Opinions on using drops of your blood as offerings?

[Shade]

"to get the attention of something" ― I think this is not about "getting the attention" of "something" out there. I think those who use or/and offer blood, knows already who they are reaching out to and what are their personal intent. It is usually not to seek attention - they likely got that already -, but to show their devotion to the matter, to give a valuable return to the entity who is willing to work with them, to pay a proper respect or to appease the entity.

Blood is charged with powerful energies, as it is practically a life essence that contains the very "programming" of your physical existence - therefore, it also forms a link between your body you possess momentarily and the entity to which you offer your blood -. It is a fuel, not only for your flesh and bone shell that makes it possible for you to function on the material world as you are, but for multiple practices both energetically, spiritually and even physically.

As a potent fuel, it can empower your spells, your rituals, the desired object you wish to charge etc. however, we all have our principles when things comes to blood offerings.
Some people make blood offerings to almost every entity they're working with, because for them, this feels just right. Because this is the way how they pay their respect and gratitude with such an indeed precious gift. While others - like me -, only use blood offerings if the entity in question has a close bond with them and if they already have a lot of experience, time spent, and trust built up.

It doesn't mean that these people are not willing to use blood for work, but as an offering it has a different purpose.

However, I'm quite squeamish when things comes to blood extraction.
Pricking my finger? Hell no. I prefer cuts. Take it or leave it.

I think you may have got the wrong idea about what I said when I said “to get the attention of something in the astral realm” blood is very sacred and special and I don’t doubt the persons intent on knowing who they are giving it as an offering to, I said “Get” the attention. I didn’t say “seek” the attention. Big difference. I still stand by working with a deity with other harder to obtain offerings and a show of dedication first and forming a bond before giving up your blood, you don’t wanna give it up on your first date ya know? Especially because of how sacred and personal it is. That’s just how I view it, then again and I think this is worth noting, I don’t offer blood or work with any deities like that. So I’m not disagreeing with your sentiment, it just seems like you may have gotten the wrong impression of what I said. I tend to agree with your view of things in regards to if it is done, it should be done sparingly and only to a deity you hold in high regards.

 

[thehornedone]

I have done it repeatedly for years. People are so soft nowadays. Witchcraft is spooky...duh. and creepy...duh. we do spooky and creepy things. There's nothing normal about going into your roommates room to collect their hair. Own it. Blood is powerful, I use my athame i keep sharp for this as well as sacrifices, I push down and drag it across a finger until it hurts a little. It's o show of sincerity and dedication. In my opinion if you can't handle it, stay out of it.

 

[Xenophon]

I have done it repeatedly for years. People are so soft nowadays. Witchcraft is spooky...duh. and creepy...duh. we do spooky and creepy things. There's nothing normal about going into your roommates room to collect their hair. Own it. Blood is powerful, I use my athame i keep sharp for this as well as sacrifices, I push down and drag it across a finger until it hurts a little. It's o show of sincerity and dedication. In my opinion if you can't handle it, stay out of it.

Wasn't it Bill Burroughs who said, "Magick is supposed to be dangerous" ? In the long run, niceness is deadlier to magi than silver bullets

 

[thehornedone]

Exactly. It's esoteric for good reason. In this modern revival/ trend of witchy shit there are so many people trying to push their beliefs and persuade the masses that, for example, "Satanism is tragically misunderstood..." for me it's like.. WHY do you want or need to be understood? As a witch or magus or whatever you like to call yourself, you should be above such pettiness. The mundanes and muggles SHOULD fear the occult because that ensures only the daring, crazy ones are worthy enough for power. Religious fanatics push their beliefs, we should be above this. Let them misunderstand you. Let them hate so long as they fear.

 

[Xenophon]

Exactly. It's esoteric for good reason. In this modern revival/ trend of witchy shit there are so many people trying to push their beliefs and persuade the masses that, for example, "Satanism is tragically misunderstood..." for me it's like.. WHY do you want or need to be understood? As a witch or magus or whatever you like to call yourself, you should be above such pettiness. The mundanes and muggles SHOULD fear the occult because that ensures only the daring, crazy ones are worthy enough for power. Religious fanatics push their beliefs, we should be above this. Let them misunderstand you. Let them hate so long as they fear.

Well said. The "Satanism is misunderstood" crowd confuses success in marketing with magickal efficacy. (There's a great line in the old song "Teufelslied": "Wir pfeifen nach oben und unten/Und ja kann die ganze Welt/Uns verfluchten oder auch loben/ G'rad es ihnen gefaellt"---roughly, "We don't give a hoot/The world can curse or praise us/ Whichever pleases them"

 

[Lord_Cthulhu]

Isn't blood sacrifice a thing that is still very much practiced just not in Western culture?
Some of these books require more than a drop or two, sometimes I wonder if authors such as Mark Alan Smith have actually enacted the rituals in his books. His books seem very bloody

 

[Xenophon]

Isn't blood sacrifice a thing that is still very much practiced just not in Western culture?
Some of these books require more than a drop or two, sometimes I wonder if authors such as Mark Alan Smith have actually enacted the rituals in his books. His books seem very bloody

How much blood are we talking about here?

It could be a test. Spilled blood always looks like a lot more than it is. Maybe he wants to get disciples over that instinct. I remember the first time I was in Taipei. I thought there had been a firefight between triads. Turns out every working class guy (and their kids) chews beetle-nut and spits everywhere. Still, even though I like to think myself hard-bitten, I felt creeped out. Could be Smith's books are steeling you for sterner things.

 

[Lord_Cthulhu]

How much blood are we talking about here?

It could be a test. Spilled blood always looks like a lot more than it is. Maybe he wants to get disciples over that instinct. I remember the first time I was in Taipei. I thought there had been a firefight between triads. Turns out every working class guy (and their kids) chews beetle-nut and spits everywhere. Still, even though I like to think myself hard-bitten, I felt creeped out. Could be Smith's books are steeling you for sterner things.

Enough to draw the circle and all the sigils ect. In blood. Cups and cups worth.
It reads like exsanguination is the goal though he does state that it must be performed clean, quickly and with reverence for the animal..
A bunch of the PGM stuff concerning Saturn needs about as much too unless I'm misunderstanding.
Seems edgy but I do believe there is a lot of power in blood magick

*MAS has stated in interviews there's a spell in one his books on how to steal a person's soul at the time of their death so I take his books with a grain of salt Am I to believe he's murdered people? Lmao

 

[Xenophon]

Enough to draw the circle and all the sigils ect. In blood. Cups and cups worth.
It reads like exsanguination is the goal though he does state that it must be performed clean, quickly and with reverence for the animal..
A bunch of the PGM stuff concerning Saturn needs about as much too unless I'm misunderstanding.
Seems edgy but I do believe there is a lot of power in blood magick

*MAS has stated in interviews there's a spell in one his books on how to steal a person's soul at the time of their death so I take his books with a grain of salt Am I to believe he's murdered people? Lmao

If it's a full-blown circle with names, sigils, &c, yeah that might take some blood.

As for stealing souls of those whom we've slain, I am reminded: "In the face of death, we're all virgins."---Hemingway. "On paper, we're all the ultimate badass"---Xeno's Corollary. Maybe he's telling the gods' own truth. Or maybe not.