death to capslock

I've spent some time archive binging recently and got to thinking about what the new conclusions meant for old issues that weren't directly addressed.  In particular, I was reminded of all the old complaints about Lily's sacrifice being held up as exceptional even though most parents would die for their children.  And if sacrificial magic is as ancient, wild, and Dark as it is claimed, without needing any channeling incantations or rituals, there should be thousands, if not millions of people throughout the history of humanity clearly benefiting from such sacrifices.  Yet canon says there aren't.  Few people are even aware of the possibility that it could happen, let alone happen reliably.  Why not?

Well.  What is one of the most essential things we learn about the Dark Arts?

You have to mean them.

And that was just in reference to such highly domesticated spells as avada kedavra and cruciatus.  (They have incantations!  They give consistent results!  And people want to call those Dark?  Puh-lease.)  I suspect that the further back you go, the more vital will and intent becomes to any manipulation of magic.