This ritual is a form of knot magic where an intention is methodically bound to a talismanic object. As always, a strong, clear intention strengthens the spell significantly. A charm is spoken for each knot you make.
Distill your intention to a short phrase you can easily remember and repeat. For instance, to call in Persephone, you might say, “I honor you, Persephone. Please be with me now.” Repeat this as you tie each knot. Or you might have a more elaborate intention such as “This home is filled with love, trust, and harmony. Our bonds are secure. We nurture a culture of repair. We honor each other’s spirit.” For each knot, you’d repeat a key word such as “love,” “harmony,” “secure.” The magic is bound at the end of the working with a declaration such as “And so it is,” or “My word is firm.”
To make your ladder, you’ll need:
• Twine
• Scissors
A few sticks that carry the right energy for your magical working
Corresponding materials, such as flowers and herbs, feathers, antlers, bones, nuts with holes drilled through them, dried apple or orange slices, beads, ribbons in symbolic colors, locks of hair, mementos, or heirlooms Tie the sticks together, using either one piece or two parallel lengths of twine, as is your preference. Your correspondences can be threaded onto the twine as you go along, or you can tie all the sticks together for your ladder first, then attach the correspondences after. Hang your ladder to anchor this energy in your space.
Level Up Your Knot Magic
I use a specific knot called the constrictor knot, which is easy, elegant, and very secure. Find a how-to demonstration at Animated Knots.
Carmen Spagnola is a Le Cordon Bleu–trained chef turned trauma recovery practitioner, clinical hypnotherapist, and kitchen witch. She is author of The Spirited Kitchen: Recipes & Rituals for the Wheel of the Year, host of the Numinous Podcast, and founder of the Numinous Network, an online learning and support portal for people healing from trauma through a cross-pollination of somatics, attachment theory, and nature-based spirituality. Visit her online at carmenspagnola.com.
