A little enjoyable read with some good tips and tricks in cord tying and interesting spells to practice. Are they all for me? Certainly not, but i challenge you to find any book that has every spell work for everybody.

DNF 15%

I thought the premise of this type of magic was interesting so I requested this book. Unfortunately, I didn’t find what I read very interesting and I keep putting it down to read other books. I struggled with her writing style as well.

Also from what I read, there were no photo instructions included on how to do the different types of twists to make cords. This might be because I have an ARC copy, but the written instructions were not always clear and I struggled to follow the steps. This also was another reason why I decided to DNF because I clearly wasn’t understanding her instructions.

I love the idea of cord magic. I enjoyed all of the examples of how to tie different kinds of knots. The spells were nice, although not always want I needed or wanted. I was definitely more interested in the history of cord magic and wanted more of that, and less of a how-to book.

Fantastic!
I loved the history, the practicality, the deep dive into a simple practice of magic that so, so many witches can benefit from.
Any witch who has the ability to tie a knot and wants to enliven their beliefs with some hands on work needs this book. I would say its a necessary addition to any witch's library.

I received an ARC from NetGalley. I am not nor will receive money for this review.
This book gave a lot of history on cords to start off and I learned a lot from just that. The author goes into detail about the use and meaning of cords, colors, and how to use cords for magic. For anyone interested in cord magic, I will recommend this. I have always had trouble visualizing cord magic so this helped a lot.

I really loved this book. It’s a subject matter that has always interested me. It was well written and very informative. I feel a little better about trying this aspect of the craft myself. A big Thank you to the author.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Cord Magic was a pleasantly surprising book that I flew through. I loved the level of information given which was neither too hard nor too easy to follow and understand making it ideal for new to me users (like me) and more experienced ones too.
In this book we learn about tapping into the power of using strings, yarns, twists and knots to weave magic and spells.
The authors introduction was beautifully written and enjoyable and drew me in straight away.
This book also touches on subjects such as traditions, religion and culture as well as teaches us about materials, colour choices and using the craft.
You learn to make cords for many different things such as different seasons, elements, occasions and cycles and there are even worksheets to use which was really helpful.
I loved this book and found it to be one of my favourites so far!

Cords are one of the easiest ways to make magic. Fibers are common, knotting is easy, and together both can be used for nearly every conceivable purpose, making threads the ultimate portable witch’s tool. Cords can be made as standalone talismans or used to add power to other workings.

This book contains what seems to be everything you need to know about magic with cords, starting with examples of fibers through history and many different cultures, how they become charmed, and how to unmake them.

It takes longer to explain how to make a cord than to do it. Gather two or more pieces of string the same length. Knot at both ends. Secure one end to a sturdy object. Keeping tension on the string, begin to twist the threads together. When the tension has increased dramatically and the cord begins to kink on itself, grasp the cord at the midway point and bring the end you twisted to the end that is anchored. Let go in the middle and it will curl back upon itself.

Spinning the string infuses it with energy – twist to the right to send energy into the world, and left to direct it toward yourself. Your knowledge of magic when making choices every step of the way – the days, the number of strands, their colors, the fiber – fortifies your cord with purpose.

Chapters cover design elements in depth, giving readers many ways to infuse meaning and customize cords to make something happen, to hold energy, or to store energy for later release. Cords easily capture the energy of time and place – a full moon, a thunderstorm, a sabbat, a retreat – and then keep the energy for later use.

Think of a knot as a wish; it contains energy. Brandy Williams illustrates some common knots to use when making cords for protection, health, happiness, relationships, prosperity, weather magic, astrological signs, and more. There are positively worded affirmations, and intentions that can be spoken when starting the project, then when meditated while working. Because of the way yarn is looped, knitting, crocheting and macrame can be considered a series of knots that can seal in an intention.

Examples are also given for an array of cords, and worksheets abound, prompting users to record personal references and meanings when beginning their own cord magic. The possibilities are endless – from ribbon used to decorate a baby shower gift to a talisman for protection while traveling – so grab some string and make some magic.

Reviewed by Lynn Woike of PaganPagesOrg

A good book for those who do want to use cord magic or have it has a main way of doing magic. A variety of ways to do it. A good addition to one’s library.

I enjoy books that cover unique types of magic. This book was a great read including the history lessons. For those little bits of information, I would like more citations of source materials but overall it was an easy book.

Cord Magic by Brandy Williams
Tapping into the power of string, yarn, twists and knots

Having used knots and cords and other magic devices in the past I was interested in seeing what this book had to offer.

What I liked:
* the history of cord use
* the personal use of cords as illustrated by the author
* the personalization options
* the worksheets/charts that will assist the practitioner
* the common thoughts on correspondences
* Information on color, number, fibers, how to make cords, etc
* specific projects
* layouts/charts for setting up a magic working
* dyes
* measurements
* choosing what will be used to do magic
* energy in magic
* steps
* consecration, cleansing, choosing, focus, invocation, etc in regard to what will be done
* what to do with cords once magic has been done and it is time to release the energy from the cord/knots
* use of beads, charms, stones
* listing of knots
* all of it really

What I didn’t like:
* as this was an ARC and not complete, I found that not being able to see the illustrations, photographs and such made it more difficult to visualize what the purchaser of the book will be able to see. I cannot give feedback on this area as it was not in the ARC.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I like to have it in my library? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

This was an amazing book and opens up an entirely different world of magic. There is energy in everything we touch, everything that grows, everything that surrounds us. Some are conduits for this energy, and this has offered an excellent insight into expanding a person's depth and breathe of the craft.

This author has offered up other introductions "Practical Magic for Beginners" and has shared some wonderfully insightful and important information for those just developing their connections to the earth's energy and power. This book is something that I will re-read again and again and makes a perfect reference whether one has experience or is just learning. Really well done! #CordMagic #NetGalley

I loved this book!

Apparently cord magic is very simple, so this book goes deep into the practice, focusing a lot on the materials, their provenance and their history, ecological aspects of it, and offering a lot of examples for this practice for various aspects: for health, prosperity, love, friendship, and deeper practices done by group of witches.

I do not practice this so I may not necessarily be the target audience but I appreciate greatly this book. I think it's perfect for anyone who wants to deep their toes into a simple magical practice.

I liked a lot the style of the writing, how empathetical the author is to many modern issues, how friendly her tone is and how she shares nuggets of wisdom only practitioners have developed.

I learned a lot of information through this book, which was quite unexpected. All in all, it's a lovely book, teaching a simple practice but giving all its aspects the importance needed.

I love that this book talks about how many different things you can do using a simple cord. I have all of these ideas in my head now that I can not wait to try!! Such a wonderfuly written and educational book.

Although I've practiced many types of magic, cord magic has always been something I knew little about. And I am so glad to have read an ARC of this book because it provided a comprehensive, easy-to-understand overview of cord magic, with writing prompts, examples, and more. I will definitely be revisiting this book in the future!

Since I work with yarn daily (I crochet) I loved the idea of incorporating cord magic into my life and maybe get some ideas to incorporate something similar into my crochet and this book did not disappoint. I love the history that Brandy Williams provides and I did not realize how far back the practice goes.

This book grabbed me from the start and is very readable for all. From the different correspondences (color, days, seasons, etc) that are provided this is definitely worth a read for those interested in a simple yet rich tradition.

Very informative book. Full of a lot of useful information. This book will also be very useful for future reference.

Cord magic is a very easy and accessible read for people who are beginners to magic. Brandy Williams introduces herself and her lineage well from the beginning and also gives practical examples of when she's used cord magic, I do wish that the few example of creative writing inserts had been left out as they felt at odds with the rest of the book,. The book covers all the basics especially when it comes to correspondences - number, colour, planetary etc, There are charms and projects provided including the famous Witches Ladder. I think that it is those areas most readers will have an interest in. There is everything you need to get started in using this magical technique straight away. I think Brandy Williams particular way will appeal to those that like a bit of ceremonial inspired style to their craft. I found the many examples of thread, cords etc use in other traditions to be a bit much and it felt like filler. I much preferred the practical tips like the quick guide to measurement, Due to the fact this is a preview copy I cannot comment on the overall presentation and the imagery/artwork which is quite crucial as certain images are practical examples.

(I received a copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for a review all opinions are my own)

This book is very thorough in covering every aspect of cord magic for anyone who is curious to learn about this craft. As a fiber artist I appreciated the wealth of knowledge provided on the different types of fiber you can work with and how you can incorporate many of these techniques into projects that use cords such as knitting, crochet and macramé. This is a very niche aspect of witchcraft but I think very approachable in how it's written that won't intimidate those new to the craft.

As a yartist I was eager to read more about combining my love for yarn art with my love for magic. This book was so much more than I anticipated. There is a lot of rich history that was utterly fascinating. The roots of cord magic are as varied as they are far-reaching into the past.

In addition to that, there is a wealth of information regrading number of threads, colors, and even days and seasons which work better with certain intentions. I found the information to be very detailed and well researched.

There were also ideas for spoken/thought/written intentions to help anyone who might not feel comfortable creating their own spells from scratch.

I loved the no shame, make it yourself or buy it, use natural or use man made attitude that made this feel like it was accessible to all levels of practitioners. It allows the power of a talisman to be in the hands of the curious as well as the practiced.

I highly recommend this to any one who is curious about cord magic, or who is looking for a simple yet powerful way to create talismans for needs as simple as good wishes to more intricate needs.