Harry Potter theory: Expert Level (Blood Magic Part 6)

Hello again, my loverly friends! 

It has been QUITE a crazy journey if I do say so myself. 

The end of November, I came down with a sinus infection that lingered. Thankfully, I am finally feeling better. Got some amazing goodies from Secret Santa exchanges through Imgur and SCB. Highly recommended for both. Even got my doggies some holiday goodness as well! 

But! That is not why we are here. We have gathered here to review the final occurrence of Blood Magic within the Harry Potter universe. And as you guessed it, I'm talking about HORCRUXES! BUM BUM BUUUUUM!!! Yes, Horcruxes, with their disgustingly vile creation ritual and even more disgusting representation of what it means to be "immortal". 

Shall we...?

Horcruxes

First thing, let's discuss this little snippet I found on the HP Archive website, compiled by the creator herself. 

I would just like to take a moment to say that I HAVE BEEN RIGHT ALL ALONG! If anyone caught it, the creepy baby-like creature that Wormtail throws into the potion is the SAME little baby-like creature that Harry sees in his near-death-experience. 

We had already seen what fragments of Voldemort's soul look like!

Thank you. That is all. Let's move on.

The creation of Horcruxes in the Harry Potter series is one of the darkest, grossest, and most malevolent forms of magic in the wizarding world. It includes magical practices that JK Rowling herself said are "too gruesome to record". Mildly frightening... But, of course, you know I have my own theories:

Murder as a Catalyst:

• The first and most important step in creating a Horcrux involves committing murder, an act that not only ends a life but also rips apart the soul of the murderer. (Personally, I have my own mental images going on here of paper being torn to shreds, but I digress) This act is not a mere means to an end; it's an essential first step for the dark magic that follows. Remember how we talked about the requirement of blood being spilled as a binding moment? The association with shedding of blood and taking a life aligns with the darker aspects found in blood magic traditions, where the vitality associated with blood is manipulated for magical purposes.

Fragmentation of the Soul:

• The next step involves splitting the wizard's soul, resulting in a fragment that is detached from the whole. This results in a fragment of the individual's soul residing in an object, effectively tethering part of their life force to an external vessel. In many "primitive" cultures, like those who recognize Hoodoo magic, there are beliefs revolving around the "transfer" of souls. Of course, these are referring to the safe guidance of souls from one human vessel to another, and clearly in the context of a Horcrux, that's not the case.

Binding the Soul to an Object:

• After committing the murder and removing a piece of their soul, the magic user must then perform another ritual to bind the fragment of their soul to a chosen object, creating the Horcrux. This ritualistic act involves dark and profound magic. As was discovered within the Harry Potter stories, that object is still connected to its creator. This was proven by the psychic connection created when Voldemort turned Harry into a horcrux AND by the power he had over Nagini.

Container for the Life Force:

• The Horcrux itself is the actual container for a piece of the magic user's soul. The act of binding the soul to an object is essentially like imbuing an object with your magical essence, but without any way of reversing it. Or, at least, Rowling doesn't disclose any way other than destroying the object and therefore the piece of soul inside. The object, infused with a piece of the wizard's soul, becomes a repository for their dark magic and a symbol of the twisted relationship between life forces and magical power. Kind of like how the Blood Troth became a repository for the oath between Dumbledore and Grindelwald? 

In many magical traditions, blood or life force is used to enchant or empower objects, and the creation of Horcruxes shares a strong resonance with this concept. 

The connections between Horcrux creation and blood magic practices are beyond evident in the manipulation of life forces, the symbolism associated, and the obvious consequences that follow. What we know about Horcrux creation mostly only dives into the darker aspects of magical traditions, but to be fair, it's a pretty gruesome act. I doubt there is a positive way to create one. 

Classification - Expert to Master

Reason - The act of creating a Horcrux is one of the darkest and most advanced forms of magic. It involves splitting one's soul and performing a ritual that requires exceptional magical knowledge. This places it in the expert to master category.

Food for Thought

It's always struck me as a bit odd how folks label blood magic as "evil." I mean, come on, blood is the stuff keeping us alive; it's the real MVP of our circulatory system. Granted, yes, Bruce Almighty did say it's "supposed to stay in the body," but hey, accidents happen, right? We cut ourselves chopping veggies, get a scrape or two, and who hasn't faced the embarrassment of a sudden nosebleed?

It's like people forget that we're literally created by this stuff. We bleed; it's part of the human experience. So, why the aversion to harnessing its magical potential? In Pagan teachings, they understand the sacredness of blood, recognizing it as the life force that connects us to nature. Sacrifices aren't about evil intent; they're about reverence for the life inherent in blood, a return to the sacred cycle that keeps us all going.

Maybe it's time for a little mindset shift in the magical community. Embrace the teachings that acknowledge blood as a force of life, not just something to shy away from. After all, who wouldn't want a bit of that life-affirming magic in their spell repertoire? It's time to live by these teachings rather than letting fear dictate our understanding of something as natural and vital as blood.

So, here's to shaking off old superstitions and embracing the magic within us, blood and all. It's time to rewrite the narrative on blood magic, turning it from the misunderstood outcast to the hero of our magical journey. Remember, the magic is in us, in our veins, and hey, that's a pretty powerful place to be. 

Until next time, keep the curiosity alive.

Stay magical, my sparkly friends!

- The Researcher -