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RESEARCH: VampireCodex/TheKheprianChargeII |
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Priests - Those of our number who are most disconnected from the physical side of the threshold have the greatest range of sensitivity and power at their disposal, but they suffer the greatest weaknesses. They are few in number and many have not survived the passing millennia as their disconnectedness from the flesh can often lead them to reside purely in spirit. The demands of the balance they struggle to maintain while in the flesh are extreme, and over the years, it has taken its toll. These individuals are our priests, and they often command the greatest respect for the level of awareness they can attain.
The priest's physical body is inextricably linked to his psychical well-being. If his power begins to wane and he approaches need, his health will suffer, for he can no longer compensate for the lost energy center in his subtle body. Need, especially deep need, can be physically debilitating for one of this caste, and if left to go too long without feeding, they can be reduced to invalids, hollow shells of what they could be.
Priests are very sensitive to the changing cycles. Much of their power wanes during the day, then waxes full with the approach of night. They suffer the most under direct light and must take pains to avoid sunstroke. Their systems are sensitive to most complex foods, especially when in deep need. Of all our kind, their physical bodies are the most concretely affected by their spiritual state. Thus, they are the most likely of our number to be recognized for what they are for their nature manifests itself in very physical ways.
The priest requires a greater quantity and a finer quality of energy than any other of our number. He, more so than any other, is constantly pulling energy into himself. This occurs on an unconscious, instinctive level, and though it can be consciously dampened, it cannot be shut off completely. However, even this constant draw will not sustain the priest unless coupled with conscious feeding.
Priests are the only of our number that must feed deeply on a regular basis. This entails feeding from the energy at the very core of another rather than simply skimming energy from their surface. This is a draw which encompasses all of the energy centers at once, and can leave the partner burned (suffering extreme effects of energy loss) the next day.
Because they stand upon the threshold between matter and spirit, the priests have access to the greatest range of powers inherent in our kind. However, priests run the risk of being mentally or emotionally unstable because of the strain such power puts on their systems. They must develop strong egos and indomitable wills in order to bear up under the burden of their power, but this may lead them to become domineering, arrogant, and obsessed with control.
Moderation as well as control are the two rules a priest must live by. With great power comes great responsibility, and those of the priestly caste who do not understand or respect this doctrine will end up bringing harm to both themselves and others. A priest must feed carefully, always drawing away before feeling completely satisfied. He must never give in to the urge to pull all of his partner into himself, to devour for the sake of devouring. Priests hold the power of life and death, sanity and madness over their partners, and they must recognize this power and use it responsibly.
The priest's way must ever be the way of balance. He must sacrifice satiation for the safety of the partner. He must accept physical weakness and pain in exchange for the ability to manipulate the subtle energies of all around him. He must accept the pull of his constant need in exchange for the ability to feed upon his partners in so profound a manner that he will come to grasp and understand their very essence.
Counselors - The counselors, of all our kind, retain the strongest connection to life. Though they have access to most of the powers inherent in our kind, they suffer only mildly from our traditional drawbacks. They are less sensitive to light and the natural cycles as are the priests, and their flesh only rarely seems abnormally cold. They are also less likely to be recognized for what they are. Their subtle natures may influence their physical bodies, but such manifestations are often far subtler than those of a priest.
Counselors do not have to feed unless regularly fed upon, though they often grow accustomed to feeding upon others for the pleasure it gives. If they are ill or over-extending themselves on a subtle level, counselors will also deplete their energy enough to make feeding a necessity. Even so, they suffer only mild symptoms of withdrawal when forced to go without energy for an extended period of time. Ceasing to feed altogether is rarely debilitating to them. Once they overcome the mental and physical addiction, they can lead a relatively ordinary life, if that is their choice.
A counselor can go his entire life without awakening to his true nature. There may be hints of it and he may have access to a few subtle powers, but unless he is fed upon, he is unlikely to ever need to feed in an overt fashion. If an unawakened counselor feeds at all, it is only superficially, usually through intimate contact with friends and lovers. They can get all they need through touching or even through general non-contact draws. Even once they have been fed upon, counselors rarely, if ever, experience deep need, tending to skim energy from the surface of their partners.
Counselors are often very sensual people, as their need for energy is answered through close personal contact with others. The sensual nature of their spirit is often reflected in their physical form, so that counselors tend to be attractive in body, lithe and fine-boned. Male or female, there is a compelling, seductive quality about them that transcends gender. Many find themselves attracted to vocations of entertainment, and are gifted in music, the arts, and dance.
Counselors find it extremely pleasurable to be fed upon. Their systems adapt readily to the demands of feeding, producing energy to match the needs of their partner. Once a counselor has adapted to a regular routine of being fed from, he will grow uncomfortable when that routine is broken. Physical discomfort, mental distraction, irritability, and hyperkineticism may result from an over-abundance of energy if such a counselor is not fed from regularly.
Counselors, like priests, tend to be mentally or emotionally unstable, especially when their energy is out of balance. They also tend toward obsessiveness, especially when it comes to feeding, sensation, and pleasure.
Warriors - The warrior caste in some ways may seem less powerful than even the counselors, but one of their benefits is that their true strengths are hidden. Their powers tend to manifest themselves in a very physical nature, allowing them to consciously augment their natural strength, stamina, and speed. In body, they tend to be broad-shouldered and rugged, with a natural propensity for various martial arts. They can also consciously enhance their healing so they recover almost completely from the most grievous of wounds.
Warriors are typically less sensitive to the subtle reality than either priests or counselors, although they can achieve sensitivity with effort. Mainly, this desensitized state is brought about by a thick "wall" which protects them from the energy of others. It is a kind of psychic armor that is kept in place instinctually and without any thought or effort. It may be hard to recognize the Potential in a warrior because of this armor, as it tends to keep their energy in as well as keeping other energies out. Do not mistake the wall for spiritual thick-headedness, however. Like the rocky crust of a volcano, the warrior's armor hides a volatile and immensely powerful force within. Once a warrior has learned to tap this force, they are a power to be reckoned with.
Warriors almost always excel at warcraft, having an instinctive knowledge of weapons and their handling. They are often remarkable strategists and tacticians. This results from the sum of their memories and skills gained in previous lives. This remembering can be called forth consciously, but is always present and ready to be drawn upon on an unspoken level. A warrior's inherent physical prowess tends to make him restless in this world. He can easily feel caged and oppressed by the edicts of society, and his wasted talents have a danger of spilling out into undirected aggression.
In terms of feeding, the needs of a warrior are much like those of a counselor. Casual physical contact or even long-distance draws are all they ordinarily require to fill their needs. Unlike counselors, warriors tend not to get lost in feeding for its own sake, and they are very resistant to being fed from.
An unawakened warrior tends to instinctively make use of his physical powers. Especially in times of trauma and distress, these abilities will come to him without a conscious effort. Extensive use of his latent powers will drive an unawakened warrior to feed. This process can occur unconsciously, often in a group draw, but it may serve to awaken the warrior to his true nature.
Warriors suffer from the traditional drawbacks of our kind. They are bound more strongly to the cycles than are the counselors, though they are not as limited by these cycles as the priests. They are sensitive to bright light and their reaction to food will wax and wane according to their energy levels. When their energies are very low and they do not feed to replenish them, warriors will require a greater quantity of food to sustain themselves, but this will rarely satisfy. It may even make them sick.
Of all the castes, the warriors store the greatest portion of energy. This is energy not meant to be fed from, but energy which can be directed through their Will and their rage. Although it takes a good deal to delve deep enough into the warrior to reach his hidden reserves, once this well-spring is tapped, the power and intensity of the output is immense.
Subtle Reality Basics - Our greatest power, that which sustains us and defines us as what we are, is our ability to manipulate energy. By extending our energy beyond ourselves, we are able to manipulate the energies of others even over great distances.
First we must become aware of our own energies. We must know our subtle body, its strengths and limitations. We must have a clear picture of our subtle being in our minds so that we are better able to manipulate that subtle body to affect the world around us.
We must remember that thought is energy, and what we imagine and consciously visualize will have an effect upon the world around us. We manipulate our own energy bodies through visualization, directing our energies according to our will.
The main foci for the manipulation of energy are our mouths and our hands. The mouth and the hands are our tools. The way we manipulate these tools is through breath, visualization, and will. Our breath combines our physical and subtle bodies in a unified stream of life / air.
By inhaling in such a way as to breathe with more than just our lungs, we take energy in. By exhaling in such a way as to utilize both our physical and subtle bodies, we expel energy. Visualize the energy as light which rides upon the breath. It is a softly glowing liquid that flows around and through all things. When we breathe, we drink this in. It gathers in our center, below the heart in our Ka.
With the touch of our hands, with the kiss of our lips, or with the concentrated intent to touch over a distance, all coupled with breath, we can pull energy out of others or breathe it into them in a healing stream.
In order to more efficiently take energy out of another or to put it in, we must extend beyond breath. Using the stream of the breath as a focus, visualize a tendril of the subtle body moving toward and inserting itself into the target. Once a connection is made, the sense of it is unmistakable. Do not let doubt or worry distract you, but retain your focus on the visualization and the breath.
It is best to think of this tendril not as something which moves through ordinary space or ordinary physicality. It is powered by the breath and the breath focuses and directs it, yet it cannot be found physically in the stream of the breath. It is an extension of our wills and our imaginations, and thus exists on a level of pure energy.
Think of the world as a double-exposure. The clearest part of the photograph is the physical, material world. This is what the majority of humanity mistakes for the sum total of reality. But there is a translucent ghost-image that is layered on top of and throughout the other. In truth, they are inextricably woven together. It is this quasi-reality through which our subtle bodies move, and it is the other objects and forces in this quasi-reality that our subtle bodies interact with and influence.
Think of yourself as existing in both of these realities at once. Be aware of the material universe around you but at the same time be aware of the shadow reality that is woven throughout it. Know that you can affect and be affected by both.
In the subtle reality, the physical boundaries of things and people are not necessarily fixed. By moving parts or all of your subtle body in this aspect of reality, you can pass over great distances as if they were nothing, for in truth, here all points exist as one point. You can move inside a living body, perceiving the organs and internal functions as if they were laid open before you, down to a microscopic level.
In the subtle reality, you can see past the ordinary boundaries of things with a sense that is more impression coupled with insight. Actual physical sight is only an analogy here, a metaphor for perceiving on a deeper level. However, as you are more accustomed to physical sight, you are most likely to interpret your impressions of this aspect of reality in terms of images and vision.
You cannot only perceive things in the subtle reality, but you can influence them as well. You can take things out of a living body and you can put things in, provided the objects and forces you are manipulating have their origin in the subtle reality through which you move. These things will not be "real" in the physical or material sense, for they exist on the level of pure energy. However, if they are strong enough, they can ultimately have a tangible affect on the physical reality, for the two are merely different aspects of the same thing.
Augmentation - All of the abilities and powers inherent to our kind are almost solely fueled by energy. Mastery of these powers requires an understanding of one's own energy as well as the ability to visualize that energy on the subtle level. The more advanced powers require the ability to manipulate the subtle body in order to perceive and interact with the subtle reality.
With determination and practice, all of our kind regardless of caste have the potential to learn and master any of the following skills.
The first and most basic thing we can do is physical augmentation. Augmentation uses our energy to influence our physical bodies. Augmentation allows us to push beyond our physical limitations through a concentrated act of will.
To augment, you must extend your awareness only slightly to the energy coursing through your body. Focus is essential. Gather the energy into your center, just under your heart chakra, then force it throughout yourself with a specific intent. In this way you may will a burst of strength or a burst of speed, you may increase your endurance, your pain tolerance, and even the rate at which you heal.
Through concentration of your will and your energy, you can heightened your senses of touch, taste, hearing, and so forth. A limited amount of increased sensual acuity comes without thought. All senses are affected in this way, though scent, taste, and touch are the most noticeably keener.
With practice, augmentation will come naturally, without a conscious effort, and may be kept up for extended periods of time. However, augmenting for extended periods tends to burn the system out very quickly so that one must feed more heavily and more often in order to compensate.
The same concept can be applied to pushing yourself beyond the limits of physical infirmity or disease. Many of us are sickly, because the connection between the physical and the spiritual bodies is disjointed or incomplete. Yet we can overcome whatever our physical limitations may be with a concentrated effort of will. As with augmentation, focus is essential, and compensating for extended periods of time will deplete you so that you will have to feed heavily more often. Yet with practice and diligence, one can compensate for the most debilitating conditions without hardly a thought, so that even those with serious heart conditions can achieve a level of physical activity and endurance that would astonish physicians.
Subtle Perception - Sight of the subtle which lies within and throughout all physical things comes with practice and concentration. Most of us can, to one degree or another, perceive the energy we manipulate, the life which courses through those around us. This is not so much something that is seen with the eyes as it is something which gives the impression of sight. It is a perception, an intuition, easily ignored or discounted. It may manifest to you as light or color as that is the easiest way your mind can interpret it. Whenever you attempt to see on this level, remember not to take the idea of sight too literally and instead trust your instincts and impressions.
Another sensual impression we gain is the sense of others' physical and emotional states. This involves our ability to pick up on their energy and latent thoughts. Though this can be done simply by focusing our attention briefly on the person in question, the strongest sensations are gained through physical contact. It is by gauging our impressions to our target's energy that we can determine whether he is sick or well, drugged, diseased, or intoxicated. We can further perceive his general emotional state, energy level, and level of power (if any).
Again, these impressions can be very vague and it will take time and practice to even realize that you can sense these things, let alone learn how to differentiate sick from well, energized from drained, and the diverse states in between. Learn through trial and error, as everyone's impressions tend to differ, and trust your instincts at all times.
Manifesting - We all possess a certain presence which hangs about us at all times. Whether we wish this or not, it will still be present to a limited degree, even when an effort is made to damp the effect down.
Our presence tends to be dark and intimidating, and it inspires fear and uncertainty in most who are exposed to it. Some, however, find our presence darkly fascinating, and for these it manifests as an irresistible and almost sexual attraction.
Manifesting is the art of taking this presence and manipulating it to our advantage.
Manifesting requires much the same technique as augmentation, however in the case of manifestation, the energy gathered is not directed within ourselves, to our physical bodies. Instead, it is extended outward so that it spreads around us like a cloak.
Center yourself, gather your energies, then expand them out around yourself. Visualize a nimbus of energy surrounding you, and focus on a particular image or emotion which you desire to project with this energy.
A great deal of manifesting relies upon the people around you. You are extending your energy to influence their minds on a semi-conscious level. Because you are speaking directly to their unconscious minds, their individual perceptions of your intent will ultimately influence what they perceive and how they react to you.
The most basic form of manifesting is manifesting the vampire. This draws upon the archetype that has developed around our kind over the years and can have a very potent psychological affect on those around you. Gather to your core all that makes you what you are: all the darkness, the alienation, the predatory need. Then shoot this concentrated energy throughout your being, extending it a few feet in front of you so that all those around you will be affected by this projection. By experimenting, you can extend this inimical aura around yourself for many feet, and what with satisfaction at it clears your way through a pressing crowd.
Using essentially the same technique, you can project fear, respect, intimidation, attraction, awe, and virtually anything else into the minds of those around you. Most will react to this projection on an unconscious level, moving toward you or hastily out of your way as you desire. Manifesting will especially draw the attention of those who are awakened or even semi-awake.
This effect may also be used to obscure yourself from others. The technique is the same, but instead of projecting fear or attraction, you should simply influence those around you to ignore you. Project obscurity and the sense that you are unremarkable and blend into your surroundings. When done properly, this will allow you to lose yourself in a crowd or even help you to hide unnoticed in an empty room.
Nature of the Aura - We all share a distinctive aura which others may perceive and use to identify us. Our vampiric signature is most obviously expressed in the auras of priests and least obvious in the auras of concubines. We may also perceive this aura as well as the auras of others. This perception occurs on the subtle level and enables us to gain information about those around us.
Essentially, the aura is the subtle body where it extends beyond the limits of the physical body. As we constantly tread upon the threshold of spirit and matter, our subtle bodies are much larger than those of ordinary folk, and they extend far around us, depending upon our self-mastery, energy level, and level of power.
The aura can be perceived in several relatively thin layers of almost-light which extend just beyond the skin. If you look for actual, physical light extending around the body like a halo, you will miss the subtle nuances of the actual aura.
The aura can be perceived as light or color, though it is really neither of these things. In truth, light and color are merely the best metaphors was can devise in order to describe and interpret something which layers over physical reality from the subtle like a double-exposure.
The aura may appear textured, most often like a liquid -- oily, rippling, misty. It is not static but fluid and is constantly though subtly changing. It can be perceived through touch as warmth or as a subtle tension or pressure that is almost there beneath your fingers.
Its essence is subtle and thus our experience of it is subtle. Perception of the aura is ultimately something which must be intuited, perceived by insight more than with our ordinary senses.
Perceiving the Aura - The best place to first look for a glimpse of the aura is on the hand around the fingers. Look closely at the area just above the flesh. A very small layer, perhaps only millimeters thick, should be perceptible. It will differ in texture and quality from the air around it, and after a time, colors may suggest themselves to you. At all times you should trust your instincts and impressions and allow them to guide you to your conclusions. Do not doubt your perceptions until after you have explored them fully. Once you are finished, you can step back and analyze your experience all you wish.
After you have focused on the first layer, another layer, like a misty ring above the first, may become perceptible. This is the outer shell of the aura. It varies in thickness from person to person. The layer of the aura can actually vary from day to day or hour to hour on any given person according to mood, energy level, and so forth. In general, this layer is colorless but may appear lighter or darker in varying shades of grey. When particularly thick and opaque, this usually suggests shields.
The inner layer of the aura can vary in brightness and color according to health, emotional state, and energy level. There is no standard interpretation chart for any of these qualities, as perception is strongly influenced by the subjective expectations of the individual.
We filter all of our perceptions, to one degree or another, through our individual symbol system. Thus, intuition has proven to be the only set rule for aura interpretation. What are your emotional reactions and instinctual responses to a particular color or quality in the aura? If you see a particular color, analyze what that color means to you. The aura, like so many other psychic impressions, speaks to you in the language of symbol. As your symbol system is uniquely your own, you must come to understand the meaning of your individual symbols if you are to accurately interpret your perceptions of the aura.
Energy Manipulation - It is part of our essential nature to manipulate energy, and we are not limited to only taking energy away from others into ourselves. Because we can sense energy, grasp it, influence it, and channel it, we may also give energy to others. Most often, we do this to help and to heal, though like all things, this skill can also be used to hurt and harm.
For most energy manipulations, our best focus is our hands. We can easily gather energy into our hands and manipulate it. If the energy comes from within ourselves, we need but to draw the energy into our center, then channel the energy down to either or both hands.
If you are successful in focusing energy into your hands, they will begin to grow warm and tingle. The capillaries will expand, causing a splotchy pinkening of the skin as, on a subtler level, the energy channels also expand to increase circulation on both levels.
A thrumming sensation may encompass your arms all the way up to the elbows and in some cases may even be perceptible to those around you. If someone touches your hands at this point, he will not only notice the increased heat (a by-product of the coalescing energy) but he will also feel an electrical vibration coursing through your flesh.
Once you have gathered such a charge to your hands, you may direct the energy toward a specific goal. To do this, you must visualize what you wish to do, accompanying the visualization with actual physical contact and motions to help maintain focus.
The Energy Ball - Once you have learned how to focus and direct energy through your body, the most basic form of external energy manipulation is the energy ball. Cup your hands slightly until you feel a build-up of energy gather in your palm. It will have a barely perceptible heft to it, and if you press your fingers around it, you will feel a subtle tension before it begins to give.
This energy is malleable, like a very viscous fluid, and may be handled and shaped as you would clay.
Bring your hands together, palms still cupped and slightly parted, and form the energy into a ball. Feel its weight and the tension it creates between your fingers. Mold it and shape it with your hands. In this state, it can be thrown at a target or passed from person to person. In general, anyone struck with such a neutral ball of energy will feel something, though they may be hard pressed to define what.
If you look at this collected energy as you would the aura, you will find that it is perceptible as something misty or oily in the space between your hands.
You may charge this energy with a specific emotion or sensation. Simply concentrate on the energy in your hands and concentrate on that emotion or sensation. Recall it so completely that you actually experience it while focusing on the energy ball. Direct the sensation to the energy in your hands. The energy will then become infused with the emotion or sensation which you generated.
Now, when you throw this energy ball at someone, they will experience the sensation or emotion as you did. They may ignore it or they may act upon what they suddenly feel. Sometimes, if the sensation is strong enough, they may jump and instinctively look over at you.
Augmented Healing - Energy gathered into your hands, if allowed to remain neutral and uncharged by any extraneous emotions, can be used to heal yourself or another.
Cup the energy in your hand and hold this around the affected area. Channel the energy through your hands to the wound. As you send the energy through your hands, extends your awareness to include all that the energy comes into contact with. Focus on gradually smaller and smaller levels until you sense the source of the problem.
Your perception of the problem and how you seek to deal with it will depend upon your knowledge of anatomy and your technique of visualization. In general, you can speed the healing of any wound by vitalizing the area with energy and stimulating both circulation and cell growth.
If there are broken bones, visualize the ends of the bone knitting back together. If there are tears in muscles or tendons, will the fibers to reknit themselves. Visualize the blood gathering to carry away the fluids which cause swelling or any clotted matter left over from bruises or other ruptures. Visualize cell growth and mitosis occurring on an increased level.
Flood the area with as much energy as you can spare, then gradually cease the flow. Keep your hands over the area, holding the heat you've generated in place for a bit longer, then pull away.
Advanced Healing Techniques - Sometimes a wound or illness may not have a physical cause. In such a case, lay your hands upon the area where the problem is focused and extend your awareness to the internal level. Probe out with your subtle sense and locate the intrusion which is the source of the problem. This may be a dark spot or a dense "object." It may merely be a feeling, such as a sensation of cold or pain. Find it, then, taking one hand, close both your physical and subtle self around it. Draw it out and throw it away. Do not take it into yourself as this can cause complications, not the least of which is the possibility of having the infection attack you.
Sometimes a wound or illness may exist on both the physical and subtle levels. In such a case, place your hands over the affected area and extend your awareness to the internal level. Draw out the subtle intrusion first. Heal the problem on the physical level only after this has been done. The physical and the subtle levels of existence are so interlinked that if you heal the physical but leave the subtle aspect untouched, the subtle intrusion will eventually cause the physical problem to recur.
You may use these techniques on yourself or others as the need arises. If your visualization is strong, you may not need to touch the affected area when healing yourself. Simply center, build up some energy, then focus inward and become aware of your internal processes. Focus your perception on the affected area and proceed with the healing visualizations discussed above. Cease when you feel you have done all the good that you can.
Shielding Techniques - Because of what we are, we have little need for shields ourselves. Shields are, by definition, antithetical to our nature. We are constantly taking energy into ourselves. To close ourselves off from this would be to close ourselves off from what sustains us. Selective shields, or filters, which allow only certain things through, are more useful to us by far.
Our best defense against energy intended to do us harm is simply to fall back upon our essential nature. It is our nature to devour, and so we merely take it all in, good energy, bad energy, tendrils, missiles, all of it. While we rarely gain any actual benefit from taking such energies in, neither are we harmed by them.
If you are attacked by something, grab onto it on the subtle level and pull it into yourself. Break it down into neutral energy as you would process anything else. Though in general the assimilation of energy is an unconscious process, in cases of attack, you may actually have to concentrate on the process. Just will the energy to break down. Purge it of any specific charges or intents and make it a part of you. You may also purge it, process it, then throw it back in the direction it came as a response to whoever attacked you.
If such an attack is clearly being directed by another, trace the attack to its source as you would travel down one of your own tendrils. Then reverse the attack and drain through your enemy's connection to you. The attacker will usually be so surprised by this response as to cut the attack off immediately.
Most of the awakened consciously or unconsciously set up shields in order to guard against a myriad of psychic attacks. Shields, as they are constructed of energy, can be drained into non-existence by those of our kind. The energy may not be something which we can process or make use of, but it is energy nonetheless and therefore not proof against our manipulations.
Creating Filters - We are constantly pulling energy into ourselves. This function is unconscious and often undiscerning. When you are among a group of people, you will draw upon the ambient energy that is generated by that group. Occasionally, there is a quality to the energy of a group that you may not wish to take into yourself. This is especially true if many of the individuals in the group are tainted in some way, as with illness, intoxication, or drug-use.
Rather than shielding yourself and thus blocking yourself off from all the energy in the room, you may set up a filter. Less rigid and opaque than a true shield, a filter allows you to sort through all that you take in and block certain elements of that energy out. A filter may target certain emotions which you do not wish to vicariously experience or they may filter out the taint of alcohol, drugs, or disease so you do not draw these things into yourself during a general crowd feed.
Target the specific energy that you do not wish to take in. Visualize a filter, like a porous shield, that will allow everything to pass through except this particular energy. If you are actively drawing from the crowd around you, simply be selective in what you pull into yourself through nets or tendrils. Isolate the unwanted energy from everything else and discard it before you actively pull the rest through. All this requires is an awareness of yourself and your surroundings on the subtle level.
A filter can also be used to take only a specific sort of energy in. Simply isolate that element among the ambient energy, focus on it, then draw upon it to the exclusion of all else. As the subtle and the physical are intricately interwoven, this can work on chemicals present in your target's system. Though physical contact facilitates this technique, it can be done with effort from a distance. In this way, you can focus on the drugs in someone's system and pull them away, thus robbing them of their high. Treat the drugs as you would any intrusion on the subtle level, grabbing onto them with your subtle body but not pulling them into yourself.
If you grab onto the drugs or alcohol present in another's system in this way and pull them into yourself, you will experience the effects of the drugs vicariously. Sometimes this is desirable. Simply focus on someone who is suitably intoxicated, focus on the element present in their systems that is responsible for the intoxication, and draw it into yourself. Once again, this is most efficiently done with person to person physical contact, but can be effected in a group or long-distance draw.
Because you have the ability to manipulate energy on such a level, you can also consciously burn the resulting intoxication out of your system whenever you choose. Simply extend your awareness within yourself, focus on the intoxicant, gather it up and cast it away. This works to a certain degree even it you have physically imbibed the intoxicant.
Spiritual Cleansings - Energy is our greatest resource. It sustains us, it makes us strong. It is both our weapon and our tool. It is our nature to tread the very threshold between spirit and matter. For this reason, we have a greater sensitivity to the subtle than any other physical being. However, our sensitivities are both a power and a bane. Just as we can easily affect the energies of the subtle reality, so too are we easily affected by them.
We are very sensitive to the energy of the places we live. Discarded energy and emotions flake off of people much like dust, and over time they inevitably build up in a place. A build-up of negative emotions can begin to affect us by altering our health and our mood. This is true to a certain extent of every living being, but for us the sensitivity level is excruciatingly high. We should take care in our living spaces to encourage a good flow of energy through the rooms, and to make certain that the psychic space of our houses is cleaned out once in a while.
To effect such a cleaning, simply go through the house from room to room, reaching out on the subtle level with your energy and scraping things down. Visualize extensions of your energy body literally scraping down the walls and gathering the crud out of the corners. Take care to gather this detritus together and hold it -- do not draw it into your self. When you have gone through the entire house, work toward the front or back door and throw the stuff out. Shake it off your hands, scraping it off if it seems to cling aggressively. Outside, energy flows more freely than indoors, and this negative buildup will be carried away and dissipate naturally once expelled.
Often we will unconsciously react to the subtle nature of a place, responding to the impressions we get from it without even really thinking about it. In order to promote the healthiest atmosphere for ourselves, we must take care that our living space is arranged in such a way that we respond to it positively on the subtle level as well as on the physical. Techniques like Feng Shui are crucial to our kind as even the slightest upset in the energy of a place can affect us. In the most ideal case, the space in which we live should be attuned to us, charged much like the sacred space in a temple or Wiccan circle. Many of us build our sacred space around us naturally and without thinking about it, so that the difference between our space and that of others can be distinctly felt when we visit others and when we travel.
Otherside Beings - The subtle reality is immense. Because our concepts of distance and physical boundaries do not exist there, any single space may be populated by hundreds of subtle beings, resonances, and impressions. Even the most desolate, empty space here in the physical world is crawling with things on the subtle level. Some can perceive and interact with us, but most are largely too out of phase to notice anything but their own small sliver of the realm.
Most ordinary people are like the out of phase beings. They are too intent on their one small aspect of reality to respond to anything else. Yet because of our sensitive natures, we cannot help but perceive and respond to at least some of these other things, and because we exist more completely in both the physical and the subtle realities, many of these things are likely to notice and respond to us. Some of our kind find it intensely disturbing to feel and be felt by such otherworldly things.
Rarely are subtle beings interested enough in our realm to attempt to do malicious harm to anyone. Yet, all things which exist in the subtle reality feed as we do, and many of them seek out humanity as their main source of food. Just as our long-distance drains do not really harm our targets and are rarely even felt by them, so too are these preying entities rarely felt by anyone they seek out. Yet it can be very inconvenient for us to become a source of energy for another being as we do not really produce enough energy to sustain ourselves.
We should be aware of this aspect of the subtle reality, and we should hone our perceptions so that we can sense when a subtle being is present in our home. Since we can interact with the subtle as well as the physical realm, we have the ability to forcibly eject such beings from our home. Much as one would clean the house of spent energy and emotions, simply isolate the entity, reach out on the subtle level and gather it up. As a subtle being, it has little definitive form, so you will have to judge by your impressions whether you have gotten hold of it or not. Once you have hold of the thing, carry it out to the front or back door and essentially give it the boot. Toss it out of your living space and project the definite impression that you do not want it coming back. Most subtle beings seem somewhat intimidated by our kind, as we can just as easily feed upon them as they can from us, and this seems to cause them discomfort or harm.
Many subtle entities are not harmful at all, and discretion should be used when an invading being is punished by being thrown out. A certain amount of subtle traffic is always to be expected in our homes. First of all, there is the simple fact that subtle beings are all over the place. It is the nature of the subtle reality that such things occupy all spaces and no space at the same time. Yet there is also the fact that many subtle entities seem attracted to our kind. They may sense our unique energy signature, and they may be attracted out of simple curiosity. To a certain extent, we have a good deal in common with these beings, especially in the manner in which we interact with the subtle reality and feed upon energy. We certainly have a more real and palpable presence in the subtle reality than most incarnated beings.
As it is difficult to communicate with such beings except in the vaguest terms, their reasons will probably remain known only to them. Whatever the case, we should not be surprised or alarmed by their presence unless they take an active role in disturbing the sanctity of our home.
Creating Change - Because of the way we interact with energy and the subtle reality, we are actively connected to the collective unconscious. We naturally respond to the eddies and tides of beliefs and ideas in that vast, psychic realm. With effort, we can also naturally affect those eddies and tides.
The collective unconscious exists on the level of pure energy. It has a subtle reality all its own and is a part of the greater Spiritus Mundi, the spirit of the world. All humanity influences and is influenced by the collective unconscious. It is the sum total of all their thoughts, dreams, emotions, myths, and nightmares. It is the well of inspiration and the source of creative thought.
The unawakened are unaware of the affect they have upon the collective unconscious. Nor are they aware of how it in turn affects them. It defines their beliefs, their dreams, their very perception and experience of reality.
As vampires, we are already living embodiments of a very potent archetype which lies deep in the darker regions of the collective unconscious. The nature of our vampirism is in part defined by this archetype in the collective. Our strengths, our weaknesses, and the image which we project to others is strongly influenced by the collective archetype. Paradoxically, what we are and what we have been in the past has also in part defined the shape which the archetype takes. In this we are both the creators and the creations of the archetype. Such paradox is woven throughout reality.
We can become consciously aware of our connection to the collective. Thus we can consciously choose what elements will affect us and what will not. In this way, we can shape our individual perceptions of reality.
On a more profound level, we can also consciously influence the collective. We can insert thoughts, ideas, beliefs, and set them adrift on its currents. They will circulate among the masses of humanity, occasionally surfacing in an individual's thoughts, often influencing the behavior, perceptions, and beliefs of the unawakened on a profound yet unspoken level.
In this way, we can shape the reality of others. We can subtly influence thoughts and attitudes on a world-wide scale. Such subtle manipulation is very difficult to master, and it requires an extensive awareness of the collective.
Those who seek to influence the world in this way must also be willing to be influenced in turn on an equally profound level. As an active element in a passive world, the collective will surge up and manifest through you. You will become a tool of the Spiritus Mundi. It will guide your actions so that you may bring change, destruction, and regeneration where it is needed most.
Cycles - We are the many-born. We are the immortal. Eternal, we wander the aeons, moving to the rhythm of our own inner tides. We are active elements moving through passive worlds.
We insure that energy is in constant motion. That which is static, we cause to move. That which has grown stagnant, we tear away.
We separate the subtle from the dense, spirit from matter. We are agents of the dynamic balance which keeps the universe in constant motion. We separate the dual aspects of reality in order to reunite them. We seek the union of opposites which transforms all things.
Ours is a journey toward understanding, and our charge is knowledge and wisdom. We are the catalysts, and we must serve to awaken the slumbering world to its deepest levels of reality.
 Irahatam · Tue Feb 26, 2008 @ 10:38am · 0 Comments |
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