The Knot Working

Binding a Belief to Cord

A belief doesn’t have to be permanent to be real. Some are worth holding for a season, a project, or a moment. This working gives that kind of belief a body. A cord you can tie, keep close, and eventually undo.

What you need

A length of cord. Rope, ribbon, yarn, a shoelace. Anything that holds a knot and unties cleanly.

A candle. Use it carefully and never leave it.

A few quiet minutes.

Choose the belief

Pick something you want to hold for a purpose, and phrase it short, present tense, as already true.
I finish what I start. I am easy to find. This will work.

Choose it for what it does, not if you can prove it. The result is the test.

You can tie one belief three times to set it firmly, or three related beliefs, one for each knot.

Tie it

Light the flame. It marks the work as begun.

Hold the cord. Say the belief aloud. Tie the first knot slowly as you say it, and pull it tight until it holds. Do the same for the second and third. Then rest the cord in your palm until it feels finished.

Blow out or extinguish the flame.

Hold it

Keep the cord where you’ll notice it: a pocket, a drawer, by your bedside. Don’t check on it. When you happen to see it, that’s enough. Feel the belief as true. The cord holds it.

Untie it

When the work is done, don’t cut it. Untie it one knot at a time, starting with the last one tied. With each knot, say what it held and let it go. I finished what I started. Released.

Pull the cord straight. Fold it and set it to rest. The cord is ready for the next working, or for ordinary use again.

Make it yours

Change the number of knots. Speak the words or keep them silent. Braid three strands instead of knotting one. Hang the cord instead of carrying it. If the working still works with your changes, then your changes are the working. That’s how a practice continues.