Full Title: Cord Magic: Tapping into the Power of String, Yarn, Twists & Knots
Author: Brandy Williams
Published: May 8, 2021 by Llewellyn Publications
Genres: Nonfiction, Magic Studies, Witchcraft, Folk Magic, Cord Magic, Knot Magic
Edition Details: 304 pages, trade paperback
Source: ARC – requested via NetGalley
Rating: {4.5/5 stars}
First Glance
I’ve been in a mood for simple magics, so I requested this book on a whim. I’m not much of a yarncraft person, as I can barely crochet and never really caught onto knitting as a leftie. With string, I’ve done some mundane cross-stitch and considered whether I enjoyed it enough to add into my magical practice… and never did. It’s one of those topics I wanted to connect to badly, but it never seemed to resonate.
Positive Bits
This book is extremely approachable! From page one, I found myself drawn in by the author’s story of how and why she felt the need to write this book. I connected to her story myself, having practiced various forms of magic for a couple of decades now. The examples of cord magic in action were all familiar situations and reasonable solutions… that just happened to involve magic! From story to finish, the author manages to treat the reader as both novice and equal as we’re guided through various activities involving cord magic.
As a deep lover of simple magic, cord magic speaks to me in the same way that candle magic and color magic both have. There’s beauty in the accessibility of cord magic as a whole, compared to something like crystal magic or the use of Tarot. Anyone can pick up a string or yarn and twist it just so! That said, I connected deeply to the idea of capturing energies in cords for later use. With various levels of mobility and mental health issues in my household, it can be a feat of master engineering to get us all involved in celebrating a full moon or solstice together. The integration of cord magic in our workings could mitigate this, as I can capture the full moon for my wife on her bad days and visa versa. It opens up a universe of magic that felt inaccessible due to health limitations, and that means the world to me.
I found myself imagining ways to use the exercises and examples with items I have in my own home, and that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? While I don’t know that the author was aiming for this, her detailed description of capturing various energies (and a staggering list of examples I might not have thought up) had me considering the utility of cord magic in the time of something like this pandemic. Imagine gathering lengths of thread to weave into cords individually, knowing you’re spinning the same energies into being with your witchy kinfolk (safe at home, of course). It takes the idea of a friendship bracelet to higher levels! I’ve done similar work with candles to capture energies, but cords would be so much more practical from a cost and storage standpoint.
Less Enjoyable Bits
It’s a small thing, but I was very interested in the idea of a charging cord. It’s mentioned as something you can create, up to and including the creation of cords with the energies of certain times, seasons, and weather trapped within their threads. However, I felt like we missed instructions on what to do with a charging cord. Do I wrap it around a candle to charge the candle? If there’s a knot I want to undo to release energies into a candle, do I hold it over the unlit wick? Or do I light it and untie the knot to the side? I have ideas of my own to work with these captured energies, but my point is that the book could’ve explored the use of those particular cords in more detail with us.
There’s a lot of info dumping to cover side topics, which I think could’ve benefitted from either more or less information being provided. The book dives into some basics on planetary associations, zodiac signs, numerology, and color magic. All of those topics can apply to cord magic in some way, but I feel like dabbling in their magics doesn’t do justice to the breadth and depth of each type of energy. I’m more of an all-or-none person, so I’d prefer either a simple list of standard associations or a detailed chapter on each type of additional magic being referenced in this book. Considering this is a book about a specific type of magic in the first place, I think the former option would’ve been a better fit.
I had hoped for some interesting friendship bracelet patterns, for lack of a better description. Or at least a four stranded braid instructional. Instead, this book gave us a couple of cord crafting methods to lean on and three knots to work into the mix. On one hand, this makes cord magic feel more accessible and is a boon. On the other hand, it also left me wanting more. Cord Magic 2, anyone?
Tidbits Worth Repeating
Cords are easy to incorporate into clothing or to hide in a pocket or bag. They’re the ultimate portable tool. – 3%
A cord is a talisman made from a string. The fiber of the string is the body of the talisman. The physical material adds both practical and energetic qualities to our magical intent. – 39%
Cord magic is a flexible way to capture the energy of time and place. […] Cords can be folded, labeled, and stacked in a box. – 76%
Is it worth the coin?
Yes – the ideas presented in some of the exercises were enough to justify purchasing this book, but they’re also packaged in an informative and approachable package.
Larissa Lee 