I. The Charge
We are the many-born. We are the immortal. We have been known by many names throughout the ages, though few have understood the truth of our existence.Endlessly, we die & are reborn, changed yet unchanging throughout the ages. We move from lifetime to lifetime, taking up bodies as garments. We are watchers & we are wanderers. We seek knowledge & understanding above all. Long ago we strove the sunder the life of our body from our roving minds, for it grounded us. It held us back. It bound us to a single span of days. Through a ritual of death & rebirth, we severed our living ties & gained immortality. Now we are freed of the life of the body, but we are irrevocably tied to the life we cut away. It sustains us & empowers us. We thirst for life & we feed upon it. It is our greatest weakness & our greatest prize.
II. Beginnings
Eternal, we wander the eons, moving to the rhythm of our own inner tides. Freed from the most fundamental of cycles, we are nevertheless beings bound by cycles. Our heightened awareness of the world & ourselves around us forces us to acknowledge natural rhythms that others simply ignore. As the day waxes & wanes, we can feel it, & we know that the true realm of magick is the night, for that is when we wax in power. As the moon grows gravid & slim, we feel it, & we know, too, that there are more complex rhythms of power tied to her phases. As the wheel of the year turns round, we feel the wild times, the apogees & nadirs of power. The dark time of the year is our time, as are the threshold times when we celebrate Samhain & Beltane. These days are our Im Kheperu, Day of Transformation, and our Im Sekhemu, the Day of Double Power. As beings poised on the threshold of many things, the energies of these holidays affect us profoundly. At these times we enjoy our greatest power, but in balance, we also pay a stronger price. Waves of energy rise and fall within us, and when in their grip, our hunger burns. Forever, we are active elements moving through passive worlds. Our rules are our own. We accept no others. We define who we are and what we shall become. There is nothing in our lives, which we cannot control if we but choose to. Our memories are carried like gems within our souls. Over the lifetimes they build and crystallize until we can take them out and gaze upon them as we choose.
Life sustains us, but death defines us. We are the many-born. Our conception was in death, and each death now brings us a new beginning, forever without end.
III. The Catalysts of Change
We are essentially avatars of death. We are part of the vital force of change and potential rebirth, which moves the universe. We are tools of the destruction, which brings regeneration. We are harbingers of change. We are catalysts. We are bound to change those around us, to shake them from their complacencies, to challenge them, to wake them up, to make them think, to question themselves, their world, and their limits. We bring them fear. We make them uncertain. We challenge their narrow perceptions of the universe—how it works, and their place in it. And some of them we touch deeply, changing them on a profound level of being. We lift them up beyond the blind masses and give them a seat among the Awakened. Those that is worthy of our revelation become as our children. They assume the mantle of power that is our legacy. With our instruction, they can come to wield that power with ease and understanding then go forth to bring change of their own.
IV. Awakening
We are neither wholly born nor wholly made what we are. The choice for us to become was made long ago. From that time onward, we have been reborn again and again, carrying within us in every lifetime the seed of what we are. Sometimes we forget ourselves, and wander our lives like sleepwalkers, only half-aware of our true natures. Yet sleeping or awakened, we are
born with the potential for transformation. Awakening is a process of expanded awareness. Anyone with gifts and talents of a subtle nature undergoes an awakening in their life. This is when they come into their own, finally accepting what has been latent within them since birth. For us, the process can be traumatic, as the existence we awaken to opens us up to a host of strange thoughts, sensations, and experiences, which lie outside the limits, accepted even by other Awakened. Awakening is the alchemical forge in which we are transformed from dross to spiritual gold. It is the recalling of a part of our Selves that has become clouded over time. It is becoming more than the little self of this lifetime, grasping the totality of who we were and who we are to be—our Essential Self. Some of us have greater potential than others. Some are born with an instinctive understanding of their potential and they may gradually come to realize that potential on their own. They recall without prompting and their power is great. The bulk of our numbers are born ignorant to what they are. As they grow and mature, there are subtle hints of the latent power, but fear and self-doubt generally keep these from being acknowledged and accepted. Such as these must be awakened to their true selves by another of our number already familiar to our ways. There are two rituals of initiation. The Lesser Initiation is an exchange of feeding, which occurs between the teacher and the initiate. The initiate is drained deeply, often for
the first time. This heightens his awareness of his energy body and will often catalyze him into realizing his potential in the next few days. The sensations that this process inspires are usually too intense to ignore or explain away. If fed from deeply enough, his instincts will overcome him and he will feed from others in order to replenish his depleted system. The Greater Initiation involves a ritual death and rebirth, which occurs on both the physical and spiritual levels for the initiate. It is visionary and Shamanic in nature and forces the initiate to face himself and all that he has been within the boundaries of his own soul. Like all deaths and rebirths,this ritual strips away old identities and assumptions. The little self of this lifetime is subsumed into the greater Self, and the initiate is irrevocably changed. This rite is reserved for only the strongest minds,
for any who are weak or filled with fear may not survive the initiation. Their minds can be blown away like dry autumn leaves in the face of the totality of who they are.
V. Potential
We often associate with the Awakened or with those who hover upon the threshold of Awakening. We prefer the company of those who can interact at least to some degree with the level of reality that is our constant daily experience. By our very natures we awaken those around us. Even those not of our kind can be affected by the Tran formative effects of our presence. We draw out latent powers and provide a burden of proof for individuals who have otherwise rejected their own
natures due to self-doubt. We can use this intentionally if we choose, though it will always occur to some degree, whether intentional or not. Sometimes we mistake a Potential of our own kind merely for one of the Awakened. If such an unrecognized Potential is fed from, the effect, though
unintentional, is equivalent to the Lesser Initiation. The Potential feels himself undergo a change and is driven to feed from others. Such accidents cannot be abandoned. Confused as to their true nature, ignorant of their power, they wield that power nonetheless and can cause much damage to themselves and others if left to struggle on their own. Still others have Potential, but it is too weak to ever fully be realized in this lifetime. Others are too unstable to survive the initiation. They are best left to sleep so they will come to maturity in their own time. If forced to
awaken, they are merely shadows of us—weak in power, unstable in mind, whose powers are likely to fade unless constantly put to use or manipulated by their mentor. Sometimes a feeding vessel may manifest the symptoms of vampirism, but this is merely a sympathetic state brought about through prolonged or obsessive contact with one of our own. Such a one's natural reserves are depleted to a point where they cannot recover their vitality on their own. Given time, however, and separated physically and / or emotionally from the dominating personality, such a person will gradually recover and return to a normal, non-vampiric state. In some cases, the afflicted person does not wish to give up the state of sympathetic vampirism. If the person understands even a little of what has happened to him and wants the condition to continue, he can maintain this quasi-vampiric state indefinitely and may even eventually come to be mistaken for one of our number as he will accept that he is nothing else.
VI. Other Awakened
There are many beyond ourselves who have the potential for power. They also undergo a process like our Becoming, which consists primarily of an expanded awareness and an awakening to their greater Self. These are commonly referred to as the Awakened. Their ways and their powers are diverse. Like us, many of the Awakened follow a particular archetype. They use this archetype as a symbol to define themselves and their powers. They have a fundamental connection to the energy of this archetype, and although human in body, they are something more in spirit. Angels, witches, the Fey, Shifters, these are but a few of the archetypes that may be followed. Like us, it may be that such individuals are responsible for inspiring much of the folklore that gave rise to the archetype in the first place and now, in a less spiritually open time, they have only the buried grains of truth lingering in the folklore to fall back upon to define them. Like us, they are human and other. They are spiritual travelers who take up bodies as garments. We should always treat them with respect, for ultimately, we serve common goals. You will be attracted to the Awakened in much the same manner that you are drawn to Potentials of our kind. Much is unspoken and unconscious. Trust that your greater Self is guiding you, for it knows and understands what may not always be accessible to your conscious mind. Like us, the Awakened can perceive and manipulate the many layers of reality. Although they call themselves by many names and they follow many diverse paths, most of the Awakened draw their power from the positive, generative forces of reality. Thus, they sometimes fear us when they first encounter us. This fear arises from ignorance. Though we are darkness and
they are light, we all work toward the same goal. We each in our way bring awareness to the world, catalyzing those with potential toward Awakening. When we come upon one who is verging upon Awakening, it is our duty to guide and instruct them. Do not mistake every Awakened being for a Potential of our kind. Nor should you attempt to push those not of our kind into accepting our ways and our arts. Serve your function as a catalyst, helping them toward their path but not seeking to define that path for them. Ultimately, they must walk their path alone.
We are the many-born. We are the immortal. We have been known by many names throughout the ages, though few have understood the truth of our existence.Endlessly, we die & are reborn, changed yet unchanging throughout the ages. We move from lifetime to lifetime, taking up bodies as garments. We are watchers & we are wanderers. We seek knowledge & understanding above all. Long ago we strove the sunder the life of our body from our roving minds, for it grounded us. It held us back. It bound us to a single span of days. Through a ritual of death & rebirth, we severed our living ties & gained immortality. Now we are freed of the life of the body, but we are irrevocably tied to the life we cut away. It sustains us & empowers us. We thirst for life & we feed upon it. It is our greatest weakness & our greatest prize.
II. Beginnings
Eternal, we wander the eons, moving to the rhythm of our own inner tides. Freed from the most fundamental of cycles, we are nevertheless beings bound by cycles. Our heightened awareness of the world & ourselves around us forces us to acknowledge natural rhythms that others simply ignore. As the day waxes & wanes, we can feel it, & we know that the true realm of magick is the night, for that is when we wax in power. As the moon grows gravid & slim, we feel it, & we know, too, that there are more complex rhythms of power tied to her phases. As the wheel of the year turns round, we feel the wild times, the apogees & nadirs of power. The dark time of the year is our time, as are the threshold times when we celebrate Samhain & Beltane. These days are our Im Kheperu, Day of Transformation, and our Im Sekhemu, the Day of Double Power. As beings poised on the threshold of many things, the energies of these holidays affect us profoundly. At these times we enjoy our greatest power, but in balance, we also pay a stronger price. Waves of energy rise and fall within us, and when in their grip, our hunger burns. Forever, we are active elements moving through passive worlds. Our rules are our own. We accept no others. We define who we are and what we shall become. There is nothing in our lives, which we cannot control if we but choose to. Our memories are carried like gems within our souls. Over the lifetimes they build and crystallize until we can take them out and gaze upon them as we choose.
Life sustains us, but death defines us. We are the many-born. Our conception was in death, and each death now brings us a new beginning, forever without end.
III. The Catalysts of Change
We are essentially avatars of death. We are part of the vital force of change and potential rebirth, which moves the universe. We are tools of the destruction, which brings regeneration. We are harbingers of change. We are catalysts. We are bound to change those around us, to shake them from their complacencies, to challenge them, to wake them up, to make them think, to question themselves, their world, and their limits. We bring them fear. We make them uncertain. We challenge their narrow perceptions of the universe—how it works, and their place in it. And some of them we touch deeply, changing them on a profound level of being. We lift them up beyond the blind masses and give them a seat among the Awakened. Those that is worthy of our revelation become as our children. They assume the mantle of power that is our legacy. With our instruction, they can come to wield that power with ease and understanding then go forth to bring change of their own.
IV. Awakening
We are neither wholly born nor wholly made what we are. The choice for us to become was made long ago. From that time onward, we have been reborn again and again, carrying within us in every lifetime the seed of what we are. Sometimes we forget ourselves, and wander our lives like sleepwalkers, only half-aware of our true natures. Yet sleeping or awakened, we are
born with the potential for transformation. Awakening is a process of expanded awareness. Anyone with gifts and talents of a subtle nature undergoes an awakening in their life. This is when they come into their own, finally accepting what has been latent within them since birth. For us, the process can be traumatic, as the existence we awaken to opens us up to a host of strange thoughts, sensations, and experiences, which lie outside the limits, accepted even by other Awakened. Awakening is the alchemical forge in which we are transformed from dross to spiritual gold. It is the recalling of a part of our Selves that has become clouded over time. It is becoming more than the little self of this lifetime, grasping the totality of who we were and who we are to be—our Essential Self. Some of us have greater potential than others. Some are born with an instinctive understanding of their potential and they may gradually come to realize that potential on their own. They recall without prompting and their power is great. The bulk of our numbers are born ignorant to what they are. As they grow and mature, there are subtle hints of the latent power, but fear and self-doubt generally keep these from being acknowledged and accepted. Such as these must be awakened to their true selves by another of our number already familiar to our ways. There are two rituals of initiation. The Lesser Initiation is an exchange of feeding, which occurs between the teacher and the initiate. The initiate is drained deeply, often for
the first time. This heightens his awareness of his energy body and will often catalyze him into realizing his potential in the next few days. The sensations that this process inspires are usually too intense to ignore or explain away. If fed from deeply enough, his instincts will overcome him and he will feed from others in order to replenish his depleted system. The Greater Initiation involves a ritual death and rebirth, which occurs on both the physical and spiritual levels for the initiate. It is visionary and Shamanic in nature and forces the initiate to face himself and all that he has been within the boundaries of his own soul. Like all deaths and rebirths,this ritual strips away old identities and assumptions. The little self of this lifetime is subsumed into the greater Self, and the initiate is irrevocably changed. This rite is reserved for only the strongest minds,
for any who are weak or filled with fear may not survive the initiation. Their minds can be blown away like dry autumn leaves in the face of the totality of who they are.
V. Potential
We often associate with the Awakened or with those who hover upon the threshold of Awakening. We prefer the company of those who can interact at least to some degree with the level of reality that is our constant daily experience. By our very natures we awaken those around us. Even those not of our kind can be affected by the Tran formative effects of our presence. We draw out latent powers and provide a burden of proof for individuals who have otherwise rejected their own
natures due to self-doubt. We can use this intentionally if we choose, though it will always occur to some degree, whether intentional or not. Sometimes we mistake a Potential of our own kind merely for one of the Awakened. If such an unrecognized Potential is fed from, the effect, though
unintentional, is equivalent to the Lesser Initiation. The Potential feels himself undergo a change and is driven to feed from others. Such accidents cannot be abandoned. Confused as to their true nature, ignorant of their power, they wield that power nonetheless and can cause much damage to themselves and others if left to struggle on their own. Still others have Potential, but it is too weak to ever fully be realized in this lifetime. Others are too unstable to survive the initiation. They are best left to sleep so they will come to maturity in their own time. If forced to
awaken, they are merely shadows of us—weak in power, unstable in mind, whose powers are likely to fade unless constantly put to use or manipulated by their mentor. Sometimes a feeding vessel may manifest the symptoms of vampirism, but this is merely a sympathetic state brought about through prolonged or obsessive contact with one of our own. Such a one's natural reserves are depleted to a point where they cannot recover their vitality on their own. Given time, however, and separated physically and / or emotionally from the dominating personality, such a person will gradually recover and return to a normal, non-vampiric state. In some cases, the afflicted person does not wish to give up the state of sympathetic vampirism. If the person understands even a little of what has happened to him and wants the condition to continue, he can maintain this quasi-vampiric state indefinitely and may even eventually come to be mistaken for one of our number as he will accept that he is nothing else.
VI. Other Awakened
There are many beyond ourselves who have the potential for power. They also undergo a process like our Becoming, which consists primarily of an expanded awareness and an awakening to their greater Self. These are commonly referred to as the Awakened. Their ways and their powers are diverse. Like us, many of the Awakened follow a particular archetype. They use this archetype as a symbol to define themselves and their powers. They have a fundamental connection to the energy of this archetype, and although human in body, they are something more in spirit. Angels, witches, the Fey, Shifters, these are but a few of the archetypes that may be followed. Like us, it may be that such individuals are responsible for inspiring much of the folklore that gave rise to the archetype in the first place and now, in a less spiritually open time, they have only the buried grains of truth lingering in the folklore to fall back upon to define them. Like us, they are human and other. They are spiritual travelers who take up bodies as garments. We should always treat them with respect, for ultimately, we serve common goals. You will be attracted to the Awakened in much the same manner that you are drawn to Potentials of our kind. Much is unspoken and unconscious. Trust that your greater Self is guiding you, for it knows and understands what may not always be accessible to your conscious mind. Like us, the Awakened can perceive and manipulate the many layers of reality. Although they call themselves by many names and they follow many diverse paths, most of the Awakened draw their power from the positive, generative forces of reality. Thus, they sometimes fear us when they first encounter us. This fear arises from ignorance. Though we are darkness and
they are light, we all work toward the same goal. We each in our way bring awareness to the world, catalyzing those with potential toward Awakening. When we come upon one who is verging upon Awakening, it is our duty to guide and instruct them. Do not mistake every Awakened being for a Potential of our kind. Nor should you attempt to push those not of our kind into accepting our ways and our arts. Serve your function as a catalyst, helping them toward their path but not seeking to define that path for them. Ultimately, they must walk their path alone.
The Scrolls of Elorath
VII. Fledglings
You are responsible for teaching and guiding those of our kind whom you have awakened to their true natures. You must guide them through their transformation, helping to ease the transition from one level of awareness to the next. Those who you guide in this way will be as your children and will share a deep bond with you like no other. You will know their very heart and soul. The mysteries of their Essential Self will be unveiled to you. No distance will separate your awareness of them. The link goes both ways, and they can communicate with you and know your feelings when they choose. Often, even unintentionally, you will each share in what the other experiences, as the space between your spirits is close even when great distance separates your physical selves. You may use the link to feed from them at a distance, to borrow their strength as your own, and they in their turn can draw upon you. Their thoughts will be yours to know; their actions will fall under your control if you so choose—but do not seek to abuse this power you wield over them for as dearly as they may love you and revere you while under your control, they will just as thoroughly hate and revile you once that control has slipped away.
VIII. The Beacon
Our kind has ways of recognizing its own. Often this recognition occurs on an unspoken level and is very subtle, so you must learn to trust your impulses and allow your greater Self to guide you. Especially in the unawakened, this recognition manifests itself as a Beacon, which calls us to them so that they may realize their Potential. The Beacon calls to us on a very basic level, and often speaks purely to our unconscious minds. Thus we find ourselves inexplicably attracted to a Potential, stricken with a sudden fascination for him and a need to draw him closer to us. If we listen to our perceptions and trust our instinctual reactions, we can refine this awareness of others until we can consciously pick out the Beacon in those around us. Sometimes, even after such a refinement has been achieved, the Beacon still slips past our conscious actions and we find we simply responding to its unspoken pull. The pull of the Beacon drives us to feed from the Potential, thus awakening him to the most basic aspect of his hidden nature. We must learn to recognize the Beacon in others, to judge its varying degrees of strength so that we may go about the awakening in a deliberate manner. We must learn to recognize when it is appropriate to awaken a Potential and when that awakening will bring only grief to all involved. We must let our judgment rule us in this matter and we must sometimes resist the merely instinctual pull of the Beacon for awakenings that are not appropriate. Not all of those with Potential are fit for the awakening, and if we act rashly we may unwittingly loose the beast of our destruction through a careless move.
IX. Characteristics
The Beacon is present to a limited degree in those who have already become. It is strong enough for us to recognize one of our numbers when we come into contact with him, even if this recognition is the barest hint of perception. We may also be known by our distinct auras: deep purple sometimes shot through with red, surrounded by a nimbus of black or gray mist. The outer layer often stretches into tendrils that extend far beyond our physical forms, reaching out and feeding from those around us. To those who can perceive that level of reality, we often appear to be a nexus of such tendrils. The tendrils are varying shades of gray, with a smooth, rope-like appearance. We are often noted for our pallor, but more often it is the intensity of our eyes, which gives us away. We tend to be thin with a powerful and often intimidating presence, which wraps about us like a shroud. Our hands are often very cold. This is a cold, which saps heat away, and lingers where it has been touched. It is a symptom of our constant, low-level energy draw. If we consciously channel energy through our hands, they grow very warm. It is not the temperature, which is important: it is the responsiveness of our physical bodies to subtle effects that is distinctive. We are sensitive to strong odors and tastes, as our senses are often acute. Many of us can hear in a more than normal human range. Some of this is physical hearing; some may be limited clairaudience, as our subtle senses extend far beyond our physical selves. We are almost always much stronger and quicker than we look, for the body is merely a vessel for a much more powerful Will. We are sensitive to light and to the excessive heat of the sun. This is symptomatic of our acute sensitivity to energy. The radiation of the sun is an overwhelming form of energy which our systems have trouble assimilating. Many of us burn very easily in the sun. Almost all of us are made sick by it. When required to be out in full daylight, we develop headaches, nausea, and dizziness. The light saps us of our strength, leaving us exhausted and drained.
The night is our natural dominion, for in the mythic imagination, it is the realm of secrets, of magick, and all that the day-lit world rejects. We carry ourselves with a proud determination and can seem arrogant, detached, and cold. It is often hard for us to relate to the unawakened in their blind and ordinary lives. We often possess a predatory nature, and only with difficulty do we avoid using those around us. To most we seem unapproachable. There is an air about us, which seems somehow to set us apart. Even those ignorant to our true natures react to this, treating us with respect, attraction or Fear. The unawakened stare then look away from us and are unable to meet our gaze. They are disturbed by our presence but rarely will they understand what disturbed them or why. Instinctually, they fear us. The Awakened will know us for what we are, though they may hesitate to put a name to it. Still, on an unspoken level they will understand and attempt to define us through the filters of their individual beliefs and symbol systems. Children will know us, though rarely do they fear. In their innocence, they have not yet learned to doubt, and thus are open to a clear perception of the world around them.
X. Subtle Body Changes
To the Awakened who can perceive energy or the subtle body, we often appear flawed or incomplete. This is often mistaken as illness or disease. In truth, our kind partially or completely lacks an energy center. This is most often the one located in the belly, just below the navel. It is because we lack this center that we need to feed, for our subtle bodies cannot sustain the energy necessary to maintain our physical forms. Our physical connection to life is thin and weak. In those of our number who have not become, this may manifest itself in actual physical debility or illness. Birth defects are not uncommon. If they gain awareness of their powers and at the very
least learn how to feed, they may learn to compensate for this weakness. However, once you have learned to compensate, if you are unable to feed enough to sustain yourself, this weakness will return with greater severity than before. Often well-meaning Awakened will offer to heal you so that you need not suffer the drawbacks associated with this lacking. Their efforts should be discouraged for they do not understand our nature. The absence of this center defines us as what we are and is carried over from lifetime to lifetime. In this respect, vampirism is a condition of the spirit, and it is the spirit, which predisposes the body to physically manifest the characteristics associated with vampirism. Occasionally damage can be done to the subtle body of another that will partially or completely destroy an energy center. Such damage may be more permanent than the physical flesh, and thus will be carried over from lifetime to lifetime. This damage is most often the result of an accident, yet it produces much the same results as that which we embody. Those who have been damaged in this way will find that they need to feed. Their subtle bodies can no longer sustain their physical forms, and if life energy is not taken from an outside source, they will suffer debilitating effects associated with the lost or damaged energy center. Though these are not our children, they are technically of our number. It is
our duty to help and guide them in understanding what has happened to them and what this may entail. There is however hope that such individuals will eventually heal on a subtle level, and thus recovers from their state of vampirism.
You are responsible for teaching and guiding those of our kind whom you have awakened to their true natures. You must guide them through their transformation, helping to ease the transition from one level of awareness to the next. Those who you guide in this way will be as your children and will share a deep bond with you like no other. You will know their very heart and soul. The mysteries of their Essential Self will be unveiled to you. No distance will separate your awareness of them. The link goes both ways, and they can communicate with you and know your feelings when they choose. Often, even unintentionally, you will each share in what the other experiences, as the space between your spirits is close even when great distance separates your physical selves. You may use the link to feed from them at a distance, to borrow their strength as your own, and they in their turn can draw upon you. Their thoughts will be yours to know; their actions will fall under your control if you so choose—but do not seek to abuse this power you wield over them for as dearly as they may love you and revere you while under your control, they will just as thoroughly hate and revile you once that control has slipped away.
VIII. The Beacon
Our kind has ways of recognizing its own. Often this recognition occurs on an unspoken level and is very subtle, so you must learn to trust your impulses and allow your greater Self to guide you. Especially in the unawakened, this recognition manifests itself as a Beacon, which calls us to them so that they may realize their Potential. The Beacon calls to us on a very basic level, and often speaks purely to our unconscious minds. Thus we find ourselves inexplicably attracted to a Potential, stricken with a sudden fascination for him and a need to draw him closer to us. If we listen to our perceptions and trust our instinctual reactions, we can refine this awareness of others until we can consciously pick out the Beacon in those around us. Sometimes, even after such a refinement has been achieved, the Beacon still slips past our conscious actions and we find we simply responding to its unspoken pull. The pull of the Beacon drives us to feed from the Potential, thus awakening him to the most basic aspect of his hidden nature. We must learn to recognize the Beacon in others, to judge its varying degrees of strength so that we may go about the awakening in a deliberate manner. We must learn to recognize when it is appropriate to awaken a Potential and when that awakening will bring only grief to all involved. We must let our judgment rule us in this matter and we must sometimes resist the merely instinctual pull of the Beacon for awakenings that are not appropriate. Not all of those with Potential are fit for the awakening, and if we act rashly we may unwittingly loose the beast of our destruction through a careless move.
IX. Characteristics
The Beacon is present to a limited degree in those who have already become. It is strong enough for us to recognize one of our numbers when we come into contact with him, even if this recognition is the barest hint of perception. We may also be known by our distinct auras: deep purple sometimes shot through with red, surrounded by a nimbus of black or gray mist. The outer layer often stretches into tendrils that extend far beyond our physical forms, reaching out and feeding from those around us. To those who can perceive that level of reality, we often appear to be a nexus of such tendrils. The tendrils are varying shades of gray, with a smooth, rope-like appearance. We are often noted for our pallor, but more often it is the intensity of our eyes, which gives us away. We tend to be thin with a powerful and often intimidating presence, which wraps about us like a shroud. Our hands are often very cold. This is a cold, which saps heat away, and lingers where it has been touched. It is a symptom of our constant, low-level energy draw. If we consciously channel energy through our hands, they grow very warm. It is not the temperature, which is important: it is the responsiveness of our physical bodies to subtle effects that is distinctive. We are sensitive to strong odors and tastes, as our senses are often acute. Many of us can hear in a more than normal human range. Some of this is physical hearing; some may be limited clairaudience, as our subtle senses extend far beyond our physical selves. We are almost always much stronger and quicker than we look, for the body is merely a vessel for a much more powerful Will. We are sensitive to light and to the excessive heat of the sun. This is symptomatic of our acute sensitivity to energy. The radiation of the sun is an overwhelming form of energy which our systems have trouble assimilating. Many of us burn very easily in the sun. Almost all of us are made sick by it. When required to be out in full daylight, we develop headaches, nausea, and dizziness. The light saps us of our strength, leaving us exhausted and drained.
The night is our natural dominion, for in the mythic imagination, it is the realm of secrets, of magick, and all that the day-lit world rejects. We carry ourselves with a proud determination and can seem arrogant, detached, and cold. It is often hard for us to relate to the unawakened in their blind and ordinary lives. We often possess a predatory nature, and only with difficulty do we avoid using those around us. To most we seem unapproachable. There is an air about us, which seems somehow to set us apart. Even those ignorant to our true natures react to this, treating us with respect, attraction or Fear. The unawakened stare then look away from us and are unable to meet our gaze. They are disturbed by our presence but rarely will they understand what disturbed them or why. Instinctually, they fear us. The Awakened will know us for what we are, though they may hesitate to put a name to it. Still, on an unspoken level they will understand and attempt to define us through the filters of their individual beliefs and symbol systems. Children will know us, though rarely do they fear. In their innocence, they have not yet learned to doubt, and thus are open to a clear perception of the world around them.
X. Subtle Body Changes
To the Awakened who can perceive energy or the subtle body, we often appear flawed or incomplete. This is often mistaken as illness or disease. In truth, our kind partially or completely lacks an energy center. This is most often the one located in the belly, just below the navel. It is because we lack this center that we need to feed, for our subtle bodies cannot sustain the energy necessary to maintain our physical forms. Our physical connection to life is thin and weak. In those of our number who have not become, this may manifest itself in actual physical debility or illness. Birth defects are not uncommon. If they gain awareness of their powers and at the very
least learn how to feed, they may learn to compensate for this weakness. However, once you have learned to compensate, if you are unable to feed enough to sustain yourself, this weakness will return with greater severity than before. Often well-meaning Awakened will offer to heal you so that you need not suffer the drawbacks associated with this lacking. Their efforts should be discouraged for they do not understand our nature. The absence of this center defines us as what we are and is carried over from lifetime to lifetime. In this respect, vampirism is a condition of the spirit, and it is the spirit, which predisposes the body to physically manifest the characteristics associated with vampirism. Occasionally damage can be done to the subtle body of another that will partially or completely destroy an energy center. Such damage may be more permanent than the physical flesh, and thus will be carried over from lifetime to lifetime. This damage is most often the result of an accident, yet it produces much the same results as that which we embody. Those who have been damaged in this way will find that they need to feed. Their subtle bodies can no longer sustain their physical forms, and if life energy is not taken from an outside source, they will suffer debilitating effects associated with the lost or damaged energy center. Though these are not our children, they are technically of our number. It is
our duty to help and guide them in understanding what has happened to them and what this may entail. There is however hope that such individuals will eventually heal on a subtle level, and thus recovers from their state of vampirism.
XI. Separateness
Our strength and our weakness is life. We are slaves to the vital force, for lacking it ourselves; we are forced to glean it from others. In this we are self-serving and self-preserving, though good and evil cannot be applied to our state. We are predators and we move unnoticed among our prey for superficially we appear to be like them. Yet we know the difference and know that we can never truly belong. We tend to be solitary; feeding alone, though we seek out companionship among our own kind for it is here only that we find true acceptance and understanding. We may find friends and allies among the Awakened, but they can never truly understand what we are. There are some experiences they can neither accept nor share, and thus there is always something lacking when in their company. We are forever loyal to our own.
XII. Basic Feeding
We may gain what we need through feeding, drawing in life as we would breath. When we are the center of attention of a whole group, we may feed upon the emotions of those around us as they are directed toward us. This is an activity much Potential engages in, though they do not consciously understand what it is they do. This is one of the main reasons many Potentials are drawn toward the stage. Many become actors, musicians or other performers so that they may achieve the kind of focused attention they crave. For those who have become, this is a pleasing activity, but rarely satisfies more than the most superficial of needs. Even when a group is not focused upon us, we may feed generally upon them. No physical contact is necessary: we simply expand our awareness to encompass the group around us as if throwing out a net. Thus our energy extends beyond ourselves and, like embracing good friends, we pull bits of everyone about us into ourselves, breathing them deeply. This is less satisfying than a focused group draw but can sustain us in a time of desperate need when no other option is available. The two above techniques may be focused variably upon a single person for a slightly more intense effect. In general, the more feedback you receive from your targets, the more satisfying the drain, especially if they have some awareness of what is happening to them. It is like making love: the
best partner is the one who responds to your touch, whose reactions guide you in increasing their experience of the exchange. It is preferable to us then to feed off of those who are aware of the subtle reality, though care must be taken with such targets that they do not grow offended at what you do. To this end, willing partners are the most advisable as they will not retaliate for anything which they consider an infringement on their person. Single target, long-distance draws are convenient for establishing a connection to someone in order to draw them closer to you but before it is socially appropriate to engage in actual physical contact. In general, energy coupled with some strong emotion is more fulfilling than simple energy alone. One of the most intense emotions we can feed upon is fear. The next is ecstasy, either sexual or religious. Any emotion that is Tran formative in its power and depth pleasantly satisfies our needs. We may also feed upon energy gathered for religious purposes. This will sustain us in a time of need when no other sources are available, though feeding from this source is controversial to some. When people gather to worship, they generate a strong force of energy but few, if any of them, ever know how to properly direct it. Thus it curls up like smoke directionless through their place of worship or clings around those items, which served as the foci for the group's attentions. Whether we sit in on the actual worship or appear shortly thereafter, we may affect a general draw using the net technique, which pulls the undirected energy into ourselves. The objects, which were focused upon by the crowd, can also be drained of the energy endowed in them, either from a distant, general draw or from the more direct drain of physical contact. Many find such activities scandalous and unforgivable, but in truth the groups that can be preyed upon in this fashion have little awareness that they have been victimized and suffer not from our predations. The energy of their worship was undirected anyway and would dissipate eventually on its own, having served to benefit no one.
XIII. Breath & Life
We can adequately feed from a distance, extending our subtle bodies and our wills beyond the limits of our physical bodies in order to touch the energies of others. Such techniques can be satisfying in their own right, yet we are not solely beings of energy. We are a balance of spirit and matter, as are all things, and so contact with more than just energy-bodies is necessary for us to feel satisfied. Physical contact coupled with that extension of our Selves that creates energy contact is the main method used to feed. The primary centers for achieving such contact are our hands and our mouths. The hands may tingle when used for this purpose. Our touch at this time is intense, often very cold but also shivering pleasant. In extreme cases, we may leave traces of our feeding, even with our hands. We can draw blood up through the very pores or leave barely discernible bruises at our points of contact. We draw energy in like breathe: this is a controlled breathing technique, which encompasses much more than our lungs. Even when the
primary focus is our hands or if our target is far removed from us physically, this breathing helps focus our intake of energy. It is one slow, sustained inhalation, almost like smoking a cigarette or sucking through a very small straw. If done correctly, it will seem that your are breathing in far beyond the capacity of your lungs. Like breath, energy is drawn in, filling us with life and vitality. You will feel it, like a rush, spread through you, tingling down to your fingers and toes. You will achieve an altered state of consciousness while doing this, where body and energy body are both clearly perceived. Time may seem drawn out and distance will be altered. Your perceptions can expand to encompass a whole room, seeing everything inside and out all at once. Like breath, energy may also be expelled, exhaled into the person you choose to give it to. This secondary
function of drawing energy is used in healing. It is the necessary counterbalance to our function of taking energy. We are creatures of balance above all else, and even as we can sap the energy of those around us, so too can we build it up in order to help and heal.
XIV. Assimilating Energy
When we feed, we must take the life energy of others. It cannot be given. It can be offered freely, but still we must do the taking. This is fundamental to the way in which we must process the energy for use ourselves. When we draw in energy from another, it is transformed through the feeding process into energy we can assimilate and use. If another, however well meaning, seeks to force energy into us, it will do us little good. The energy must be assimilated to match our own if we are to benefit from it. It is very difficult for us to assimilate any energy beyond that of life. Others may draw their strength from the earth, the elements, even the stars, but we are bound to life by our lack of it. Some of us are more disconnected from life than others, and this is reflected in what and how much we can feed from in order to sustain ourselves. Few of us can feed from alternate sources, but when we can, it is a blessing, which should not be ignored.
XV. Blood & Life
Do not mistake mere blood for life. We feed upon something far subtler. However, do not be surprised if, in feeding, you taste blood within your mouth, for blood and life are intricately interwoven. We are creatures of both matter and spirit, and thus we affect others on both of these levels. Blood is the physical substance of life, and so we are bound ever so slightly to this material expression of our spiritual need. Do not be misled by the juxtaposition of energy and blood. No cut or puncture is necessary for the transfer to occur. Our ways are far subtler than that. As you draw out life, you draw out a minute amount of blood with the life. Even when there is no physical contact between you and your partner, when the draw is deep enough, this will occur. For this reason, always take care in whom you feed from, for a taint in their blood may carry over to you. Never feed from the ill or diseased. Never feed from those who have drugs or alcohol in their system. The taints in their bodies can transfer over to you. You will know those who are tainted by the sensations you get when near them. You will have an instinctual aversion to touching or getting close to such people. Likewise, your senses will warn you if you attempt to initiate a draw. Much of your awareness of the taint will occur on an unspoken level, so is attentive to your impressions and intuitions. Given time and careful observation, you will learn to
discern these sensations in order to identify the taint. This knowledge, however, may bring you great grief, for there are few left in this world that are not tainted in one manner or another.
Our strength and our weakness is life. We are slaves to the vital force, for lacking it ourselves; we are forced to glean it from others. In this we are self-serving and self-preserving, though good and evil cannot be applied to our state. We are predators and we move unnoticed among our prey for superficially we appear to be like them. Yet we know the difference and know that we can never truly belong. We tend to be solitary; feeding alone, though we seek out companionship among our own kind for it is here only that we find true acceptance and understanding. We may find friends and allies among the Awakened, but they can never truly understand what we are. There are some experiences they can neither accept nor share, and thus there is always something lacking when in their company. We are forever loyal to our own.
XII. Basic Feeding
We may gain what we need through feeding, drawing in life as we would breath. When we are the center of attention of a whole group, we may feed upon the emotions of those around us as they are directed toward us. This is an activity much Potential engages in, though they do not consciously understand what it is they do. This is one of the main reasons many Potentials are drawn toward the stage. Many become actors, musicians or other performers so that they may achieve the kind of focused attention they crave. For those who have become, this is a pleasing activity, but rarely satisfies more than the most superficial of needs. Even when a group is not focused upon us, we may feed generally upon them. No physical contact is necessary: we simply expand our awareness to encompass the group around us as if throwing out a net. Thus our energy extends beyond ourselves and, like embracing good friends, we pull bits of everyone about us into ourselves, breathing them deeply. This is less satisfying than a focused group draw but can sustain us in a time of desperate need when no other option is available. The two above techniques may be focused variably upon a single person for a slightly more intense effect. In general, the more feedback you receive from your targets, the more satisfying the drain, especially if they have some awareness of what is happening to them. It is like making love: the
best partner is the one who responds to your touch, whose reactions guide you in increasing their experience of the exchange. It is preferable to us then to feed off of those who are aware of the subtle reality, though care must be taken with such targets that they do not grow offended at what you do. To this end, willing partners are the most advisable as they will not retaliate for anything which they consider an infringement on their person. Single target, long-distance draws are convenient for establishing a connection to someone in order to draw them closer to you but before it is socially appropriate to engage in actual physical contact. In general, energy coupled with some strong emotion is more fulfilling than simple energy alone. One of the most intense emotions we can feed upon is fear. The next is ecstasy, either sexual or religious. Any emotion that is Tran formative in its power and depth pleasantly satisfies our needs. We may also feed upon energy gathered for religious purposes. This will sustain us in a time of need when no other sources are available, though feeding from this source is controversial to some. When people gather to worship, they generate a strong force of energy but few, if any of them, ever know how to properly direct it. Thus it curls up like smoke directionless through their place of worship or clings around those items, which served as the foci for the group's attentions. Whether we sit in on the actual worship or appear shortly thereafter, we may affect a general draw using the net technique, which pulls the undirected energy into ourselves. The objects, which were focused upon by the crowd, can also be drained of the energy endowed in them, either from a distant, general draw or from the more direct drain of physical contact. Many find such activities scandalous and unforgivable, but in truth the groups that can be preyed upon in this fashion have little awareness that they have been victimized and suffer not from our predations. The energy of their worship was undirected anyway and would dissipate eventually on its own, having served to benefit no one.
XIII. Breath & Life
We can adequately feed from a distance, extending our subtle bodies and our wills beyond the limits of our physical bodies in order to touch the energies of others. Such techniques can be satisfying in their own right, yet we are not solely beings of energy. We are a balance of spirit and matter, as are all things, and so contact with more than just energy-bodies is necessary for us to feel satisfied. Physical contact coupled with that extension of our Selves that creates energy contact is the main method used to feed. The primary centers for achieving such contact are our hands and our mouths. The hands may tingle when used for this purpose. Our touch at this time is intense, often very cold but also shivering pleasant. In extreme cases, we may leave traces of our feeding, even with our hands. We can draw blood up through the very pores or leave barely discernible bruises at our points of contact. We draw energy in like breathe: this is a controlled breathing technique, which encompasses much more than our lungs. Even when the
primary focus is our hands or if our target is far removed from us physically, this breathing helps focus our intake of energy. It is one slow, sustained inhalation, almost like smoking a cigarette or sucking through a very small straw. If done correctly, it will seem that your are breathing in far beyond the capacity of your lungs. Like breath, energy is drawn in, filling us with life and vitality. You will feel it, like a rush, spread through you, tingling down to your fingers and toes. You will achieve an altered state of consciousness while doing this, where body and energy body are both clearly perceived. Time may seem drawn out and distance will be altered. Your perceptions can expand to encompass a whole room, seeing everything inside and out all at once. Like breath, energy may also be expelled, exhaled into the person you choose to give it to. This secondary
function of drawing energy is used in healing. It is the necessary counterbalance to our function of taking energy. We are creatures of balance above all else, and even as we can sap the energy of those around us, so too can we build it up in order to help and heal.
XIV. Assimilating Energy
When we feed, we must take the life energy of others. It cannot be given. It can be offered freely, but still we must do the taking. This is fundamental to the way in which we must process the energy for use ourselves. When we draw in energy from another, it is transformed through the feeding process into energy we can assimilate and use. If another, however well meaning, seeks to force energy into us, it will do us little good. The energy must be assimilated to match our own if we are to benefit from it. It is very difficult for us to assimilate any energy beyond that of life. Others may draw their strength from the earth, the elements, even the stars, but we are bound to life by our lack of it. Some of us are more disconnected from life than others, and this is reflected in what and how much we can feed from in order to sustain ourselves. Few of us can feed from alternate sources, but when we can, it is a blessing, which should not be ignored.
XV. Blood & Life
Do not mistake mere blood for life. We feed upon something far subtler. However, do not be surprised if, in feeding, you taste blood within your mouth, for blood and life are intricately interwoven. We are creatures of both matter and spirit, and thus we affect others on both of these levels. Blood is the physical substance of life, and so we are bound ever so slightly to this material expression of our spiritual need. Do not be misled by the juxtaposition of energy and blood. No cut or puncture is necessary for the transfer to occur. Our ways are far subtler than that. As you draw out life, you draw out a minute amount of blood with the life. Even when there is no physical contact between you and your partner, when the draw is deep enough, this will occur. For this reason, always take care in whom you feed from, for a taint in their blood may carry over to you. Never feed from the ill or diseased. Never feed from those who have drugs or alcohol in their system. The taints in their bodies can transfer over to you. You will know those who are tainted by the sensations you get when near them. You will have an instinctual aversion to touching or getting close to such people. Likewise, your senses will warn you if you attempt to initiate a draw. Much of your awareness of the taint will occur on an unspoken level, so is attentive to your impressions and intuitions. Given time and careful observation, you will learn to
discern these sensations in order to identify the taint. This knowledge, however, may bring you great grief, for there are few left in this world that are not tainted in one manner or another.
XVI. Geography of the Subtle Body
On the body, there are certain centers where energy is concentrated. These have come to be known generally as charkas, and they are like the organs of the subtle body. We can easily make a connection to a person at any of these centers, bridging the gap between body and energy-body, physical and spiritual. Indeed, these centers form junctions between the two bodies and one can affect the body on either or both levels simultaneously through the skilled manipulation of these centers. These centers and their usage have been known to cultures from ancient Egypt and before. The energy flowing through these centers is known as Prana in Sanskrit. It is chi to the Chinese, ki to the Japanese, the ba or "breath of life" to the Egyptians. The energy has been described as a fluid and has been equated with breath, blood and life by varying cultures. It is the essential stuff of life and it is etheric yet fluid, mutable, and in a constant state of motion. Different systems depict these centers at varying points in the body. The Hindu system of Charkas have been most widely accepted by the West, and it depicts a set of seven "wheels of light" which occur in a centralized line throughout the body. The Tibetan system, which may have more purely inherited the ancient wisdom that went before, recognizes only five. These five correspond to five aspects the Egyptians attributed to the human soul. As our heritage is Egyptian and pre-Egyptian, we have chosen their words to describe these centers. The first energy center is located at the crown of the head, and is accessible from either crown or forehead. This is often depicted as two different centers, but due to their proximity, these are affected as one. To the
Egyptians and those that preceded them, this center was known as the Akh. The Akh is the immortal body, that which contains our undying, Essential Selves. This energy center is the point at which the immortal body crosses over with the physical form. The next center is located at the throat, and is accessible from the mouth or the sides of the throat over the veins. This is known as the Khu. The Khu is the voice and will of an individual. It is the seat of magickal power for it is through the word that our wills are enacted. The next center is located near the heart, in the center of the chest. This is the Ab. It is accessible either at the base of the sternum or a few inches upward, between the breasts. The Ab is the center of the physical being, a juncture of the heart, thymus gland, nervous system, and solar plexus. The Ba is located in the belly, just beneath the navel. The Ba is the center of the spiritual life force. By its action, it sustains the life of the subtle body and connects the subtle body to the physical, transitory form. It is further the tie, which connects us to the wheel of death and rebirth. Altering or severing this center completely will affect the way in which the soul travels through the wheel. Finally, there is a center at the root. This is the Min, the sexual force. This center is most completely tied to the body and is the dynamic opposite of the Khu. Where the Khu is the word and will, this is the instinct, that which has the power to rob us of our wills and transform us into beasts. This center is accessible through the genitals or just inside the joint of the thigh. Minor centers exist at the wrists, the insides of the elbows and the backs of the knees. The palms of the hands and the soles of the feet also contain minor charkas. Any of these can be used to create a connection, although we are hardly bound to reach out to another's energy body through these sites. Any physical contact will do, and as mentioned before, even physical contact is not necessary to feed.
XVII. More on Feeding
Our energy actually pierces the subtle body of our partner and penetrates it, drawing energy out as if through a straw. Afterward, a wound is left in the aura of the partner, though this will close on its own in a few days. It can sometimes be echoed in the flesh in the form of a small rounded bruise. In the case of long-standing partners, the wound can become a permanent weak spot in the aura through which we can easily penetrate and gain access to their energy. Generally speaking, feeding is not harmful to the partner. They have a connection to the universal force; this will replenish them in time, usually overnight. Most partners will just feel a little tired and fuzzyheaded after being fed from. Many have described it like a mild drug, something that is pleasantly mellowing. Some experience euphoria during feeding and feel they are riding intense waves of pleasure. Others can achieve an altered state of consciousness with intense dream-like visions. It is not uncommon for a partner to loose consciousness at some point during the exchange. Feeding partners may be a little hypersensitive to bright light afterwards and they may experience a sudden feeling of cold. They may be a little more tired than usual the next morning, and they may have a headache that is much like a hangover. They can also feel dry-mouthed and Nauseous, and the nausea may linger for the better part of a day. However, under ordinary circumstances, these are the most severe side affects feeding will produce in a partner. Some caution should be used when feeding from those who are not accustomed to it, however. If fed from too quickly or too deeply, the partner may experience difficulty in breathing. Irregularities in the heartbeat may follow. The partner's body will tingle all over, though this may quickly give way to feelings of numbness and cold. It will become very difficult to move and the limbs will feel heavy and uncoordinated. In very extreme cases, the partner will experience a general depression of the entire sympathetic nervous system. This includes lowered body temperature, lowered blood pressure, slowed heart-rate, and a general lassitude which may manifest itself in extreme cases as an all-over muscular weakness and trembling or partial paralysis. When fed from very deeply, it is almost guaranteed that a partner will partially or completely lose consciousness. Do not panic if this occurs. Make certain that they are in no immediate danger, and if they seem to be breathing all right, just let them sleep it off. With his or her connection to the universal life force, there is very little permanent damage you can do to someone by overfeeding. Consistent overfeeding will evoke in the partner symptoms similar to those, which we experience during periods of starvation. The continual shortage of energy will begin to tax the immune system. They will be tired all the time, sickly and weak. They may sleep a great deal, or they may find themselves unable to actually sleep despite their overwhelming lethargy. Putting constant demands upon one partner will eventually put them in a position where their system
can no longer compensate for the loss of energy fast enough to meet your needs. This is why it is always wise to have at least one other reliable source, which you can feed from. The best strategy to keep you and all those close to you healthy is to have two or three partners, which you feed from, rotating through them so that no single one of them must bear the full weight of your needs.
XVIII. Succubus (sexual feeding)
A draw can be enacted in conjunction with Tantric magick. Right or Left Hand Path Tantra is both facilitated by our inherent abilities of energy manipulation. Your primary contact is made at the mouth or the throat, and a tendril is inserted into the subtle body of your partner. A secondary connection is made at the root. Through intense visualization, this tendril is guided down through
your partner's subtle body to the root chakra. Here the Kundalini energy that is so crucial to Tantra lies coiled. You can grasp onto the Kundalini energy and manually pull it up through each successive chakra. Draw in only a little during this process until the drawing up of the energy is complete. Once you have brought the Kundalini through all the charkas to your primary point of contact, you will have generated an immense amount of energy from which both yourself and your partner can benefit. You and your partner will sense something like an explosion of light and energy within yourselves, followed immediately by a bursting sensation as if you had just been pushed through some barrier. This will consummate in a powerful sense of climax on the subtle level. Feeding in this manner is very productive, as it serves to energize both yourself and your partner. Your partner will almost invariably experience a prolonged and impressive orgasm, and one may feed upon the torrent of energy that results from the climax to increase mutual stimulation. It is almost impossible to exhaust a partner when feeding from the root: whereas prolonged or deep feeding from any of the other major energy centers can cause trembling,
weakness, dizziness, and an overall depression of the system, feeding from the root seems to only increase that which you feed upon. The partner, after recovering from the intensity of the drain is almost always energized and while they still feel the effects of physical exhaustion, they are driven by a fevered desire that can sustain them for hours. The process is very difficult to master, however, and if the coil of Kundalini energy slips from your grasp, you will simply end up initiating a deep feed from all the Charkas in succession, which can be satisfying in its own right but not nearly as productive for your partner.
On the body, there are certain centers where energy is concentrated. These have come to be known generally as charkas, and they are like the organs of the subtle body. We can easily make a connection to a person at any of these centers, bridging the gap between body and energy-body, physical and spiritual. Indeed, these centers form junctions between the two bodies and one can affect the body on either or both levels simultaneously through the skilled manipulation of these centers. These centers and their usage have been known to cultures from ancient Egypt and before. The energy flowing through these centers is known as Prana in Sanskrit. It is chi to the Chinese, ki to the Japanese, the ba or "breath of life" to the Egyptians. The energy has been described as a fluid and has been equated with breath, blood and life by varying cultures. It is the essential stuff of life and it is etheric yet fluid, mutable, and in a constant state of motion. Different systems depict these centers at varying points in the body. The Hindu system of Charkas have been most widely accepted by the West, and it depicts a set of seven "wheels of light" which occur in a centralized line throughout the body. The Tibetan system, which may have more purely inherited the ancient wisdom that went before, recognizes only five. These five correspond to five aspects the Egyptians attributed to the human soul. As our heritage is Egyptian and pre-Egyptian, we have chosen their words to describe these centers. The first energy center is located at the crown of the head, and is accessible from either crown or forehead. This is often depicted as two different centers, but due to their proximity, these are affected as one. To the
Egyptians and those that preceded them, this center was known as the Akh. The Akh is the immortal body, that which contains our undying, Essential Selves. This energy center is the point at which the immortal body crosses over with the physical form. The next center is located at the throat, and is accessible from the mouth or the sides of the throat over the veins. This is known as the Khu. The Khu is the voice and will of an individual. It is the seat of magickal power for it is through the word that our wills are enacted. The next center is located near the heart, in the center of the chest. This is the Ab. It is accessible either at the base of the sternum or a few inches upward, between the breasts. The Ab is the center of the physical being, a juncture of the heart, thymus gland, nervous system, and solar plexus. The Ba is located in the belly, just beneath the navel. The Ba is the center of the spiritual life force. By its action, it sustains the life of the subtle body and connects the subtle body to the physical, transitory form. It is further the tie, which connects us to the wheel of death and rebirth. Altering or severing this center completely will affect the way in which the soul travels through the wheel. Finally, there is a center at the root. This is the Min, the sexual force. This center is most completely tied to the body and is the dynamic opposite of the Khu. Where the Khu is the word and will, this is the instinct, that which has the power to rob us of our wills and transform us into beasts. This center is accessible through the genitals or just inside the joint of the thigh. Minor centers exist at the wrists, the insides of the elbows and the backs of the knees. The palms of the hands and the soles of the feet also contain minor charkas. Any of these can be used to create a connection, although we are hardly bound to reach out to another's energy body through these sites. Any physical contact will do, and as mentioned before, even physical contact is not necessary to feed.
XVII. More on Feeding
Our energy actually pierces the subtle body of our partner and penetrates it, drawing energy out as if through a straw. Afterward, a wound is left in the aura of the partner, though this will close on its own in a few days. It can sometimes be echoed in the flesh in the form of a small rounded bruise. In the case of long-standing partners, the wound can become a permanent weak spot in the aura through which we can easily penetrate and gain access to their energy. Generally speaking, feeding is not harmful to the partner. They have a connection to the universal force; this will replenish them in time, usually overnight. Most partners will just feel a little tired and fuzzyheaded after being fed from. Many have described it like a mild drug, something that is pleasantly mellowing. Some experience euphoria during feeding and feel they are riding intense waves of pleasure. Others can achieve an altered state of consciousness with intense dream-like visions. It is not uncommon for a partner to loose consciousness at some point during the exchange. Feeding partners may be a little hypersensitive to bright light afterwards and they may experience a sudden feeling of cold. They may be a little more tired than usual the next morning, and they may have a headache that is much like a hangover. They can also feel dry-mouthed and Nauseous, and the nausea may linger for the better part of a day. However, under ordinary circumstances, these are the most severe side affects feeding will produce in a partner. Some caution should be used when feeding from those who are not accustomed to it, however. If fed from too quickly or too deeply, the partner may experience difficulty in breathing. Irregularities in the heartbeat may follow. The partner's body will tingle all over, though this may quickly give way to feelings of numbness and cold. It will become very difficult to move and the limbs will feel heavy and uncoordinated. In very extreme cases, the partner will experience a general depression of the entire sympathetic nervous system. This includes lowered body temperature, lowered blood pressure, slowed heart-rate, and a general lassitude which may manifest itself in extreme cases as an all-over muscular weakness and trembling or partial paralysis. When fed from very deeply, it is almost guaranteed that a partner will partially or completely lose consciousness. Do not panic if this occurs. Make certain that they are in no immediate danger, and if they seem to be breathing all right, just let them sleep it off. With his or her connection to the universal life force, there is very little permanent damage you can do to someone by overfeeding. Consistent overfeeding will evoke in the partner symptoms similar to those, which we experience during periods of starvation. The continual shortage of energy will begin to tax the immune system. They will be tired all the time, sickly and weak. They may sleep a great deal, or they may find themselves unable to actually sleep despite their overwhelming lethargy. Putting constant demands upon one partner will eventually put them in a position where their system
can no longer compensate for the loss of energy fast enough to meet your needs. This is why it is always wise to have at least one other reliable source, which you can feed from. The best strategy to keep you and all those close to you healthy is to have two or three partners, which you feed from, rotating through them so that no single one of them must bear the full weight of your needs.
XVIII. Succubus (sexual feeding)
A draw can be enacted in conjunction with Tantric magick. Right or Left Hand Path Tantra is both facilitated by our inherent abilities of energy manipulation. Your primary contact is made at the mouth or the throat, and a tendril is inserted into the subtle body of your partner. A secondary connection is made at the root. Through intense visualization, this tendril is guided down through
your partner's subtle body to the root chakra. Here the Kundalini energy that is so crucial to Tantra lies coiled. You can grasp onto the Kundalini energy and manually pull it up through each successive chakra. Draw in only a little during this process until the drawing up of the energy is complete. Once you have brought the Kundalini through all the charkas to your primary point of contact, you will have generated an immense amount of energy from which both yourself and your partner can benefit. You and your partner will sense something like an explosion of light and energy within yourselves, followed immediately by a bursting sensation as if you had just been pushed through some barrier. This will consummate in a powerful sense of climax on the subtle level. Feeding in this manner is very productive, as it serves to energize both yourself and your partner. Your partner will almost invariably experience a prolonged and impressive orgasm, and one may feed upon the torrent of energy that results from the climax to increase mutual stimulation. It is almost impossible to exhaust a partner when feeding from the root: whereas prolonged or deep feeding from any of the other major energy centers can cause trembling,
weakness, dizziness, and an overall depression of the system, feeding from the root seems to only increase that which you feed upon. The partner, after recovering from the intensity of the drain is almost always energized and while they still feel the effects of physical exhaustion, they are driven by a fevered desire that can sustain them for hours. The process is very difficult to master, however, and if the coil of Kundalini energy slips from your grasp, you will simply end up initiating a deep feed from all the Charkas in succession, which can be satisfying in its own right but not nearly as productive for your partner.
