Vampirism By Rev. Xvl First off, let us dispel the myths.       Myth: Vampires must suck blood.       Fact: Vampires do not have to suck blood. Though the concept of drinking someone else's blood seems very appealing to many people, it is not what makes a vampire. A vampire is a creature that feeds off of the existence/energies of another being to sustain and heighten their own. Most of life is like this, as nature and history show.       Myth: Garlic, sunlight, holy water, and crosses dispel vampires.       Fact: These are probably the most amusing of the myths. Garlic is nothing but a vegetable(root?) that some prefer and others do not upon their food. It has absolutely nothing to do with vampirism. Sunlight, though abhorous to many, does not dispel any one really, save those with an alergy. Those who prefer to live their waking life in the night will, of course, have a disliking to any sort of bright light such as that the sun gives off, but it has nothing to do with vampirism. Crosses, amusing as they are, also have nothing to do with vampirism. This is the product of the herd's amazingly over-bloated faith in the Christian god to be all-powerful, a perverted symbol originally representing shame to the Persians and the Romans whom would nail their criminals upon large wooden forms of crosses for execution. Holy water is the same situation, both having absolutely nothing to do with vampires. Vampires have, over time, given much inspiration to would-be romance writers and successful horror writers. Though many of us take pleasure in reading these works of fiction, we know full-well that they are just that: fiction.       The art of vampirism is one that takes much practice and dedication. Some well-known aspects may apply to it, but are tools rather than facets of the vampire's being. These would be silent walking, the "evil eye", etc. The act of draining someone can be done in a few different ways, those being: Ceremonial, Astral/Psychic, and Physical. In the next three paragraphs, I will describe in detail the methods listed.       Ceremonial, the ritualistic draining of one's lifeforce. This is when a ceremonial ritual has been established for the sole purpose of feeding off of one or multiple people. This can be done with the person either present (ie. willing participant) or from afar (ie. usually unwilling participant). The setting, if used in a mass context, would have the person being fed off of lying on an altar in the middle of a circle of participants. Nudity is not in any way required but does help. The mass is opened as any other would be, with a mantra or grounding to get everyone in synch with each other, followed by the bell and opening statements/invocations. From there, the acting Deacon(ess) would begin preparing the participant to be drained (usually done by assisting in putting participant in a meditative or relaxed state). After the participant is ready, the acting High Priest should begin using whatever visualization or method (s)he finds most comfortable for draining. Once this is established, other participants begin draining as well, until the acting High Priest decides it is enough. Then, the mass is closed in the usual manner, and the participant is given some sort of stimulant and nourished with food and drink, to ensure there are no major complications. A grounding is reccomended to follow the ritual, so as to prevent the chance of any adverse mental complications on the part of the feeding participants. A single-person draining ritual should be conducted in the same manner, with the altar against a wall (not required) and participant lying on altar. In the case of the single-person ceremony, the acting Priest will prepare the participant and carry out any additional roles required. The method for ritually draining from afar should be carried out ala' Voodoun, with some sort of imagery included to represent the intended victim( in other terms, "by proxy"). You then focus on the object until you feel that person is actually there with you. Once your full potential for visualization is attained on the object, precede to drain it and envision the person growing old, decaying, and eventually dying as a pile of lifeless dust. Once finished, bury or burn the object. In the case of burning, bury the ashes in a place away from your home (preferably near the home of the victim). In case of burying, do the same.       Astral/Psychic, the act of draining the lifeforce by simple means. This is feeding off of a person without any physical interaction. It requires much more concentration than the other two methods, and may require much more practice as well. When in the presence of your desired target, begin the visualization of their very lifeforce leaving their body and coming into you. Feel in yourself the natural pull for energy and direct it at him/her. Do this until you are satisfied in the result (ie. target showing signs of fatigue, sleepiness, or sickness). Once finished, it may be a good idea to covertly ground yourself to prevent any chance of mental complication that may occur.       Physical, the method of draining one's lifeforce through a physical connection with him/her. This is the most common method. There are many ways the feeding of someone's lifeforce may be done via physical contact. One is quite similar to the method described in the 'Astral/Psychic' paragraph, but is done with some sort of physical contact being made. This may also be done during sexual intercourse with the target, and is especially effective during orgasm. When orgasm is being achieved, direct all of that pent up energy at draining the target's lifeforce. You may be surprised at the effect. The sexual partner you are feeding off of is putting forth quite a bit of energy into the air during intercourse, as does everyone. Why not take from it! The most popular form of vampirism is the closest to the Hollywood/media myths about vampires. This is the act of drinking someone's blood. Though this is not a very powerful form of draining, many find it fun and oft times sexually appealling. It most definitely seems to serve a more sexually pleasing purpose for its practitioners than a draining purpose. Usually a participant will cut him/herself and let his/her partner drink straight from the wound, and other times one may use a syringe to extract the blood. There are inherent dangers in this method, as well as the sexual intercourse method. Diseases residing in the bloodstream and throughout other bodily fluids can, many times, be dangerous. Some examples are HIV/AIDS, Herpes, and Hepatitis. These are common Sexually Transmitted Diseases and really are not very pleasant. Do as thou wilt, but accept the responsibility of thy actions.       Vampirism is a very useful way to enhance your own energies and revitalize yourself. It is an art that spans as far as the early Sumerian periods (circa 4000BC) and possibly even further back. Many are intrigued by the concept, but few ever master or even learn it. It takes dedication, strength, and patience to become adept at; and the rewards reaped are great.