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Author Topic: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers  (Read 6111 times)

beachglass

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Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« on: September 11, 2014, 07:22:39 pm »
I've been musing on fabric since reading Jenett's post in the button bag thread.

I think it's pretty commonly held that fibers like cotton and wool are more energetically "conductive," and silk is more "insulating"? But when I go to the fabric or yarn shop, there are many, many more fibers to choose from.

Rayon, for example, can be made all kinds of things. Would rayon from bamboo retain some of the magical properties of bamboo, even after the manufacturing process? Would it be different from pine rayon?

There are also fibers derived from milk, sugar, soybeans, seaweed, etc.

And while petroleum fibers get a bad rap (not without reason), one advantage they have is that they can be dyed to almost any conceivable color. So if you really want that bright orange, an acrylic might be your best choice. Not to mention usually much more easily obtained on a budget.

What are your thoughts and experiences with magic and fiber? Do you have a particular, perhaps unusual, preference? Any specialty fiber you'd like to try but haven't gotten ahold of yet?
"The further we go, and older we grow, the more we know, the less we show."  ~ Robert Smith

Wimsaur

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #1 on: September 24, 2014, 01:55:14 pm »
Quote from: beachglass;158785
I've been musing on fabric since reading Jenett's post in the button bag thread.

I think it's pretty commonly held that fibers like cotton and wool are more energetically "conductive," and silk is more "insulating"? But when I go to the fabric or yarn shop, there are many, many more fibers to choose from.

Rayon, for example, can be made all kinds of things. Would rayon from bamboo retain some of the magical properties of bamboo, even after the manufacturing process? Would it be different from pine rayon?

There are also fibers derived from milk, sugar, soybeans, seaweed, etc.

And while petroleum fibers get a bad rap (not without reason), one advantage they have is that they can be dyed to almost any conceivable color. So if you really want that bright orange, an acrylic might be your best choice. Not to mention usually much more easily obtained on a budget.

What are your thoughts and experiences with magic and fiber? Do you have a particular, perhaps unusual, preference? Any specialty fiber you'd like to try but haven't gotten ahold of yet?

Slightly different, but have you heard of orgonite?

It Is a substance made of metal (bits and shavings) and organic materials (wood, sap, honey, or even resins and proxies).

Orgonite attracts and generates life force energy (chi, orgone, prana, ki, etc.).

In fact, it also retains memory much like crystals do. I have made a disk for my magickal practice that is continually being charged.

Scales

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #2 on: September 25, 2014, 06:44:00 pm »
Quote from: beachglass;158785
I've been musing on fabric since reading Jenett's post in the button bag thread.

I think it's pretty commonly held that fibers like cotton and wool are more energetically "conductive," and silk is more "insulating"? But when I go to the fabric or yarn shop, there are many, many more fibers to choose from.

Rayon, for example, can be made all kinds of things. Would rayon from bamboo retain some of the magical properties of bamboo, even after the manufacturing process? Would it be different from pine rayon?

There are also fibers derived from milk, sugar, soybeans, seaweed, etc.

And while petroleum fibers get a bad rap (not without reason), one advantage they have is that they can be dyed to almost any conceivable color. So if you really want that bright orange, an acrylic might be your best choice. Not to mention usually much more easily obtained on a budget.

What are your thoughts and experiences with magic and fiber? Do you have a particular, perhaps unusual, preference? Any specialty fiber you'd like to try but haven't gotten ahold of yet?

 
This is entirely my opinion and not rooted in any reading or anything. That said:

I mostly use natural fabrics. This is because if I make a charm bag or something, I want it to be biodegradable if I decide I am done with it.

I see silk as a rather ethereal cloth. It holds pretty colours and patterns, and while delicate in some ways it is very sturdy in others, and it's smooth, and shiny, and generally things I associate with mystery and otherworldliness. It also is something I associate with orientalism (as a style/genre, not the social problem it presents), which I associate with dreams, night, and the tropics? (that makes no sense to me written out. I mean sort of like when you see a painting of a tiger, and it just feels humid and hot under the greenery? again, very much my personal thoughts, not grounded anywhere particular).

Cotton is a working thing. It is very multipurpose, and comes in about a million different textures/weaves, but is generally fairly sturdy and wicks a lot. Cotton's what I use for most charm bags, poppets, ribbons, etc. It definitely feels more like a tool to me than silk does.

Wool is my favourite fabric, basically. I associate it with magic in general, mostly because wool cloaks are a thing. I don't know what to say about it, though. I like that it smells like lanolin, and isn't flammable, and is warm all the time. I actually see it as more of an insulator than silk, but continuing that way, it's rather like if you put your hot water bottle in a blanket? It radiates heat, but not as strongly as just touching the hot part, but it keeps it hot longer? I have no idea if this is making sense, but that's the direction I see it as far as making charms, wrapping things up, etc.

Those are the main three fabrics I think about. There's also bamboo (which I associate with utility, but in a less heavy way than cotton or wool, as well as comfort and versatility) and hemp (which I don't think about much, but most of my twin is made from), but there are other things I want to touch on.

Yarn, string, and thread all have different associations for me, regardless of material, although material can of course be applied as well or instead of these.

Yarn- Useful, but in a different way than cotton. I associate it with creativity and warmth, that sort of yellowish direction. You can do basically anything with it. If you were short on fabric for a thing, you could knit/crochet/weave it out of yarn. If you don't have thread, you can punch holes and use yarn (in magic, obviously, not sewing clothes). It's very multipurpose and personalized. Of course, for all I spout about it, I haven't a clue how to do anything with yarn, so I'll leave it there.

Twine- Like cotton, very practical and solid. I use it for binding things together- I grew up using scrap bailing twine to fix fences. Now I use hemp twine for crafts, spells/charm bags, and household things. Like how it binds physical things together, I like tying a charm bag with it (think how the little pouch of acorns is wrapped up in Totoro). Generally it's nice and multipurpose, though.

Thread- Thread is more delicate than the other two, and also more precise. I use thread for sewing poppets, and it's often related to life/death (usually symbolically- the death of a feeling being bound, or using red thread for a poppet, that sort of thing). It's also a bit less gentle feeling, maybe because I associate it with needles.

Satin- It can be made of several things, so I didn't put it in fabrics. Satin goes in the direction of silk, but kind of muted?

Various unnatural fabrics- I avoid them, but generally I associate them with whatever natural fabric they remind me of (other than spandex and that sort of thing). I associate that soft acrylic cottony stuff with comfort and utility (it's what most of my 'doing sort of physical work' dresses are made of). I haven't explored the magic applications of these much, but like satin, they're a sort-of muted version of whatever they resemble. I imagine some are amplified rather than muted feeling though, if anything.

I think that's everything I had to say? It's already pretty long winded, so I'll end it here for now anyway. I would say that fabrics made from processing soy, bamboo, etc into other stuff aren't any less the fabric than enhanced/lab/reconstituted/other stones are gemstones, which, I suppose, means it's up to you.

stephyjh

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2014, 02:01:02 am »
Quote from: Scales;160267

Various unnatural fabrics- I avoid them, but generally I associate them with whatever natural fabric they remind me of (other than spandex and that sort of thing). I associate that soft acrylic cottony stuff with comfort and utility (it's what most of my 'doing sort of physical work' dresses are made of). I haven't explored the magic applications of these much, but like satin, they're a sort-of muted version of whatever they resemble. I imagine some are amplified rather than muted feeling though, if anything.

 
The fact that they aren't natural products and don't retain the properties of the plants or animals they came from is part of what I find useful in my work. I view them as kind of a neutral backdrop for whatever I'm working on. I also find the durability useful if it's something I'm going to want around for a while.
A heretic blast has been blown in the west,
That what is no sense must be nonsense.

-Robert Burns

Scales

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2014, 01:57:17 pm »
Quote from: stephyjh;160307
The fact that they aren't natural products and don't retain the properties of the plants or animals they came from is part of what I find useful in my work. I view them as kind of a neutral backdrop for whatever I'm working on. I also find the durability useful if it's something I'm going to want around for a while.

 
This is a really good/neat point! I haven't thought about it much, and I imagine a fair amount aren't overly slow biodegrading (although, obviously, I'll look that up before I bury/otherwise toss anything made with them), and even if they are, there are reasons to have things that last.

HarpingHawke

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #5 on: September 26, 2014, 02:24:43 pm »
Quote from: stephyjh;160307
I view them as kind of a neutral backdrop for whatever I'm working on. I also find the durability useful if it's something I'm going to want around for a while.

 
Echoing Scales, that's an awesome point.

I tend to use felt when I think the energy of the working needs to seep through quickly instead of be contained for a longer time. Stuff gets through it pretty easily. I use synthetic because it costs less, but if I'm doing something really special I might splurge on wool.

I've never really liked silk. Something about it just doesn't click with the work I do.
"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self." - Hemingway

beachglass

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #6 on: September 26, 2014, 06:14:29 pm »
Quote from: Scales;160267
This is entirely my opinion and not rooted in any reading or anything.


Interesting ideas! And there isn't much to read about, at least not that I've found, so I am very interested in people's experiences.

Quote from: Scales;160267
I actually see [wool] as more of an insulator than silk, but continuing that way, it's rather like if you put your hot water bottle in a blanket? It radiates heat, but not as strongly as just touching the hot part, but it keeps it hot longer? I have no idea if this is making sense, but that's the direction I see it as far as making charms, wrapping things up, etc.


Perhaps more of a modulator than an insulator per se? It permits the flow of energy but at a more controlled rate?

Quote from: Scales;160267
Yarn, string, and thread all have different associations for me, regardless of material, although material can of course be applied as well or instead of these.


Yes, I hadn't thought about this originally, but it makes sense to me.

Quote from: Scales;160267
Thread- Thread is more delicate than the other two, and also more precise. I use thread for sewing poppets, and it's often related to life/death (usually symbolically- the death of a feeling being bound, or using red thread for a poppet, that sort of thing). It's also a bit less gentle feeling, maybe because I associate it with needles.


So this is interesting, because once upon a time, thread was just thin yarn. Modern thread requires mechanized spinning, and while it can be spun much more finely than yarn, it's much stronger. (This is why you should not repair knitting with thread, which will eventually cut through the weaker yarn.) Which fits pretty well with your impressions!
"The further we go, and older we grow, the more we know, the less we show."  ~ Robert Smith

beachglass

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #7 on: September 26, 2014, 06:24:30 pm »
Quote from: stephyjh;160307
The fact that they aren't natural products and don't retain the properties of the plants or animals they came from is part of what I find useful in my work. I view them as kind of a neutral backdrop for whatever I'm working on. I also find the durability useful if it's something I'm going to want around for a while.


Do you include rayon and other semi-synthetic fibers here?

I'll echo Scales and HarpingHawke in saying that the idea of a manmade fiber as a neutral is a useful one. It never quite sits right with me when people dismiss these out of hand.

(Might be the knitter in me talking, who can't imagine burdening new parents with a hand-wash-only baby blanket!)
"The further we go, and older we grow, the more we know, the less we show."  ~ Robert Smith

beachglass

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #8 on: September 26, 2014, 06:27:59 pm »
Quote from: HarpingHawke;160435
I tend to use felt when I think the energy of the working needs to seep through quickly instead of be contained for a longer time. Stuff gets through it pretty easily. I use synthetic because it costs less, but if I'm doing something really special I might splurge on wool.


Hmm... I'm thinking about getting out my needles and experimenting with different densities of felt. The stuff in the craft store is somewhere in the middle, I would say? But you can felt wool pretty firmly. Interesting.
"The further we go, and older we grow, the more we know, the less we show."  ~ Robert Smith

HarpingHawke

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2014, 01:15:51 pm »
Quote from: beachglass;160496
Hmm... I'm thinking about getting out my needles and experimenting with different densities of felt. The stuff in the craft store is somewhere in the middle, I would say? But you can felt wool pretty firmly. Interesting.

 
If you get out your roving and a bucket of soapy water it's not too hard to do! I find that when I have time to make everything myself, it lends to something special.
"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self." - Hemingway

Wimsaur

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2014, 08:42:52 pm »
Quote from: stephyjh;160307
The fact that they aren't natural products and don't retain the properties of the plants or animals they came from is part of what I find useful in my work. I view them as kind of a neutral backdrop for whatever I'm working on. I also find the durability useful if it's something I'm going to want around for a while.

That's why orgonite uses both organic and inorganic substances. The inorganic metal component acts as an antenna receiving energy present through out the universe (such as radio noise) and radiates into the organic component which stores and builds up the energy.

That's why I made a disk for my alter made of it. It acts as a spiritual capacitor.

You can also make them with crystals to attract specific types of energy and vibrations.

Wimsaur.com

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #11 on: September 28, 2014, 11:58:26 am »
Quote from: HarpingHawke;160435
I've never really liked silk. Something about it just doesn't click with the work I do.

 
I've always felt like as a magical practitioner you're supposed to like silk, because you'll always read about wrapping tools in it. I suppose it's supposed to be protective, then...? At any rate, I never cared much for it in that context, and I'm glad somebody else didn't click with it either.

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #12 on: September 28, 2014, 01:54:49 pm »
Quote from: Mama Fortuna;160585
I've always felt like as a magical practitioner you're supposed to like silk, because you'll always read about wrapping tools in it. I suppose it's supposed to be protective, then...? At any rate, I never cared much for it in that context, and I'm glad somebody else didn't click with it either.

 
To me it just seemed really pretentious and heavy. Not something I like for working. I can't even wear it.
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random417

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #13 on: September 28, 2014, 03:16:24 pm »
Quote from: Mama Fortuna;160585
I've always felt like as a magical practitioner you're supposed to like silk, because you'll always read about wrapping tools in it. I suppose it's supposed to be protective, then...? At any rate, I never cared much for it in that context, and I'm glad somebody else didn't click with it either.

I was taught that silk is an insulator. It doesn't hold a charge itself well, but it creates a barrier sealing in what you wrap in it and keeping outside influences out. I never really liked it anyway, so I've not tried that out myself, it's just what I was taught
"Let it be that state of manyhood bound and loathing. So with thy all; thou hast no right but to do thy will. Do that and no other shall say nay. For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is in every way perfect."

AL 1:42-44

Scales

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Re: Magical/energetic properties of fabrics and fibers
« Reply #14 on: September 28, 2014, 11:41:46 pm »
Quote from: Mama Fortuna;160585
I've always felt like as a magical practitioner you're supposed to like silk, because you'll always read about wrapping tools in it. I suppose it's supposed to be protective, then...? At any rate, I never cared much for it in that context, and I'm glad somebody else didn't click with it either.

Like I said, I feel like it has a bit of a ~magic~ feel, mainly because it's flowy and soft and shiny. That said, I agree, I don't like wearing it, or working with it if I don't have to.
« Last Edit: September 28, 2014, 11:42:38 pm by Scales »

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