Wonderworking with Ordinary String

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Brandon Weston, author of Ozark Folk Magic and the new Ozark Mountain Spell Book.

It might seem odd at first, but Ozark healers and magical practitioners have been working miracles with ordinary household string for centuries, and in fact, these methods, rites, and spells have an even more ancient lineage. One fascinating area to look at within this complex tradition is the repurposing of household objects for magic and healing. This practice derives from a sense of necessity, where hillfolk had to use what they could gather or grow on the land or what they could repurpose in their own cabins. Apart from these, one had to do without as the local general store or pharmacy was often several days ride on mule (if you were lucky) from hill communities.

Among the many items that have been traditionally repurposed for magical and healing rituals, ordinary string, twine, and yarn have yielded perhaps the most diverse set of practices. That is what we’re going to look at here in this small sampling of traditional Ozark spells.

Bringing Your True Love Closer
Ingredients: String, white or red, 2-3 feet
Spell: In this simple ritual, take your cut length of string, before dawn, out to a field where there are mullein (Verbascum thapsus) flower stalks growing. Find two that are close together, but at most a foot apart. Facing the rising sun in the east, repeat this charm while holding your length of string up toward the sun: “At the rising of the sun, so let my heart’s true love rise to meet me. Bring (him/her/them) closer to me! Bring (him/her/them) as close as these stalks I tie together.”

Then, wrap the string around the two mullein stalks, pull them as close as you can together, then tie with three knots. It’s said your true love will make themselves known by the next full moon, or else you will dream of their identity in that time.

Catching Blessings in Knots
Ingredients: String, white, 2 feet
Spell: Knots are traditionally blown for both healing and hexes in the Ozarks. In this spell, take your length of string and starting at the left end, begin to form a single knot, but don’t close it completely. Many healers will repeat a verbal charm through the knot, but in a simple ritual all you have to do is visualize the blessings you want to impart to yourself or someone you’re working for then blow through the open ring made by the knot. While blowing, pull the knot closed, thereby catching the blessing. Continue these knots for three, seven, or twelve times then wrap it around your (or another’s) right wrist. Wear your string until it naturally falls off, then burn.

Tying Illnesses to a Tree
Ingredients: String, white, 3 times the person’s height
Spell: Begin by measuring out your string. This is traditionally done by holding one end of a string (still on the spool) at the height of the head (yours or the person you’re working for). Then, lower the string to the floor to get the total height. Repeat this two more times to get a length of string three times your total height. Cut from the spool. Now, this ritual is easier with a partner but can be done alone. Go out to the woods and find a strong, living tree. This is important as you don’t want to use a dead tree. Oak is a good all-purpose tree, but traditionally pawpaw (Asimina triloba), sassafras (Sassafras albidum), and even sycamore (Platanus occidentalis) have been used. Stand with your back against the tree. Have your partner wrap the string around your chest and the tree trunk three times. Then, repeat this charm three times, or if you’re doing this for someone else, have them repeat it: “What I name here, I leave here. *** begone you foul devil and be sunk into the ground as deep as these roots grow!” (Where you see the *** name your illness or simply say, “illness” or “hex” or whatever you’re wanting to get rid of.) Then, lower yourself out of the string loop, making sure it stays tied around the tree trunk. Then, pull the string loop tight against the tree and seal with three knots. Leave this string behind and return home.

Our thanks to Brandon for his guest post! For more from Brandon Weston, read his article “Ozark Astrological Magic.”