Spirit Trapping with Rope

     A few weeks ago the cemetery provided me some interesting gifts after an intense night of magic. I had raised the spirits of the dead, gave my offerings, closed my ritual space and went home. On my way back home I came upon a long sturdy rope tied to a large metal spike. Sitting in the middle of the cemetery walk way. I quickly threw it in my bag, thanking the spirits of the grave for always taking good care of me, continuing silently went home. Thinking the whole way of how I want to use this new found tool, being inspired by my recent research into land spirits. Once home I tucked the rope away with my other occult objects and went about my days. 

    A few nights later I returned to the graveyard with the found rope and some of my Serpent oil. I had plans to concentrate this tool to an ophidian spirit I've been working with, and had been having dreams about them slithering through the cemetery. So I felt called to offer this to him. This oil was made with him in mind, and would suit my purposes well. So using a knife and crystal to call and receive spirit, I raised the serpent and blessed this rope. Giving it the power the bind and temporarily trap spirits in its knots. Now it was time to put it to the test, and I knew just how I wanted to use based on some recent reading.

    I've had 2 opportunities so far to use this trap. The first was a spirit catch and release situation which seemed to fall into my lap. I was at a gas station grabbing some snacks, when I was crossing the parking lot I thought I saw an animal scurry by from the corner of my eye. When I looked that way it turned out to be nothing, so I thought nothing of it. Until moments later a drunk man emerging from the store grabs my shoulder with his hand. He stumbles over the crutch under his other arm and declares loudly, "You're bringing me to the bridge!" Before chuckling and walking off without another word. This was too out of the ordinary for me, so I froze and spent a moment contemplating if I should take a trip to the bridge that's near by.  In that moment my hunger took over so I grabbed my treat and headed home, where further divination was done. 

    My readings suggested this was a spirit encounter where this being borrowed this drunk man's vulnerable body for an instant. So I grabbed my spirit doctoring tools and planned a trip back to that store later in the night.

    Using a knife, a railroad spike, some chalk, oil, and a crystal I called this spirit back to me. They came forth appearing in the crystal as a spirit of water, with two legs and a fish tail skipping. Reminding me of their earlier vessel, a drunk man walking with a single crutch. Then the most uncanny thing occurred where a near by sprinkler system kicked on soon after the spirit stepped forth, bringing their domain forward with them. 

    After some time spent communing with the spirit I asked them why they wished to be brought to the bridge. They informed me that a recent rain storm washed them up on land, and need assistance getting back to the water. So I obliged, and offered a catch a release situation. Like a fish on a hook, this spirit was caught in my rope trap. Knotting it in a circle around the spirit's seal I know held them bound inside. 

    My walk to the bridge was full of odd sights and sounds. Such as 3 construction workers tearing up a parking lot at 1am, the sound of bells rang through the air, and 3 white cars passed by consecutively. Upon arrival a local restaurant seemed to have left their speakers running since music was blasting into the still night air. I set up my ritual space undisturbed, untied the knots and sent the spirit on its way. Receiving a gift of used perfectly straight nails on my walk home. 

    My next chance to use this rope to bind spirits was more intentional and sought out. I've been working on making and consecrating a new wand, and saw an opportunity to attach a spirit to it. This impish spirit had been calling out to me since the start of this wand's creation, but only recently have I begun to move forward on that progress. Finishing the wand just the other day. Leading to this spirit returning to the fore front of my mind as I plan it's binding to this newly made tool. 

    I devised a rite utilizing my personal court of spirits. Where this impish being would be bound to wand under my court's authority with the use of this rope to facilitate that. Along with some ritual pomp and circumstance.

    At the peek of the rite, after the spirit presented me with it's seal and we agreed upon a deal, i pulled out my rope to hold the spirit in place. Circling the wand, seal, and crystal which the spirit was viewed through all with the rope. Tying it nicely, completing the circle. Thus binding the imp to the wand, which was then wrapped in black fabric and held shut using the rope (which is still tied in a circle). The ritual concluded with me bringing the wand to the cemetery. Where the circle was relaid, and the wand unwrapped from it's black fabric. Once the imp's presence was fully felt, the rope was untied. Sealing my deal with the spirit. 

    I'd consider both of these workings a success. Which has me reflecting on what I feel contributed to this, and in this case I see the common factor being this method of binding spirits with rope. This idea came me to from my research into land spirits for another project I've got on the back burner, but I've been trying out various things from my reading. This idea specifically from the book Demons and Spirits of the Land by Claude Lecouteux. 

      In it Claude Lecouteux discusses the various entities inhabiting the world around us, the rituals our ancestors used to connect with them, and how these believes survived into the modern age. One chapter that suck out to me was chapter 13 titled "circumambulation." In it he mentioned stories of how one would lay claim to land, and/or elevate the spirit(s) inhabiting it, by circumambulating the place. At the start of the chapter he states,

"The rites of circumambulation need to be read on two levels. They involve the protection of the circumscribed space against external forces - the land spirits whose ownership of the land predates that of the human settler - and also confirm the unique sacredness of a piece of land. This sacredness can be based on the presence of a god or, as was the case of Christians, the presence of a saint of holy relic. It can also be based on the presence of a tamed spirit or that of a dead individual - often times the first colonist, who has returned as a guardian spirit. The circumambulation is one of the oldest forms of establishing ownership of the piece of land and has a value equivalent to that of a legal writ. We keep in mind, however, that the oldest period law and religious were inseparable."

    In this he brings up how a spirit and place can be honored through the encircling of it. As well as it being used as a way of laying claim to a place, protecting it from unwanted outsides forces. I draw on this idea in the way I use my rope binding, elevating the spirit inside while separating it from the outside world. Creating a delineation between the spirit and other. 

    Later in the chapter Lecouteux mentions the use of thin strips of hide to encircle a space. Saying, 

"These are rites for claiming ownership of a plot of ground, even though they may seem more like figments of legend, which at one time or another corresponded with existing realities before they lost their sacred character and were devalued more or less to the status of simple motifs for fables. Such is the case for the legend of Carthage's founding by Dido. A bull hide cut into thin strips was used to mark off the territory of the city; in other words, to form an enclosed space (whether round or square does not matter). The same method was used to establish the boundaries of the future city of London (if we can believe the Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok), and even those of York.  There is also the case of the Melusine legend, as told by Jean d'Arras at the end of the fourteenth century."

        Lecouteux goes on to share this story and others where a strip of hide in used to claim ownership of land, guided by the wisdom of a spirit or fairy. Which leads to individuals being well blessed. So I drew on these themes in creation of this new tool and method.  Letting spirit guide me in where to lay me circle, as to be blessed by that which it claims (and sometimes lets go of). In my case, instead of hide I've been using rope. I imagine thread or twine could be used similarly, and in the future I may explore making a strip of hide.

    Circles, squares, and triangles and long been thought to have occult power. So seeing circles and squares being used to claim ownership of space made natural sense to me, and would lend itself well to applying the same concept to spirits. My recent explorations show good results, so I plan to keep trying this method out.

    I even foresee this becoming a prominent practice in my work as I build strong bonds with the spirits in my environment.