Blood Use in Magic

Blood? The crimson fluid that oozes out of our skin, when we have an injury. When mentioned, conjures up all kinds of rather unpleasant images, doesn’t it?  Not to mention when combined with words such as magic, spell or ritual (Talk about a horror picture!); the mind spontaneously presents us with images of human sacrifices on a stone altar dripping with dark red and other pictures that look like something straight out of a horror movie.

You’re probably wondering, why blood? What’s so significant about blood with magic?

   “Blood is sound, sound is words, and words are power.”

The above quote carries a hidden interpretation, which will be pulled apart here. Starting with ‘Blood is sound’; sounds can only be made by the living, and for one to be termed ‘Living,’ your veins must carry blood (flowing) through them. Now to the next one; Words are meaningful sounds; lastly, words are power; Power comes from living (life); Life comes from brood. This shows how important blood is, not only to the giving of life but also to aiding ‘dark matter.’

When blood is applied in magic, enchantments, spells or incantations, it can change the course of the operation. It could also mount to very deadly results on the person conjuring up its power, if not ‘handled with care.’ Surprisingly though, the use of blood in magic is just a teensy weensy little bit.

A drop or two of blood gotten from an incision, made on any part of the skin, either with a sharp object (pin or blade) or a magic tool. The use of blood could range from two to three drops of blood for a spell to cure a sick loved one, or an animal or human sacrifice on a stone altar to summon a dark force/spirit.

Blood is a powerful thing. It is something that is so embedded in us, so we understand its power.  The awe of blood goes way back to our earliest human ancestors. The sight of that bright red fluid, whether it was coming from an enemy or friend, your prey or yourself – got immediate attention. It is associated with such powerful ideas that some people can’t stand the sight of it and might faint if presented with too much. Haemophobia is the fear of blood. Blood is associated with death: slain warriors on the field, the hunter’s prey all lay bloody in their final state. If you lost too much blood, you would grow weak and die.

Blood is also often associated with life: it’s part of the cycle of fertility that perpetuates life. It is life. It courses through your body delivering oxygen and nutrients to every part of you. Blood is energy—when you push yourself, your heart pounds and your pulse races, causing your blood to flow even faster.  Someone you love, particularly family members, is your ‘blood.’ It connects you to things or others. Something that contains this much power is naturally powerful in magic. Perhaps some would say it’s too powerful.

The use of blood in magic can be dated as far back as the times of the Aztec shamans. During this period, human beings (mostly prisoners of war) were sacrificed alive. In order highlight, the importance of blood, the heart of the victim is taken out whole while the person was alive. Although considered barbaric now, the blood played a very vital role in summoning ‘Powers’ for their cause.

Along the times, human sacrifice was abolished, and a more subtle manner of acquiring blood for magical purposes was adopted. This practice is known as bloodletting. In this process, the individual(s) involved, just incises his/herself on the part of their body they deem comfortable and after the needed amount of blood required is gotten, the wound is the treated, and life goes on.

Due to this, the signing of oaths with blood became less tasking. Business deals were being signed by blood, to keep both parties in check. Eventually, the use of blood oaths became more common, even being used to seal marriages. Over time, magical energies became patterned after this custom and imbued it with power: those who broke blood oaths are physically marked with runic scars where the blood for the oath had been drawn; scars which could not be healed even by magic.

The use of blood in magic is still well practiced even in the 21st century for various reasons such as; protection, health & wellness, power, oath, and even as an act of maintaining certain traditional practices which are passed from one generation to another. And all has entirely nothing to do with Satanism, evil or the devil. It can just be narrowed down to believe system it is widely thought to possess great mythical powers which could be activated when used with the right magic spells and incantations.