Bloody April: Give-Away Winners

Thank you to all for reading & commenting during Bloody April. You are both wise & fun. Without further ado, let's have some winners!

The winner of Give-Away #1, the 2 pad set from Crea8tive Mama, is CelticDragonfly!

The winner of Give-Away #2, the sweet little owl bag & 2 pad set from Hagrags, is Domestic Witch!

Last but not least, of the 13 entries for the acacia honey, Give-Away #3, the generator picked #13, Beth!

Dear Winners, I will contact you via email to get your mailing information. Love & Beltane Blessings from The Wizardess

Bloody April: My Pentacle

I had been looking for a pentacle for a while. I wanted one made of wood or clay, since to me either represent Earth. Since this would be a magical item, present on my altar, and used for spellwork, I wanted something that I felt a powerful connection to. I saw or handled metal ones, resin ones, some wooden ones with the pentagram burned on. A few were absolutely beautiful, artist made, but simply cost too much money, especially for a Nanny Ogg/Granny Weatherwax type like me. So, I decided, I would make one.

Warning: I am not crafty in the sense of good at making things with my hands. Arrange flowers, stage a house so that it will sell, put together outfits, creative cooking, sure. But actually making an artsy thing from scratch? Uh oh. Salt dough, I thought. How bad could it be?

Yep I managed to mess it up. I made the salt dough using some regular flour, and some whole wheat flour. The whole wheat flour was going to go to waste, ok? It gets rancid after a while! I was using my resources wisely! But as far as I can tell, the whole wheatiness plus the sweetened black paste food coloring I used caused the dough to rise a little bit. So I ended up with only one kind of circular blobby pentacle out of the whole batch! Fortunately the crushed egg shell sprinkles to form the pentagram came out ok.

Why is this a Bloody April post? Because I did indeed collect a bit of my menstrual blood, and I mixed it into the dough prior to baking. So it's not the prettiest pentacle. It's even a fragile pentacle. But I do now have a pentacle that is special to me, and contains a bit of my bodily magic.

Bloody April: Enter the Give-aways by 3PM tomorrow

Wow, Bloody April just whizzed by. Tomorrow is our final day. So get in those give-aways! I have a full schedule tomorrow, but I will get to the random number magic in the afternoon, so stay tuned.

Bloody April: EcoMenses site

Ok, y'all, if you think I am into the cloth pads, wait til you visit the blog of Obisidian! She's a maker and collector of re-usables. Drawers & drawers full! I wish I could raid her stash. Obsidian has 265 pads. Yep. Go, and become envious of her pirate pads, her "pre-reddened" one, so many nifty options!

She also gives excellent suggestions for building the stash. You don't want all of just one kind or size. Oh the patterns! Oh the styles! I bet she only has to wash pads once a year!

Bloody April: My enviro-vadge stash

Here is the stash. I have acquired a dozen pads (not all pictured), a Diva Cup, and 2 sea sponge tampons. With some planning & care I need not use any more disposable gear for my period! That is the goal.

I will keep trying with the Diva Cup. It's interesting that one commenter said that using the Cup actually shortens her periods. I just can't get the darn thing to stop leaking! However, there are good alternatives. I really enjoyed using the washable pads for this past cycle. They were soft, comfortable, and didn't slip on the undies. Here's to a greener moontime!

Bloody April: Give-Aways! Yes to international shipping!

Dear Blog Friends who live overseas: Yes, I will ship to you if you win the give-away. The re-usables are quite light, so the shipping should be ok. The acacia honey...hmmm...is definitely heavier, but I have won 2 give-aways recently myself, so I wish to pass the energy on, with gratitude, to whomever the random winner is. If you have shipped internationally before, what is the best way? Regular post office? Fed-Ex? Do tell.

So get in those give-aways! It's the final week; Full Moon today; Beltane is upon us; it's all about doing & growing!

Bloody April: Remember to enter the Give-Aways!

Blog about it if you haven't already!

Bloody April: What's a moonpot?

From the heart of my bathroom, secure in its green consciousness, here lurks the Enviro-Vadge Moonpot Bucket! Woot wooot! So if you were wondering what a moonpot was, it is the pot/bucket/container in which you soak your re-usable pads so that they don't get too stained and are easy to wash. You can also use your bloody water for your houseplants. Supposedly they enjoy the extra "stuff". And of course, that bloody water can be used in your contraception spell: on my agenda for next month.

Bloody April: HagRags are wonderful!

I ordered some HagRags when I realized that my 8 pads from Crea8tive Mama were not QUITE enough for a whole period. And wow am I glad that I did! Look how beautiful they are!

These have a removable liner inside.

Tanya, aka Skuld, HagRags creator, sent the give-away pads along with my order, so you get a more in depth peek at them:

The give-away set is lovely! Tanya aka Skuld continued with owls/pirates on the one pad, and the liner is black with guitars and one side and cool kitty-cats on the other. Since she was so generous, I'm going to tuck one more little surprise into the HagRag give-away. So get over there to the column on the right & enter!

Bloody April: The medieval fish spell

This spell is not specifically menstrual, but it does involve the vadge. Oh, merciful heavens, does it ever. And I'm dying to share it, so in the series it goes! This is yet another love spell from The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells. Judika Illes has such a lovely dry sense of humor in her writing.

This medieval love spell allegedly produces one of the most potent aphrodisiacs. This spell lingered throughout Europe for centuries. Its practice was condemned by a Latin penitential dated from the tenth or eleventh century. If you are in the habit of purchasing live fish to personally kill prior to cooking, then perhaps this spell is for you.

1. Insert the live fish into your vagina.

2. Keep it within until you are absolutely sure it's dead.

3. Cook the fish as you will. Presumably using other aphrodisiac ingredients, such as saffron, champagne or cardamom, can only enhance the power of this spell.

4. Serve it to your beloved. Beyond stimulating great passion and sex, it is also supposed to keep him faithful.

Yes you read that correctly. Kill Mr. Fishie with your vadge & then serve him up. Dude will be enchanted forever!

Bloody April: Snail Water Menstrual Blood Spell

Do you like to munch on snails? Want to enchant your beloved forever? Judika Illes has a Snail Water version of the basic notorious menstrual potion:

1. Mix menstrual blood with the water with which you have boiled snails. (Escargot are perceived as a potent aphrodisiac; presumably you're serving them as well.)
2. Serve to your beloved as a true love potion.

Hmmm...my boyfriend, the Sweet Potato, loves snails but we've never eaten them together. When I bused dishes in high school, I had to handle too many of those little greasy stinky dishes with the hollows for your dozen snails & it put me off them.
Crabs, lobster & shrimp, now....yummmmm....I think this spell is due for an adaptation!

Bloody April: Yes, that paint is what you think it is

And it's beautiful! I am learning tons of new information through this series. Right now, I'm about halfway through Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon. In her resource section is an online journal called Metaformia, dedicated to menstruation & culture! More about Metaformia anon. Metaformia led me to Vanessa Tiegs, artist in many media. Her Menstrala series was created with her menstrual blood over a few years. Tiegs was inspired by the poet who edits Metaformia.

Bloody April: My Little Red Book Give-Away

Thanks to Mrs. B at Pagan Soccer Mom, I can invite you to another period style give-away. My Little Red Book is a collection of "when I first got my period" stories from the funny to the harrowing, and you can win a copy by clicking the link & following the directions. There are other nifty give-aways going on at the Blood Bath blog, but this one is specifically menstrual & I didn't even have to organize it! Sweet!

Don't forget to enter MY give-aways at the right. I will draw all the winners at random on April 30th, the Final Day of Bloody April.

So, vampires like blood...

Ever wondered about that just a little bit? With the current image of a vamp as male, handsome & really quite interested in women of the age when they have this little leak thing going on every month?

I love "True Blood" the HBO series, although I choose not to have a TV, so I wait for the DVD release to watch. The books, by Charlaine Harris, are also v. entertaining, and different than the series. You can read ahead and not worry about knowing everything; the series makes massive changes.

I doubt that even HBO takes on vampires & period blood. However, Harris might just give a little hint in one of the books, Definitely Dead: in this scene, Sookie, the heroine, and her vampire boyfriend Bill have broken up. Bill has brought a date into the bar where Sookie works as a waitress.

   "We do something wrong, Sook?" Catfish said. "Or is it just your time of the month?"

   "You didn't do anything," I said. And it wasn't my time of the month--oh. Yes, it was. I'd had the warning with the ache in my back, the heaviness in my stomach, and my swollen fingers. My little friend had come to visit, and I felt the sensation even as I realized what was contributing to my general irritation.

   I glanced over at Bill and caught him staring at me, his nostrils flaring. He could smell the blood. A wave of acute embarrassment rolled over me, turning my face red. For a second, I glimpsed naked hunger on his face, and then he wiped his features clean of all expression.

   If he wasn't weeping with unrequited love on my doorstep, at least he was suffering a little. A tiny pleased smile was on my lips when I glimpsed myself in the mirror behind the bar.

So, Harris is certainly not overtly saying hey vampires will just lick up your menstrual blood as it oozes out, but I think this passage is suggestive.

Here we tasty human women are, with this extra blood coming up every month...if we're not pregnant, we're not doing anything with it...er, unless we are possibly making notorious potions. Or putting out fires. Or enhancing our contraception. Hey! No, vampire, you MAY not have that!

Bloody April: Back to magic

The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells by Judika Illes is the gift that just keeps on giving. We women who have the Dragon Time (magical name for menstruation) can use our bloody rags for both contraception & fire safety!

I am so doing this one: Witch Bottle Contraception Spell

• wash clothing stained with menstrual blood

• fill a bottle with the bloody rinse water

• seal the bottle with red wax

• bury the bottle in a safe place where it will not be disturbed. (p. 456)

At 41, I'm not the fertile bunny I used to be, but the boyfriend is terrified he's going to knock me up. It would be a horrible time to have a little one for both of us, so I completely understand. And I'm not giving up our other methods. But a bit of magic never hurts...

Menstrual Blood Stop the Fire Spell:

Throw a menstrual-blood soaked rag onto the fire. If you keep pads soaking in a moon-pot, just toss the entire contents on the flames.(p. 459)

Ladies, we are just so effing magical!

Bloody April: Why don't animals menstruate?

I have been distracted by this kitty-cat:

who gets to have sexytime with this kitty-cat:

Thereby making expensive purebred baby Norwegian Forest Cats. The black stud cat belongs to my boyfriend; he's going to breed once & be snipped, so we're a bit anxious about the whole process. So sorry for yesterday's somewhat pedestrian Wordle post. Today, though, the kitties have me thinking, why don't we notice other animals menstruating like we do?

Humans actually absorb back a darn lot of the bloody uterine lining. And this is what animals do! Why waste that good blood? Imagine being out in the wild & leaving a trail of blood. Not exactly safe if you have predators around. Chimpanzees will menstruate, and apparently dogs can have some type of bloody issue, but it's not exactly menstruation. 

Bloody April: Wordle for the blog thus far

Bloody April: Auntie Flo has pretty much departed

Guests always leave little traces behind, and Day 5 is trace day. So how green (heh) was my period? I am pleased with myself. With 8 regular pads from Crea8tive Mama, and just 1 day of Diva Cup usage, I used ONLY re-usable products for this period. On my second day, I wore the Diva Cup plus a re-usable pad, and that helped get me through, since it was a heavy day. I also did a load of laundry including pads; otherwise, I would have run out! So for me, 8 pads is not quite enough. I have a sea sponge tampon coming in the mail, and I've ordered some HagRags from Tanya aka Skuld. With those 2 purchases, and learning to use the Diva Cup better in future for travel, I will be utterly green when I'm leaking red!

I'm putting less in here:

The Lady will be pleased!

Bloody April: Give-Away #3

Threes are good! Maiden, mother, crone; beginning, middle, end; kitten, cat, tiger; so why not three give-aways? I found some ACACIA HONEY! You know what you can do with this!

And it seems the acacia tree, and by association acacia honey, has some other interesting properties. This is all from Judika's Big Book: "The acacia tree has been associated with the sacred since the proverbial time immemorial, from the myth of Osiris to the Ark of the Covenant." (p. 939) Burning powdered acacia incense will enhance your intuitive powers. Burning acacia wood & speaking a specific wish aloud will help you manifest your desire.

But of course, what interests me most is the concept that the gum is the menstrual blood of the tree, which makes the honey an adequate substitute for real menstrual blood as a love potion. I advise complete openness & honesty in your love spells, as in "Here honey, let me feed you some acacia honey. It will make you love me forever. And if you know what's good for you, you will indeed love me forever." Plus it's supposed to be some good eating, and doesn't get sugary like most honey does. Nice color to it, too.

So the typico rules apply: for 1 entry, comment on this post, for another entry, become a follower if you aren't already one, and post a comment saying so, and for a final entry, blog about this give-away, and leave the url in your comment!

Please help me with this Gods-wretched Diva Cup

My first effort at having a more sustainable & responsible menstrual period was using a Diva Cup. This is the pictured cup above. I bought mine at Whole Foods for about 30 bucks.

I was a complete bozo at this effort. I succeeded in getting my Diva Cup in correctly 2 times out of several months of attempted use. I can't seem to get it to pop open in the manner that the manufacturers say is the way to create the seal. Is my powerful vadge just crushing it? Am I pushing it too far up? Help! I know that at least one reader uses a cup!

I also get an uncomfortable feeling of bladder fullness with the cup. I think that it just may not be for me. I truly believe in it as a sustainable option...less work than re-usable pads, and it may hold up longer.

Bloody April: Crea8tive Mama's pads rock!

These pads are just so comfortable! And very absorbent. They stay in place perfectly. Currently, I'm wearing my Diva Cup & a pad as an experiment. I'm on Day 2 of Auntie Flo's visit, and I have 3 re-usables left. My goal is to get through this period without using any disposable product. Between the Cup & the Pads, I've got a chance, but I think some more pad purchases are in my future!

I know many of you like the black/multi-colored circle print on the pic for Give-Away #1. Unfortch, Crea8tive Mama is out of this fabric. (I requested it in my 8 pack.) But don't fret, her other fabrics are wonderful. She even has pirates! My pirate pad is in the wash bucket right now, so no photo for y'all. My wash bucket is a kitty litter bucket that I keep tucked away in the bathroom. I keep it about half full of cold water for pad soaking. Some women add a bit of vinegar to the water for odor control. 

Bloody April: The Circus is Closed because the Clown has a Bloody Nose

Yes, it's day one of my menstrual cycle! The colorful colloquialism in the title came from the Museum of Menstruation's list of the many many phrases used to refer to one's period. I happen to like the clown one, although most others don't appeal. My circus only stays closed for the first day. After that, all is ready to rumble. :)

I am blessed because I have little PMS trouble. I get a bit more tired & grouchy than normal for 2 days prior to my period. On Day 1, I try to get some extra rest, and I eat whatever I want. (Actually, this is what I always do, but since I LIKE veg, tofu & whatnot, it works :). However, during period time, I crave chocolate, avocados, french fries & sweet potato fries. Oh, yum. Today is sweet potato fry day.

I try not to make any major decisions on Day 1, because I usually feel just a bit foggy. Obviously, I can't skip work or other obligations on Day 1, but I attempt to make my life as easy as possible. What is/was your pattern for Day 1?

Bloody April: Let's go visit MUM (Museum of Menstruation)

Yes indeed there is a Museum of Menstruation  and it resides online! It takes a bit of clicking to get through the place, but there are true gems tucked away everywhere! I am wending my way through the advertisements & essays, but there are stories, pamphlets, lists of euphemisms for the bloody days & ways.

Cybill Shepherd used to be a tampon model! Kinda:

This one makes me happy. The glamorous HollyPax Hollywood tampon, although apparently one had to say "modern insertion type sanitary protection" back in the 30s!

What do you think of the museum?

Bloody April: Give-Away #2!

From the lovely Tanya aka Skuld of HagRags and  her nifty personal blog with her cool creative friend, jackieandtanya, is the offer of a re-usable pad & panty liner set in a cute little bag like this:

To enter once, comment on this post. If you are not a follower, become one, and then post a comment saying so. Blog about this give-away for another entry, and then leave a post containing the url.

Let's pad the world! Sustainably!

Bloody April: Men can make a notorious potion, too

They just have to use acacia honey, as the gum of the acacia tree, from which the honey is made, is considered  the tree's menstrual blood. The question is, how do you administer the honey? Judika Illes will tell you:

"No other kind of honey may be substituted. Acacia gum is perceived as being the tree's menstrual blood complete with similar romantic powers, therefore lending men a magical power that biology deprives them. Acacia honey is produced in France.
1. Anoint the penis with acacia honey.
2. Make love.
This action not only ensures that she will love only you but allegedly guarantees fidelity as well." (p. 707)

Wonder what your lover might think about the stickiness? If you skim the Wikipedia article, it says that both Fresca & Barq's Root Beer list acacia as an ingredient....hmmmm....

Lest Judika & I seem terribly heteronormative, it's important to note that I'm plucking spells from a 100 page section of The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, which includes many spells for women seeking women or men seeking men. Any spell can become a gay-friendly spell by invoking Apollo, who was omnivorous sexually, and lesbians can petition Artemis or Athena for help.

Don't forget to enter the give-away if you'd like 2 cool new pads!! You can also blog about it for another entry, just leave a separate comment with the url.

Bloody April: The first give-away!

Happy Easter! Let's welcome Spring with the first Bloody April give-away:  a set of two regular re-usable pads from Crea8tive Mama at her Etsy Shop! I have an eight pack of these, and they are very well made. When Auntie Flo arrives in about 13 days, I will report on how they perform.

To enter the give-away, please leave a comment on this post. If you're not a follower, sign up to be one for another entry, but please make a separate comment saying you have done so! Blog about this give-away for another entry, leaving a separate comment with the url. I will choose the winner on April 30th, the Last Day of Bloody April, by random number generator. Many thanks to Crea8tive Mama!

There are many makers of re-usables on Etsy. Do you have favorites? Or do you go for Gladrags, which sound like an excellent product. I'm especially interested in the removable layers on Gladrags. Does this work and is it helpful?

Bloody April: The Notorious Potion

Let's get right to the objectionable part, then. In ancient tradition, it only takes consumption of a single drop of one's menstrual blood to enchant a lover forever. Obviously, I'm not saying to go round feeding your menstrual blood to others, even if you do really want to enchant them. But such was the regard for women's power substance in the past. And, we find now that menstrual blood is full of stem cells! How that will affect stem cell research remains to be seen, but it would be a fine source in my thinking.

Good old Judika Illes is the reference for this Basic Menstrual Potion:
The classic potion consists of that single drop of menstrual blood. However, the mode of administration is also important. Allegedly, a cup of good strong coffee is the vehicle of choice. The best alternative is a glass of red wine. Tomato-based sauces are also used, if only because this is an easy camouflage. The Brazilian Variation: Blend sugar with some menstrual blood clots. Brew it with coffee & serve.

I need to keep my adult content warning current...

and I can't just constantly stick pics of vibrators on here. :) Gosh, that might be fun, though. Sex Toy Sunday? Hmmmm...

Hem, hem. My fully developed idea, however, is BLOODY APRIL! For Bloody April, my goal is to post everyday, on the general topic of menstruation. Know what a Diva Cup is? Know where to find washable fabric pads? Know where to find cute menstruation cartoons? I do, and I'm going to post about them.  At 41, I've done much bleeding, and I will bleed for another good decade. So I've decided to enjoy it!

Menstrual blood, according to Judika Illes in The Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, is the most powerful magical ingredient available, particularly for love spells. Here is what she says:

"Menstrual blood is the ultimate magic power item. If you were forced to reduce magic to its most primal elements, you would be left with menstrual blood and iron (which may be perceived as Earth's menstrual blood).

    Menstrual blood is the ultimate controlling mechanism. It provides spiritual protection, allegedly repels demons, and puts out fires. One drop is said to cause others to fall madly in love with you."

The more I read & click, the more interesting info I find. So, first, please watch blob, which is just cute menstruation. Really. Watch & see.

What do you think? Will you keep reading? I hope you will; however, I realize that not everyone drops an egg & some blood each month. And some may be squicked out. I used to be one of you, but no longer! Come along for the bloodyride.