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ON CORDS
Robert Cochrane
Pentagram March 1965
Mrs. Basford has
raised an interesting point about the real purpose of cords, harvest twine,
string dolls, etc. They appear to have originated from the woven strands of Old
Fate, the major deity of all true witches. They are, of course, the origin of
such descriptive terms as "spellbinders." When worked up properly
they should
contain many different parts--herbs, feathers and impedimenta of the particular
charm. They are generally referred to in the trade as "ladders," or
in some
cases as "garlands," and have much the same meaning as the three
crosses. That
is they can contain three blessings, three curses, or three wishes. A witch also
possesses a devotional ladder, by which she may climb to meditational heights,
knotted to similar pattern as the Catholic
rosary.
The Celtic practice
of binding the dead, used now as a devotional aid by some modern groups, was
originally an indication that the dead person had undergone the necessary stages
and purification towards the final judgement and redemption. The actual pattern
of the knot was considered to be the important thing; the pattern formed by the
lines of the binding being a symbol of secondary
importance.
Alexander the
Great, by cutting the Gordian knot, announced to all and sundry that he was
going to cut his own fate with the edge of a sword. It was the action of a truly
brave man, since the knot was bound upon the yoke of the Twin Bulls, the Masters
over Life and Death. It may be that when he later built a temple to Nemesis he
was attempting to buy off the terrible fate of his former
action.
The art of binding is
to be seen in one of its best forms in the old craft of thatching. The pegs and
binders are traditionally put into a crossed shape, held by a final structure
over the roof trees that also has a very close connection with
Witchcraft.
The so-called
"sacred object" held in such reverence by some witches was in fact a
weaver's
distaff--and could easily be mistaken for a phallic symbol. The weaver's
distaff, bound with reeds or straw, appears frequently in rural carvings and
elsewhere. It again has reference to the Craft and supreme Deity. It would
appear that the witches were not in the least influenced by Freudian
concepts.
There is good
reason to assume that the nursery game of snakes and ladders originated in a
much older pastime connected with binding. One aspect of the snake is that of
the Tempter or Destroyer, and the game remains as a lesson upon life: one either
ascends by the aid of the ladder, or descends via the snake. The action of the
game is still dependent upon the throw of a black and white cube (dice)--a
symbol of Fate from ancient
times.
Basically the cords of
binding, as used today, are worked upon with mistaken enthusiasm. Originally
they were cords of Fate, woven and bound into a charm for a defined purpose.
Sometimes shaped into a semblance of the object or person to be influenced, they
were also hung on a gatepost or nailed near to the object or person, preferably
in a public place, as an indication of intent. In an Italian spell, the ladder
is actually placed in the bed of the person to be enchanted. A beautiful witch
ladder, incidentally, was once found in a church belfry: presumably one of the
Old Craft could not sleep late on Sunday mornings because of the racket of the
bells!
"Cat's cradle" as a
game is interesting enough but as a form of witchery it becomes an interesting
indication of the complex nature of the Craft. Each of the fingers on the hands
of a witch has a defined meaning and purpose. It would be reasonable to assume
that, to the knowing eye, the crosses and planes formed by the strings would
tell much of a particular ritual.