To be of the Blood

The word “Vampyre” conjures up a myriad of images; from the haunting revenant clawing out of graves, to the seductive aristocrat lurking in moonlit castles. Some envision rebellious teenagers in underground caves along California’s coast, others ones that attend high school and sparkle in the daylight. But amidst these varied perceptions lies an intersecting reality – what’s known today as the Vampyre Current.

Real Living Vampyres exist, but not in the fantastical ways depicted in centuries old folklore. Vampyres, Human Living Vampires, and Real Vampyres are just a few terms used to describe a phenomenon that transcends mere fiction. It is in reality a living subculture that boasts tens of thousands of individuals globally who identify themselves with the term. There are records of people identifying as Vampyres from the early 1970s, but there are claims that as early as the 1960s there were people who openly identified as Vampyres in occult and witchcraft communities.

The modern Vampyre Community is made up of those who identify in a range of levels; including some who do draw sustenance from blood or vital energy (sometimes using the term chi/qì or prana) to maintain their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. While some attribute this need to an unknown medical deficiency or esoteric need, others perceive it as operating at heightened energy levels compared to other humans. Further, there are some in the community who although identify as Vampyre, simply live the aesthetic aspects and do not connect to any of the feeding or energetic elements. They are commonly known as Life-stylers.

For some, the vampyric essence spiritually resonates deeply within – where they identify their very spirit or soul as Vampyre and this is sometimes termed an Innate Vampyre. Others view being a Vampyre as a magical path (often Satanist or Left Hand Path) where the Vampyre is simply a character model or “archetype” through which they work. The diversity of perspectives discussed here highlights the rich multifaceted nature of the Vampyre community.

Feeding methods vary among Vampyres. Sanguinarian Vampyres (Sang) draw on blood, either from willing donors or some feed from substitutes like animal blood from a butcher. Life-force Vampyres and Psychic (Psi) Vampyres feed on energy through multiple techniques that can include ambient energy, physical touch, sexual relations, or astral visitation. These latter types shouldn’t be confused nor conflated with the concept termed “Psychic Vampire” made popular by the works of Anton LaVey and Dion Fortune. They are now referred to as Emotional or Parasitic Vampyres. Some unawakened Vampyres may unknowingly fall into this type of feeding though as they have not yet learned the skills or techniques for healthy energy feeding, nor do they have the self awareness of their nature to understand what they are doing. Most Vampyres can and do feed and gather energy through a variety of methods, reflecting the complexity of our nature.

Vampyres tend to lead lives much like everyone else: eating normal food, and engaging in daily activities and jobs. This mundane part of our lives is culturally referred to as our Dayside. The Nightside in contrast is where more of our primal nature is revealed and reflected in our magic, creativity, community, and lifestyle. Many Vampyres find themselves naturally nocturnal and find increased productivity and creativity during the nighttime hours. Maintaining the balance between our Dayside and Nightside life is important so as to not “fall back asleep” into our mundane dayside world while also not get lost in the wild shadows of the night.

Despite the many classifiers of being a Vampyre as based on how you feed, the Awakening as a Vampyre encompasses so much more than that. For many it is about an intrinsic essence, a primal nature, that transcends conventional understanding. For Vampyres, it’s a primordial journey of self-discovery, shaped by myth, spirituality, community, and personal identity.

“Through the Current the serpent shall rise and spread its wings to see itself reflected as Divine. The Black Flame shall burn eternal, as the Vampyre is indeed Immortal.”

So what is it that awakens us as Vampyre? Is it the same thing that has inspired the Vampyre tales, myths, and folklore in our cultures around the world across the ages? Unlike in folklore, Vampyres are not “turned”, there’s a process of awakening. This is the term used in community to describe the process one has in coming to realise their deeper nature and identify themselves as Vampyre. How this begins and how we handle this deep personal revelation – of the awareness of this vampyric nature within ourselves – is different for many of us. The process of Awakening could take months, or even years for some. There is a need for a lot of self-reflection,  questioning, self-work, and personal transformation with this process. While a Vampyre cannot “turn” another person into a Vampyre, they can certainly arouse the current of energy that is innate in all Vampyres and help to activate or bring on the Awakening in a dormant Vampyre.

The Vampyre Current is an esoteric concept of a primal energy flow that weaves together the spiritual and the metaphysical, forming the very essence of the Vampyre. It can be seen as the spiritual if not the psychological blood of the Vampyre. It is a primordial energy that is seen as being intertwined with the “shadow” aspects of the vampyric experience, but at the same time it holds a key to our higher or greater self. This is the battle, the paradox, and the journey we must come to master. The Vampyre Current empowers transformation, self-integration, and serves as a conduit for spiritual growth and personal empowerment. When a Vampyre holds or develops the skill to hold this current strongly in themselves they are often acknowledged in community as being Of the Blood. This current of energy that flows through a Vampyre can often be noticed by other Vampyres and at times it can be felt by Witches or highly energy sensitive people.

In some traditions and covens, streams of the current are connected to an egregore that may be honoured with its own name or even be identified as a particular Deity. Like the world-wide existence of the Vampyre in folklore, the Vampyre Current transcends the confines of any singular belief system, and its origins are infinitely larger and more complex than can be contextualised as a single “anthropomorphised being” – this is where symbols come in.

In many world cultures and spiritual traditions there is the concept of otherworld spirit planes, those such as Upperworld, Underworld, and Middleworld, located in the “astral” or spirit realms. This is where the River of Blood can be found. This is perceived as the flow of vital energy from whence life comes and where it returns. It is the river of our collective experiences and lifeforce. The Vampyre Current can be found through this spiritual river and can lead us to its primal source. It is possible that it is this current of energy that has influenced and manifested various stories of the Vampyre or Vampyric entities in cultures the world over, across the centuries. This energy flow can possibly be tapped into by those not of the Vampyre Current themselves, but are seeking to incorporate the energy of the Vampyre in their magical work. This is done on occasion, by working with the Vampyric elements of Gods/Deities or even perhaps “demonic” or otherworld entities that are Vampyric in nature. In a number of our Vampyre traditions and practices there are various rituals, meditations, and spirit journeys that are performed in order to connect to this force and tap into the very source of this energy, but for Innate Vampyres the Vampyre Current is not separate from us. It is in us always as part of our spiritual self.

The Vampyre Current is a primal force that demands caution and humbled respect, as its influence can be overwhelming and understandably dangerous. All Vampyres who go through the journey of Awakening, know just how potent and even terrifying this energy can be. The energy is believed to be the source of the primal hunger and desire for vitality in the Vampyre. It is also a source of great power when harnessed properly and integrated into balance. Maintaining the delicate balance between one’s Dayside and Nightside and holding our spiritual self in alignment is of utmost importance, to ensure that the “darker aspects” of this primal force do not take hold within the “shadow self”.

The Vampyre Current has a pulse. One that can indeed be traced back through the ages, and despite the various experiences, interpretations, and philosophies surrounding it, it is the innate spiritual blood that binds our Vampyre community together.