Blood Rituals
Connecting to my menstrual blood in this way has been a profound journey of healing, magic and creative expression. I recommend you try out a few of the following ideas.
As with all ritual, carving out some time, creating a beautiful space, and setting an intention before you begin, will help give the ritual more power and meaning.
Feel into what your womb is asking for, and allow your creativity to guide you.
Anointing
Using a clean finger, collect some blood directly from your yoni (or a menstrual cup if you prefer) and make a mark on your forehead. This can be a line, a dot, or an image of your choice.
You can also go the whole hog with a face mask if you're feeling it!
Free Bleeding
If you’re lucky enough to live in the countryside, try sitting on the ground (ideally some soft grass) with your yoni directly on the earth, and allow your blood to flow straight back to source. You can wear a long skirt with lots of material to shield your body if you wish.
During this time sit in quiet meditation and listen to what your womb is telling you. Listen to what is ready to be released.
If you don’t live somewhere where this is possible, an equally beautiful ritual is to wear eco friendly pads, or period pants and sit in a comfy chair. Listen to meditative music, or be in silence. Be still. Listen for the messages. Connect to the sensations of blood leaving you, and your body releasing. Give thanks.
A note on free bleeding: This was one of the most transformative things I did to heal my relationship to my blood. Since my teenage years I had always used tampons. I felt ashamed of my blood. I had the notion that it was smelly and dirty. At the age of 28 I’d never experienced the sensation of blood being released from my body (intentionally!) It felt so good! Everytime I could feel blood come through, wherever I was, I just closed my eyes for a few moments to connect to my womb, and what I was releasing that month. Seriously, give it a go and make up your own mind.
Painting
You’ll need a mooncup for this. If like me you find mooncups fiddly and leaky it’s probably because you don’t have the right cup for your shape. I recommend the ‘Put a Cup in it Quiz’ which helps find the right mooncup for you. I now use the Lily cup which is a much better fit for the shape of my yoni.
I personally like to free bleed the first day or so, and then collect my blood on the following two days for painting and offerings. You’ll discover what is best for you.
I often like to create an alter with some crystals, cedar or sage, and other objects of significance for painting.
You can use your fingers or brushes.
Be curious and see what comes out. I often like to paint things that feel resonant with how I’m feeling, or sometimes I’ll paint what it is a want to manifest as an act of magic. Sometimes I paint words, sometimes it’s abstract.
Earth Offering
Again you’ll need a menstrual cup for this one.
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Take your blood (you can take straight from you yoni, or put in a beautiful vessel of some kind)
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Take a walk in nature, and allow yourself to be guided to the right spot to offer your blood. It might be a tree or somewhere sheltered that calls to you. Some people have a particular tree in their garden that they like to offer their blood to each bleed.
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Once you’ve found your location take some moments in silence to feel into your prayer. It could be personal, however I invite you to make this prayer for the collective healing of the planet and of the sisterhood.
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You can verbalise it outloud, whisper it, say it in your mind, sing a song, tone, whatever feels good, and offer your blood to the earth.
Indoor offerings: If you choose to offer your blood to a house plant, please make sure you dilute your blood with water first. About 50/50, and don’t give it too much (depending on the pot size!)
Manifestation Spells
One of my all time favourites.
There are many different ways to go about this! Here are my faves.
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Creating paintings that represent what you want to call in, or writing it out in your blood.
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Making a fire and sitting in meditation for a while, feeling in to what you want to manifest. Speaking out loud to the fire what you wish to manifest, and making offerings with any or all of the following: Flowers, your menstrual blood, sweet herbs (like cedar or sage), wood, seeds, food, chocolate etc.
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Toning and making up simple songs to manifest what I want to call in and believe
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Incorporating a cacao ceremony into the above
This painting was created to call forth women who were ready to step into the role of facilitating women's circles... they're slowly finding their way to me!
Releasing
This one often is a good precursor to the manifestation spell. I usually like to empty myself before thinking about what I’m calling in.
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Create a warm, cosy space, or a fire outside (I love making ceremony with fire)
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Tune in to what you’re releasing this moon.
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Write them all down on a piece of paper (in your blood if you wish)
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Speak out loud “I release….”
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Give the paper to the fire
If you’re inside you can burn it using a lighter or candle and drop the paper into a glass bowl or metal pan (no plastic!)
I like dawn or dusk as good energetic moments of transition.
