MoreLilith2

Lilith & Vampirism

There has always been a very great difference in the morals and ethics of vampyres. If you spend any amount of time speaking to them, you'll find that those who claim to be vampiric have widely different beliefs and practices, ranging from the cold-blooded serial killer to the very warm and friendly, occasionally even Vegan, role model. This is one of the primary reasons that there is so much misinformation out there, and that ignorance is still living and breathing in the vampiric community. What I set forth to do in this article (and hopefully accomplish), is to bring together a series of common philosophies that are positive. Many of these beliefs will be unacceptable to some, but they are the groundwork that much of the Lilith Tradition is laid upon. Although Lilith has always been portrayed in a negative light, like many of us, there are several positive interpretations that follow below.
First, Lilith has always been a symbol of passion and of action. In ancient myth, she left Adam upon hearing that he wished her to be submissive to him; instead of complying, she gave birth to independence (especially feminine independence) and the power to control both your situation and your environment. Like the mythical Lilith, all vampyres should strive to maintain a constant and comfortable environment, surrounding themselves with those who do not seek to control or dictate their actions. One way I relate this, is to the constant stories of vampyre-makers and vampyre-cults. Never allow yourself to fall into a situation where you believe another is responsible for your creation; what you were and what you are now, is still you, and it's still highly debatable as to whether anyone has the power to make anybody into a vampyre.
Also, like the mythical Lilith, a vampyre is always responsible for their actions and the places they allow themselves to end up. A vampyre (any individual, actually) has the power to look at their current situation, and spot the negative influences and attributes of their life; whether they allow these things to form and shape their future is up to them, and they should always strive to better their environment. If one lives in, and is constantly surrounded by, the negative, then only corresponding thoughts and actions will develop of it.
Second, throughout the various myths and superstitions of Lilith, she has always been judged by what type of a character she played, and her actions in the story or myth. At times, Lilith has been a child-killer and at others, she has been a protector of the innocent (again, especially women). Like wise, all vampyres will be judged (most directly, in my beliefs, by the law of karma) for who they become and what actions they take part in. It is not enough to relate your behavior to your nature, and maintain that this makes you an innocent. If it is in your nature to kill or harm, then make a point of changing the individual that you are internally, and avoiding at all costs following that inborn nature. If, on the other hand, you inherited an instinct that causes you to protect and guide others, then exploit it, and make use of your natural gifts (not doing so should be a crime!). The point here is that every vampyre is responsible for, and in charge of, their own self-evolution and actions.
For the third point, I bring the mythical Lilith into modern times. In this day and age, Lilith has become a patron and heroine in many modern interpretations. No longer will you find her the subject of superstitious fear, but you can instead see her in positions of power and of leadership. Her name was chosen to be a positive symbol to women everywhere of feminine power in music (i.e. the Lilith Fair). She has become a role model for quite a few individuals including myself (The Lilith Shrine, or even this web page, among the many others, serves as an example). You'll even find her in modern literature, no longer a demon or a monster, but instead a powerful, responsible, and moral heroine. Whether she has really changed or not (if she even exists on a level we can comprehend), in the modern world Lilith has taken on the responsibility that comes along with power.
I'll bring these principles down to a more reachable level now, as I relate them to the vampyre society and individual. If we do have the power that we claim to have, as a result of our natures or our work in life, then use it responsibly. It is the responsibility (again with the responsibility thing!) of every vampyre to use their power towards a positive end. Inaction and inactivity are just as bad as using what power you have towards a negative end. If you indeed do gain power from your state (i.e. vampirism or empathy, or even social worker or president!) or from your worship of Lilith as a Goddess (especially, in my mind), then you should use that power for the good of yourself, your loved ones, others around you, the world's environment, or anything else positive that you can think of!
To close off this article, I'll rephrase the key points to living in tune with the natural world and with the Goddess Lilith (as I see her). First, a vampyre is responsible to control their own environment, and the positive and negative elements they allow within it. Second, a vampire is responsible for their own evolution and actions, as well as their inner psychology and natures, and to ensure that they develop in a positive and beneficial manner. Finally, a vampyre is responsible for using what power they do have ethically and morally, and to make a positive change in the world for the many, and not the few (it may be beneficial to you to own slaves, but it does not benefit the many).
As a final note, in retrospect, I'd like to draw attention to a few points about the Lilith Tradition philosophy. First, this is meant to be an extremely positive philosophy, and is intended to guide those individuals (vampyre or not) who wish to worship Lilith as a patron Goddess in a positive and natural way. Second, (and this has been bothering me for some time, because I was afraid that I couldn't make sense out of my own beliefs) this stands as the only (to date) representation of what the Lilith Tradition is based on, and what it means. And finally, after looking through various sources, to my knowledge the Lilith Tradition is most definitely a pagan spiritual path, and may even qualify as Wiccan (in terms of the Principles of Belief set down by the Council of American Witches, which I agree with immensely).