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Traditionally, a pact with the Devil is supposed to be signed with one's own blood. Many real-life theistic Satanists have borrowed this traditional folkloric idea for use in dedication rites and self-initiation rituals. Is the use of blood truly important, or even helpful?
Some say yes, some say no. And, among those who say yes, some say that the amount of blood does not matter. Some say it's OK if you aren't capable of jabbing yourself hard enough to get enough blood to write your entire name.
For some people, perhaps indeed such things do not matter. But, for me personally, when I did my dedication, it was important that I rise to the challenge of extracting enough of my own blood to write my entire name. I saw this as a test of my determination.
In a dedication ritual, it does indeed make sense to include a ritualized challenge to one's determination, such as the challenge of extracting enough blood to write one's name. Likewise in a self-initiation ritual. (Note: I recommend that dedication rituals and preliminary self-initiation rituals be distinct. For more about dedication rituals vs. self-initation rituals, see Pacts and self-initiation.)
