Light a candle in a dark room and say Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary three times while looking into a mirror and Bloody Mary will appear! Where did we get the idea to attempt to invoke an evil or tormented spirit? Well, probably from another kid. And that kid from another. Why did we love, and still love, to get a scare or to hear a good campfire story? Because, I think, it’s not just the paranormal that is fascinating, it’s the curious threat of the inexplicable. The unexplained wrapped in horror - triggering something important within us.
The fact that we are attracted to tales which thrive upon an uncertain edge of darkness, tells us that there is indeed something built dead center into our DNA, drawing our attention to the spooky world of ghouls and ghosts, cryptids and beasts. Perhaps it is our instinctual need to practice facing fearful situations - as we do in our dreams. Maybe we somehow learn something about ourselves that elevates us.
Is learning something about ourselves why we get a thrill from being scared? So much so that we wish to experience it again and again? I do think that, like faux fighting kittens playing to prepare themselves for yet confronted threats, we are preparing for real danger. But I think there is more to this. When I'm scared, it’s a distraction from my real-life problems. So, in a sense, like any form of escapism, I am relieved of my woes. But even deeper than that, we are catapulted into a state of mind where, in some sense, we feel freer and more liberated. Elevated in an almost metaphysical sort of way. When adrenaline rushes and the sense of survival first overtakes us, there are no judgments; no prejudices; and no time for pettiness. The lines that our programmed minds have drawn for us (without our conscious consent) will disappear. Surviving is clearly the rush here.
Survival is powerful. Even for those who are racist, when it comes to their precious life, a good percentage would happily embrace anyone who saves their life an equal. In such a moment, the racist wouldn't care what someone looks like or where they come from. Because in that moment, boundaries dissolve. The need to survive can eliminate prejudice and, in turn, alter one's preconceptions because the conscious mind is forced wide open, with no other choice but to see others for who they really are. Misguided prejudice can barely exist when a helping hand is extended. Of course, there are some exceptions. Nonetheless, in this more extreme example, you can imagine how preconceived boundaries are blurred. So, in a sense, fright is a leveler. It can keep us grounded and honest with ourselves.
Combine fearful goosebumps with the broad philosophical contemplation of the paranormal and we feel like we can lightly tap into that Oneness which is life. Is it as profound or as tangible as having what some would call a religious experience or a psychedelic experience? Maybe. We can still get fleeting rushes of that sensation during story-time moments. Based on my own experience, this gives me comfort. That’s why I love Halloween’s blood-pulsing ethos, which invites us to explore the unknown, who we are, and to be open to express hidden aspects of ourselves through costume and storytelling. Do I think scary movies, ghost stories and the like will make us all enlightened beings if we increasingly expose ourselves and more people to it? Not exactly. But I'm confident it would have a noticeable effect, with more people better appreciating life and our fellow humans in some way or another. The darker aspects of life - like danger or the paranormal - make it clear that there are plenty of gray areas in our existence. Who we are as humans becomes less black-and-white. So, by willfully engaging in the scarier aspects of the paranormal, one's mind is nudged to open up - just a bit more.
The Ritual:
The participant enters a darkened room with a lit candle. They look into a mirror while chanting Bloody Mary's name or a specific phrase a set number of times. If the ritual is performed correctly, Bloody Mary might either appear in the mirror, reach out of the mirror and scratch the participant's face, or be released from the afterlife to haunt him or her forever. Other versions of the story include the mirror dripping blood, the participant's hair turning white, or the participant disappearing without a trace.
The History:
So how did the practice of Bloody Mary start? There may have been real historical Mary that was the source of the legend. Researchers think that Bloody Mary may have been one of the following women, all of whom might have a good reason to come back from the afterlife to wreak havoc among the living:
Mary Tudor (Mary I of England), who put many Protestants to death for heresy, giving her the nickname "Bloody Mary."
Elizabeth Bathory, also known as the "Queen of Blood," who was supposedly convicted for murdering hundreds of young girls so she could bathe in their blood.
Mary Worth, a witch executed in the Salem witch trials.
My vote is for Elizabeth. Regardless of where the story began, Bloody Mary provided (and continues to provide) many a night of haunted excitement for anyone game enough to try it. With the other classic superstitious elements of mirrors and magic rituals, Bloody Mary is sure to remain a popular legend for years to come.
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Margie Kay is a paranormal investigator and Director of the OZ Professional Paranormal Investigators Association. www.ozinstitute.org
