What is it about the crimson stuff? For blood is the life; is vampirism not blood magick, be it done instinctively or with full awareness. Every culture contains some acknowledgment of the special significance of blood. Blood is a magical as well as a sacred substance. Prohibitions on the consumption of blood in Islam and Christianity confirm this as well as references found in the scriptures and sutras of other cultures and in legend.

In Leviticus 10-14 even with regard to animals, the soul or life(rauch) of the animal was in the blood, or rather actually was the blood. Thus the commandment: "If any man whosoever of the house of Israel, and of the strangers that sojourn among them, eat blood I will set my face against his soul, and will cut him off from among his people: Because the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you, that you may make atonement with it upon the altar for your souls, and the blood may be for an expiation for the soul. Therefore I have said to the children of Israel: No soul of you, nor of the strangers that sojourn among you, shall eat blood."

From Of the Bloody Sacrifice--Matters Cognate: The blood is the life. This simple statement is explained by the Hindus by saying that the blood is the principal vehicle of vital prana. There is some ground for the belief that there is a definite substance, not isolated as yet, by whose presence makes all the difference between live and dead matter. Magick in Theory and Practice-A.Crowley

References to of the power in blood--somewhat disapproving ones --can be found in the sutras of Agni yoga--"Meat, even with the blood removed cannot be fully freed from the emanations of this powerful substance. The sun's rays to a certain extent remove these emanations, but their dispersion into space also causes no small harm. Try to carry out a psychic energy experiment near a slaughterhouse and you will receive signs of acute madness, not to mention the entities which attach themselves to the exposed blood. Not without foundation has blood been called sacred."

Inspiration is derived by drinking blood along with drinking intoxicants--the mead of the gods. In the medieval grimoires blood is used by spirits to build a form and be rendered visible. A similar feeding strategy is employed in Voodoo. Hindu magicians who drink the blood of animals sacrificed to Kali are believed to be temporarily possessed by her spirit, and thus enabled to prophesy. Blood was of great importance in the culture of the Aztecs who took it further still, feeling their gods required a constant stream of blood in the form of sacrifice to keep the world functioning. Related ideas are found in too many places to list. Blood is food for spirits and uniquely potent as a medium for subtle energies.

Can a vampire be blamed for feeling a certain attraction?

Pretty people burning with inchoate yearnings, whisper your secret selves to me in blood.

The Physicality of Blood
A human being has 4-6 liters of blood, depending on the body size, blood accounting for roughly 8% of body weight. The colour of course, is an intense red, very bright for oxygenated arterial blood and a of darker ruby red in the venous blood that has given up much of its oxygen. Blood is indeed thicker than water; its viscosity is three to five times higher. It's slightly alkaline. Blood's normal pH range is 7.35-7.45 which may be a factor in its reputed coppery taste.

How much is too much when it comes to bloodletting: Official Red Cross guidelines disallow taking more than one pint(473ml) from a donor in a two months period. They also mandate blood donors be at least 17yrs old and have a minimum body weight of 110lb. As there are blood drinkers under 17yrs of age, individuals will have to decide if this recommendation is suitable for them. However, every blood drinker should keep in mind the legalities of feeding on a donor who is not considered an adult under the law. Some states and countries deem bloodletting to be illegal, even among consenting adults. Caution is always necessary in order to minimize the risk of assault charges.

Plasma does begin to regenerate within a few hours, but red blood cell production takes at least a few weeks and red blood cells don't reproduce fast enough to properly replace more than a pint every couple of months. While blood loss may stimulate red blood cell production, rushing this process results in inferior or weak red blood cells which are too fragile to function properly. Among common blood tests that may be used by collection agencies on perspective blood donors is the CBC (Complete Blood Count). It determines the size, number, volume, and presence of hemoglobin in red blood cells in order to make sure there are enough red blood cells to donate safely. Drawing blood from someone with a low hemoglobin count is a very bad idea. Everyone should be aware what the signs of anemia are.

There are mental pathologies (Clinical Vampirism), in which the patient has a fascination with blood. The rites of bdsm sometimes involve activities that draw blood. Bloodplay is a form of edgeplay often considered extreme even inside the kink community. Most of those who identify as vampiric would strongly object to being described as (sexual) blood-fetishists. The other side of coin is a trend in the direction of reducing blood drawing to nothing much more than a medical procedure. This can be attributed partly to fear of the real dangers of blood borne diseases and partly to the proliferation of scene gurus finely attuned to liability issues and political correctness. Being a vampire isn't a prerequisite for expounding on the proper way to live as one.

Fetish--a term vaguely disreputable for its sexual associations--really means magical implement. A fetish is a thing that has connotations beyond it's matter of fact ones and is powerfully evocative. The imperative that draws a vampire to blood, the hunger, is simple and and its complex. Like any core urge such as food hunger or sexuality, it manifests on many layers of the body/mind -- survival, pleasure, desire for intimate connection with others, in what Nietzsche called the Urge to Power or a Phoenix Mass celebration of Self. So perhaps its not entirely off base after all, to say blood drinking vampires have a blood fetish.

"And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration..." Rev 17:4-6

"I want more."       

Blacklight 07