Devotio

As a way of tying these two threads together (the Feast of the Dionysian Kings and August as polytheist outreach month, in case you’re curious which threads I meant) your archiboukolos would like to make a personal request.

I want to start a blood drive for the Dionysian Dead.

At some point during the month of August, if you are able and willing, please give blood to a local blood bank saying while you do so, “I shed this blood for you, O heroes of the True Vine; may my deeds help cause your presence to be felt in the world this day and every day after.”

It’s not just draculas who believe that blood is the life. As the Red Cross website says:

• Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• More than 41,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S.
• The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
• The blood type most often requested by hospitals is Type O.
• The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.
• Sickle cell disease affects more than 70,000 people in the U.S. About 1,000 babies are born with the disease each year. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.
• More than 1.6 million people were diagnosed with cancer last year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.

You can find a donation center near you through that site as well.

And finally you do not need to be a member of the thiasos of the Starry Bull to participate. The more the merrier in fact!