Knot truth


Going beyond the 101 and even beyond the tradition

Back before I even dreamed of studying magick, I was fascinated with Celtic art. Part of it was family tradition and history, but I also saw something that spoke to me of universal truths. And the knotwork has done that, several times.

Advanced studies in magickal theory reveal that the things used in spell casting are really just symbols of the real tools, those intangible concepts that reside in our understanding and experience. At best, they are just the sensory keys that trigger hard-earned thoughts.

The tools we keep in our mental toolbox differ from person to person and according to use. A carpenter, a smith, and a mason all use hammers, but those hammers do different things and really aren't all that interchangeable. Just try putting in finish nails with a 12 pound sledge.

If you are a Wiccan, I know you are going to incorporate five primal elements, four cardinal directions, and a Lord and Lady into your spell. That in turn defines what you can and can't do with it.

If I know your tradition, I can make a pretty good guess at the tools in your toolbox. If I don't know your tradition, I have to go further to understand.

Your beliefs, your assumptions, your attitudes, your knowledge, and your skill all show in the tools you select and how you use them.

And that brings us to the point. There is a binding in every spell, a place where your system and your assumptions are drawn together to support the spell. It's not the "center," and it's not a flaw. It's the spell's Knot. The Knot may be slipshod or it may be perfect. But it is there. If I know how to look for the Knot and know how to read it, I don't need to know the specific methods. The Knot can tell me about the spell, your tools, how you use them, and even about your passions.

It takes time and practice to find the Knot. Even more to read it.

But a spell Knot is a fascinating point. Sure, I could "slice" through the Knot by brute force and watch the spell collapse. I could pull a strand or two and watch it unravel. But that is only part of what the Knot implies.

You see, on one side of the Knot, the magick works as you have defined it. But that can lead to the OTHER sides. And yes, there is usually more than one other side. Go "through" the Knot, and there are possibilities just waiting to be shaped.

You can't use every Knot this way, but it is a useful tool in it's own way.

You should be able to see some of the wider implications. Knots themselves can be used as tools, shorthand keys to complex spells. There are obvious applications in healing, not surprising since it is thoughtforms we're discussing. A Knot can be used as a meditation aid or as a trance path.

Not all truths are straightforward. Or maybe the Knots are straight, and it is reality that is kinked.

Posted: Tue - April 3, 2007 at 05:07 AM
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