Binding

Week 3 - the letter "B" is for Binding

Outside of wishing on stars, eyelashes, 11:11 and when blowing out the candles on my birthday cake, my first magickal workings were very simple and basic.  Most were taken from books and I didn't customize them at all.  There wasn't much "me" in them and I wasn't always sure if they were working at all.

And then necessity took hold and action was needed. 

A good friend (H)  who I was mentoring to a certain extent, met up with a mutual acquaintance (J) and they started a relationship. At first, everything was peachy.  And then it turned...weird.  H changed a great deal and in ways that were not at all in her character.  J did everything he could to keep her away from us and all to himself. 

It wasn't completely ironic that H's resident assistant said, "it's like she under a spell or something."

I knew J was a skilled witch and he had impressed me with his abilities and knowledge.  He was truly a force to be reckoned with and I was both intimidated and afraid.  Through experience, I'd also learned that he was delusional and his knowledge was contained to a few select subjects.

When J and H didn't return from a weekend, we didn't worry until mid-week hit and no one had heard from either of them.  H's mom had even phoned with her concern about the whereabouts of her daughter.  The college administration was alerted and the police were called.  H was still legally a minor and J was not.  H finally reached out to her roommate and they were on their way to New York City.  H was out of it and making very little sense.  There was no doubt that something was wrong.

Mama Bear mode kicked in and I knew I needed to do something. 

I did a binding spell on J to stop him for doing any further harm towards H, to release the hold he had on her, and to get H back home.  I'd never done a binding and made it up as I went.  I was careful but forceful with my words and intent.  I don't remember exactly what I said or what I did but there were knots cast into the cord of a necklace he'd left behind and my emotions had reached a point of angry tears.

Less than an hour later, we got the call that H and J had been in a car accident.  Neither were severely injured but the car was a total loss and could no longer be driven.  They were being brought home.

Was it me and my spell?  I don't know but I do believe I had a part in getting H home.

Bindings, much like any magickal working, can be positive or negative (white or black, pick your contrasting terms), depending on your intention.  Essentially, a binding is a spell or magickal working that stops someone metaphysically, preventing them from completing some action.  You most often hear it used to keep a person from harming either themselves or another being.   Binding is a form of manipulative magick where the will of another person is affected by the person working the spell.  Because of this, those who follow the Rede and certain traditions would not choose to do such workings. 

In the end, bindings are just another spell and tool to use as necessary.  They should be used with caution and understanding of potential consequences.  But all actions - magickal or not - should get the same consideration.