Shall we discuss combat magic which is blood magic? Trial by ordeal, ritual combat, even war time spirituality.
Ritual combat / trial by ordeal was based on the principle of divine wisdom in the blood. That the act of struggling for life and preservation of life would stir the genuine inner spirit, and thus you would survive because of your virtue or due to divine favour. Sort of the reverse of the witch hunting principle which thought that if you survived it’s because you were favoured by evil powers. But the blood needed to be shed. If you would not bleed you were considered dishonest, even inhuman. A similar principle was seen behind the Norse view on men weeping. If you could not weep, then those who bleed with you would be tainted by your darkness.
Sounds like when my brother and his friend wanted to be allowed to go on a camping trip all by themselves when they were twelve. I think just to prove they could struggle and survive it. My Dad let him go. They got very wet but other wise did well. Yes, and that is a long standing tradition in all world cultures in one form or another. It is also the basis of all spiritual mystery groups. It was considered that you couldn’t even perceive the deeper spiritual truths without trial. Without ordeal you would stay stuck in the flesh alone.
But Dad would never have let me go on the same trip even if I had a friend with me. Double standard, but there were blood rites practiced by women. In fact, female blood rituals are the oldest and arguably the most powerful as they stem from the fount of life itself. This is why it’s said in blood magick, the blood is the life. We even have instincts related to blood and the color red. Even the most atheistic person has the belief instinct triggered around blood.
Starting menstruating is ritual enough. You bond more with your Mom when that starts. It’s perhaps related to it, yes.
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~