Fiber Associations

polar-solstice:

I’ve been trying to draft a list of elemental fiber associations for fiber craft witches, and its difficult because it can be so arbitrary. For some, animal fibers may be a connection to spirit, while plant fibers may be connected to earth. Some people connect warmer fibers like wool to fire, while I’ve seen others associate cotton with fire because it grows in such sunny and hot conditions. Ultimately, what you believe is much more important than what some witch on the internet tells you. That said, here’s a set of ideas for you to dabble with:

Cotton

• Fire: Cotton grows in incredibly hot and sunny conditions
• Earth: As a plant fiber, it grows in the earth

Animal Fibers (Wool, Angora, Alpaca, Etc.)

• Fire: These fibers are often the warmest. Indeed, most fiber growing animals must be shorn before summer because they could over heat in an unhealthy manner if they were forced to carry their coats
• Air: Some lighter animal fibers, like angora, are whispy and light, like air
• Earth: These animals are almost always herbivores, creatures of the earth
• Spirit: You can, if you so chose, evoke the qualities of the animal, or just the fact that it comes from a living creature

Bamboo

• Earth: As a plant fiber, it grows in the earth
• Water: Bamboo can live in the water
• Air: Bamboo can grow exceptionally tall
• Fire: Bamboo is shockingly warm for a plant fiber, and may have some cleansing, antibacterial properties

Silk

• Earth: As an insect fiber, silk carries the spirit of small creatures that live in trees and usually mimic leaves
• Air: Silk is incredibly light; Additionally, most silk comes from the larvae of silk moths, which are flying creatures
• Spirit: You can, if you so chose, evoke the qualities of the animal, or just the fact that it comes from a living creature
• Fire: Most silk comes from insects that are killed using heat or fire before the silk fibers from their cocoons are harvested

Man Made Fibers (Rayon, Acrylic, Etc.)

• Spirit: An excellent representation of the ingenuity of humanity, as they are made by us
• Earth: Many acrylic fibers are made of recycled materials, and could be used to represent our concern for and connection to the earth

Of course, sometimes price and practicality win out and you use what you have. In that case, chose what you can get, what will work, and perhaps play with color and patterns. And remember: always consider fiber care!