My third posting for the Pagan Blog Project. I chose this one to branch out of my comfort levels. As a kid, the sight or thought of blood made me feel light-headed and queasy. Being a girl, I had to learn to deal with it on a certain level because of menstruation. Just before I turned 16, a child I was babysitting slid on his bike and had a nasty scrape of his whole knee. Being the only person available to deal with it, I focused my will, isolated the urge to panic, and shut it away, so that I could take of him. My first husband had an even worse ability to deal with things like blood and needles, so I learned to further control my reactions because someone had to deal with the kids' accidents. Then there's my hypothyroidism, which requires frequent blood draws. I've passed out twice from those as a young adult, but not recently. Then came Paganism. Blood is acknowledged as powerful in every Trad I've learned about, but many do not actively use blood magic or restrict it to consecrating personal tools. And in my early studies, that was fine with me since I'm still squeamish about blood and needles and pain, if I think too hard about it. And in some ways, there's certainly good reason to be cautious about using blood magics. Blood magic also tends to be considered as potentially evil, especially since it's so easy to misuse. Lol, sometimes it feels rather like the first rule of blood magic is don't talk about blood magic. This idea is followed by, "Keep it secret. Keep it safe." Through my studies I've come to learn that blood magic has it's place and is indeed a very powerful tool. Most of my experience has to do with oaths and bindings. If nothing else, requiring a blood oath shows how committed someone is to an idea. By swearing a blood oath, you show not only those requiring it, but yourself just how far you are willing to go for a particular idea. While one sees dramatic hand slashing in movies when people make blood oaths (think of Kevin Costner in Robin Hood), just a drop from a pinprick is all it takes to make an oath binding.
One of the reasons blood magics are so secretive is that they are often used to bind people to secrecy. As such there is very little that I can share about my personal experiences with blood workings. I can tell you that the power in a blood binding is very real. Dissolving a blood binding, even as a requirement as part of advancing a degree, where one might have to dissolve one bind before taking on a higher binding, has a tangible, almost physical sensation. My experiences serve me by being both awe inspiring and cautionary. There is a great deal of power in the use blood magics, but to quote another movie, "With great power, comes great responsibility." Be prepared.
Before taking or requiring a blood oath, consider a few things. Obviously, you need to consider if you truly wish to make this oath (or other kind of working). If you have any reservations, even just one, think long and hard about those reservations. Maybe even put off the oath to give yourself more time to be sure. If the oath binders don't wish to give you more time, perhaps it's a sign that this isn't a good idea. No one should ever be rushed or forced into a blood oath. The bindings and consequences are too serious, too potentially dangerous. Think about not only today, but tomorrow. Are you prepared to deal with the consequences of your oath/working, should circumstances change? Can you accept that there may be consequences, either positive or negative, that you couldn't possibly foresee? After you've considered all these things and any other ideas an oath binder might suggest you consider, consider again. And, at least, once more. Make sure you are truly prepared to bind your physical life force to another person, group, idea, or working. Make sure it's worth it.
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