Blood magic and menstruation rituals have been a part of occult practices for centuries. Menstruation, often referred to as "the blood of life" or "sacred blood," holds significant power and symbolism in many cultures and belief systems. The connection between blood and magic has long been established, as blood is believed to be a potent life force and a vehicle for transmitting energy. In blood magic, menstrual blood is often viewed as an especially powerful component due to its association with fertility, creation, and purification. It is believed that harnessing the energy of menstrual blood can enhance spellcasting, divination, and rituals. This belief stems from the notion that menstruation is a time when a person's inherent power and intuition are heightened.
Pliny the Elder . ( 1855 ). The natural history . ( J. Bostock & H. T. Riley , Eds. & Trans., digital version). Retrieved from [URL] Accessed May 24, 2018.
Keynote speech presented at the Metaphors in Englishes around the World 3rd International Workshop , University of Klagenfurt, Austria, September 20 21, 2018. Plenary speech presented at the International Symposium on Linguistics, Cognition, and Culture , Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, March 13 15, 2019.
This belief stems from the notion that menstruation is a time when a person's inherent power and intuition are heightened. Menstruation rituals involving blood magic vary across cultures and practices. In some traditions, menstrual blood is seen as a tool for fertility magic, used to enhance chances of conception or strengthen existing pregnancies.
Cultural conceptualizations of magical practices related to menstrual blood in a transhistorical and transcontinental perspective
Most, if not all, of the studies in Cultural Linguistics have (a) taken a synchronic perspective or (b) focused on specific, intracultural conceptualizations. In my chapter, I will look at a cluster of conceptualizations that have been found to exist in different historical periods, in different languages and varieties, and on different continents. The case in point is conceptualizations of magical practices based on menstrual blood. The existence of these conceptualizations across time and space raises the challenging questions of their motivation, and, more generally, the “flow of conceptualizations.” While these questions will be pursued in my chapter, the main focus will be on an elaboration of the conceptual network of conceptualizations pertaining to menstrual blood magic.
Keywords: cultural conceptualizations, menstrual blood, magic, love potion, universality- Prologue
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Spiritualistic conceptualizations of blood and their geographical, temporal, and cultural distribution
- 3. Menstrual blood and its conceptualizations
- 3.1 Conceptualizations of menstrual blood as a charm
- 3.2 Menstrual blood as a love charm
References ReferencesAlobwede d’Epie, C. ( 1982 ). The language of traditional medicine in Bakossi: A study in the power of language . Thèse d’État. University of Yaounde.
Antweiler, C. ( 2016 ). Our common denominator: Human universals revisited . New York and Oxford: Berghahn Books.
Arata, L. ( 2005 ). Menses in the corpus Hippocraticum . In A. Shail , & G. Howie (Eds.), Menstruation: A cultural history (pp. 13–24). Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Asian Boss . ( 2019 ). How do the Balinese truly feel about tourists? Retrieved from [URL] Accessed January 14, 2020.
Berezkin, Y. ( 2013 ). Afrika, migracii, mifologiya: Arealy rasprostranenija folklornyh motivov v Istoricheskoy Perspective [ Africa, migrations, mythology: Distribution of folklore motifs areas from a historical perspective ]. Saint-Petersburg: Nauka.
Berezkin, Y. ( 2016 ). Peopling of the New World in light of the data on distribution of folklore motifs . In R. Kenna , M. Mac Carron , & P. Mac Carron (Eds.), Maths meets myths: Complexity-science approaches to folktales, myths, sagas, and histories (pp. 71–89). Berlin: Springer Verlag.
Bildhauer, B. ( 2005 ). The secrets of women (c. 1300): A medieval perspective on menstruation . In A. Shail , & G. Howie (Eds.), Menstruation: A cultural history (pp. 65–75). Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Blench, R. ( 2007 ). Ancient connections between insular SE Asia and West Africa in the light of ethnobotanical and other evidence (circulation draft) . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed July 5, 2018.
Brucato, N. , Fernandes, V. , Kusuma, P. , Černý, V. , Mulligan, C. J. , Soares, P. , Rito, T. , Besse, C. , Boland, A. , Deleuze, J. F. , Cox, M. P. , Sudoyo, H. , Stoneking, M. , Pereira, L. , Ricaut, F. X. ( 2019 ). Evidence of Austronesian genetic lineages in East Africa and South Arabia: Complex dispersal from Madagascar and Southeast Asia . Genome Biology and Evolution : 11(3): 748–758.
Buckley, T. , & Gottlieb, A. (Eds.). ( 1988a ). Blood magic: The anthropology of menstruation . Berkeley/Los Angeles/London: The University of California Press.
Buckley, T. , & Gottlieb, A. ( 1988b ). A critical appraisal of theories of menstrual symbolism . In T. Buckley , & A. Gottlieb (Eds.), Blood magic: The anthropology of menstruation (pp. 3–50). Berkeley/Los Angeles/London: The University of California Press.
Callaway, H. ( 1981 ). Spatial domains and women’s mobility in Yorubaland, Nigeria . In S. Ardener (Ed.), Women and space: Ground rules and social maps (pp. 168–186). London: Croom Helm.
Callis, M. & Onysko, A. ( 2017 ). Metaphor variation in Englishes around the world . Special issue of Cognitive Linguistic Studies 4(1).
Carrol, R. ( 2004 , January 12 ). ‘Indonesia Jones’ theory for Africa . The Guardian . Retrieved from [URL] July 5, 2018.
Cuhulain, K. ( 1997–2020 ). Pagan Protection Center. The encyclopedia of satanic wicca . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed June 14, 2018.
Dammery, S. ( 2016 ). First blood. A cultural study of menarche . Clayton: Monash University Press.Davies, M. ( 2008– ). The Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA): 560 million words, 1990-present . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed June 28, 2018.
Davies, M. ( 2010– ). The Corpus of Historical American English (COHA): 400 million words, 1810–2009 . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed June 28, 2018.
Davies, M. ( 2013 ). Corpus of Global Web-Based English: 1.9 billion words from speakers in 20 countries (GloWbE) . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed June 28, 2018.
d’Huy, J. ( 2014 ). Motifs and folktales: A new statistical approach . The Retrospective Methods Network Newsletter , 8, 13–29.
Durham, W. H. ( 1991 ). Coevolution: Genes, culture, and human diversity . Stanford: Stanford University Press.
Elias, J. , & Ketcham, K. ( 2009 ). Feminine healing: A woman’s guide to a healthy body, mind, and spirit [digital version]. Retrieved from [URL] Accessed July 5, 2018.
Ettner von Eiteritz, J. C. ( 1715 ). Des Getreuen Eckarths unvorsichtige Heb-Amme (abridged title) [The careless midwife of the loyal Eckart, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek digital version]. Retrieved from [URL] Accessed June 28, 2018.
Farless, B. ( 2010 , July 26 ). Philippines superstition: Wash your face with menstrual blood [Web log post] . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed May 23, 2018.
Ford, C. S. ( 1941 ). Smoke from their fires: The life of a Kwakiutl chief . Yale University Press: New Haven.
Frazer, J. G. ( 1894 ). The golden bough: A study of magic and religion . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed May 24, 2018.
Frink, H. W. ( 1917 ). A psychoanalytic study of a severe case of compulsion neurosis . The Psychoanalytic Review , 4: 19–54.
Gathigia, M. G. , Orwenjo, D. O. & Ndung’u, R. W. ( 2018 ). A Cognitive linguistic approach to menstruation as a taboo in Gĩkũyũ . In A. P. Pedraza (Ed.), Linguistic taboo revisited: Novel insights from Cognitive Linguistics (pp. 161–178). Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter.
Geertz, C. ( 1973 ), The interpretation of culture . New York: Basic Books.Geschiere, P. ( 1997 ). The modernity of witchcraft: Politics and the occult in postcolonial Africa. First publ. 1995 by Editions Karthala . Transl. by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. Charlottesville (VA): University Press of Virginia.
Ghanaweb ( 2019 ) 5 Unorthodox uses of menstrual blood . (2019, February 28 ). Retrieved from [URL] Accessed January 7, 2020.
Goethe, J. W. V. ( 1808 , online 2004). Faust: Der Tragödie erster Teil . DigBib. Org. Retrieved from [URL] Accessed January 14, 2020.
Golingai, P. ( 2008 , November 15 ). Explosions, hexes and romance . The Star online . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed January 1, 2020.
Gong Tau (降头) – Witchcraft of South East Asia . ( 2012 ). Retrieved from [URL] Accessed January 4, 2020.
Gottlieb, A. ( 1988 ). Menstrual cosmology among the Beng of Ivory Coast . In T. Buckley & A. Gottlieb (Eds.), Blood magic: The anthropology of menstruation , (pp. 55–74). Berkeley/Los Angeles/London: The University of California Press.
Green, M. H. ( 2005 ). Flowers, poisons and men: Menstruation in medieval western Europe . In A. Shail & G. Howie (Eds.), Menstruation: A cultural history (pp. 51–64). Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Greenberg, J. H. ( 1966 ). The languages of Africa . Bloomington: Indiana University.Grahn, J. R. ( 1993/2005 ). Blood, bread, and roses: How menstruation created the world [digital version]. Retrieved from [URL] Accessed May 3, 2018.
Hiltmann, G. ( 2005 ). Menstruation in Aristotle’s concept of the person . In A. Shail & G. Howie (Eds.), Menstruation: A cultural history (pp. 25–37). Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Hyatt, H. ( 1970–1978 ). Hoodoo, conjuration, witchcraft, rootwork [Vols. 1–5]. New York: Alma Egan Hyatt Foundation.
Issa, W. ( 2012 , May 24 ). Maids use witchcraft on food to impress employers, police say . The National . Retrieved from https://www.thenational.ae/uae/courts/maids-use-witchcraft-on-food-to-impress-employers-police-say-1.361611 Accessed July 17, 2018.
Kline, A. S. ( 2003 ). Translated electronic version of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe . Faust parts I & II . Retrieved from [URL] . Accessed January 14, 2020.
Knight, C. ( 1988 ). Menstrual synchrony and the Australian Rainbow Snake . In T. Buckley & A. Gottlieb (Eds.), Blood magic: The anthropology of menstruation , (pp. 232–255). Berkeley/Los Angeles/London: The University of California Press.
Lakoff, G. ( 1993 ). The contemporary theory of metaphor . In A. Ortony (Ed.), Metaphor and thought (pp. 202–251). New York: Cambridge University Press.
Lincoln, B. ( 1975 ). The religious significance of women’s scarification among the Tiv . Africa: Journal of the International African Institute , 45(3): 316–326.
Matteoni, F. ( 2009 ). Blood beliefs in early modern Europe . PhD-thesis, University of Hertfordshire. Retrieved from [URL] Accessed May 3, 2018.
McClive, C. ( 2005 ). Menstrual knowledge and medical practice in early modern France, c. 1555–1761 . In A. Shail & G. Howie (Eds.), Menstruation: A cultural history (pp. 76–89). Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Meyer, M. L. ( 2005 ). Thicker than water: The origins of blood as symbol and ritual . New York/London: Routledge.
Neel, N. ( 2014 ). Vashikaran blood totke to control husband [Web log post] . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed 17 Jul., 2018
NL Talk Talk . ( 2017 ). Lady reveals how her boyfriend proposed to her after she used her period blood to cook spaghetti [Web log post] . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed 17 Jul. (2018.
Nydle, E. L. (n.d.). The legend of Lilith: The origins of evil and the fall of man . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed May 3, 2018.
Obaji, P. Jr. ( 2017 , June 14 ). Blood on their breasts, a curse on their heads: The juju ritual torturing italy’s sex workers . The Daily Beast . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed June 13, 2018.
Ouj, U. , & Ve, E. ( 2008 ). Menstruation in rural Igbo women of south east Nigeria: Attitudes, beliefs and practices . African Journal of Reproductive Health , 12(1): 109–115.
Philpott, K. ( 2016 ). Santeria: From slavery to slavery [Web log post] . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed July 17, 2018.
Pliny the Elder . ( 1855 ). The natural history . ( J. Bostock & H. T. Riley , Eds. & Trans., digital version). Retrieved from [URL] Accessed May 24, 2018.
Ploss, H. H. ( 1887 ). Das Weib in der Natur- und Völkerkunde [ Woman in natural sciences and folklore; digital version ], 2nd ed, vol. 1. ( M. Bartels , Ed.). Retrieved from [URL] . Accessed May 23, 2018.
Privorot na Mesyachnuyu Krov – Sposoby Provedeniya i Posledstviya [A love spell with menstrual blood – ways and results; web log post]. (n.d.) Retrieved from [URL] Accessed July 17, 2018.
Rattray, R. S. ( 1927 ). Religion and art in Ashanti . Oxford: Clarendon Press. Reeder, M. ( 2012 ). A Sangoma story: The calling of Elliot Nlovu . Johannesburg: Penguin.Rivas, C. ( 2017 , November 8 ). I cook for my husband using menstrual blood [Web log post] . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed June 14, 2018.
Scalenghe, S. ( 2008 ). Menstruation and menopause . In B. G. Smith (Ed.), The Oxford encyclopedia of women in world history (vol. 1, pp. 264–266). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Schlehe, J. ( 1987 ). Das Blut der fremden Frauen: Menstruation in der anderen und eigenen Kultur [ The blood of other women: Menstruation in one’s own and other cultures ]. Frankfurt/New York: Campus.
Sharifian, F. (Ed.). ( 2017a ). Advances in Cultural Linguistics . New York/London/Singapore: Springer.
Sharifian, F. ( 2017b ). Cultural Linguistics: The state of the art . In F. Sharifian (Ed.). Advances in Cultural Linguistics (pp. 1–27). New York/London/Singapore: Springer.
Showalter, E. , & Showalter, E. ( 1970 ). Victorian women and menstruation . Victorian Studies , (14)1: 83–89.
Sibindi, L. ( 2014 , July 9 ). Chitungwiza woman (22) pulls hubby’s ‘anaconda’, feeds him with menstrual blood . My Zimbabwe News . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed July 17, 2018.
Steiner, R. ( 2008/1906 ). Blut ist ein ganz besonderer Saft . [Blood is a special kind of juice]. Retrieved from [URL] Accessed August 29, 2019.
Stolberg, M. ( 2005 ). Menstruation and sexual difference in early modern medicine . In A. Shail & G. Howie (Eds.), Menstruation: A cultural history (pp. 90–101). Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Storr, W. ( 2011 , December 11 ). The mystery of Carole Myers . The Guardian . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed June 28, 2018.
Sugianto, E. ( 2013 ). Stop pelet darah haid [Web log post] . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed July 17, 2018.
Tehrani, J. ( 2011 ). Missing links: species, artefacts and the cladistic reconstruction of prehistory . In E. Cochrane & A. Gardner (Eds.), Evolutionary and Interpretive Archaeologies – A Dialogue (pp. 245–263). California: Left Coast Press.
Tehrani, J. , & d’Huy, J. ( 2017 ). Phylogenetics meets folklore: bioinformatics approaches to the study of international folktales . In R. Kenna , M. Mac Carron , & P. Mac Carron (Eds.), Maths Meets Myths: Complexity-science approaches to folktales, myths, sagas, and histories (pp. 91–114). Berlin: Springer Verlag.
Thuillard, M. , Le Quellec, J.-L. , d’Huy, J. , & Berezkin, Y. ( 2018 ). A large-scale study of world myths . Trames: Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences , 22(72/67), 4: 407–424.
Walker, B. G. ( 1983 ). The woman’s encyclopedia of myths and secrets . San Francisco: Harper & Row.Waterland, R. ( 2014 ). Japanese women win the ‘most disturbingly committed to Valentine’s Day’ award [Web log post] . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed June 28, 2018.
Wilms, S. ( 2005 ). The art and science of menstrual balancing in early medieval China . In A. Shail , & G. Howie (Eds.), Menstruation: A cultural history (pp. 38–50). Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Wolf, H.-G. ( 2018 ). The magic of body fluids part II. : Charms and superstition in Singapore English . Keynote speech presented at the Metaphors in Englishes around the World 3rd International Workshop , University of Klagenfurt, Austria, September 20 – 21, 2018.
Wolf, H.-G. ( 2019 ). Cultural conceptualizations of body fluids part III: Urine as a spiritual and magic substance . Plenary speech presented at the International Symposium on Linguistics, Cognition, and Culture, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, March 13 – 15, 2019.
Wolf, H.-G. , & Chan, T. ( 2016 ). Understanding Asia by means of cognitive sociolinguistics and cultural linguistics – the example of ghosts in Hong Kong English . In G. Leitner , A. Hashim , & H.-G. Wolf (Eds.), Communicating with Asia: The future of English as a global language (pp. 249–266). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Wolf, H.-G. , & Polzenhagen, F. ( 2009 ). World Englishes: A cognitive sociolinguistic approach . Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Wolf, H.-G. , Polzenhagen, F. , & Peters, A. ( 2017 ). Special issue: Cultural linguistic contributions to World Englishes . International Journal of Language and Culture , 4(2).
Yahoo! News ( 2012 ). Maid jailed for adding menstrual blood to boss’ coffee . (2012, May 22 ). Retrieved from [URL] Accessed July 17, 2018.
Yronwood, C. ( 1994–2017 ). Hoodoo in theory and practice . Retrieved from [URL] Accessed June 14, 2018.
Geschiere, P. ( 1997 ). The modernity of witchcraft: Politics and the occult in postcolonial Africa. First publ. 1995 by Editions Karthala . Transl. by the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia. Charlottesville (VA): University Press of Virginia.
Menstrual blood is believed to possess the essence of life, and incorporating it into magical workings can tap into this life-giving energy. Other rituals focus on purification and renewal. Menstruation is seen as a monthly cleansing process for the female body, and using menstrual blood as an offering or ingredient in rituals can symbolize the shedding of the old and the embracing of the new. It is believed that menstruation can be a time when a person is more attuned to their own desires, intuition, and spiritual connection, making it a potent moment for magical workings. While blood magic and menstruation rituals can be empowering for some individuals, it is essential to acknowledge that these practices are not universally accepted or embraced. They may be viewed as taboo or unorthodox in certain cultures and communities. It is crucial to approach these practices with respect, consent, and an understanding of cultural sensitivity. In conclusion, blood magic and menstruation rituals have a long history in occult practices. Menstrual blood is viewed as a powerful and sacred component that can enhance magical workings and rituals. Whether used for fertility magic or purification, the belief in the connection between blood, menstruation, and magic underscores the profound significance of this bodily process..
Reviews for "The Power of Menstrual Blood: Understanding its Role in Blood Magic Rituals"
1. Emma - 2 stars
I found "Blood magic and menstruation rituals" to be highly offensive and disrespectful. As a woman, I strongly believe that menstruation is a natural and sacred process, and it should not be exploited for the sake of magic or any other purpose. The book seemed to perpetuate harmful myths and stigmas around menstruation, portraying it as something dirty or evil. I was truly disappointed and disgusted by the author's lack of understanding and empathy on this subject.
2. Sarah - 1 star
I couldn't even finish reading "Blood magic and menstruation rituals" because it was so cringe-worthy and distasteful. The idea of using menstrual blood for magical rituals is just plain gross and goes against basic hygiene practices. I don't understand why anyone would want to engage in such practices or write a book promoting them. It felt like the author was trying to shock and provoke without considering how offensive and off-putting it would be to many readers.
3. James - 2 stars
I was intrigued by the concept of "Blood magic and menstruation rituals" but was highly disappointed by its execution. The book lacked proper research and depth, reducing a complex and diverse topic to a sensationalized and stereotypical view of menstruation. The author's attempt to blend magic with the menstrual cycle felt forced and gimmicky. I was left feeling unimpressed and wanting more substantive content.
4. Rebecca - 3 stars
While I understand that "Blood magic and menstruation rituals" might appeal to some individuals who have a specific interest in alternative spiritual practices, it was simply not my cup of tea. The book delved into the subject matter with great enthusiasm, but I found the explanations and justifications behind the rituals lacking. Additionally, the constant emphasis on blood and menstruation throughout the book became repetitive and tiresome. It may have potential for a niche audience, but it fell short for me.
Menstrual Blood as a Source of Power: Exploring Blood Magic Rituals