Cord Magick

[artemis]

For cord magick you will need a cord, or cingulum as it is sometimes called, that is nine feet long (three times three; the perennial magick number) and is the colour appropriate to the magickal working.

Like your Athame, no one else should ever use your cord but you. Tie a knot in each end to keep it from unravelling. Make sure it is nine feet long. Consecrate the cord, when done. (See Consecration of the Athame or Consecration of the Wand to learn how to do this.)

One magickal use of the cord is as a "storage cell" for the power. The first knot is tied at one end, with the words "By knot of one, the spell's begun." At this point, chanting or meditation is appropriate until you feel it is time to tie another knot.

The second knot is tied on the opposite end with the words: "By knot of two, it cometh true". Take "aim" at this time by visualizing your need or desire being fulfilled. As the power builds, more knots are tied until there are nine knots in the cord.

Here is the pattern of tying, together with the appropriate words:


By knot of ONE, the spell's begun *--------
By knot of TWO, it cometh true *-------*
By knot of THREE, so mote it be *---*---*
By knot of FOUR, this power I store *-*-*---*
By knot of FIVE, the spell's alive *-*-*-*-*
By knot of SIX, this spell I fix ***-*-*-*
By knot of SEVEN, events I'll leaven ***-*-***
By knot of EIGHT, it will be Fate *****-***
By knot of NINE, what's done is mine *********


At the tying of the last (ninth) knot, all the energy is directed into the cord and its knots, with a final visualization of the object of the work. The power has been raised and is now "stored" in these knots in the cord.

Why would you want to store a spell? For some magick, the time for it to happen is important.

Suppose, for example, that you want something constructive to happen but the most propitious time for it to do so happens to be close to the New Moon. Do you do your constructive magick during the Waxing Moon? No. You do it early on, at the Full Moon, using a cord.

Now the power is there, properly raised, but stored for use.

You have nine knots. Although they are all tied in one ritual, these must be released one at a time - one a day - for nine consecutive days. Release them in the same order in which they were tied, NOT the reverse order.

In other words, on the first day untie the knot that was first tied (to know which end you started with, when making the cord, braid in a small wooden bead at one end and always start with this end); on the second day, the second knot tied; and so on.

In this fashion, the last knot untied, on the ninth day, is the ninth knot that was tied at the climax of the tying ritual - the time of greatest power.

Each day, before you actually untie, do your concentration on what is to happen, visualize and again building power. Then, as you release the knot, release the power also with a shout.

From: www.herbalmusings.com/cord-magic.htm
Image from: dailywicca.com/2011/11/26/essentials-of-cord-magick/

[artemis]

Knots may be tied with magical intent. Several people may tie their cords together, to combine magical effort. The knotted cord may be burned to release the magic (natural fibers only, please!), or it may be kept like any other talisman, or it may be used as a meditation device, fingering the knots like the beads of a rosary. The later untying of knots may also be part of the spell.

Some Witches keep one magical cord, and use it over and over; others use a new cord for each spell. The traditional Witch's Ladder is a nine-foot cord with forty knots; however, if this proves unwieldy, use whatever length works for you. Depending upon the application, anything from thread to finger-thick cord may be suitable.

One powerful group technique is the weaving of a web. A ball of yarn is tossed back and forth across the circle, unwinding as it goes, while participants sing some appropriate web-weaving chant and/or shout out words or phrases appropriate to the goal. Knots may be tied in the web, or small objects fastened into it. The group can raise more energy by dancing the finished web around in a circle, raising it up and down (perhaps with the person who is the target of the magical working lying on top of it... Whee! what a ride!), firing a cone of power into it, or whatever. This can be a wonderful group bonding exercise, too.

It needs at least seven people; if you've got more than twenty you might want more than one ball of yarn going at once. Start with a solidly wound sphere of yarn; soft machine-wound yarn balls have lousy aerodynamic properties.

Burning something written on a piece of paper: This can be done for many different purposes. Burn the name of something you want to banish, and let the flames destroy it. Burn a prayer or a thank-you message or a promise, with or without a pinch of incense, as a way of sending it to the gods. Burn a goal or commitment, as a way of making it irrevocable (it can no longer be erased or changed) and of adding the fire's energy to it. Burn a message to ash, then add the ash to a talisman.

From: ladywinterwolf.fcpages.com/spellcraft.html

[artemis]

Don't forget you can also utilise various colours and even wear your knots or cords! This can make knot/cord magick much more adaptable - however I wouldn't recommend using the traditional 9ft cord for this, create a hair braid, necklace, belt or bracelet instead so it may be worn about your person at all times without raising questions.

The wonderful thing about Cord/knot magick being worn is that the wearer does not have to use magick themselves - nor do they have to think about the intent BUT you do need to have their permission to perform the magick and tell them what the intent is - you have already stored this within the cord/ribbon and knots! In this way it acts almost like a tailsment.


Other facts and information:

Many magical traditions use cords of various colors to designate attainment of degrees. This varies by tradition and region.


Some people use cords to invoke certain God or Goddess energies. As Deity has many aspects, you can use cords to symbolize a certain aspect of Deity, and when woven with that in mind the cord acts as a link to that Manifestation. These can also be used to invoke protection or aid from that particular God-form when worn.

A cord can be also used as a portable magical circle. Weave the cord inside a circle with the intent of reproducing that circle when worn. Then all you need to do is put the cords on, and you are in that circle. This works well when you are in a place where you cannot cast a full circle, or you need a circle but lack the time or equipment necessary. This type of cord needs to be recharged every so often to retain its potency and effectiveness.

Source: www.estelledaniels.com/articles/Cords.html