On Blood Magic

dovewithscales:

Blood magic is not, as some seem to believe, inherently its own discipline of magic, as is for instance necromancy, or kitchen witchcraft. Though, certainly one could construct an entire magical practice around the use of blood if one so desired, and I’m certain some people have.

Rather, I approach blood as a tool to be incorporated into spells.

It’s not as glamourous, mysterious, or dangerous as it’s made out to be. Though there are some risks involved.

The inclusion of blood in any Work greatly enhances its power. Blood remains always linked to the life from which it comes, and channels the power of that life force into the Working. It is a direct connection to a living thing.

There are three primary ways in which blood may be used, based mostly on the source of the blood.

Your Own

Your own blood is obviously the easiest to acquire. Doing so forges a direct and profound connection to the force of your psychic energy.

As one of the factors in the effectiveness of a spell is how much energy the caster commits or is able to consciously direct, these spells are far more powerful than others.

These spells can be surprisingly draining to the caster. They tap into energy more deeply than most can do by other means, and invest whatever it takes to achieve the goal. I’ve never heard of blood spells taking enough energy to have a detrimental effect on health, but it’s not beyond the realm of possibility. Be prepared to feel exhausted. In fact it may be wise to treat it as one would giving blood. Have something sweet ready to go, at least until you know how you’re going to react to this kind of work.

As a note for those dragons reading this. There is a reason dragon’s blood is so famous in lore.The source of energy to which blood connection is exponentially greater in our case than in any human. Blood magic in the hands of a dragon is amazingly potent.

Your Subject’s

There is no question in my mind that blood is the most powerful taglock one could possibly use. As with your own blood, the blood of your subject is a direct connection to their energy. So if you wish to cast a spell on someone, and you can get their blood, it is very useful.

It is extremely difficult to defend one’s self against a spell of this sort. The connection tends to bypass most shields and wards. On which note, if you have any reason to believe someone might want to cast a spell against you, take care not to give anyone access to your blood.

You’re unlikely to get blood from someone willingly, and if they’re willing to have Work done for them, you don’t really need their blood. With an unwilling subject, there are not only ethical considerations (if they’re unwilling, this is probably a curse, but the ethics of curses are beyond the scope of this article) but also legal considerations. Anything you could do to spill someone else’s blood (even poking them with a lancet) would be assault and potentially a felony. Don’t do that. You’ll want to check local laws even before going through someone’s garbage.

Also, there are serious sanitation and contamination issues here. Generally because of these considerations I’d just advise against using a subject’s blood in any Working. There are FAR easier methods. It’s much easier to get a strand of hair without committing a felony, for instance. But, the completeness of the article requires I discuss the possibility.

Someone Else’s 

This may refer to a few drops from a friend, in which case you have the addition of their energy to the spell you were already casting. See the information on using your own blood for relevant details.

Many traditions engage in blood sacrifice. There is nothing inherently immoral about the practice, though one may have personal issues against it. In which case the solution is simply not to use this method.

Generally speaking, we’re talking about non-human animals. Human sacrifice is commonly referred to as murder. I don’t need to tell you not to do it, but I will anyway. Just don’t.

Besides, my philosophy makes no distinction between human and animal life, so generally speaking there’s very little difference as far as the power of the energy. I’m a dragon, I think it’s silly to think a human life is worth more than a cow’s life.

Though you may wish to incorporate the symbolic attributes of the animal in the spell. That’s beyond the scope of this article.

Most traditions of animal sacrifice involve using the blood for magic, the viscera for religious rites, the hide and bones for crafting, and eating the meat. Nothing is wasted. It’s actually more conscientious than modern practices, wherein your butcher may well waste everything but the meat.

Animal sacrifice isn’t practical for most people, but this is very useful if you happen to live on a farm and raise food animals. If you wish, you can also go to a butcher shop and ask for blood. Most will be happy to accommodate you, but you need to ask in advance so they’ll save it for you. You may also be asked to pay in advance.

As with using your own energy, incorporating someone else’s blood in your spell is to tap into the depths of their energy in a profound way. When the animal dies in the process, you are using ALL of their energy.

I would not ordinarily kill an animal just for a spell. I don’t like killing for reasons other than self preservation. Such as self defense or for food. So I would only use an animal I then intend to eat. But that is an individual moral choice I leave to you.

In All Cases

There is risk if your intent or focus are lacking. You are wielding an inordinate amount of energy, which will not simply dissipate if you aren’t ready for it. If you are conflicted about your desire, you risk the Working manifesting your subconscious desires as well as your conscious ones. If your mind wanders, or the conditions of your spell itself are not specific enough, you risk wreaking havoc unintentionally. If you don’t want anyone to be hurt, you had better state that as your intent. You’d be surprised how many problems can be solved by someone contracting a sudden illness.

Blood magic is not for those who are not masters of their own minds.

Then again, magic is not for those who are not masters of their own minds.

There are also mundane considerations. The best means of drawing blood is with a sterile lancet of the kind used for blood sugar testing, available along with lancing devices at any pharmacy. A clean, individually packaged scalpel or razor is also effective, particularly if you need more than a few drops of blood, which you will not for most purposes.

Before drawing blood, you must sterilize the area, ideally with an alcohol swab. Otherwise you risk infection. Make no mistake, while the chances are slim, infection CAN lead to loss of a limb or even death. Yes, just from the bacteria normally present on your skin.

If you’ve done more than a lancet, you must also sterilize and bandage the site after you’re done. Again, infection can in fact be lethal. Or at the very least, the medical bills will be expensive. If the area appears red or inflamed the following day or any time thereafter, seek medical attention, as this is a sign of infection.

There’s also cleanliness to consider. Properly dispose of or clean anything which has come into contact with blood. I tend to burn my spell components, so the problem solves itself. The recommended disposal of lancets and razors is to deposit them in a puncture proof plastic container, seal it, and label it “USED SHARPS, DO NOT RECYCLE”. Blood becomes unsanitary in air very rapidly. Any surface which it has touched instantly becomes a germ magnet. No, it does not matter if you’re healthy, your exposed blood becomes toxic in a matter of minutes on its own, and can remain so for days or weeks.

How To Use Blood In A Spell

Now that you have some blood, there are many ways to use it as you can imagine, but I’ll include some of my favorites.

My go-to all purpose spell is the defixio. Defixiones are any form of spell which involves writing your intention (in verse or in prose) and performing a ritual act on the medium in which it is written. The preferred method of my Greek ancestors was to inscribe an incantation onto a lead tablet and bury it. I like to write them on paper (with a consecrated pen) and burn them. I almost always include a drop of my blood either on a cotton swab or directly on the paper, just as a means to charge the spell.

One may also draw sigils in blood. Draw a sigil in blood on paper and burn it. You may also for instance draw a sigil for cleansing on your skin in your own blood, and then immediately step in the shower and wash it off. My fellow nerds will note this is a running theme on the TV show “Supernatural”.

There are spells using large amounts of animal blood to mark thresholds as part of a ward. One such spell is famously described in the Old Testament.

There are also blood oaths, in which one swears an oath while drawing blood, or even literally signs a written contract in blood, binding both parties to a bargain on threat of a predetermined penalty.

There are countless others, but these are the ones that come to me off the top of my head.

I am happy to answer any questions, and I hope that this information is of some use. Thank you for reading. If you have found this helpful, please like and reblog.