blood sacrifices

[SpiDer_AnGeL]

Hey y'all. Look I'm all confused about the whole "blood sacrificing". So what is up w/them?? Whey do some people do them??? Why do people do them??? Have any of you ever done one??? What is it for......as much info as possible would be great cause i dont get it and I saw a thing that was sorta talking about it.....but....i would rather hear about it from you guys, cause im all buffudled about it. Thank you! Adios and Blessed Be-
Brittney

[Myst]

Since ancient times blood sacrifices have been made by people. They are made willingly and joyfully, often to infuse blood into a charm, runes, or other tools to bind them to the owner. Blood being a lifegiving substance that is connected to your very heart and soul, it is often a good way to magickally bind things to you or feed energy into something.

[seawitch]

only menstrual blood for me

[Dagda Moon~Lily]

I agree a little sacrificing of blood for your magical works...but have yet to do it. .....just not the old tradition of sacrificing the entire person! :eek:

[Twilight Garden]

Many don't do it. I know of more who use blood (usually their own) as a magickal property or tool in their craft, than use it as a sacrifice to or for anything. I know I didn't answer any questions, but I wanted to assure you that many don't go there. I don't.
*LM

*Happy 21st late BTW*

[Avena]

Tried it once...didn't work... didn't dare to pierce the skin in the end...My I'm a coward :(

[Mythrel]

I have used blood in rituals before. It was very powerful addition to the rituals...I don't do it very often and usually do it as a sign of my own commitment, to prove that I am willing to put my blood, sweat and tears into the ritual if need be...
Mythrel

[kittiepoetrygod]

Sometimes its used when a new person is initated into a coven, blood is drawn from each member and added to the Chalice wine ... think The Craft.

[Sora]

Yeah, I've only ever done one ritual with blood. It was mine, o'course, from that time of the month... I found it no more potent than any other ritual.

[Lilu]

Originally posted by kittiepoetrygod
Sometimes its used when a new person is initated into a coven, blood is drawn from each member and added to the Chalice wine ... think The Craft.

Well I wouldn't take anything you've seen in the Craft too seriously ;) I haven't heard of any coven doing that before, but then, I don't have much to do with covens either. I would think if it was/is done, it is a pretty arcane practice, or SHOULD be, especially with AIDS in this day and age *shrug*

But for use in spellwork, I have occasionally drawn some of my own blood, and it worked quite well. I think it's just up to the individual.

BB
Lilu

[loopy]

I've read about adding some of one's own blood to new Runes, or during a spell. I myself get a little queasy on the matter, but sometimes I add a little piece of my hair. It kind of strikes me as the same principal without the owie.

<--where's the "wimp" smilie. :D:D

[Sequoia]

well, I understand that at times blood is truely needed, for things like binding spells (aka for a blade or a tool that you do NOT wish to be "stolen" and that wishes to stay with you. . . ) however, I personally would not use blood for anything other than that, really. I have known entities to whom some sacrificed blood, and while I cannot speak for how they felt towards those who DID, they asked me to please not to, nor to bring weapons around them, because it caused them pain.

I think it honestly depends on the situation, what you're doing, and who you're doing it for and/or with. I would STRONGLY reccomend NEVER doing anything with blood unless you TRUELY understood what you were doing. . . you do NOT want that kind of magick coming back to bite you in the arse. Because from what I understand, that's strong stuff. My advice would be: don't take it lightly.

[Socharis]

It all depends upon the spell being used

[Myst]

I think "be careful" is true with ALL magick of ANY kind. Whether it's a ferrari or a pinto you should probably learn to drive before you put the keys in :)

[Lavender]

Gee, I can't remember the last time I sacrificed a cat! J/K

I've used moontime blood for spells but ONLY for very special spells. The energy is very strong & special & I only use it rarely. If you're not 100% sure why you're using blood, then don't do it.

[Shadowulfe]

I personally cant do blood rituals....I cant even so much as prick my finger with a needle.

[Shy Hawk]

I haven't done it. Doesn't mean that I wouldn't, or wont some time in the future. But, I don't do spells much...so no point as of yet. Maybe at some point though.
~Shy

[Swanspirit]

principle not withstanding because not all use it or abide by it........
I personally would not draw blood for a ritual ....I would rather Draw down the Moon......and enter into mystical union with the Goddess
My Body is a Temple ........a gift of the goddess......
If she provides me with menstrual blood ....
or I have some from something that happened accidentally........I could and have used it.. but to deliberately CUT myself ... to open my skin ... the natural protective covering the Lord and lady provided me with( and that prevents infections too from all those resistant germs around .....no certainly would not there is no guarantee of sterility of any instrument .....can get a cellulitis and lose a limb from cutting oneself.....dont think you cant .....it is not a safe practice........ that is my clinical opinion......
I have heard of VAMPIRE groups that do this , but most pagans that I know dont CUT themselves . for blood......
AND AS FOR NEW PAGANS ABSOLUTELY NOT.....
VERY IRRESPONSIBLE THING IMO......

MY Goddess Requires no Blood of me
other that what flows naturally
she has trusted this body unto my care
I treasure all that she has placed there

Love and Light
Swannie

[loopy]

I think the dangers are the same to New Pagans as they are to Old Pagans. If a Pagan newer to the religion truly felt the need, and understood why they were doing it, IMO that would be safer than a Pagan of 50+ years doing it with no purpose in mind and no understanding of the risks.

[Swanspirit]

the AGE has nothing to do with it ........
but you know a lot pagans have spent years trying to convince people we DONT do blood sacrifices ........guess we can throw that out too ??? or perhaps say MOST????or something to that effect??
Love and light
Swannie

[loopy]

Originally posted by Swanspirit
the AGE has nothing to do with it ........
but you know a lot pagans have spent years trying to convince people we DONT do blood sacrifices ........guess we can throw that out too ??? or perhaps say MOST????or something to that effect??
Love and light
Swannie

So just because we don't want people to think we sacrifice goats and humans, we should refrain from pricking ourselves with a needle everyone once in a blue moon? :confused: And maybe we SHOULD say "most" or something to that effect, as it's clear that some Pagans do indeed sacrifice a little blood every now and again.

Maybe if people knew the reasoning behind it, they would understand.

[Twilight Garden]

In a child custody case someone tried to say that I am involved with people who do regular blood sacrificing because it is noted in some pagan information that blood sacrifice is a general practice. None of my friends do it, at least not that I'm aware of. I had to fight that one hard core. I think the information out there should tell that in ancient practices it was a regular occurance. BUT in light of society today, it is not done by most. Personally I'm with Swannie: "... but to deliberately CUT myself ... to open my skin ... the natural protective covering the Lord and lady provided me with..." Really, she has a good point there.

[kittiepoetrygod]

Originally posted by Lilu


Well I wouldn't take anything you've seen in the Craft too seriously ;) I haven't heard of any coven doing that before, but then, I don't have much to do with covens either. I would think if it was/is done, it is a pretty arcane practice, or SHOULD be, especially with AIDS in this day and age *shrug*

But for use in spellwork, I have occasionally drawn some of my own blood, and it worked quite well. I think it's just up to the individual.

BB
Lilu

That part and the ocean ritual were taken from a member of the CoG's BOS.

[loopy]

Originally posted by LunarMist
In a child custody case someone tried to say that I am involved with people who do regular blood sacrificing because it is noted in some pagan information that blood sacrifice is a general practice. None of my friends do it, at least not that I'm aware of. I had to fight that one hard core. I think the information out there should tell that in ancient practices it was a regular occurance. BUT in light of society today, it is not done by most. Personally I'm with Swannie: "... but to deliberately CUT myself ... to open my skin ... the natural protective covering the Lord and lady provided me with..." Really, she has a good point there.

That's terrible. :( I hope everything worked out well for you and your children.

[Myst]

Originally posted by loopy
Maybe if people knew the reasoning behind it, they would understand.

If we were to stop doing anything that people have associated with sacrificing animals etc. we probably would've stopped being Pagans awhile ago.

My body is a temple too, and it's a temporary temple. If I choose to lend part of it - saliva, hair, or blood - to some magick or as an offering, that is my business. Nicking myself with a pin that's been boiled and/or sterilized (and yes, I have access to an autoclave), and then using polysporin, ozonol, or other antibacterial cream along with a bandaid, being as I'm in excellent health and careful just won't put me in the hospital or needing limbs removed. People who have health concerns need to be careful, people need to be careful with their instruments and using ointments and bandaids, obviously we're not talking about pulling a knife out of the sink and cutting our wrists open here. I also give blood, is that considered harming my "temple"? No, because it is done for an important cause, with clean instruments, with proper care.

[Lavender]

I was just wondering here...

Do you feel there is a difference between "blood sacrifice" and "blood offering"? The reason I ask is that, when & if I use my moontime blood, it's more like an offering. Just as I use my herbs as herb offerings, offerings of wine, etc. I'm not cutting myself in anyway nor am I asking another living being to give up its life as the "sacrifice". I feel the two are very different.

[Mairwen]

Originally posted by Swanspirit
but to deliberately CUT myself ... to open my skin ... the natural protective covering the Lord and lady provided me with

Sure, why not? Pagans and others have been doing that very thing for thousands of years. Why stop now? Human blood, particularly blood from our own bodies used to empower or annoint objects we will personally be using is indeed some powerful magic!

The soul or spirit of a person resides in that person's blood. Blood is life itself. Just as the Holy Grail contains the divine blood and is a life-giving vessel, the All Mother Kerridwen (or list your Female Mother Deity here) embodies the water of life from which All Things spring. She resides in our blood, in the sap of plants, in the soil and stones, in the clouds, and in the rivers and oceans.*


most pagans that I know dont CUT themselves . or blood......

Really? Most of the ones I know, do. If it's not part of group tradition for that person, sometimes a person will make it part of his personal tradition. Nothing wrong with that. Now, it's unnecessary to like gouge yourself with a knife or a razor, certainly. Usually, just a pinprick (or the use of a stylette) does the trick.

[Myst]

Originally posted by Wildchild
Do you feel there is a difference between "blood sacrifice" and "blood offering"? The reason I ask is that, when & if I use my moontime blood, it's more like an offering. Just as I use my herbs as herb offerings, offerings of wine, etc. I'm not cutting myself in anyway nor am I asking another living being to give up its life as the "sacrifice". I feel the two are very different.

I don't sacrifice my blood to anyone for any reason, but I do offer it in the sense of offering herbs etc. or to my intent in binding a tool to me. So yeah, I think there's a difference :)

[Swanspirit]

..... could be used for human or animal sacrifice or slavery or mutilation or lots of things that we wouldnt want to continue... so that rationale doesnt hold up for me......
If that is what you and the pagans you know do..... then that is your tradition and practice.......
but most of the pagans I know dont......
And dont advocate it to minors ......
Love and Light
Swannie

[kittiepoetrygod]

I agree, Mairwen. I know alot that do, alot the don't, and although I am in the latter, i completely understand why they use blood in magickal workings. Blood is a symbol of life and power, and in using it in a working, it is sort of like making something an extension of you, your will, and your soul, and also, your life. Its also like giving life to something that isn't live, like, say, I added my blood to a candle I was making, and it would be like giving it the essence of life, and thus power. It would be like making it a part of me, thus increasing the power of the working, as well. So i guess its just used to increase power, when you get to the core of it, but it is also a very powerful symbolic action.

[Myst]

Originally posted by Swanspirit
then that is your tradition and practice.......

As usual that's what it boils down to. People who don't want to are welcome not to participate, those who do are welcome to following their own beliefs. There's no point in arguing it forever; it does boil down to personal preference.

[blithespirit]

Hello, new member poking her head in here-just wanted to mention that in the past I have used my menstrual blood to consecrate altar tools, like my athame, wand, and cauldron. I felt it gave me an even closer bond to them. This doesn't really qualify as a sacrifice, though, does it? Hmm...I suppose it could be seen as an offering. I don't know. I haven't really thought about it in that sense. It wasn't even anything I'd planned on, the idea came to me in the circle.

[Swanspirit]

that menstrual blood was an offering and "blood letting " is more in the line of a sacrifice .. but that might be splitting hairs ..... now is splitting hairs an offering or a sacrifice ......??? hmmmmmmmmmmmmm LOL
NOT HARES ......
just thought I might lighten up the thread a bit......... hehehehe
Love and Lightening up
Swannie

[Myst]

hehe

I don't think of it as sacrifice, I think of it as taking of myself and offering it to an intent.. but you're right this is splitting hairs (not hares) ;)

[loopy]

Wild-- good point. I was thinking of it more along the lines of an offering than a sacrifice. :)

[Shy Hawk]

Hmm....I think it was lilu I was telling this to yesterday, but I thought it was worth repeating.

To me, offerings and sacrifices are both very important. People are often afraid of the word sacrifice because it has many negative connotations....

But, to me....an offering is like giving an apple. And, a sacrifice is giving a basket of apples. Get it? They go hand in hand, but I consider a sacrifice something that takes some effort or difficulty to give. And, to give of myself....that which gives me life itself.....well what greater sacrifice is there?

I don't advocate cutting of oneself....then again, I don't advocate period......so...hehe...

I guess I feel that giving of yourself, on occasion...is a good thing. Especially that which is hardest to give.

For me, a sacrifice can be giving up something that is truly important to me, an object perhaps, and giving it away (perhaps to charity, or if it's something that can be given to nature, I bury it). For me, that's different from say....giving money to charity, because I didn't have a personal attachment to those dollars. However, if I was hurting for money at the time, then maybe it would be a sacrifice....

Y'all feeling me?

[QueendeQrash]

Here, let me add my two cents. First, if your not sure, don't do it! I can not stress that enough. Blood letting, offering, sacrifice, or whatever one wishes to call it, is a very serious thing. And as to the references to Pagans using blood, well, many religions have used blood in rituals at one time or another. Some even use symbolic blood offerings. I personality do use it, however very rarely, for I feel to offer or sacrifice ones blood is to give over your life essence. It is not something to be taken lightly.

[Demeter]

Offering any kind of animal sacrifice, even offering meat from a butchered animal, is a violation of Harm None. No meat is allowed in the Circle. She told us that if there was ever meat on an altar, or if the ritual tools either shed blood or touched shed blood, the altar/tools should be deconsecrated and not used for ritual again. The only blood used for magical purposes was menstrual blood, which is freely given, without harm. For those who object that males don't menstruate, she suggested that they use semen -- which is an equally potent magical fluid. Or saliva, for either gender.

I'm not suggesting everyone should do it this way, but these rules have served me well for years. Even to the point of deconsecrating an athame that I accidentally stuck myself with.

[Swanspirit]

If you want to come from the harm none, or harm as little as possible , or live lightly upon the earth principles..... not all do ..... but it sounds as if you had a good teacher........
thank you for sharing that........it is one clear way to approach it.......
Love and Light
Swannie

[Fire]

Hm, an interesting and excellent conclusion, assuming of course one adheres strictly to the rule of harming none.

There are those of us who don't, but for those who do I think you've made a wonderful, clarifying point.

In my thoughts, harming none is good advice but to me not an absolute rule. If it were I feel I'd have to stop eating meat and plants because that'd be harming the animals, plants, or plant devas involved. That I suppose is an entirely different debate, so I won't get off topic here. :)

[kittiepoetrygod]

Originally posted by Demeter
Offering any kind of animal sacrifice, even offering meat from a butchered animal, is a violation of Harm None. No meat is allowed in the Circle. She told us that if there was ever meat on an altar, or if the ritual tools either shed blood or touched shed blood, the altar/tools should be deconsecrated and not used for ritual again. The only blood used for magical purposes was menstrual blood, which is freely given, without harm. For those who object that males don't menstruate, she suggested that they use semen -- which is an equally potent magical fluid. Or saliva, for either gender.

I'm not suggesting everyone should do it this way, but these rules have served me well for years. Even to the point of deconsecrating an athame that I accidentally stuck myself with.

A) I don't follow the rede, i set my own morals, standards, and beilefs. B) Its not going to kill or damage you severely if you prick yourself with a pin. C) Your rules are very strict, and most people came to Paganism to get away from that. D) Meat was and is still used in ritual ... just not by all. The horned Hunter is called Hunter for a reason.

[Radocs]

I've never felt the need to use my blood (certainly not anyone elses either!) in any ritual. No appeal to me at all... This is one reason I like being Pagan: I'm not bound to do anything I don't really want to. ^_^

[Demeter]

Originally posted by kittiepoetrygod


A) I don't follow the rede, i set my own morals, standards, and beilefs. B) Its not going to kill or damage you severely if you prick yourself with a pin. C) Your rules are very strict, and most people came to Paganism to get away from that. D) Meat was and is still used in ritual ... just not by all. The horned Hunter is called Hunter for a reason.

E. I never said I expected everybody to live by these rules. Just that my teacher taught them to me, and I have chosen to follow them since. (Lots of other stuff she taught I have since chosen to do otherwise ... this is what works for me).
F. Sometimes a little discipline helps.
G. I'm a carnivore. I like meat. I respect the animals that give of themselves so that I might live and have a tasty steak.
H. I think a major reason my teacher emphasized all this was so as to make a distinction in the eyes of the police (with whom we were on very good terms) and our neighbors between us and the cat-torturing teenagers who lived in the neighborhood. We had an open coven and were trying to avoid trouble.

[white_draco]

MM and BB,

Yea...Blood and Animal Sacrifices are well known in the world throughout many cultures and beliefs. Including from the Bible to Tribes in Africa. If you believe in something, do it as long as you don't end up hurting others who aren't willing. You can only rape those who want to be left alone and those who have no consent.

I would do blood sacrifices if I wanted to try something new for my spells, yep me the blood sacrificer. I'm just sure there's other sacrifices you can do besides blood, I rather fast from something...


MP and BB,

White Draco!

[Adam Of Avalon]

If I were to use blood, it would ALWAYS be my own. And since I'm not so keen on bleeding anyway, it's really not an issue with me.