| About
witch's ladders
Lets
be honest about witch's ladders - they're bits of string.
Knots are tied in the string, one for each incantation of a
spell, and when the recitations are finished, the spell is
done. To undo or cancel the spell, the knots are untied. Its
worth bearing this in mind when spell-casting. If you're not
absolutely sure you want the spell to remain cast
indefinitely, don't tie the knots too tight!
I
started making witch's ladders many years ago, and put markers
in them for my own benefit, I am a sieve head and can't keep
count. There is no evidence that witch's ladders ever had
markers of any kind, especially at any 'mystical numbers'
intervals. To reiterate, they started out simply as bits of string
and during spell-casting were 'magically' transformed into
bits of string with knots in!
When spell-casting with
beaded witch's ladders, count from one end to the correct
bead, then start from this bead and go back the way you
came, counting each recitation by moving along one bead until
you reach the end of the ladder, then you know you're done.
The reason I started marking 5 and 10 bead intervals was to
make this count into the middle easier. It was not unusual for
me to count to 30 half a dozen times before I was sure I'd
really got 30 beads, but once I'd found my 30, I worked from
this bead back towards the start, reach the end -
finish the recitation. Yes, I know I could have started the
other end and just counted 10, but then do you include the
10th one when you start your recitations or not? Nope, it was
easier for my poor tired mind to have markers ;o)
So,
back to original witch's ladders. The piece of string with
knots in had definite advantages over today's fancy beaded
ladders. 1. You could cast your spell and bury the string and
not be in the least concerned about the cost. 2. You could
change your mind about the spell and untie the knots so
breaking the spell.
How
do you break or reverse a spell cast with a beaded witch's
ladder? Quite simply, use the same ladder and go through the
same number of recitations with appropriate wording to undo
the spell. You don't have to come up with some Shakespearean
nonsense (don't get me wrong I love Shakespeare, but why do
people think all Pagans go around sounding like they just
stepped out of the Middle Ages?), as long as the intent is
there and you're clear and concise it'll work.
Finally,
why 40 beads? Tradition.
|
Hand
crafted items Do
I bless them? The short answer is no. If you want to believe
that the hand-crafted widget you bought was lovingly created
by blind Buddhist monks while hanging upside down from a
golden handkerchief tree that's your business :o) I
prefer the truth, and I don't sit in a smog-filled smudging tepee
chanting in Navajo, I don't sit in a wooded glade with fairies
handing me crimping pliers. I sit in front of the television
watching Bones or Heroes or some such nonsense, chanting or a
CD of whale song would interfere with my viewing. Sorry
if that disappoints you, but I do have some good news. I have
had many emails over the years about "wonderful positive
energy" and "you'll think this is stupid but when I
opened the parcel and held the ladder I felt the positive
vibrations so strongly I was amazed". So, there you are,
beauty really is skin-deep, anyone can say all the right
things but it's what's inside you that will ultimately shine
through. At the length truth will out. I craft all my items
with love and the hope that they'll make their owner happy and
this obviously transfers to my work without the need for
triple-back somersaults, yay... cos to be frank, I'm way too
old for all that malarkey. I
can offer advice for anyone who wishes to cleanse or bless any
item they purchase, and don't worry, it won't involve
collecting freshly formed dew at Sunrise Litha morning or
anything. As you may have guessed, it's no-nonsense practical
cleansing and blessing rituals only in my camp.
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