CRAFTIVISM

The most common material used to carve these statuettes is mammoth tusk, but teeth, antlers, bone, and stone were also used. A very small number of sites produced clay figurines, which are among the earliest known examples of ceramic art. The figures are usually voluptuous female nudes. Some of their features, such as their breasts, hips, stomachs and pubic areas, are greatly exaggerated while other characteristics are absent or downplayed. It is quite common for the figurines to be faceless with poorly defined arms and legs and a silhouette that is tapered at the top and bottom. The carvings often lack defined hands and feet. Given that the creators of these carvings were separated by 30,000 years and hundreds of kilometers, it is remarkable that so many of them share the same traits.

Rose George: “The iron in our blood comes from the death of supernovas, like all iron on our planet,” she writes. “This bright red liquid . . . contains salt and water, like the sea we possibly came from.”

George journeys to a remote Hindu village in western Nepal, where she finds Radha, a sixteen-year-old chau, which means “untouchable menstruating woman” in the local dialect. During her period, Radha can’t enter her family’s house or her temple, and she can’t touch other women, lest they be polluted. If she so much as consumes buffalo milk or butter, the buffalo themselves will get sick and stop producing milk. She can be fed only boiled rice, thrown by her little sister onto a plate from a safe distance, “the way you would feed a dog.”

Customs that denigrate women during menses are widespread. George notes that our word “taboo” is believed to derive from one of two Polynesian words: tapua, which means “menstruation,” or tabu, which means “apart.” Not long ago, in America, it was thought that “the curse” could cause women to spoil meat if they came in contact with it. But menstrual blood is not always seen as harmful, and menstrual segregation at its most benevolent can take the form of communality. Some three hundred miles northwest of where Radha lives, near the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, menstruating Kalasha women “retire to a prestigious structure called the bashali, where women hang out, have fun, and sleep entwined,” George writes. “In this reading of menstrual seclusion, the woman is prized for her blood, because it means fertility and power.”

In Wogeo, an island off the north coast of Papua New Guinea, menstrual blood is held to be both lethal and cleansing, and men emulate menstruation by cutting their penises with crab claws. In ancient Rome, too, menstrual blood was not just a curse. Pliny the Elder wrote in his “Natural History” that when women had their periods they could stop seeds from germinating, cause plants to wither, and make fruit fall from trees. But their destructive power had its uses. A menstruating woman was able to kill a swarm of bees or ward off hail and lightning. Wives of farmers, Pliny suggested, could even offer a sort of pesticide: “If a woman strips herself naked while she is menstruating, and walks around a field of wheat, the caterpillars, worms, beetles and other vermin will fall from off the ears of corn.”

In Islam, menstruating women are forbidden to recite certain prayers and must refrain from vaginal intercourse. In Judaism, too, menstruation can be a cause of ritual impurity, as can childbirth. According to the rabbi and theologian Shai Held, “Childbirth takes place at—and to some degree unsettles—the boundaries between life and death: A new life comes into the world, but blood, considered the seat of life, is lost in the process.”

Observant Jews and Muslims alike follow dietary laws that forbid the consumption of blood. Both kosher meat and halal meat must be drained of blood, and kosher meat is also salted, to remove any residue of the substance. A tiny blood spot in an egg renders it inedible. While believers accept these prohibitions as divine edicts to prove devotion, some scholars speculate that they developed as health measures to prevent spoilage of meat, which is accelerated through oxidation and bacterial growth. These days, even meat that is not kosher or halal is drained of blood. People who say they like their steak “bloody” are actually responding to myoglobin, a red-pigmented protein that stores oxygen in muscle and brightens when exposed to air.



In pre-modern times, blood was not only a target of treatment but also a source of medicine. Richard Sugg, in his remarkable book “Mummies, Cannibals and Vampires” (2011), traces the belief in blood’s healing powers back to ancient Rome. Drawing on a report by Pliny the Elder, he conjures a scene at the Colosseum:

The man sprawled at such an odd angle beside the injured fighter has his face pressed against a gaping tear in the gladiator’s throat. He is drinking blood fresh from the wound. Why? . . . He suffers from epilepsy, and is using a widely known cure for his mysterious affliction.

Gladiatorial combat declined in the fourth century, with the reign of Constantine, the first Christian emperor, but the consumption of human blood continued, with supplies coming instead from criminals at executions. The ailing would swallow it “fresh and hot, seconds after a beheading,” Sugg writes, citing medieval accounts from Germany, Denmark, and Sweden. In 1483, King Louis XI of France, a paranoid religious fanatic, reportedly imbibed meals of blood collected from healthy children—a vain attempt to stave off his imminent death from leprosy. When Pope Innocent VIII was dying, in 1492, he was allegedly given the blood of three boys by a Jewish physician, in the hopes of channelling some of their youthful energy. (Medical historians doubt the veracity of the story, which may have been an anti-Semitic slander.)



By attaching two animals together, like conjoined twins, scientists have been able to observe the effects of sharing blood. Since 2013, Amy Wagers, a stem-cell researcher at Harvard, has studied parabiosis in pairs of differently aged mice. Wagers and her team have reported that when blood from a young mouse circulates through an older mouse it can reverse the deterioration of its muscles and rejuvenate its brain. These startling results have been confirmed by some outside researchers, although others have been unable to reproduce the findings.

Water ritual

1. Get a glass of water. In the original experiments, Jose Silva used glass, But later experiments have shown that just about any container such as plastic bottles, Styrofoam cups work. However, I would still recommend that you use glass since most of the tests involved glass, with good results.
2. Sit in a comfortable position.
3. Clasp the glass with both hands and try to spread your fingers while grasping it. However, do not allow your fingertips from touching the fingertips of the other hand. Hence the thumb of your left hand will be close to the thumb of your right hand but they are not touching each other.
4. Look into the water, using it as a mental screen.
5. State your affirmation and visualize the end result. Do this for 15 minutes. Here, you are using focused thought to communicate the pure intention that you wish the water to carry.
6. Once you have finished, drink it. As you are drinking it, say this “this is all I need to achieve ________ (your affirmation)”.

Menstruating women carried round nutmegs and nosegays to conceal any arising odours, as the corrosive power of the female reproductive fluids, transmittable through smell, constituted a real fear at the time. To stem a heavy flow, women were advised to take the hair from an animal’s head and bind it to a “green” or young tree; another “proven” remedy advocated burning a toad in a pot and wearing the powder in a pouch around the waist. If this failed, recipes using comfrey, nettle and blackberry, alongside the repetition of “magical” numerical formulae were suggested. This was mainly in response to social reactions, determined by the church, which defined the menstruating woman as unclean.

Menstrual blood was also feared by men as a corrosive forces representative of female power. One belief stated that it could damage the penis on contact, or that men might unsuspectingly consume it in love potions! It had the power to turn new wine sour, make fruit fall from trees, kill bee hives, give dogs rabies and make crops turn barren. A child in a cradle could be poisoned by the gaze of an old, pre-menopausal woman, whose accumulation of blood would lead to poisonous vapours being given off by her eyes!

The secret washing of “rags” and numerous customs regarding the nature and odour of menstrual blood imply that periods were a mixed blessing for the medieval and Tudor woman. They were an important rite of passage in an era which placed a high value on fertility yet they were also a source of shame and inconvenience. Typically though, this paradox fits much of the historic female experience, with women encouraged to define their bodies through masculine eyes and to lose ownership over their own natural functions.

Per se, the loss of blood by the woman represents the incarnation of many social fears. Some cultures considered menstruation as a symbol of 'impurity', which appears proscribed in several sacred texts. The Bible (Lev. X, 19-32) refers to the impurity of women and of the elements and individuals with which they relate during the menstruation.10 The Koran defines menstruation as an evil that must be banished to reach purity, thereby, placing it in the field of impurity and disease.8 In other cultures, menstrual blood is interpreted as a symbol of weakness and malignancy. In some tribes it is believed that because of it menstruating women can diminish the tribe's collective strength, which is why they are judged as temporary enemies of the clan and, fearing their presence, are subjected to different types of isolation and confinement, reaching quite varied reclusion mechanisms and periods. In some cases, as with the Falashas of Ethiopia, special places are available for women to be isolated during the days the menstruation lasts.11

In other cases, the reclusion includes some type of social activity, as with the Mondurucus from Brazil, who confine the menstruating woman to a cell and each member of the tribe goes by and pulls a hair from her head.12 It has even been seen in some cultures that the reclusion can last several years, from the onset of the menarche.13 All this is done to somehow 'cleanse' the impurity brought with the blood that flows from the woman's body, to alleviate the weakness brought with it and to avoid the danger that it can represent.14 Also, we can see that the blood has been represented by diverse cultures as a symbol of life, which is why it is considered to have magical and healing qualities.11 Therefore; it was used for beneficial purposes, as in the preparation of concoctions and potions, among others. For example, during the 17th century in France, it was thought that the menstrual blood from a woman who had not given birth could put out fires, no matter how hot these fires were.15

In the south of Russia, it was believed that the blood would keep a part of its owner's soul and it would be used as a love filter, by mixing it in wine, and it was felt that manipulating it could induce the woman to changes.16 Other places believed in the healing properties of the menstruation and it was used to cure tearing, epilepsy, stubborn pain, gout, boils, warts, ulcer, fever, hydrophobia, and it was even felt that it could serve as an 'anti spell' that would cure the evil eye, avoid the plague and divert storms.17

All this shows us a high social content related to the menstrual cycle, inasmuch as it conforms to a popular knowledge and a collective imaginary around this fact and, hence, is involved with the socio-cultural setting. Thus, from these imaginaries a knowledge set is constituted involved with the personal experience, giving it meaning and determining an action model that must be followed by the menstruating woman, while forming a particular way of confronting menstruation. It is through the formulation of rational knowledge, removed from all these types of mysticisms, that it would be possible to arrive at a more favorable understanding of menstruation per se. Not for nothing, rationalized formulations were sought of the phenomenon of the menstrual cycle, giving it a more biological role than religious or spiritual roles. Aristotle, for example, considered that it was during menstruation when the semen acted to bring on fertilization as a result.8 This idea was kept for a long time; it was modified during the Medieval period, given that during said period it was felt that menstruation was a clear signal of fertilizing capacity.8

Some treatments used by symptomatic women are phyto-therapeutic, which are based on using plant properties to treat the symptomatology of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS). Thus, certain products are used like, for example, Chasteberry (Vitex agnus-castus L.), which is attributed a mild sedating action and symptomatic improvement; Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium L.), which has been attributed with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects; Onagra (Oenothera biennis L.) from whose seed is obtained an oil rich in unsaturated fatty acids, among which there are linolenic acid and ?-linoleic acid, precursors of certain inflammatory prostaglandins.26 Besides these, Ginkgo biloba is reported in PMS treatment, according to the results from a study conducted at the University of Tehran,27 which revealed decreased physical and psychological symptoms, in addition to a lack of side effects.

It should be highlighted that, even now, notorious discomfort persists in dealing with the topic of menstruation, which is why a language that does not refer to it directly is used, given that this is considered somewhat annoying, and which should be hidden. Thus, upon the presence of the menarche, women prefer to use traditional knowledge, bequeathed by their elders and their peers rather than seek specialized and scientific knowledge; therefore, traditional treatments and inadequate practices proliferate, which increase in the presence of menstrual disorders.

It is necessary to recognize the relationship between menstruation, as a biological event, and the social processes per se, influenced by historical beliefs that have been transmitted generation after generation. Hence, we see that menstruation far exceeds the imaginary that places it only within the feminine setting; far from this, menstruation is a process that involves the social group, inasmuch as it has psychological, social, and cultural implications. For this reason, it is important to address the experience the women have to understand the complexity and scope of the menstruation experience, seeking to comprise useful knowledge to offer comprehensive care and efficient help regarding the psycho-social consequences menstruation may have on some women. It is necessary to continue investigating with qualitative approaches, thus, trying to find solutions that go beyond the traditional biomedical model.

BLOOD MAGIC THE ANTTROPOLOGY OF MESTRUATION

1. Charging sigils and servitors

Menstrual blood is perfect for charging sigils and servitors in Chaos Magick. Rubbing menstrual blood on a servitor or sigil injects a piece of your life force into the symbol. The next time you make a sigil or servitor, empower it with menstrual blood. The menstrual blood will activate its powers faster.

2. Prosperity spells

Like I said, based on my experiences, menstrual blood amplifies the effects of your spell. This attribute makes menstrual blood compatible with prosperity spells and money spells. I used to write down the Feruz rune and rub menstrual blood on it. Then I’d burn the piece of paper and let the magick enter the ethers.

3. Demon workings

Demons love menstrual blood. I’ve used my menstrual blood as an offering to demons like Lilith. I’ve also used menstrual blood while making pacts with demons, including Satan. Menstrual blood bonds you to demons. It’s a potent way to enhance your workings with demons.

4. Love spells and lust spells

Witches have been using menstrual blood in love spells and lust spells for ages. Menstrual blood helps you attract and dominate your target. Light a pink candle and write on a piece of paper, “(Insert name here) is my lover.” Visualize your love being requited as you smear the message with menstrual blood. Afterwards, burn the paper.

​5. Visualization

When you’re menstruating, you’re ability to manifest desires heightens. Menstruation is a good time to practice visualization and work with energy. I’ve found that I’m more sensitive to energies when I’m ovulating or having my period.

6. Enhancing spells

I use menstrual blood to strengthen my spells. I’ve found that whenever I use menstrual blood in magick, my spells manifest quicker and better with less effort. I write my desire/intention on a piece of paper, anoint the message with menstrual blood, and then burn it.

7. Mojo Bags

I incorporate menstrual blood into mojo bags and spell sachets. When filling the pouch with magickal items, I anoint one of the items with menstrual blood to increase its power. For instance, in the past, I’ve anointed pieces of Jezebel root with menstrual blood to increase prosperity and money.

8. Moon Magick

I use menstrual blood in spells and rituals in which I connect to the moon. Menstrual blood has been associated with the moon in many magickal traditions. For instance, when I work with Chia (my favorite moon goddess), I prefer to be menstruating. It gives my spells, rituals, and meditation with the moon an extra “kick” that I like.

From a culture that says ‘period’ under our breath, the subject remains taboo in my culture. As a child growing up in Nepal filled with outdated opinions (that are still present), I hated being female. Periods in our society are secretive, even the buying of pads was embarrassing – I used to pray that a woman was at the till when I was buying sanitary products. Even in an all-girls school in Nepal, when fellow students found out that I was on my period, I was made fun of as my period started at a much earlier age than the rest of my classmates. To have a period in my culture (and in many other traditional societies) has negative connotations; associations of impurity and dirty. Girls/women who are on their period are not allowed to be in the kitchen or to be able to cook as it is believed that the area will become contaminated. Additionally, you are not allowed to go to temples, to go to ‘puja’ room or to worship god when you are on your period as, again, girls on their period are considered to be impure when menstruating (Anand and Garg, 2015).

This natural process of menstruating has, and still is surrounded by many taboos and myths, negatively impacting on young girls’ lives. In the less developed part of Nepal (to the west), many practice menstrual taboo called Chhaupadi. During this period, women and girls are kept isolated, not allowing them to do any usual activities; banned from the house they have to live in a ‘menstruation hut’ during the entire period of their menstruation. Chhaupadi is practised because of the belief that periods are impure and thus anger the gods. There are many cases where women are found dead when they are forced to spend their period in a Chhaupadi shed. But whilst The Supreme Court issued an order to eliminate the Chhaupadi system in 2008, the practice still remains prevalent today (The Himalayan Times, 2016). With less knowledge and understanding of menstruation and reproductive health, it strengthens the cultural myths that continue to associate menstruation with ‘impurity’ or ‘dirtiness’. Young girls will continue to grow up restricted by these taboos and beliefs formed by previous generations.

Human menstrual blood: a renewable and sustainable source of stem cells for regenerative medicine

Fig.1 Tenth-century (Five dynasties) green ware bowl and stand carved with lotus petals 青釉刻花托碗, unearthed at the Huqiu Pagoda in Suzhou 蘇州虎丘塔, Jiangsu. (Source: Suzhou Municipal Museum)