Voice of Thorns

Blood magic is the magical practice using blood, I’ve talked about it in my other post on blood magic, as well as in my recipe for blood salts. Feel free to check them out, especially if you’re newer to the topic!

Safety is Always First!

First step is always, and always will be, understanding the difference between sanitization and sterilization. Sanitation is the act of making things clean and hygienic. Sterilization is the act of killing, removing, and deactivating all living microorganisms.

They will both have their places in blood magic, but it’s important to know which one to use when!

So when should you sanitize? While personally I would recommend sterilizing EVERYTHING that’s not realistic and sometimes not possible. So, I would say you should sanitize things like the surface you’ll be working on. Because you can do your best to make it sterile, but it’s extremely hard too depending on the material.

I recommend using some like bleach to wipe down your surface. This will most likely be a table, desk, or counter. Make sure you’re using fresh clean rags, clothes, etc because if it’s dirty, you’ll be pushing that around too, and it’s just not a nice mental image to have when doing this! Once the surface is dry, I recommend laying down plastic wrap, and then paper towels.

This will be helpful for easy clean up!

As for sterilizing, anything that will make contact with your skin in this case should be. So, any tools you have ready, make sure they are hospital ready! You can do this by using a broad-spectrum disinfectant. It won’t be perfect unless you’re opening a fresh needle! So do what you can but know it may not always be perfect. The risk of infection will always exist unless you are able to have a sterile hospital like environment, if that is possible, I say to use it!

You should also be avoiding tools that aren’t sharp but are instead blunt. While sewing needles are easily available and cost effective-they’re only as sharp as they need to be for fabric. Using them on your skin can actually cause more pain as you need more pressure to actually break the surface. You can by a lot of these tools online for a cheap price, especially if you go the road of piercing needles! They’re sharp, and you can get small gauges, so you have a small needle. Another option, though depends on your area and availability, is a lancet. These are often used by diabetics though and may not be as easy for you to come by. Those who need them for medical management should take priority. If they are easily accessible, these are the best to use.

Personally, I recommend a fresh tool every time. If you plan to do this though, make sure you have a sharps container! This is a container that won’t be punctured that will hold the sharp tools until it is time to dispose of them, and since you can buy them online (pet stores have great prices!) it will also alert disposal companies and workers that this is something with the potential to hurt them so if it becomes exposed to them, they will know the proper ways to keep themselves safe as well!

Remember, you may know you have no blood borne illness, but no one else does. Help them keep peace of mind and properly dispose of sharp tools and blood every time, all the time.

Now, disposing of the blood-contaminated non-sharps. Think in this scenario the plastic wrap and paper towels, anything you may have that can’t be disinfected or is disposable and has/may have come in contact with your skin or blood. Alcohol wipes, brand aid wrapper, anything that’s already disposable!

I use the double bagging blood-spill procedure.

So, what I do is put all my blood contaminated items (minus the sharps) on my paper towel, and I fold it in on itself using the plastic wrap, then shove this in a sandwich baggie or freezer bag. I try to make sure as much air as possible is out and then seal it.

Once this bag is sealed, I put it in another bag with the sealed-end touching the bottom of the new bag so it’s harder to get to.

After I seal the second bag, I usually draw the bio-hazard symbol and write the contents were used to clean a cut, and to use caution. This is for my disposal company! So that they have peace of mind if they happen to be exposed to the bags for any reason that they know it’s double bagged and they’re less likely to have contact.

Myths and Harmful Ideas

Now, let’s talk about myths and harmful ideas surrounding blood magic. First, a lot of people assume it’s evil. It’s not, even using it in more baneful or left-hand path workings, it’s not inherently evil by nature. No magic is evil or good automatically. Only how you use it. And unless you’re out here using blood magic to curse unsuspecting children-I don’t see many ways it could really be “evil” to begin with.

Many paths are put in the dichotomy of good vs evil, but it’s rarely actually that black and white like people would want you to believe. All magic is grey by nature, and how you use it is what determines you as a person. The magic itself is not bad, but as humans we have the ability to be. No culture, path, or religion by itself is evil or good. It only is.

Many people also hold the belief that adding blood of your own to a spell, to a curse for example, can potentially aim the spell or ritual at yourself. This isn’t a belief I hold personally. I believe blood is a powerful component that can be used in any spell as a way to add your power. Even in Blood Magick by Seth there is mentions of using hand gestures to send negative things someone’s way, simply because blood is flowing in your veins at all points. By the logic of using it in a spell aims it at yourself, this would only negatively impact yourself.

And while intention isn’t the sole need, it is very important when cursing that you are clear on each ingredient and why you’re adding it. So, I make it clear that I am using my blood simply as an amplifier. Because for the most part, that’s what blood is. A powerful amplifier that can be used to strengthen.

Personally, I think there’s a lot of fear that surrounds things like blood magic because the stigma that’s given in media. Every time we see it, it’s being used in what’s typically known as bad or evil according to the media. Whether this be a show, or song, or video game. These are all dramatized things meant to entertain. Not meant to base our worldview on. Don’t let something like that scare you away from something.