Belief is a Toolbox: Walking the line of Vampyric Reality and Fantasy

Note: This is not to disprove psi vampyrism or anything magical but to present a grounded perspective on often ungrounded topics. Question everything, cross analyze sources, and let your curiosity be stronger then your belief.

Wrestling with Perception

There is subjective reality where belief resides and there is objective reality where fact resides. Belief is the conviction in something based on experience and education. For religious folks we can call experience faith and education dogma. Then there is the issue of blind faith, which is believing something not based in experience but simply because someone said it was true.

For vampyres we see this issue with confirming ones belief by the words of popular media. If you find yourself sharing in the experience then that is a healthy belief, which is different then reading something and blindly following everything in said literature. Many popular misconceptions have arisen from reading blogs and books and taking them as truth: "all vampires have black rings around their iris," "all vampires drain the room upon entrance," or "all vampires are sensitive to sunlight."

While some may very well experience these symptoms, they are not universal. They are not factual for the entire Vampyre Community and should not be taken as an absolute. Sharing experience is beyond valuable but when we share said experience as objective reality, as an absolute, we shun the truth from enlightening others. This is the same as when an Order or House shares their teachings as Vampyre Gospel for the entire community instead of as their specific perspective. Above all, be respectful but never be afraid to doubt and question. If questioning is not allowed in certain spaces then it is best to avoid that space. Those are usually run by charlatans at best or cult leaders at worst

To be critical and doubtful isn't the same as being cynical and closed minded

Healthy skepticism is approaching immaterial and unknown topics with an open mind without believing it at face value.

The Toolbox

In magic we have a set of physical and psychic tools. We have our altar, grimoire, athame, wand, mirror, candles, and incense, and less or more depending on our practice or tradition. Our psychic tools include meditation, energy work, circle casting, incantations and prayers, spell work, etc. Often a physical tool is used in conjunction with a psychic tool. Candles and incense enhance meditation and energy balancing, the athame is often used for circle casting, a grimoire is used to read off prayers and incantations, and our altar is where we place everything.

For the vampyre our physical tools vary but a few that may be common among us are fangs, jewelery, and body modifications. Fangs can be worn to feel closer to the primal nature of the vampyre, jewelery can be used to extend psychic perception, cleanse, or contain energy. Body modification can be used much the same way, or even act as sigils with specific purposes. I have a handful of protective tattooes and ones to remind me the world is a strange and beautiful place which puts me in a mindset of soveriegnity.

Next is our psychic toolbox. Psi vampyres use tools and concepts found all over the world. We have tools made popular in psionics like Scanning, Linking, Filtering, Shielding, and Constructs. We have tools found in qigong like Rooting, Purging, Gathering, Cycling, and Sealing. Qigong also works with explosive energy used to break internal blockages or emit power for combat.

Other systems worth looking into for the psi vampyre and energy worker are Yoga, Ayurveda, Acupuncture (Traditional Chinese Medicine in general), and Alexander Technique (a form of somatic healing). For the martial artist, Systema, Aikido, and any of the three Internal Family Styles of Xingyiquan, Taijiquan, and Baguazhang.

Quick Breakdown

Here I will present a few psi concepts in esoteric and exoteric terms showing you don't have to be psychic to utilize the majority of these psychic tools. A little bit of sensitivity goes a long way.

Scanning

Scanning is often used to get a feel for a persons aura before feeding or healing. The aura can be interpreted as the energy body that extends around a living objects physical shell, including trees, humans, animals, and even rocks.

An aura can also be a display of emotions and mannerisms, so Scanning is looking out for signs of a persons emotional balance or imbalance and threat levels. Scanning is also used in crowds and for situational awareness, taking note of entrances and exists, the flow of people, and other factors to ensure ones safety.

Linking

For vampyres Linking is when we use a tendril, or extend our aura in one way or another, to feed. Once we Scan we know if the energy is consummable, so we Link, penetrate, and draw in. Linking can also be used for energy healing, locking onto a blockage, penetrating it, and siphoning the stuck energy out of the patient.

Linking is useful in intimate or business situations once a Scan of the situation has proven useful. If we choose to Link, or engage on a deeper level, we enter their headspace with more personalized questions. For potential friends we may ask about favorite foods and music or ease into conversations about their history.

Filtering and Shielding

Shielding is often perceived as a form of energetic armor that nothing

can penetrate and Filtering as a way to keep specific energies in or out like a coffee sieve. The sieve is used to keep raw material seperate from fine material, in the case of coffee, keeping the beans seperate from the caffeine elixir.

Shielding in the mundane world can be done through simple choices like wearing earbuds in public spaces to disuade conversation, being physically and mentally fit for a self defense situation, and eating a healthy diet to keep the body and brain internally strong from sickness.

Shielding is also how we use our words and tones to keep people at bay. "Stop! And "No!" Are strong Shielding words. More subtle language can be point of fact wording like "Not at this time," "I never agreed to that," and for legal reasons be it at work or other dealings, "May I get that in writing?" Strong tones, being assertive or even aggressive, can be understood as Shielding Language.

Fashion and tonal choices can be used for Filtering purposes as well. Fashion attracts, repels, or remains neutral. It opens up areas of conversations. "Maybe," "Let me think about it" are strong Filtering Language. Tones can vary from passive to assertive, passive to allow things to sink in and assertive to maintain boundries.

Passive phrases can be simple like, "I have not thought about that, please explain more," which lets the other person know you are listening and interested. Depending on your tone it can be used like an interrogation or to a genuine interest depending on what you want from the conversation.

Conclusion

This article was inspired by the phrase and chaos magic core principle of "Belief is a Tool" first printed in Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter J Carroll. It has been a concept that helped me redefine my understanding of faith, reason, and experience and I hope this article helps you navigate the fun and strange world of belief in your personal practice.