Eight-pointed star (free pattern)
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Needlework is deeply rooted in magic.🪡
The figures used in ancient embroidery represented the world of nature: plants, animals, the moon. These patterns resulted in sigil-like codes which not only served as a personal expression of the artist’s life, but offered protection and good fortune to whoever wore them. Embroidery was a ritual that required a clear mind and intention.
One of these many symbols is called the eight-pointed star. It’s formed by combining a straight cross (representing masculinity and the sun) with an oblique cross (representing femininity and the moon), resulting in life. (Much later, the star found its way into religious art, and is often seen on the headscarf in icons of the Virgin Mary.)
I recreated a simple eight-pointed star (click here to download the free pattern) that can be cross-stitched quickly as part of a needlework ritual. I used indigo for renewal and red for ambition, but the color combos are limitless depending on your intention.
Once it’s stitched up, you can put it in a tiny frame to keep nearby, or add it as a patch to clothing, or bury it to bless your garden, or place it in your grimoire—anywhere you might hide a note with a blessing.