifest the magick. The real magick is in the action taken.

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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 the palms of your hands 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 that you know of, be specific as to the person, place, or thing you want to remove from the picture. Do this in a way that reflects the greatest good and harms none if possible. Let’s send out an encouragement to do what is right and stop the pollution or 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 finish hold 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 a natural fiber you may want to burn or bury the cord to completely get rid of the menace.

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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 charm used for healing in ancient Egypt but became most 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 was a very common symbol 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 came from 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. Breath 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.

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

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