River of life..., Why is using your OWN blood taboo? Options

Lets face it, blood is one of the most metaphysically powerful substances a witch has access to. And it is HERS (or his). So what is the hysteria that is so prevailent these days about using your OWN blood in rituals to add power to it. i can see in the old days when witchcraft was first struggling to come back and gain acceptance and they wanted to seem as bunny fluff as possible so that there would be no violent reprecussions. But we are past that stage now. i understand that wiccans don't want anyone to think that their Godess demands blood, but i am talking about witches. Blood freely and joyfully given is a powerful tool and i think it is a shame that we are letting fear ruin it for us. Now i know that it is a touchy subject for alot of people so, please, lets keep this as a friendly discussion. Thanks all

Don't pity us too much. Mental illness comes in two types nowadays. Those who have had tragedy or abuse in their life that breaks their mind or spirit and those(like me) who have been diagnosed with a chemical imbalance of nurotransmitters in their brain. Really its no different than if you have an insulin imbalance or a vitamin deficency, just a medical condition and nothing to pity. We learn to deal. For a long time i did cut my arms or add piercings to alleviate my depression(probably why i have such a high pain tolerance now) but it wasn't a cry for help or anything so melodramatic. i just found that the endorphins caused by the pain totally over rode the lack of serratonin in my brain, in effect, poor mans antidepressives, restoring the balance of chemicals. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/33.gif) i have since learned to work through the worst bouts of depression(i have mild to moderate depression almost every day of my life) without the endorphins but it took alot of work and many really bad days since i could not thake the quick way out. i geuss what i am trying to say is, understanding is more helpful than pity. You probably know many people with the dreaded "Mental illness" lable slapped on them who you would never be able to tell if they didn't tell you. Thanks for listening! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/thankyou.gif)