Substitutions in: Knot Spells: Floss vs Ribbons

[EelKat]

Here is a question I was asked a while back. I'll post it and my answer here so we can start a discussion about it and see what every one would do in this situation.

I am doing a weight loss knot spell. Here is what I was told to do:

One of the best known weight loss spells around is the Magick Knot Spell. It makes use of black embroidery floss and a series of spells which you need to chant during the whole process of making nine knots out of the long floss. This is how it usually goes:

• First Knot: By know of one, I now ignite, a reduction in my appetite
  
• Second Knot: By knot of two, my metabolism, becomes an active mechanism
  
• Third Knot: By knot of three, I bind desire, for unhealthy foods; it now expires
  
• Fourth Knot: By knot of four, I bind the urge, to binge and gobble, gorge and splurge
  
• Fifth Knot: By knot of five, inertia goes, and exercise, I do not oppose
  
• Sixth Knot: By knot of six, all excess weight, is bound to quickly dissipate
  
• Seventh Knot: By knot of seven, I resist, serving larger than two fists
  
• Eight Knot: By know of eight, insecurity goes, self-worth buds, and blooms, and grows
  
• Ninth Knot: By knot of nine, I bind setbacks, so I stay easily on track
  

When repeated over and over again like a mantra, it conditions the mind to believe everything that the spell is laying out to you.
The knots should be equally spaced from one another, and the two ends should be tied as this chant is being said:

“By final knot, I set this spell. So each and every single cell, of my body and mind, works together now to bind me to this weight-loss strategy, and a healthy ideology, until of excess pounds I am free. As I will, so mote it be.”

What I want to know is does it have to be black embroidary floss? Not sure what this is and I only have black ribbon. Is it the colour that matters or whatever you're drawn too?

So I leave the floor open to every body. How would you have answered this question?

[EelKat]

Embroidery floss is a thick thread or a very thin yarn depending on how you look at it. As a thick thread it is a cotton-silk blend made of 6 strands twisted together. The thin yarn type is all cotton and called crochet cotton. The best quality floss comes in over 600 colors and is made by DMC: www.dmc-usa.com/

I use embroidery floss in a lot of my own spells (which I write myself) but if I was out of a color I needed I'd use a ribbon or yarn instead and saw no difference in results. I usually use floss because I embroider all the time so I've got cases of the stuff. But I do stuff with yarn and ribbons a lot too (non magical crafts).

When it comes to my own spell work I tend to use what I have on hand, rather than going out to look for something I don't have. I have not tried the spell you are referring to, so I can't say if you could switch one thing for another or not. But you mention knot tieing and that makes me think it might be hard to use ribbon as most ribbons don't hold a knot very well whereas floss takes knots exceptionally well. So if knotting is important to the spell, using floss probably is the best way to go so the knots don't come out.

(The following was added after being sent the spell in question...)

Yes, now that I can see the spell instructions, ribbon probably isn't going to work as well, because the knots will be too lose and come back out. Floss will hold the knots nice and tight and secure. I've done spells similar to this before and floss is best. In some of the spells I've done I've used beads as well - tying a bead between each knot, and than later I'd use the knotted bead strand to "repeat" the spell chant, sort of like prayer beads I guess you could say.

This is a variation of the Scottish Cloutie Spell. In knot tying spells it is the strength of the knot and how tight it is tied that is most vital to the spell. The color comes secondary. Spells you are casting (such as this one) and binding spells want tight knots that'll never come lose. Unhexing, uncrossing, and healing spells want a lose knot that will come undone with time.

Also this is a very old spell which dates dates back to the 1300s, but was not a weight loss spell originally and would not have had all that new-aged fluffy bunny Wicca "mote it be" jazz added to it. Originally it would have been a protection spell or a lover come back to me spell or a hex/curse casting spell. It is a type of Folk Magic or Welsh Hedgewitchery and is also common in Vodun, Voodoo, and Hoodoo. Traditionally a rope of hemp or reed would have been used and not sewing thread. In hoodoo you would use a yellow thread for weight-loss, not a black one.

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