Rituals for drawing blood?

[Daearen]

I want to draw blood so I can blood my rune set. I've read that you should use your athame to draw blood, but I've also read that your athame should never be used to inflict harm. What do you guys think about this?
Also if you do have any blood drawing rituals if you would mind sharing them? sweatdrop  

[Morgandria]

lCobaltl

I want to draw blood so I can blood my rune set. I've read that you should use your athame to draw blood, but I've also read that your athame should never be used to inflict harm. What do you guys think about this?
Also if you do have any blood drawing rituals if you would mind sharing them? sweatdrop

An athame should not be used to physically cut anything - if it's indeed an athame, it will only be used for purposes of directing energy, and should only ever cut the air. If it's a ritual dagger or knife of another kind, then it's up to you. (Note: I consider an athame to be something fairly specific, but am aware that most neo-pagan practicioners use the term for their ritual blades.)

If you wish to draw blood for a ritual purpose, it's perfectly acceptable to use a sterile lancet, like those used by diabetics. If you can't get a lancet, use a clean, new sewing needle that you've thoroughly disinfected with rubbing alcohol.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Personally I wouldn't use anything from a different tradition when blooding a rune set. I would feel like there was a conflict of energies or traditions or practises or something. What you do it up to you; it just feels wrong to me. *shrug*

Do you have a blooding ritual you've found somewhere? Perhaps there are some that include a "getting the blood" part that you might find useful.  

[kage no neko]

I wouldn't use an athame. I've read that you shouldn't ever use your athame to cut physical things, especially not yourself to draw blood.

Depends on how much blood you need, the method you could try. (if one isn't given in the instructions) But generally I'd agree with using a diabetic lancet. At least my mom's, you put it against your skin and push the button and it'll pop the needle out and pierce your skin and it don't hurt that bad. And then you can squeeze the skin to get more blood to pool up. Just for a few drops though.
I'm not really sure what to recommend if you need like.. a small jar of blood or anything. I wouldn't recommend trying to get that much blood at once though, especially since you're not a medical person. Depending on what you do, you might end up with that much, and much more.. which would be bad.  

[Daearen]

I don't think i would need more than say.. a tablespoon?(thats just being genrous I dont think i'll actually need that much).. But there isnt any sort of ritual just for drawing the blood in any of my books. Just empowering them. It says just to pin it with a needle but I guess i wanted something more formal.  

[A Scarecrow]

From what I've heard, and not from personal experience, blood magic is supposedly "powerful". The way I view it, though, the three fold law indicates that we should not harm any person or thing and by drawing our own blood we harm ourselves, breaking that crede. The fact that I dislike physical pain and the sight of blood also helps keep me from even trying it.

That being said, I can't really help you. But I hope you'll at least take the advice of a sixteen year old know-nothing when he says he doesn't think it'd be the best idea.
I don't think it's a good idea to experiment with blood magic. Something just feels inherently wrong about the whole idea, at least to me. If only because it involves inflicting bodily harm onto someone.  

[Morgandria]

Socially Inept Butterfly

From what I've heard, and not from personal experience, blood magic is supposedly "powerful". The way I view it, though, the three fold law indicates that we should not harm any person or thing and by drawing our own blood we harm ourselves, breaking that crede. The fact that I dislike physical pain and the sight of blood also helps keep me from even trying it.

That being said, I can't really help you. But I hope you'll at least take the advice of a sixteen year old know-nothing when he says he doesn't think it'd be the best idea.
I don't think it's a good idea to experiment with blood magic. Something just feels inherently wrong about the whole idea, at least to me. If only because it involves inflicting bodily harm onto someone.

What three-fold law? Why do you believe this law is applicable to Cobalt's path - which may indeed be different from mine, or your own, or anyone else's?

I respect that you may not like blood magic or feel it appropriate as it relates to your own morality. But understand that for other paths this will not nescessarily hold true.  

[ncsweet]

Socially Inept Butterfly... The Rede states "an it harm none..." but even so it is only telling us that which harms none is acceptable, it does not tell us what is unacceptable. In actuality it prohibits nothing, and is more about how we should take responsibility for our actions. As long as we have properly considered the outcomes/consequences of our actions, and we are willing to accept them - then we are free to do as we feel necessary.

The TFL indicates that what we send out comes back to us (multiplied in some fashion). My personal view is that it is tied to mind/body and spirit, but others view it in different ways, and some don't really follow it at all.

As to causing harm - how does poking oneself with a small needle cause harm? It's slightly painful to be sure, but it's not a lasting pain, and it causes no permanent damage - so it is really harming oneself to do it?  

[A Scarecrow]

I certainly understand the differences between various paths, ideologies, etc. and I wholeheartedly respect every person's right to do as they wish in regards to themselves and what they believe. I was simply stating my own view on the subject as a whole. When it comes to causing harm, however, the most I've ever read about bloodletting in ritual magic involved knives and ended up coming very close to 'cutting' and that is, I'll admit, where I got the view that it would cause some sort of lasting harm. That being said, I was simply attempting to advise somebody not to, as I saw it, harm themselves physically. If such comments are considered inflammatory, simply let me know and I'll not make them further.  

[Sanguina Cruenta]

Socially Inept Butterfly

I don't think it's a good idea to experiment with blood magic. Something just feels inherently wrong about the whole idea, at least to me. If only because it involves inflicting bodily harm onto someone.

Just so you're aware, blooding runes is an important part of creating or claiming a set. They're not complete if they haven't been blooded. Consider it a way of earning them.

On your other comments, I really don't see what's wrong in letting someone harm themselves physically if it's what they genuinely want to do. I don't have a proper runeset (I would like to find some in bone if possible) but when I blood mine, it will be with a knife and not a needle. I personally would want more than a pinprick because of the spiritual significance of runes to me - and Hel, the spiritual significance of blood to me.  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

Sanguina Cruenta

I personally would want more than a pinprick because of the spiritual significance of runes to me - and Hel, the spiritual significance of blood to me.

Same.
I would make the pain an offering to Odinn. He hung on the World Tree for 9 days without drink or food to learn the runes, so hurting a bit for some blood is really the least I can do.


ETA:
OP, are you using just blood for all of your blooding, or are you just going to use a little bit of blood mixed with some red ochre?  

[Ellisari]

I never knew you had to blood runes.

I desperately want to learn runes, but I have neither the time nor material.

D= There's too much I want to learn.  

[Daearen]

Violet Song jat Shariff

Sanguina Cruenta

I personally would want more than a pinprick because of the spiritual significance of runes to me - and Hel, the spiritual significance of blood to me.

Same.
I would make the pain an offering to Odinn. He hung on the World Tree for 9 days without drink or food to learn the runes, so hurting a bit for some blood is really the least I can do.


ETA:
OP, are you using just blood for all of your blooding, or are you just going to use a little bit of blood mixed with some red ochre?

I've read that you could mix it with acrylic paint or powdered water colors but I didn't find it appealing.
I've read that you could mix it with acrylic paint for powdered water colors but it didn't seam appealing to me. But I might look into this red ochre.
I'm still far from the process of blooding my rune set. I still have much meditating to do. But I have clay that I really want to make a set out of.

@ Sanguina - I've never thought much about making runes from bone. Is there a certain type of bone that should be used?  

[Violet Song jat Shariff]

lCobaltl

Violet Song jat Shariff

Sanguina Cruenta

I personally would want more than a pinprick because of the spiritual significance of runes to me - and Hel, the spiritual significance of blood to me.

Same.
I would make the pain an offering to Odinn. He hung on the World Tree for 9 days without drink or food to learn the runes, so hurting a bit for some blood is really the least I can do.


ETA:
OP, are you using just blood for all of your blooding, or are you just going to use a little bit of blood mixed with some red ochre?

I've read that you could mix it with acrylic paint or powdered water colors but I didn't find it appealing.
I've read that you could mix it with acrylic paint for powdered water colors but it didn't seam appealing to me. But I might look into this red ochre.
I'm still far from the process of blooding my rune set. I still have much meditating to do. But I have clay that I really want to make a set out of.

Personally, that's the way I'm going to do mine when I blood my runes. It'll probably show up more brightly too anyways and the red won't look so faded so quickly.

I've heard some people put like a clear wood finish on their runes after they've blooded them, but I don't know how I feel about that >.>  

[ncsweet]

Violet Song jat Shariff

I've heard some people put like a clear wood finish on their runes after they've blooded them, but I don't know how I feel about that >.>

I was just wondering about that. While on the surface (no pun intended xd ) it seems like a logical step, I can sort of see it completely defecting the purpose of blooding, because it seems that you are trapping the power of the Rune beneath a shield of sorts. On the other hand, it could also be a way of sealing the connection.

Personally, I think I'd want to be able to feel the natural material without the shiny coating.