Exploring the Use of Bodily Fluids in Magical Workings
The use of bodily fluids in magical working has been the subject of debate within magical communities for years, though this phenomenon has been present across history, in a number of different and sometimes unconnected cultures. Throughout the expansive history of magic around the world—and in a number of living folk traditions in the modern world—urine, saliva, sweat, blood and even semen have appeared alongside other traditional curios for magical working. Bodily fluids have been (and continue to be) used as a means to enhance the power that a practitioner has over a person, a spirit or another element over which they wish to establish control.
There are historical spells, for example, which call for the adding of a practitioner’s blood to an errant lover’s drink to encourage their fidelity. In some sources, this occasion specifically calls for menstrual blood; though others are less specific about the blood’s origin. Urine is often included as an ingredient in curses and even love spells. The act of spitting alone is thought to be able to carry a powerful curse. And a lover’s semen or sweat appears in a number of workings to encourage love, lust, fertility, and faithfulness.
The exact reasons for this can vary slightly depending on the tradition from which an example comes, because the beliefs about magic and how/why it works are often different from place to place, from culture to culture, and from era to era. Whatever the tradition of origin is for the working you’re looking at, the beliefs that power it may be a little different that the beliefs and mechanics behind a similar working from another culture, physical region or space in time. In the context of my own practice—a carefully researched and strictly adhered to rewalking of connected/migrated Northern and Eastern European folk ways and workings—the use of these items is rooted in the culture and time’s understanding of animism and the nature of the spirit.
Using my own practice as reference, the use of personal fluids can have a couple of different functions in magic. This function is usually determined by how the fluid is included as an extension or a representation of the spirit. Because that’s what our curios are. Whether we’re talking about curios that come from a person (such as sweat, blood, hair, or personal belongings), from nature, or from a store, the supplies that we carefully select, nurture a relationship with and use in our magical work are an extension of spirit, a connection to spirit. (This isn’t just true in my practice, but in a lot of other practices too.)
My practice, like so many other magical practices in the world, comes from the perspective of hardcore, no-holds-barred animism. To us, everything has a living spirit. Everything is connected to fellow spirits—whether that connection is forged through proximity, appearance, likeness in function, etc.—and to the well of collective spirit. So, when we work with our curios and build a relationship with those tools, we are actually/also working with the spirits of those curios, the spirits connected to those curios, and the collective spirit around and within us. From out perspective as practitioners of this kind of magic, spirit is the vehicle that fuels magical working and it is involved in each aspect of the process (from the selection of curios to the execution of the rite). With this in mind, the use of personal fluids in magical working can have two different functions depending on how they’re used.
Bodily Fluids as a Binding Element: One of the ways that bodily fluids may appear in a magical working as a means to bind a spell or working to the intended target. Personal items included in spell work and magical working—sometimes known as tokens or taglocks—are used because of their connection to that person’s spirit. Whether the target is another person or the practitioner themselves, using a token in magical work can be a powerful tool that helps to actually bind and focus the working (and its results) to the target. In this case, bodily fluids are used because of the nature of those items. They are extremely personal and are thus considered extremely powerful, spirit-filled items.
Bodily Fluids as a Curios of Power: Another way that bodily fluids may be utilized in magical work is as a symbol of the caster themselves. This is a little different from using these items as a taglock or token in that the intention is not to bind the working to any specific person, but to bind the practitioner’s power and intention to the working’s target. Think about how animals use their scent to mark their territory, or how they might use their own bodily fluids as a means to establish dominance over another animal. Using your own bodily fluid as a curios of power us not unlike that. In this instance, the fluids used are not just connected to the practitioner’s spirit but also their power, their magic and any spirits they may work with. This is a powerful way to assert a greater level of control and dominance over the working and its intended target.
Safe handling of bodily fluids
Although the inclusion of bodily fluids in magical working is quite common in a number of historical and living folk practices, there is a good deal of concern within the community about how hygienic these practices are. This is understandable. However, just as it has been possible to develop safe handling practices for these materials in the medical field, it is possible to develop rigorous safety procedures for the use of bodily fluids in magic.
First, consider whether the bodily fluid your working calls for is both safe and necessary to the working. In many cases, there are possible alternatives to the use of bodily fluids, which may actually be favorable and safer than the spell’s original form. This is especially true when a spell or rite calls on the use of another person’s bodily fluids. These can be both unsafe to handle and difficult to collect. In these cases, you may want to consider using another taglock/token—such as a lock of hair, fingernails, a photo or effigy of the target, or a small item that belonged to them (such as a bracelet, hair tie, or lip balm). If your working will require someone to consume whatever you’re using, consider a symbolic replacement such as wine or juice.
Make use of personal protective equipment. In my professional field as an educator, we refer to such equipment as ‘barriers’. Taking into consideration what steps are needed to collect the curios for your working, determine what kind of protective equipment you will need to have on hand.
Make sure that PPE is being used correctly. When using PPE, it is important to ensure that it is used correctly. This is especially true of gloves. Any time you leave your workspace or interrupt your task for something else, it is imperative that you remove your gloves in order to avoid contaminating objects around your home. To do this properly, take off the first glove and place it in the palm of the still-gloved hand, and then close your gloved hand before peeling the second glove off. This should leave one glove tucked into the other and all soiled surfaces on the inside of the bundle. After this, wash your hands with soap and water, do whatever you need to do away from your workspace, and then put on a new pair of gloves before returning.
Protect your working space. Do your best to keep your working space clean by preventing any messes before they happen. One way to do this is to create a barrier between your working and your working space. A good way to do this is to lay out a plastic barrier (such as a trash bag laid flat).
Use the right containers. Any working that requires the use of bodily fluids will need to be carried out in a contained environment such as a jar or bottle. These containers need to have an airtight seal that will not leak.
After you have completed your work, use your gloves to safely contain any contaminated materials. Hold any contaminated materials on your gloved hand and remove the glove, holding the materials gently. This should keep the contaminated items safely inside the used glove. Anything that does not fit into the glove should be stored in a Ziploc bag and sealed until it is sanitized or properly discarded.
Sanitize the exterior of your container and your workspace. Using a fresh pair of gloves, thoroughly wash your jars, bottles, and surfaces with soap and warm water. Then, sanitize the surfaces with a bleach solution (using about 1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 gallon of water).
Understand the protocols for disposing of medical waste at home. Be aware that blood, any item contaminated with blood, sharp objects like razors and needles, and bodily fluids that have been contaminated with infectious material have to be disposed of according to specific safety standards. This will likely require a medical waste container and a medical waste disposal service, which you can likely find near you. Some other locations do offer a one-time service via mail. Take care in handling such waste and ensure that it is always disposed of promptly and safely. If you have waste that does not qualify as a biohazard in your area, you should still take care when disposing of it. Seal all such materials in Ziploc bags and dispose of promptly.
A Note About the Criticism of Magical Practices: There has been a good deal of criticism regarding the use of bodily fluids in magical working. And this is fair. It’s always fair to question something that is different from what we understand, to decide for ourselves what works within the framework of our practice and what does not. It is important, however, to realize that some of our criticism may actually add to the harmful stigma of other practices.
Remember, the use of bodily fluids in magic is fairly common in folk magical practices. Many folk magical practices—both historical and living traditions—come to the magical community from Cultures of Color, areas of heightened levels of underprivilege, etc. Thus, it is important to be aware of and careful about how and why we criticize these practices. While it’s fair to say things like “In my own practice, this wouldn’t work” or “I would prefer to substitute something else for bodily fluids because it’s safer”, there are definitely criticisms we should avoid making.
The assertion that these practices and practitioners are, for example, dirty or uneducated is a huge problem in that it contributes to the deepening stigma of Practitioners of Color who are following ancestral and cultural practices. Not only does this stigmatize Practitioners of Color and Underprivileged Practitioners, it serves to establish cleaned-up, Eurocentric, modernized magical practices as the “right way”. It demonizes those practices. It invalidates those practitioner’s knowledge, creating a community that is both unwelcoming of them and lacking opportunities for them.
Disclaimer: Each of the Crowsbone writers and guest bloggers has their own magical background, beliefs, traditions and practices. These post represent the opinions, research and beliefs of the individual writers. We do not believe that they represent beliefs and rules associated with all magical practice or witchcraft; nor do they represent the beliefs and opinions of all of the Crowsbone community.