The use of cords or strings in magic is very ancient, beginning with the cord magic practiced by Egyptian magicians, to the knot charms used by medieval witches to loose storms. Cords still play a large part in modern day Witchcraft and are used in a variety of form from Handfastings (marriage rituals) and Initiations. A common use is in spell casting.

Cord (or knot) magic is a simple, yet effective way to work magic. The only thing you need to do this kind of magic is a cord of at lease 1 metre. Some Practitioners use a cord or cords that are 9 feet long and are worn about their waists during rituals, and others make a girdle from blessed and consecrated cords worn around their waist to hang their ritual tools from. This cord also becomes another circle of protection.

The principal behind cord magic is simple. You tie nine knots into the cord in a certain pattern, as you tie the knots you are binding your intent, and therefore the spell, into the cord. The cord is usually kept either until the spell has worked or more usually the knots are released one by one over a certain moon time. For example if you want to bring something into your life the knots will be made at a New Moon, the cord would be kept safe and then nine days before the Full Moon one knot per evening would be released culminating with the last knot being freed on the Full Moon itself. If the spell is to banish something from your life then the knots would be tied just after the Full Moon, when the Moon is Waning, diminishing in size, and the releasing of the knots would start nine days before the Dark Moon, culminating on the Dark itself.

Method

First choose the colour cord you need for your magical purpose and the Moon Phase best suited to your Magic.

Cast your circle in the usual way and when ready light some Purification Incense if you have some. Relax your body and focus your intent, ground and centre yourself as you would before any magical working. Hold the cord in the smoke of the Incense to purify and cleanse it from any past influences. Think about what it is you want to accomplish and infuse it with good energy. Then tie a knot in the order that the diagram shows below. At the tying of the last knot, the ninth, all the energy is directed into the cord and its knots, with a final visualisation of the object of the magical work. The power has been raised and is now stored.

With each knot concentrate on the reason you are performing the spell. It is also advisable to tie a piece of red thread to the second knot you tie to help you remember which order you tied them when it comes to releasing the knots later.

#WitchesampWicken