Cord and Knot Magic

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Cord and knot magic has been around for a long time. It is an easy alternative to candle magic and requires minimal supplies

Cord and knot magic is a very old form of folk magic that was often associated with wind/weather magics. In cord magic the spells are simply prepared ahead of time, and then used as needed. Each knot is then untied releasing the power entrapped in the cord over nine consecutive days.

For cord magic you will need a cord that is nine feet long (three times three; the traditional magical number) and is the color appropriate to the magical working. Smaller cords can be 9 inches long if you want something simpler to carry and store.

Because it is a magical tool, no one else should ever use your cord but you. Tie a knot in each end to keep it from unraveling. Consecrate the cord to your purpose when once the cord has been cut and the ends knotted.

The most common 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. (Not counting the ones you tied to keep the ends from unraveling.

1------6------4------7------3------8------5------9------2

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 magic, 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 magic 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 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 build power. Then, as you release the knot, release the power.

Cords should be of natural materials, such as wool, the best, or cotton; however, if all you have are synthetic materials it will still work.. Remember that the tool is not the Witch. The real power comes from within you.

Colors:

White - purity, truth, sincerity, spirituality, the goddess, peace, higher self, virginity(as in the woman?s mind is owned by no man), a substitute for any other color.

Red - strength, health, vigor, sexual love, energy, passion, courage, element of fire, career goals, fast action, lust, blood of the moon, vibrancy, driving force, survival

Light Blue - tranquility, understanding, patience, calm, gently moving, wisdom, good fortune, opening blocked communication

Dark Blue - impulsiveness, depression, changeability, protection, spiritual inspiration, reassurance, creativity

Green - finance, fertility, luck, Earth Mother, physical healing, monetary success, abundance, tree and plant magick, growth, Element of Earth, personal goals

Gold - wealth, The God, promote winning, safety and power of the male, happiness, playful humor

Yellow - The Sun, intelligence, accelerated learning, memory, logical imagination, breaking mental blocks, selling yourself

Gold/Yellow - attraction, persuasion, charm, confidence

Brown - hesitation, uncertainty, neutrality, influence friendships, special favors

Pink - honor, romantic love, morality, Planetary Good Will, healing of emotions, peace, affection, romance, partnerships of emotional maturity, caring, nurturing

Black - evil, loss, discord, confusion, protection, repelling negativity, binding, shapeshifting

Purple - tension, ambition, business progress, power, influencing people in high places, third eye, psychic ability, spiritual power, self assurance, hidden knowledge

Silver/Grey - cancellation, neutrality, stalemate, telepathy, clairvoyance, intuition, clairaudience, psychometry, dreams, astral energies, Female Power, communication, The Goddess

Orange - encouragement, adaptability, stimulation, attraction, business goals, property deals, ambition, career goals, general success, justice, legal matters, selling, action

Greenish Yellow - sickness, cowardice, anger, jealousy, discord

Copper - passion, money goals, professional growth, fertility in business, career maneuvers

Cord magic is often overlooked but it is an old and reliable way of doing spellwork. I often recommend it for those who live in places such as a dormitory where they cannot use the more popular and well-known candle magic.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Added to on Feb 21, 2013
Last edited on Apr 27, 2018
Part of the Magical Knights Library.

Comments


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Jun 07, 2019
Very cool! Now I won't burn my self with candles!

Apr 19, 2021
Good 😂😂

Mar 06, 2022
yes, this is alternative, well if you are not allowed to light a candle in home & is this named ''Witch Ladder''(just search)? a little modification on tie 9 knot become .. spell

Jul 03, 2019
Awesome! I plan on getting to work with knot magic soon :)

Jul 24, 2019
This will work for me to make spells and not worry about the candles burning.

Sep 25, 2019
Thank you for this!

Jan 09, 2020
Knot magic is great when you have a nosy dog who has utter disregard for safety... :)

Oct 13, 2020
yeah, thanks. this spell helps out a lot, My cats like licking at flames for some weird reason

Oct 15, 2020
Definitely stay away from personal gain. It will come back times 3.

Oct 17, 2020
Not everyone believes in the threefold law, but you should consider if you're okay with casting for personal gain before doing a spell.

Jan 04, 2021
can it reverse black magick like poppet hex magick done on me.

Jan 24, 2021
Maybe. Take a black cord or thread, along with (if possible) a picture of the curse-caster. Take a picture of you and make a hole through which the thread can go through. Take the caster's picture and put a hole through that too, and let the thread slide through the hole. Now, the thread symbolizes a connection between you and the person who cursed you. Take scissors and cut the connection in half, severing it. While doing so, imagine that the magick that connects the two of you has been reversed, and the caster's spell will no longer affect you as the caster's energy is no longer connected to you, therefore, it has no other target and (I'm just speculating by the way) may be sent to the caster instead. Please note that I have not had much need to reverse any of my spells before, and when I do, I usually just use word magick and the power of will. This spell is something I've never used before, so take it with a pinch of salt.

Feb 12, 2022
This article seems very helpfull thank you :)

Feb 03, 2024
I love the simplicity of Cord Magic. This is lovely. I will be using this spell to put my hope out to the universe.

Feb 25, 2024
You could, but knot magick is more for trapping and binding. You could use positive energy and good fortune in the knots, when you untie a knot, you release the good fortune. [not sure if you've heard of a Handfasting, but it's a Pagan wedding ceremony where your hands are tied together and you're energetically bound. As long as the cord is tied together, you'll be linked] Spells can be as simple or complex and you'd like them to be. Most people are familiar with ceremonial magick where you use a bunch of ingredients on a specific moon phase and it takes an hour or more to do. Magick is just energy. Spells are ritualized prayers. Most of my spells are in the form of kitchen witchcraft, where I infuse my cooking with magickal energy thus turning it into a spell. If knot magicks your thing, go for it. But if anyone tells you spells need to be some big spectacle, they don't. Chants are a form of magick which just requires your focus [yes, you do need to put in some effort, and ingredients contain magickal energy, which is why we use them, but don't think you need them for a spell to work. sometimes, too many items can ruin a spell]

Feb 25, 2024
Also, side note, I just saw your username. Have you ever researched Kabbalah? That's Jewish mysticism which is closed to those who aren't of the Jewish faith, but I've heard of a few Jewish Witches who utilized spells from the Torah like Kabbalah. [I'm not Jewish, so I only know the basic outline of Kabbalah, but if you're interested, it's something you could look into]

Feb 03, 2024
I'm confused about the 'order' of the knots. they are not 1..2..3. Does anyone have any insight on this? Thanks.

Feb 25, 2024
It's confusing to explain, easier to demonstrate. If you look at the

1---6---4---7---3---8---5---9---2

the --- is the cord and the numbers are the order you tie them. The first two are at the ends, the third is at the middle, then you tie the remaining knots between the current knots. This is the common way to do it, but I've done it a few different ways and haven't seen much of a difference. It's meant to contain the energy but also to confuse/trap the energy. When you undo knots, you release the energy, so if someone doesn't know the order, they could mess up the spell [this was historically a coven secret and how the knots were meant to be undone was only known by the person whom the spell was for] the above method is the witches ladder and the most popular form of knot magick [people would also tie herbs, feathers and objects in the cord for added protection or whatever spell they were casting] even the chant is the most common chant used for cord magick. To undo the spell, you undo the knots [there's also an old wind spell where you trap the wind in each knot. Sailors would use it on voyages. With each knot they undid, the wind would get stronger. If they untied all of them, there would be a deadly storm, so they only used it in emergencies]

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