SundaySuccess
MondayIntuition, emotion, women, children
TuesdayAction
WednesdayCommunication, knowledge
ThursdayExpansion, spirituality, legal issues
FridayLove, fast cash, education, beauty
SaturdayStructure, closure, senior citizens
Although this explanation is brief, it will get you started. You’ll find more information on magickal days at the beginning of Section 5. The best timing to set that first stitch is dawn of your chosen day.
Your Very First Stitch
Okay, so you’ve chosen your project, picked your day, and have all your supplies. Should you just start stitching? You can, but try this and see how it works for you:
On a flat, cleaned, empty table, lay out your supplies (instructions, tools, thread, material, embellishments), placing the main piece (such as your cross-stitch Aida cloth) in the center of the table. We use the clean, flat table to signify the vast universe of opportunity.
Ring a bell or chime eight times, signalling the mastery of the physical plane. Tuning forks are super great for this, too. The idea here is to remove all negativity from your tools and supplies—from the manufacturer to the clerk at the store or even to family members who have fingered through your things. By removing the negativity, you have presented a fresh vehicle to the universe.
Light a white candle and pass the light over all the items on the table. This is done to connect your project with Spirit (that which you feel runs the universe). You can intone your favorite prayer or just say a simple blessing. If the project is for someone other than yourself, say: “This project is for (whomever). May they receive the purity of unconditional love through my work.”
Close your eyes, and visualize the finished project. Then see yourself giving the project to whom it is intended. Visualize yourself and the other person smiling happily. Envision the person using the item with a smile on their face, then physically smile yourself, open your eyes, and say: “It is done! It always works. Always a blessing!” Smile. You are now ready to stitch the magickal way!
When you have completed your project, follow the exact same formula. Clear and clean the table. Place the finished item in the center of the table (wash and block first, if necessary). Ring the bell eight times. Pass a new, lit candle over the item for the renewed connection to Spirit. Intone your prayer, charm, or statement. Visualize yourself and the recipient happy and empowered. End with a physical smile. Say: “Thank you! It is done!” Your item is ready to be given to that special person.
Stitching the Magickal Way
When the needle points to the sky, you are pulling in the energy of Spirit. When it returns to the cloth, you are bringing that energy down into the project. When the needle points down to the earth, you are drawing in earth energy (extremely powerful when you wish to manifest things on this plane). When it comes back up through the cloth, you are bringing that energy into the project. Likewise, when knitting, your needles are working with sky energy, but your yarn is a representation of earth energy—together, just as in stitching cross-stitch or needlepoint, you are creating balance in the work.
When Beginning a Project
Cleanse and consecrate all tools, threads, canvas, yarn, and so on, with either holy water or sacred smoke. Bless everything with your overall intent. By intent, I mean love, money, health, success, or you can be more exact. Remember, magickal stitchery works only on attraction. Refrain from negative wording or intent. Think of what you do want, not of what you don’t want. Infusing your stitchery with negative intent will only boomerang. There is no escape.
Create an affirmation or short stitchery poem to match your intent—something that can be said quickly and easily at every stitch, or if this is too much, at the end of every row. Keep your language simple, direct, and straightforward. Use nouns or single-action verbs (your best bet), such as healing, success, prosperity, happiness, serenity, peace, tranquility, harmony, love, security, joy, compassion, safety, luck, unity, opportunity … even a simple thank you carries great power.
During Your Project
Try to stay as upbeat as possible. If things are going well for you, concentrate on the positive aspects of whom the project is for. People suffering from terminal illnesses and depression can find great solace in needlework due to its meditative qualities. Take advantage of this energy if you are in this situation, working the stitches to promote healing for yourself and for others. Sharing positive thoughts and actions is the epitome of caring.
If you become frustrated during the construction of a project, renew the process you first used when you began your work—the clean table, the white candle, the bell, the prayer, the visualization, etc. When you open your eyes, laugh, and say: “This is so easy!” Surprisingly enough, this works wonders! If the problem seems particularly testy, just set the piece aside for a day or two. Begin again when you are in a better mental place.
Sometimes your frustration may have nothing to do with the piece itself, but revolves around a problem in your own life. For example, let’s say you are knitting a simple shawl, but your yarn keeps tangling, to the point that you are sure you will scream, scream, scream! Stop! This is the universe telling you that you have some tangle in your life you aren’t paying attention to, and this is the shortest and best way to show you. Think about what this might be, acknowledge the fact, put the project down, and take a walk or do something physical that does not relate to your project. In this way, you won’t be weaving negativity into your work. Come back to the project when your mind is clear and focused. You may be delighted that you have also thought of a solution to your present “tangle.”
Big Projects
To me, big projects are items that take more than five days to complete. This could be crocheting an afghan, knitting a sweater, sewing a quilt, stitching a large cross-stitch pattern, etc. It doesn’t hurt to burn a lovely candle while working, occasionally ringing the bell or tuning forks and repeating your prayer of intention. This will keep you and the work in the mindset of opportunity.
Storing Your Project While Working
At the end of each stitching session, take a few moments to relax. Bless the project before you put it away. Repeat your original intent and visualization, and remember to thank the universe for the time you were able to spend doing something you love.
Stitchers have a variety of ways in which they store their projects while working. Some have fancy, special bags, where others just put the project back in the original plastic bag from the manufacturer. I do something a bit different. I purchased ten inexpensive canvas bags to use for various projects. Before I begin a project, I launder the bag and include the bag on the table during my original blessing. If the project is for someone else, I will put their picture in this bag. If I don’t have a picture, I write their name on a three-by-five-inch card and place that in the bag. Sometimes I add a potpourri pillow or herb sachet to the bag, along with a charm or two. When I’m not working on the project, all supplies and the project are stored in the bag. I also store this bag in the area of the room that relates to my intent—a feng shui principle. For example, if I decided to make a quilt for my granddaughter, then I might place the bag in any of the following positions: for her education, northeast; for her prosperity, southeast; for her general success and artistic abilities, south; for my love for her and her mother, or a good relationship with her (grandmother to granddaughter), or marriage possibilities, southwest; help from good mentors, northwest. Too complicated? Just remember to store the work with love—your intent is absolutely the key.
I Really Should Be Doing Something Else!
Sometimes allowing ourselves time to actually enjoy working on our creative stitchery can be very difficult. Right now I’m knitting a healing shawl in soft, baby blue yarns. Yet when I sit down to knit, I think: “I should be doing t
he dishes. I should be finishing that writing project. I should be doing laundry. I should be sweeping out the basement. I should pay that phone bill. I should be cleaning the bathroom shower (ugh!),” etc. It’s never just one “should-be”—your mind will create quite a dance line if you let it. To appease this nagging, before you begin stitching, do one thing you’ve been putting off all day (or even all week), and then settle in for some happy stitching! Stitch for a half-hour, then get up, move around, and do something else you’ve been putting off. Now that you’ve taken a healthy break, go back to stitching! By releasing the tasks you must do, you are actually creating a mind-healthy, magickal time slot that can be filled with what you desire—stitching!
Integrate Your Family
This is a big one. Whether it is just you and your partner, or you have rooms bulging with kids—few, if any, humans can tolerate your attention to what you are doing if they believe it is taking away attention from themselves. Rather than suffer for years in silence, here are a few tips to better integrate your family and your crafting:
Refrain from stitching during heightened family hours. These might be breakfast, lunch (perhaps), dinner, right after school lets out, bath time (for younger kids), etc. I know you might be saying “Well! That doesn’t have to be said!” However, we humans have a habit of subconsciously trying to carve out our own territory during less-than-hospitable times. For example, dinner takes a half-hour; you need only put it on the stove and then take it off when it is done, and so you sit down to catch a few stitches—and suddenly the family won’t leave you alone. The problem here is that everyone in the house is hungry, and when people are hungry, they demand attention.
Teach your craft to your children or partner. Of course, not all are interested, but by at least showing family members how something is done, they often learn an appreciation for it. You never know, some may simply love it! Likewise, learn the hobby of your spouse or partner. In this way, you will appreciate what they like to do, too.
Focus your projects on the family, especially in the beginning. Over the years, I’ve done a lot of crafting—jewelry, clay art, painting, etc. I learned the hard way to focus my first projects on them. For example, when I learned jewelry making, I asked my daughters to select beads, findings, and clasps that appealed to them, and made a bracelet or necklace for them before I began other projects. I found that if they benefited early from my crafting, they were less likely to disturb me when I did projects for others. Although my kids are now grown, my oldest continues to do counted cross-stitch, and my youngest son can braid hemp like an expert.
Family members may also enjoy the shopping experience if they know the project is specifically for them. One woman’s husband was furious that she’d taken up such a “pansy” activity like knitting, citing the expense of the yarn, the “waste” of her time, etc. Wisely, she took him shopping, saying, “My skill isn’t very good. But eventually I would like to make something for you. What would you like?” He considered this for a moment and said, “You know, my grandmother made beautiful afghans. I’d like one of those.” She smiled and said, “Fine. Let’s look at the different weights of yarn and colors. What appeals to you?” He spent an hour eagerly looking through all the books at the store for the pattern he wanted, and then another hour on yarns and colors. He made no complaints on the smaller projects she chose to do first, understanding that for what he wanted, she had to build her skill. Eventually, she completed the afghan, and he proudly displayed it to friends and family members, saying, “Yep! She made this just for me!”
Your Signature Is Your Seal of Positive Chi
Don’t forget to sign your work. Although it may not be a big deal to you, it may be something forever cherished by the recipient of your work. Your signature, or designer logo, carries your personal chi and the intent of the piece. During the final blessing, be sure to lay your hand over your signature and fill it with white light.
The Finished Project
Before you hand over your hours of work stitched with thoughts of love and success to the intended recipient, present the project to the rising sun on the day of giving. Thank the universe for your time and skill, and reaffirm the intent of the piece along with your visualization. This is an important closure for you and takes only a few moments of your time, allowing you to connect with Spirit in a celebratory way. If the project is for yourself, ask for continued blessings, and enjoy the beauty of your creation!
Raise Your Energy By Learning a New Type of Stitchery
A great way to welcome new, fresh, dynamic energy into your life is by learning something new. Turn an old magick in stitchery into a powerful vehicle of change! Whether it be photography or stitchery, fixing a car or learning to speak a new language, knowledge always brings new opportunities.
Last fall and winter, I taught myself to knit. As the winds howled and the snow swirled, I knitted and knitted and knitted! Such a wonderful, magickal way to spend those cold winter days and nights. I made several blankets, three mohair shawls, purses, a baby sweater, scarves, hats, a shopping bag, neat cell phone carriers, a stuffed rabbit, a pillow, and a huge, snuggly warm kimono coat. In the spring, I took a trip to Mannings outside of East Berlin, Pennsylvania. What a marvelous place! Yarn, yarn everywhere! Looms, spinning wheels, and books galore; I was in textile heaven! Among my treasured purchases snuggled a “learn to crochet” kit. I’d conquered beginning knitting, and now I wanted more, though I wasn’t sure if I wanted to learn to crochet—it seemed like such an old-lady type of thing. Did I really want to go there? Yet there were patterns I’d seen that looked so neat, new, and retro-hip … hmm … dare I? Did I want to invest the time it took to learn to knit into learning to crochet? I’d already tried once over the winter—I spent two days and got nowhere with the crochet thing. Did I want to try again? Maybe this type of practice just wasn’t for me …
Yet that crochet pattern … it called to me. Truly, it did! And I have a thing about patterns and energy …
So this time I started on a new moon, and I just tried making a block using a single crochet stitch. I didn’t have any particular project in mind, just the idea of learning the stitch. I used a bigger hook than called for so I could see the mechanics of the stitches … and lo and behold, I did it! On my first real project, I had trouble keeping the edges even, so I used a big, fat safety pin to mark where I should be making the last stitch and the turning chain; after that, it was onward and upward! In no time at all, I’d made two pillows, a purse, two belts, and started on a big ripple afghan for my granddaughter. In just two days, I’d finished my first project and moved on to the others.
Okay, I had the mechanics down … now for the magick. For me, I’ve found in most cases crochet goes faster than knitting, which means I can make more things for more people in the same amount of time if I crochet rather than knit. Granted, knitting works specifically well for some things, but when it comes to creating a fast magick item, such as a healing gris-gris for a friend, crochet seems to work up quicker. Here’s how I now begin all my crochet projects:
1.Focus on the intent. I write down on a notecard specifically what I desire, along with the person’s name. For example, if I wanted to make a gris-gris for Sharon, I’d write her name, along with the energy I wish to draw into the work, such as healing of her right elbow after surgery. Or, if I were making a blanket for a child, protection and good health all year through, and so on. I keep this card with the project until completion, then burn it with sacred herbs after the project has been washed and prepared for the blessing ritual.
2.Choose the pattern and the yarn to match the intent and the person. Let’s say Sharon’s favorite colors are pink and green, and she loves heavily textured things. I’d go with her favorite colors, a unique, textured yarn, and perhaps a more intricate pattern. Waved afghan patterns are perfect for drawing in the positive flow of the universe and so are especially nice for sleep
-oriented magick for children as well as adults.
3.Cleanse the yarn and the hook you will use, and dedicate them specifically to the project at hand. Use the procedure that is most comfortable to you.
4.Begin the project with the timing that suits the intent. Use the moon phase and the moon in the signs as your guide.
5.Consider the foundation chain number. Use the magick in numbers if at all possible. For example, a three-count ripple pattern is perfect for almost all projects. Eleven count makes a nice larger ripple and is very magickal as well. What will your foundation chain number factor down to on the scale of one through nine? Is this the energy you wish to instill in the project? If necessary, can you possibly change the foundation chain number without ruining the pattern?
6.Each time you sit down to crochet, light a white candle to acknowledge the light of Spirit, and place a glass of empowered water close to the project. This water should be filled with your blessings and intent. Give the water to a plant when you are done with the project for that day or evening.
7.Use the simple HedgeWitch formula on page 40 before you begin the project. Be sure you have your statement of intent ready before you do this.
8.Finish the HedgeWitch formula with the chant below. Say the project chant nine times, and then begin to work.
Crochet Project Chant
Magick circle
Pull it through
Loop the thought of (healing, prosperity, good fortune, protection, etc.)
To bring to you
Handle hook
To catch the thing
Manifest in sacred ring of (healing, prosperity, good fortune,
protection, etc.)!
9.When laying down the foundation of the project, try this chant, to be repeated nine times:
HedgeWitch Page 15