Library of the Scholar Witch

Spell: Chevalerie

Category: beneficial magic

Purpose: protection + self-confidence

Introduction

This spell was inspired by reading (translated) medieval poetry and prose about knightly adventures, primarily from Chrétien de Troyes and Thomas Malory. This spell is a reminder of how you are supposed to treat others... but it's also meant to help you remember that you deserve to be treated just as honorably and well as anyone else. You are a whole human person who is deserving of dignity, respect, and safety—and nobody can take that away from you! In other words, this spell is meant to bolster your sense of do no harm but take no shit.

image source

The name of the spell, Chevalerie, is a French word referring to the code of honorable and courteous behavior that medieval knights were supposed to abide by. (There are, of course, several thousand different examples of where, when, and how they did not do so). There are multiple published codes of chivalry dating from the approximate handful of centuries that compose what we now think of as the Middle Ages of Europe. The earliest that I'm aware of is found in the Song of Roland from the 11th century, and is known to historians as Charlemagne's Code of Chivalry.

Charlemagne's Code isn't the only published code of chivalry, and it also isn't my favorite because it emphasizes maintaining the Christian faith. A more adaptable code of chivalry comes from Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy during the 13th century, where he records what he believed to be twelve knightly virtues. (In parentheses are my own interpretations of them for a modern audience).

• Faith (keeping true to one's religious/spiritual beliefs—if you don't have any religious code to follow, consider keeping faith to your promises and always doing what you say you're going to do)
• Charity (helping the downtrodden and less fortunate)
• Justice (championing causes that promote a more equitable world)
• Sagacity (being discerning and using good sense to make decisions)
• Prudence (using good judgment to manage resources)
• Temperance (avoiding excessive consumption of worldly pleasures, but also avoiding deliberate starvation of oneself from the luxuries of life)
• Resolution (stick to your morals)
• Truth (tell the truth)
• Liberality (be generous and liberal in sharing your resources with others)
• Diligence (be tenacious in the face of hardships and setbacks)
• Hope (don't give in to despair)
• Valor (be brave)

But without further ado, let's get on to the spell!

Casting the Spell

You will need:

• an object to serve as a talisman (it could be a coin, a crystal or stone, a playing card, trading card, or divination card, a piece of jewelry, or something else entirely)
• a method by which to listen to recorded music
• 1 or more candles (ideally blue or white, but any color will do in a pinch—see here for an explanation of color correspondences).
• OPTIONAL: a writing implement + something to write upon

Method:

Before you begin the spell itself, cleanse the object you plan to use as a talisman through whatever technique seems best to you. (Personally, I prefer cleansing with candelight, but it's up to you).

Find a comfortable, quiet place to settle yourself with your talisman and other supplies. Light the candle following all applicable fire safety procedures, and then examine the object that will become your talisman. Are you already well-acquainted with this particular object? Is is already dear to you, or is it so new that you have yet to get to know its internal energies?

Play a song that reminds you of what you envision as the pinnacles of knighthood and chivalry in an ideal world. (A suggestion if you're stumped: Sophia: Radio Edit by The Crüxshadows—you can find this song on YouTube or Spotify).

Ruminate on the concept of chivalry while your song of choice plays. (You can listen to it on repeat, or else make a playlist of different songs). What ideals would your own code of chivalry contain? How could you be more chivalrous to others, and how could they be more chivalrous to you? You deserve to be treated well, no matter your gender identity or sexual orientation, your skin color, your faith, or any other aspect of your being.

Hold your talisman-object and concentrate on it as the song or playlist continues. Imagine a suit of armor covering you and shielding you from harm. Imagine a knight protecting you from all wrongdoing. Imagine yourself as the knight.

When you are ready, shut off the music and extinguish the candle. Your talisman-object has now been charged with the protective ideals of chivalry and knighthood as you deem fit to apply to yourself. Carry it on your person to remind yourself of how you deserve to be treated + how you should treat others who are deserving of chivalrous conduct. If you so desire, journal about your thoughts regarding the ideals of knighthood and humane behavior.