Initiation Into the Vampiric Ar - Vampire Regeneration

Initiation into the Vampiric Arts

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The Vampire Regeneration Movement Concerning the cove r illustration:

The trishula is a spear head for a trident. The trident is associated with water, fire, and death. The three prongs represent flames. Fire is often associated with the underworld because of the connection to volcanoes and mining. The trishula represents the fire of creation, while simultaneously being a weapon of destruction. To a vampire, this represents the fire of the spirit revealed in death and rebirth.

Initiation into the Vampiric Arts Copyright © 2008 by The Vampire Regeneration Movement (Illustrations in public domain, original copyrights expired.)

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Disclaimer: This booklet is for entertainment purposes only. There are no such things as vampires. Blood sucking ghouls that turn into bats and fly away are nothing more than myths. Furthermore, neither the author of this booklet, nor the Vampire Regeneration Movement takes any responsibility for any of the exercises contained herein. A medical professional should be consulted before doing any exercises that might affect your breathing, pulse rate, blood pressure, circulation, or death.

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Initiation into the Vampiric Arts INTRODUCTION ............................................ ..........................1 Why you need this booklet....................................................1 What you will NOT find in this booklet...................................1 Etymology ............................................. ................................2 THE SECRET TRUTHS OF VAMPIRISM.................................4 True versus Hollywood Vampirism .......................................4 The Truth about Blood ........................................ ..................8 Shape shifting – Why it works.............................................10 Teeth...................................................................................12 Mirrors.................................................................................13 Crosses...............................................................................14 Sunlight...............................................................................15 Sexual powers ....................................................................16 Hypnotic powers .................................................................17 Rising again ........................................................................18 Stake through the Heart......................................................20 Transmission through Blood .............................................. .21 Old Folklore versus Actual Practice ....................................22 The Powers of the Vampire ............................................ ....25 The Fear of Vampires .............................................. ...........26 A Peculiar Connection to the Tarot .....................................28 THE ROOTS OF VAMPIRISM................................................33 Incubus and Succubus........................................................33 Suicides and other Hungry Ghosts .....................................35 Shape shifters - From Werewolves to Merlin ......................37 PRACTICAL ADVICE ....................................... ......................42 How to annoy a vampire .............................................. .......42 Killing a Vampire ............................................. ....................43 The Myth of Blood Initiation ................................................47 Initiations.............................................................................49 Self Initiation ...................................................... .................53 Mass Initiations ...................................................................54 When things go wrong ........................................................55 Rogue Vampires ............................................ .....................57 Vampire Wars ........................................... ..........................58 CREATING A COVENANT AND AN ASSEMBLY ..................60 The Structure ............................................ ..........................60 Why you need to form a covenant ......................................65 Vampire Sex ................................................................... ....66 Vampires and the Internet...................................................66 Making contact....................................................................67 Warnings.............................................................................68 EXERCISES ........................................................................ ...69 The Process........................................................................69 Scripts and Formulas ..........................................................70 Other tools ..........................................................................71 The Silence and the Darkness............................................71 The Use of a Coffin .............................................................72 The Hanged Man - Using an inversion board .....................73 Why a journal yields great benefits .....................................74 Melting and Melding............................................ ................76 7

Contemplation.....................................................................77Choosing a Meeting Spot....................................................77 Protection Exercises ...........................................................78 Script for  Protection ............................................................81 Trance Exercise Scripts ......................................................83 Trance Script 1 - Pulse and breath .....................................83 Trance Script 2 - Progressive relaxation .............................84 The Binding variation ...................................................... ....85 Trance Script 3 - Mirror  Exercise ........................................86 Trance Script 4 - Hyper-breath ...........................................87 Trance Script 5 - Reversal of Time/The Crossroads ...........88 Script for Sexual Projection.................................................92 Script for Joining .................................................................94 Script for Return and Closing..............................................95 Invoking Death without dying ..............................................96 Script for  Invocation of Death......................................... ...100 Condensing rituals to power words and gestures .............102 The First Work ..................................................................104 The Four Day Ordeal ........................................................105 BEYOND THE INITIATE.......................................................108 This Booklet ......................................................................108 Acquiring advanced exercises ..........................................109 Basic Covenant Affirmation of Intent.................................111

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Illustrations Figure 1, Vampire Kiss ................................................. ......... 2 Figure 2, Host of Vampires.................................................. .. 3 Figure 3, Vlad Tepes ............................................................. 6 Figure 4, Blood Sucking ........................................................ 8 Figure 5, Werewolf possession ........................................... 10 Figure 6, Shape shifting.............................................. ......... 11 Figure 7, Bat form........................................... ..................... 12 Figure 8, Glamour................................................................ 13 Figure 9, The Sun............................................ .................... 15 Figure 10, Sexual Projection ............................................... 17 Figure 11, Vampiric Hypnosis.............................................. 18 Figure 12, Rising again.......................................... .............. 18 Figure 13, Killing Vampires and Werewolves ...................... 20 Figure 14, Hollywood Vampire ......................................... ... 23 Figure 15, The Devil ............................................................ 29 Figure 16, Eliphas Levi’s Baphomet .................................... 30 Figure 17, Bring me the head ... .......................................... 32 Figure 18, Succubus........................................ .................... 33 Figure 19, Incubus............................................................... 34 Figure 20, Vampire as Incubus...................................... ...... 35 Figure 21, Ancient Shape shifter ......................................... 37 Figure 22, The Fool ............................................................. 39 Figure 23, Impaled on a Stake ............................................ 46 Figure 24, Nebuchadnezzar ............................................ .... 56 Figure 25, Vampire Wars..................................................... 58 Figure 26, The River of Life and Death................................ 69 Figure 27, Inner Sound............................................ ............ 72 Figure 28, The Hanged Man............................................. ... 73 Figure 29, The Mirror........................................................... 86 Figure 30, Naga/Nagini............................................ ............ 93 Figure 31, Fire Dragon ........................................................ 94 Figure 32, Death......................................... ......................... 96 Figure 33, Cerberus............................................................. 97

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INTRODUCTION Quia inter mortuos ero – Because someday I will be among the dead. Why you need this booklet The primary purpose for this booklet is to provide you, whether candidate or master, information and exercises for initiation into the vampiric arts. You will find out how vampiric exercises are created and practiced, and what they will accomplish. You will discover that the techniques for initiation, whether for yourself or a candidate you are sponsoring, achieve their effect rapidly and efficiently, preparing the path for more advanced work with a solid foundation. As a vampire, or one who wishes to become a vampire, it is important for you to know the true situation of the vampire in the world today, as well as what the non-initiated think and believe. It is important for you to know what other real vampires are doing, and how they work. Having a common understanding allows you to contact and work with others without confusion or false steps. If you are helping others to become initiates, this is the  booklet you need. If you are working towards self initiation, this booklet is indispensable. What you will NOT find in this booklet This booklet will not introduce you to a man with a cape and two sharp teeth who wants to drink your blood.  Nor will it teach you how to make a contract with Satan in order to acquire supernatural powers. Neither of these methods actually work. In the first case, vampirism is not a communicable disease or blood parasite. In the later  case, even if Satan were not a Christian/Babylonian construct, the powers of a vampire can not be simply conferred through a contract. Furthermore, if Satan did exist, and was the evil entity he is supposed to be, making a contract with an evil entity makes even less sense than a chicken thinking it could make a contract with a hungry coyote. If you wish to be “made” into a vampire, you will have to do a lot of work. The path is not easy, and the rewards are dubious in comparison to what is commonly given up, but if you are certain that this is what you want, this booklet will  provide it.

Figure 1, Vampire Kis s

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Etymology Vampire, vapir, upyr: The word “vampire” can be traced back through German and Hungarian variants to SerboCroatian origins, and from there to the Bulgarian “vapir”, Ukrainian “uper” and Kazan Tatar “uber”. The original term meant “witch” and provides us with a clear connection to shamanic witches that practiced shape-shifting and could drain an enemy’s life. Closely related to the vapir  shaman is the Hindu fakir  and Sufi faquir.  Nosferatu, nosferat, nosver: Bram Stoker, in his book Dracula, used the word “nosferatu”, which he claimed to mean “undead” or “not dead”. The actual etymology for the word “nosferatu” is controversial, and there is no accepted origin for the word in Romanian, Slavic, or Latin, although one rather interesting claim is that the word derives from the Latin “nos veru tu”, which is a poorly formed Latin phrase meaning roughly “we (tell) you truth”. Contrary to popular belief, most vampires are not  already dead. Well, yes, they have died and come back to life,  but a vampire is not dead. That is to say, a vampire is not an animated corpse. “Not dead” or “undead” is therefore a pretty good word for a vampire, but a better word for a true vampire would be “resurrected” or “regenerated”. Vampires can operate as spirits without bodies, but vampires prefer to have physical bodies to work from. Live  physical bodies. The modern concept of a vampire being a re-animated corpse that likes to suck blood is primarily due to Hollywood. Host of vampires: Groups of vampires are variously called “covenants”, “families”, “clans”, “covens”, “tribes”, or “assemblies”, although Hollywood has made “colony” and “nest” popular. Occasionally the term “influx” or “host” of vampires will be used as well. The terms ”influx” and “host” have special meanings to vampires though, as they refer to the “influx” of the spirit into a candidate, who then becomes a “host”, as well as meaning any large assembly of vampires, and especially a small army or battalion of vampires. Host also refers to the animal that hosts the spirit of the vapir during a werewolf type transformation.

Figure 2 , Host of Vampires

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THE SECRET TRUTHS OF VAMPIRISM True versus Hollywood Vampirism There is no doubt that vampires have been exciting admirers since they first made it to the silver screen. This has led to many thirsty individuals who would love to drink in the excitement, if not the actual blood of supposed victims. Playing at being a vampire by drinking someone’s blood during sexual orgies will not bring you closer to  being a real vampire. That’s no reason to stop, however. False vampirism has led to many silly concepts, such as vampires really being space aliens, or vampires really being fallen angels. Foolish rituals have been constructed involving the worship of some Master Vampire, such as the fictional Dracula, or historic persons such as Vlad Tepes, Ivan the Terrible, Stalin, Hitler or some ancient God or even Satan. Let me state here that although there are evil vampires, vampires are not necessarily evil. Worshipping evil will not get you any closer to becoming a vampire, nor does "the dark side" hold more  power than compassion. Most importantly, making a pact with an evil entity will not get you any rewards. Evil entities are evil. That should be clear. Why should they want to do anything for anyone except themselves? They don’t need you or want you for anything except food. Offering oneself, or ones friends, in return for power will only get you closer to being a victim. And evil vampires don’t reward their cows. Most people do not know what vampires really feed on. I will tell you this much now: Vampires start out as  physical human beings that learn to live as non physical spirit beings. One more thing, moving from the physical world to the nonphysical is not that hard. Everyone dies. Keeping the spirit and soul together without a body is much harder. Vampires are more interested in supporting their spirit bodies than their physical bodies. If all they wanted was blood to support their physical bodies they could simply enjoy a nice rare steak. It is not blood that nourishes a vampire. The false belief that vampires drink blood is not the only cannibalistic or ghoulish practice that has intrigued those that seek titillation rather than the mysteries of death. Media sensationalism has not aided the problem. Modern day cannibalism is a sociopathic phenomenon, and holds no rewards other than what the mental institutions or  death row can provide. You can not learn the secrets of the two worlds on that path. Shape shifting witches who prolong their life by drawing life from others have shown up in almost every culture. Ghoulish and cannibalistic actions, such as eating corpses, are usually actions forced upon victims of  vampires, rather than by vampires themselves, in order to cause fear and confusion. Consuming a portion of an enemy was once done by some primitive tribes in order to acquire an enemy’s powers, but it has nothing to do with vampires. Drinking blood is a separate issue and can be used to ensure a link to another person or a venerated dead relative. These actions are not  usually seen as a method of prolonging life or of obtaining shape shifting powers. Except, of course, in Hollywood. One of the biggest problems with understanding legends and folk bel iefs is that they often get mixed up as different cultures converge. The vampire legends have suffered particularly from this, as they were brought to the west from Eastern Europe and Asia. Shape shifters in Romania were called vampires. Shape shifters in Western Europe were called werewolves. In other areas they were simply called shamans or witches, or confused with demons and devils. Hollywood treated them all like a fiction that they could change in any manner they desired.

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Figure 3, Vlad Tepes

The modern Hollywood vampire got its beginning from one book, Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. Bram Stoker drew from various legends, some of them with strong historic support, such as those of Vlad Tepes. Some of the legends he drew upon, however, were not accurate portrayals of vampires. During the time of the Great Plague, for  instance, ghoulish actions were sometimes attributed to plague victims, who would be mistaken for the living dead. At least one fanciful belief held that evil spirits that re-animated corpses, and then drank the blood of the living, thus spreading the plague, were, in fact, plague carrying vampires. This portrayal of a ghoulish vampire ruled Hollywood for many years. However, Bram Stoker’s creature, whether called “vampire” or “nosferatu”, was made up. Since that time, Hollywood has produced many vampire stories, often contradictory. Modern vampires may be portrayed with or without the attributes Mr. Stoker’s vampire held, and sometimes with quite new inventions added on. For the most part, however, there are certain commonalities in the Hollywood vampire: 1. Blood: They drink blood. Sometimes they will eat or drink other items as well, but it is most common that a vampire will not drink … wine. 2. Shape shifting: They can turn into vapor, a bat, or a wolf. The wolf aspect is particularly interesting as Hollywood has treated the werew olf as separate from the vampire, and in some cases has treated the two as mortal enemies. 3. Teeth: They have sharp teeth that may or may not grow and retract. One fanciful invention gives them tubular teeth that are used in an insect like manner to suck blood through. 4. Mirrors: They can not be seen in a mirror. 13

5. Crosses: Crosses give them the willies. In some cases, they will burn at the touch of a silver cross. In other  cases, even two fingers held in the form of a cross will ward them off. They can not enter a church or Holy Ground, or any place they are not invited. 6. Sunlight: They hate sunlight. Other types of light have no effect. 7. Sexual Powers: They are usually portrayed as highly sexual, although sometimes hideous to look at. 8. Hypnotic Powers:  They have great hypnotic powers. Often, this power can work at a distance. 9. Rising again:  Vampires rise from the grave. If not done properly, a vampire that is killed will come back to life. 10.Stake through the heart: You kill a vampire by driving a wooden stake through their heart, or by dragging them into the sunlight. Occasionally the concept of decapitation and burying the head separately from the vampire is mentioned. 11.Transmission through blood:  Vampires create other vampires by simply drinking their victim’s blood. In some cases, the vampire being made must in turn drink the blood of the vampire that made them. Similarly, werewolves create other werewolves by a bite or a scratch. Of these attributes, true vampires hold less than half. Vampires are not zombies. That is, they are not simply resurrected bodies. Vampires are not ghouls. They do not feed on the dead. Although a vampire can kill through vampirization, the process does not involve blood, and does not leave tell-tale marks on the neck. The Truth about Blood It was once commonly believed that the life force, or spirit, resided in the blood. This is a mistaken view. Without blood, of course, your body will die. Blood itself  is alive, but it is simply a container of life, not life itself. Similarly breath was once thought to make up our consciousness. Naturally, if you cut off a person’s breath, they will lose consciousness. However, neither blood nor breath makes up our  consciousness or our life force, although they do allow them to manifest. More specifically, our life force manifests when the oxygen carried by our blood interacts with our body, much as light and heat manifest when fire burns during the interaction of oxygen and wood. Our physical body allows our life force to manifest in a physical world, but the spirit remains in spirit. Here is a riddle for you. Our life force must manifest in a physical body in order for our consciousness to exist in the physical plane. Where must our life force manifest in order for our consciousness to exist elsewhere?

Figure 4, B lood Sucking

The answer is ... elsewhere. If we wish to manifest, we must have a vehicle to manifest in. If we are going to manifest in the physical world, the vehicle must be physical. If we are going to manifest in the spirit world, the vehicle must be spirit. That does not mean that blood is not associated with vampire attacks. Vampires use blood to make contact with a person or animal, much as a shaman might use sympathetic magic through contagion. Strands of hair, nail 14

clippings, or old socks would work just as well, but blood goes back to the days of the hunter tracking their prey. Blood is used as a sort of communication tool, and a drop or two is sometimes shared with those that wish to keep in contact with each other. However, the use of blood in this fashion is far removed from tearing out the throat of a victim and drinking their blood. Blood sucking would actually be very difficult for a vampire to accomplish, as a vampire makes their attack as a spirit, much the same as a succubus. Their victim may appear to be drained of blood because they are drained of  life force. They can feed on a victim’s life force because it is also spirit, not physical as blood is. Although blood was often considered to be the life force of the body, draining a victim’s life force is not the same as draining their   blood. The real problem appears to be the confusion between the vampire apparition type of shape shifting and the werewolf animal host type of shape shifting. Here is a hint for you: The host type transformation is necessary for   physical action, including biting a person’s throat. A wolf host is often used by those shape shifters who wish to kill an enemy. A werewolf will tear an enemy’s throat out, as that is a common area of attack for a wolf. But there is an even more frightening and efficient killer. When using the host type transformation, vampires are not limited to possessing animals. Vampires can also  possess people. When a vampire takes over another person through vampirization it is not in order to create new vampires. It is done in order to turn the vampire’s own enemies against each other. By driving their victim mad, and causing them to tear out the throat of another, the vampire can use their own enemies to create fear and terror. This is the true connection to blood, cannibalism, and other ghoulish actions. Cannibalism frightens people. Having a person you know suddenly become a cannibal is terrifying.

Figure 5, Werewolf possession

What Hollywood has depicted as the creation of a new vampire through vampirization is incorrect. Vampires do not take possession of a person by biting them on the neck. Vampires invade a person’s dreams. Hollywood has mistaken the victim for the vampire. It was never the vampire that bit a victim’s neck or tore their throat out. The 15

vampire may take possession of a person or animal and cause them to perform such acts, but the vampire itself  does not drink ... blood. Shape shifting – Why it works The simplest form of shape shifting involves causing the body to look  like it has transformed. A wolf is a good choice for this, as it is approximately the same size as a human, but any animal will do. Another name for this type of transformation is a glamour. A glamour is not particularly useful, except as a temporary disguise, but it prepares the shape shifter for the next stage.

Figure 6, Shape shifting

The second stage projects the glamour from the body as a sending. Sendings are capable of carrying simple messages and reporting back. What a sending sees or hears will be brought back to the sender. The form of a bat or  raven is common for a sending. The third stage of shape shifting involves transferring the consciousness into a host animal. Both the werewolf  and the vampire are said to be able to transform into a wolf, but the transference form of shape shifting is commonly referred to as the werewolf transformation. The werewolf transformation and the vampire transformation are essentially just different stages of the art. Although some werewolf type shamans perform the transformation primarily for the sake of becoming a wolf, and go no further, the vampire uses the werewolf type transformation in order to learn how to leave their body. We leave our bodies every night when we dream, but we usually do not maintain consciousness. The reason why this is so is very simple. We do not know how to use our life force to create a vehicle for our consciousness on the  pirit plane. Of course, there are times when we do maintain at least partial consciousness, and we can learn from those experiences. Hense, we practice through the use of hypnotic meditation. Transferring into an animal host allows a person to have full consciousness while outside their body. When a shaman learns shape shifting, they will often do so by first learning a glamour, and then learning to take over the  body of a host animal. Later, they will learn to manifest the change without a host, producing a solid looking apparition. In Western Europe a wolf is a favorite animal for transformation, but in Babylonia, India, and many other Asian countries, a snake is a common first choice. Romania, as legends state, favors the bat, as do some South American shamans.

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Figure 7, Bat form

There is an important difference between using a wolf host and a snake, however. A wolf’s consciousness is strong and dominating. It is not at all uncommon for the shape shifter to become somewhat merged with the wolf  host, returning to their body with animal instincts. This can easily result in their tearing out the throat of some unsuspecting victim, particularly if the animal within is triggered by anger or danger. Because of distinct differences in reptile consciousness, this problem does not occur as often with a snake. Likewise, the bat’s consciousness is said to be related to an older part of man’s consciousness, causing it to take a subservient role, and not attempt to dominate or merge during the transformation. The fourth stage of shape shifting is the typical vampire projection. In this stage a vampire may project whatever shape they want, and transfer their consciousness into their own sending. This form of apparitional shape shifting is used for vampire attacks. More details will be given later. Teeth Wolves have large canine teeth that leave distinct puncture marks. A snake also has a distinctive bite. Bats have rather small teeth, primarily designed for insects and fruit. As for a vampire in human form, they do not gain the teeth of the animal they use as a host, so biting a person while in human form would have to be done with whatever teeth they already had. As can be seen from the description of  the difference between apparition type shape shifting and host type shape shifting, the idea of actual growth of  teeth is erroneous. However, apparitional attacks often rely upon fright in order to control their victim, and the appearance of growing a set of fangs is effective. Likewise, it is the practice of some shamans to file their teeth in order to produce fear when they are in their body. Shamans are often well versed in fooling an individual in order  to create the mystique necessary to control their mind. Of course, filed teeth are considered to be a dead giveaway to those that wish to destroy vampires. Mirrors

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Figure 8, Glamour

It is true that mirrors can present a problem for shape shifters. When a vampire projects an apparition to the minds of others they may not be aware of a mirror in the room, and may not take it into account. The result is that the mirror will show whatever is actually there. For example, if the shape shifter is actually an old hag, but is  projecting the image of a beautiful young woman, the hag will be seen in the mirror. If the shape shifter’s true body lies in a tower many miles away, and is projecting an apparition, the mirror will have nothing to show. On the other hand, a vampire may just as easily show up in a mirror and not in a room if they so desire. When a vampire is in their own body, however, and not projecting a glamour, or false image, they will show in a mirror exactly the same as anyone else. More importantly, vampires use mirrors as portals at times, and often use mirrors to help them create glamours. Crosses Most vampires are totally unaffected by a cross, Holy Water, or Holy Ground. Such items have power only through shared belief and faith. Some priests, of  any religion, do have the ability to use Holy items to banish a vampire sending , but not the vampire itself when in their physical body. Legends state that although they sleep in coffins, they can not be buried in Holy ground, or be kept in a sanctified tomb. This is incorrect. Movies are inconsistent with this aspect of vampires, often showing a newly made vampire laid to rest in Holy Ground or in a sepulcher or tomb, and then rising and even returning to it, and yet still being affected by a cross or Holy Water. Holy ground is supposed to stop vampires from rising, but even the Church is inconsistent with this, as those deemed not sanctified are buried outside holy ground. Inconsistencies in rituals and beliefs make such rituals less  powerful. Any belief that can be scoffed at can easily be disbelieved, draining its power even on the symbolic level. The related belief that a vampire can not enter a church or synagogue is untrue. Some vampires love to hang out in such places. Likewise, the belief that a vampire can not enter a house unbidden is false. However, it is mostly true that a vampire can not enter a person’s body if they have never opened themselves to possession. This is hardly ever a problem for a vampire, however, as many Christians constantly invoke possession without realizing it, and even take a host into their body as a sacrament. Vampires will gladly take advantage of this. However, for any desired victim, no matter what their religious beliefs, the vampire merely needs to appear in a dream as an incubus or succubae, and the victim will almost always accept them. In days when prudish attitudes were more common, a person might guard themselves even in their dreams, but such automatic rejection of sexual advances in dreams is less common today. What is true is that a person with proper training can put up protection from unwanted spirits, and they will normally be left alone. Sunlight 18

There is something unusual about our world that we have a tendency to gloss over. According to shamanism,  physical matter has no discernable way to come alive, and yet clearly, it does. Vampires claim there is a substance that connects the spirit world to the physical, and allows life to exist, and the animation of what would otherwise  be a dead dimension. Spiritists refer to this substance as ectoplasm. This is a semiphysical, semi-spirit material that hosts the life force. Some vampires learn to control this substance in order to take advantage of the connection  between the spirit world and the physical world. Unfortunately, this substance does not get along well with any form of light. If the material is drawn from the vampire’s body and not adequately protected from sunlight, it can result in an instantaneous reduction of their life force. Nevertheless, it is not reasonable to expect death to result.

Figure 9, The Sun

Sudden waking to bright light may not be deadly, but it can be painful to a vampire. Just as sudden exposure to  bright sunlight can be extremely distressing or even painful to a normal sleeping person, it can be even more so to a vampire when awakened rudely from a state near death. If an elderly person has a really weak heart, perhaps such a shock could be lethal, but it is not a good way to kill a vampire. Sunlight can not directly kill a vampire, but it may cause problems with certain types of activity. It’s difficult to maintain a full, solid looking apparition under the best situations, and steady bright light, whether sunlight or  electric light, makes it more difficult. Flickering firelight, candles, or even moonlight are generally easier to use when casting an illusion. This is not as much of a problem for corporeal shape shifting, which merely affects the 19

 perception of an already solid body, but can affect apparitions and sendings. Even so, the worst that could be expected is that the apparition might vanish. One of the reasons for the sunlight belief, as contrasted with any other form of light, is because of the close ties to the Babylonian’s reverence for the sun. In Babylonia the dead were not buried, but were exposed to sunlight, much as the American Indians would do. This would allow the souls to return to the sun, and deter or at least discourage lingering ghosts. As the difference between a vampire and a vengeful or hungry ghost was often confused, the same process of exposing a vampire to sunlight was assumed to be effective in destroying them, much as burning a witch was considered to be effective in European countries. The myth of sunlight killing a vampire is no more true than the myth of sunlight killing a jazz musician. Both  prefer the night, but neither will die if woken before sunset. Sexual powers You will be happy to know that this is one of those legends that are based on fact. The sexual nature of a vapir  is reflected in the actions of the incubus and succubus as well as the lust of the wolf and the goat. Vapirs of all cultures learn to cultivate and harness sexual powers. Hindu kundalini, Tibetan tantra, Greek Bacchanalia, Roman orgies, werewolf mating frenzies and vampire seduction are all related. There is a natural sexual aura to a vampire that comes across clearly as what is commonly called animal magnetism.

Figure 10, Sexual Projection

Vampire sex takes place in the spirit world. Although vampire sex is connected to the incubus – succubus legends, finding a consenting  partner to practice with is very important. The vampire uses sex as a method of learning spirit projection. The way that vampires practice sex involves a merging of minds that can not take place by force.

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Vampires are seductive, not rapist monsters. Hypnotic powers Just as the legends concerning sexual powers and animal magnetism are true, so are the legends of great hypnotic abilities. The vapir has the ability to merge their mind with animals. They also have the ability to merge with humans, producing strong illusions and control through fascination, concentration and projection. Vampire hypnosis is far more powerful than that which relies upon words. Their hypnotic techniques are more closely related to those of the Hindu fakir than to those of Western derivatives. What they are capable of through hypnotic  power is only limited by their skills and strategies.

Figure 11, Hypnosis

Details of vampire hypnosis are advanced teachings, and can not be taught until a person has become a vampire. I will, however, provide a hint: Many of the secrets of vampire hypnosis rely upon the laws of memory and  perception, and the ability to merge minds in the spirit world. Rising again

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Figure 12, Rising again

There are two states of vampires; corporeal and noncorporeal, sometimes referred to as incarnate and discarnate. Vampires start out corporeal, with a body, and eventually become non-corporeal. That is to say, their body wears out. A master vampire can, however, become corporeal again. Vampires are capable of becoming corporeal by simply being born again. They are often said to have miraculous births, and develop rapidly, but are not born full grown, and often have to redevelop their memories and abilities. A Vampire spirit may take over a developing embryo, or it may directly impregnate an ovum. The process of doing so will be discussed later. Hollywood has touched upon such legends in a variety of movies, but has, as usual, exaggerated the nature of the birth and the abilities of the reborn shaman.  Non-corporeal vampires may also vampirize a victim until they drive the soul from the body, and then take over the barely-living body themselves. To outward appearances, the victim may appear to die and then rise again as a vampire, but they will not be themselves. Unlike being reborn, taking possession of another person gives the vampire a fully developed body with the full memories and abilities of their former lives. Unfortunately, they will also be encumbered with some of the other person’s memories, habits, and even emotional or psychological  problems that are retained as patterns in the brain. A dead vampire can not, however, take over a corpse. The transference must be made while there is still life in the  body. Vampires do not have to return to a coffin, but there is a form of initiation in which a false burial is used. This is most commonly associated with India, but it was also used in Persia, Babylonia and Egypt in ancient times. This form of initiation was not simply a forced near death experience through suffocation, it also created sensory deprivation and fear. Although vampires have no reason to sleep each night in a coffin, some do, in fact, use a coffin for certain exercises. Vampires look as if they are dead when they are projecting. When a vampire projects their soul and creates an apparition for others to see, their body goes into a state in which their heart rate and breathing come to a near stop. They look dead, but they are not. Putting a stake through the heart of a vampire while they are projecting will  kill them. Putting a stake through the heart of an already dead vampire does nothing. 22

Stake through the Heart It was once believed bel ieved that that shape shifters shifters actually actually reformed their their bodies into into diff di fferent erent shapes. shapes. Therefore it i t was also believed that they could reshape their body and heal it if it was wounded. When killing a vampire the stake was left in the heart to make sure the heart did not heal itself. Hollywood has even shown a vampire come back to life when their dead body or even skeleton is found, and a stake is removed from them. That is not how a vampire regenerates. This may have started when observing a vampire on a battlefield get struck by an arrow, only to pluck  it out and keep on o n fighting fighting.. In fact, if a wound is not mortal mortal,, vam va mpires pir es can c an often recover recov er from them. them. Vampires Vampires have incredible control over their body functions, including blood flow and healing ability. Healing is not instantaneous, however, and does not continue after a vampire is dead.

Figure 13, 1 3, Killing K illing Vampires ampires and We rewolve s The

need for a stake through the heart in order to kill a shape shifter is a little easier easi er to understand understand than the the need for a silver si lver bullet to kill kill a werewolf. wer ewolf. Have you ever wondered w ondered if it makes makes any difference whether a silver bullet goes all the way through a werewolf, or gets stuck just under the skin? How did one kill a werewolf before the time of bullets? What happens if you cut the head off of a werewolf? Clearly, an understanding of what a vampire or werewolf is, or what a shape shifter is in general, has been muddied by fear as well as purposeful deception on the part of the shape shifter in order to cast a mystique upon their actions. Killing a vampire’s body is relatively easy. The problem is that, unlike a normal human mortal, vampires retain their power in spirit. Furthermore, when an ordinary mortal reincarnates, they know nothing of their former  life. A vampire, on the other hand, retains their consciousness and memories, and in that sense, does not die. I will speak to this problem later, in the section on killing a vampire. Transmission through Blood The belief in a disease like transmission of knowledge and skills has been suggested by some anthropologists to be the actions of actual disease mistaken for the actions of a vampire or werewolf, or due to the use of poisons used by a shamans shamans to attack a victim. vic tim. Anth Anthrop ropologis ologists ts have a need to explain e xplain things things in i n mun mundane dane terms, but they are close to the truth. A scratch with a psychotropically poisoned thorn or blade  can cause  can cause madness, or open a victim to control through the mind of the shaman. You see, what has been mistaken for transmission of knowledge and  power durin d uring g the the makin making g of a new vampire vampire is i s not  the  the making of a new vampire. Vampire victims Vampire victims were  were mistaken for being new vampires. They were not. Those victims that appeared to be new vampires were meant to terrify others, and then be destroyed by them. A person can not acquire vampire powers simply by being bitten by a vampire. There is a method of turning or  making an apprentice that involves vampirization of the apprentice as one of the steps, and will be discussed later,  but the the transform transformation ation from from mortal to near-i near-im mmortal takes a great great deal of work. It is not not autom automatic atic just because because a  person is bitten by a vampire, vampire, or drinks a vampire’s vampire’s blood. The The true master  master  vapir, or  vapir, or shape changing shaman, may indeed share blood with their their apprentice, but if  but if  they  they do so, they do so in order to form a psychic link, not to feed, 23

and not to instantaneously transform them. A vampirized victim will not rise from the grave transformed into a vampire vampire with sudden new powers and a thirst thirst for blood. bl ood. Although a vampirized victim is usually possessed in order to destroy them, a person may also be vampirized in order to become the the host   host  of  of a discarnate vampire. When a discorporate vampire needs a new body they may vampirize a victim and take over their body. When they rise again it is not the same person, it is a vampire in a victim’s body. The risen vampire will sometimes retain memories of the host, but the personality will be that of the vampire. Some movie versions of vampires hint at this possibility. A Master vampire may be able to regenerate a clan of his discarnate followers by vampirizing victims in order to prepare new host bodies. Typically, however, vampiric possession is a temporary condition, and can not be maintained for any length of time, unless the host has  been specially trained and and prepared prepare d to allow the possession to become become complete. complete. Clearly Clearl y, such possession possessio n is not not the same as the creation of a new vampire, and is likely to result in a split personality or other unstable situation that that would be useless to a vampire. Blood was often thought to actually carry a person’s soul, and so drinking a person’s blood or eating their  heart was supposed to convey all their memories, experience, and knowledge to the person feasting upon it. There are many stories of someone eating a dragon’s or wizard’s heart and then gaining all their knowledge. This would imply that I should have all the knowledge and experience of numerous chickens and cows. However, I can’t tell one moo from another, and can’t tell the difference between a cackle and a cluck. Our soul, which holds our  memories, does not reside in our blood. Our memories reside in our soul, and are made manifest to us in the  physical  physical world worl d throug through h the the pattern patternss in our our brain. brai n. The The blood, heart, and and brain merely merely interact interact to allow the manifestation of manifestation of the soul, and only temporarily contain it. Old Folklor Folkloree versu ve rsuss Actual Act ual Practice Practice Just as Hollywood has produced modern myths concerning vampires, so too have many myths been created in the  past by those those that that like a good tale. tale. Most people simply do not have enough of an acquaintance with vampires to be able to separate the myths from the reality. When a person has a better grasp of what a vampire actually is, it is easier to separate the folklore myths from folklore wisdom.

Figure 14, Hollywood Vampire

As has been explained, vampires are a particular type of witch or shaman. In many cultures they are simply called witches, shamans, or brujos. The Navajo name for them is “skinwalker”. In all of these cultures, the witch is said to be able to shed their skin, and travel about in their “true form” which may be that of an animal, or may be a spectral or ghost-like form, or that of a demon. In some legends the witch is said to normally look like an animal, 24

such as a seal, bear, or wolf, and is said to shed the animal skin in order to appear as a human. Much confusion has arisen because of the words used to describe this process. The term “skin” and “animal skin” means nothing more than the physical body. When Adam was forced to wear animal skin he was forced into a physical body. According to shamanic legend, the physical body was needed to hold together the spirit, which is our  consciousness, and the soul, which is our memories. A vampire-witch has learned to shed that skin without killing it, and without breaking the connection between their soul and spirit. Folklore has confused the issue by misinterpreting the facts that are passed down by non-witches. One old myth states that vampires must sleep on the same soil as they died on. The myth has resulted in stories of vampires roaming around with coffins filled with earth. There is no requirement for them to lie in the earth of their  homeland, but a vampire will  vampire will  be  be stronger near the place of their birth. There is also no truth to the belief that a vampire can not cross water. Both of these beliefs are based upon a hungry ghost being mistaken for a vampire. Hungry ghosts tend  ghosts tend  to  to stay near the place that they lived. Vampires are less predictable. A “toad in a hole” is supposed to reveal the presence of a vampire. This folk belief has no connection to the English dish by the same name. By an ancient account, burying a toad in a box in the middle of a road will reveal a vampire vampire when it passes over it. In one one version, versi on, the the toad toad is to be buried alive, ali ve, and if it dies, a vampire vampire has draw n away its life force. In another account, the toad should be dead when buried, and if it comes to life, then a vampire has passed near by, and the toad has drawn life from it. Neither test is true. The entire test is based upon a form of  sympathetic magic in which the hibernating abilities of a toad are likened to the trance state of a vampire. I suppose that if a person were very good at sympathetic magic they could get an indication of a vampire through a technique similar to this, using a hibernating toad. However, as a general practice it is useless. Of slightly greater value is the myth that a white horse can sense a vampire. The white horse represents purity, and in som so me versi ve rsions ons must must be a virgin vi rgin mare mare.. Taking Taking the the concept of purity p urity a step further, further, there is i s even ev en a myth myth that that relates that a white unicorn white  unicorn is  is the mortal mortal enemy enemy of a vam va mpire. pir e. The white w hite horse myth, yth, in i n contrast to the more specialized unicorn myth, has a better basis in fact. It is believed by some that a young mare is more sensitive to spirits and ghosts. However, most  However, most  animals  animals seem to be far more aware of spirit entities than untrained humans. Whether any given white mare is more perceptive than a dog or cat is dependent completely on the animal, and at least partially dependent upon the owner that trains it. According to some folklore a vampire will stink of blood and the grave, and even when they are invisible their   presence may may be detected detected throug through h their their stench. stench. This This may, may, in fact, fact, be what is supposed to alert a mare mare to the the vampire’s vampire’s presence, pr esence, as mares are supposed to have a particularly keen sense sense of smell, especially especi ally for blood bl ood and death. That’s simply not true. Although vampires will not stink of blood and the grave, as they are not actually decaying corpses at all, they may give off a peculiar odor of ozone, particularly when trying to manifest a more  physical  physical presence while projecting proj ecting.. Animals are capable of seeing a slightly different spectrum than ourselves, which may include the energy that we give off, known as the aura. No aura is given off from a projection, however. It is likely that a horse or dog will become frightened when encountering any encountering any spi  spiri ritt form that that gives off no aura. The unfortunate unfortunate fact is that that there are many different things that might “spook” a horse besides a spirit or vampire, and horses are trained not  trained  not  to  to get spooked. A good vampire may be able to soothe or even hypnotize a horse anyway. Unfortunately, it is not  possible  possibl e to train an animal animal thorough thoroughly ly in this this matter matter,, simply because there there are not enoug enough h willing willi ng spirit spiri t entities entities to help train a horse to differentiate between one spooky situation and another. Particularly in modern cities, using a white mare is simply not a practical way of finding a vampire. The Powers of the Vampire The powers of the vampire that have been reported in legend are fairly close to those of the real vampire. A vampire can drain life force. A vampire can change shape, particularly when in the spirit body. Even when in the  physical  physical body a vampire vampire can cast a glamour glamour to to cause a person to see them them as whatever the the vampire vampire desires de sires them to see. However, these powers power s do not come come automatically. automatically. Their Their powers are closely c losely allied all ied to hypnotic hypnotic capabilities capabil ities and spirit projection. As a vampire learns to exist primarily as a spirit form, communicating through the mind rather than through through the the physic physical al plane, they can develop develo p very ve ry effective hypnotic hypnotic cont co ntrol rol.. Vampires Vampires combine 25

telepathy and hypnosis to achieve the majority of their capabilities. The vampire form of hypnosis yields both the casting of illusion and control over others. Additionally, a vampire may actually possess another, and do whatever  they wish to while in the possessed person’s body. Vampires may also command other spirits to do their bidding. And of course, vampires can appear to die, and rise again. Vampires may appear to be extremely fast when they are projecting. When in their own bodies, their reflexes may be trained to be faster than normal, particularly because their psychic perception and control over adrenalin and heart rate gives them an edge in response. This is most notable when a vampire has exchanged bodies with an animal such as a wolf or jaguar, causing their own body to release more hormones and endorphins than normal. As mentioned before, the werewolf type transformation is sometimes used by apprentice vampires. When the animal spirit resides within, the animal will release massive amounts of adrenalin, and give the body extraordinary strength. These attributes make a vampire formidable, but not undefeatable. There are several aspects of vampires that are less well known. Vampires easily cultivate psychic perception. They can learn to perceive future patterns with greater ease than others. They can perceive memories and past events. They can perceive truth or lies, desires and ambitions. Vapirs can increase fertility in people, livestock, and crops. Although they are said to be able to produce spontaneous pregnancy, this is probably a myth. They have been known to restore youth, and subsequently, fertility and pregnancy in formerly infertile situations. Likewise, they are capable of decreasing fertility, and essentially emasculating a man. Master Vapirs are excellent healers. They can heal others through their spiritual powers even at a distance. Vampires can cast out demons and drive off evil spirits that might cause illness. They can cure certain forms of  madness and some types of coma. And, of course, they can, to a limited extent, even bring the dead back to life. They can also inflict. The Fear of Vampires Vampires use fear as a tool. They can project fear into the minds of their enemies. However, vampire attacks were almost always retaliatory and not used lightly. The hatred and purposeful cruelty of the attacks are detrimental to the powers of a vampire. Vampires are tied to the group mind of their people and their land. In the Arthurian myths, Arthur became sick because of hatred, and the land suffered as a result, drying up and becoming infertile. The fear of vampires goes back a very long ways. It has been common, throughout history, for one group of   people to take over another groups land, and enslave those that had occupied it. The invading people seldom understood or bothered about the conquered people’s customs or beliefs. According to vampire legend, it is these invaders that would be attacked by any remaining vampires in the area. When all the fighting was done, and the new settlers had come, the vampires struck fear in the occupying strangers that had conquered and settled in their  territory. As an example, after the Roman invasion of Dacia, the vampires known as Wolf-Warriors fled their villages to live in the woods. The Romans killed men, raped women and enslaved children in the lands that they occupied. The WolfWarriors attacked through vampirism with a sort of guerrilla warfare. Vampirism was used not just to kill, but to strike terror in the invaders in an attempt to drive them away. This was occasionally successful, but often resulted in a backlash against the indigenous people. Vampires were hunted down, and along with them many non vampires would be killed or tortured as well. It is from these Wolf-Warriors that Vlad Tepes was descended. Roman history plays down the relationship between these people and the Picts of Britain, but both the WolfWarriors and the Picts tattooed themselves, wore blue woad in their hair, practiced a death and rebirth religion similar to that of Dionysius, had shape shifting shamans, and fought the Romans. Merlin, who is believed by some historians to have been a Pict, is a good representative of the shape shifting shamans of the Wolf-Warriors. There is a definite connection between the British Picts, the Dacian Wolf-Warriors, Merlin, shape shifters, and vampires. Fear and guerilla warfare were used by both the Dacians and the Picts. The vampire legends claim that these attacks were instrumental in driving out the Romans, eventually causing their downfall. Fear was used to create nightmares, unsettle the minds of the victims, and open them to possession by the vapir. Vampires would make a  person appear to be dead until the time of their funeral, awakening them just before – or just after – the funeral was over. Just as the Navajo skin-walker would take over the body of an enemy, so too the Dacian and Pict vampires 26

would drain their victims of energy, create madness, and drive them to attack each other. Entire towns would panic and start digging up graves and suspecting each other of being a vampire with the slightest of provocations. Vampire attacks of this sort were so frightening that they left a lasting fear behind them. Vampires, in the meantime, encouraged the errors in thinking, and purposefully perpetuated some myths in order to feed the fear, making it harder for them to be discovered. One of a vampire’s favorite tests for being a vampire is Holy Water. A vampire can easily prove that they are not a vampire by allowing themselves to be sprinkled with Holy Water. There is a very good reason to fear vampires if you are their enemy. A Peculiar Connection to the Tarot The Tarot has many cards that represent different aspects of the mysteries of life and death as taught by the ancient Mystery Schools. The card called “The Devil” depicts a goathorned, goat-legged man with bat wings and talons for feet. There is a man and woman in loose chains before him. The figure depicted is a dark spirit. This is represented by the wings. Dark, in this case does not mean evil, but rather it pertains to death. The figure has close ties to the Etruscan God, Charu or Xaru, who was a guide through the underworld, loosely related to the Greek  Charon, the ferryman. Charu has enormous bat-like wings, pointy ears, fiery eyes, tusks, and a black beard. Instead of Charu’s hammer, the figure carries a torch, which is a more appropriate symbol for a guide through the underworld. There is no doubt that this card depicts the guide through the underworld into rebirth.

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Figure 15, The Devil

Does this mean that the creators of the Tarot believed that the guide through the underworld was the most evil creature of all, known as the Devil? No. The Tarot did not originally have any titles attributed to the cards. The name “The Devil” was added to the card at a much later date, undoubtedly because it reminded someone of the descriptions of the Christian devil. But the Tarot is not Christian. Its depiction of the guide through death is not meant to match with Christianity. The goat aspects indicate he is a goat-herder or guide. The goat horns and hooves are often identified with Pan or Bacchus, nature gods representing sex and fertility, as goats are regarded in a similar manner as rabbits for their sexual appetite. Sex and rebirth are the other side of death. Pan, Bacchus, and the Bacchanalia are parts of the Greek tradition that includes transformation into a goat, or possession by the goat spirit, and wild, uncontrolled revelry. The Bacchanalia was a ritual of fertility, sex, and rebirth on the earth plane as a new incarnation, and forms the  background for the Mysteries of Orpheus. The goat images depicted in the card are forces of regeneration. Furthermore, the card shows a torch held with the flame towards earth, indicating incarnation, or influx into the earth plane. In the Tarot, the picture depicts a guide through the underworld of death into a new incarnation, or  regeneration. It is not evil. It is nature. The card represents mankind being chained to matter through this cycle of  repeated incarnations. But there is a way to be free, and that is the importance of this card. The Tarot is variously claimed to have been created by Egyptian priests, Romany Gypsies, Masons or other  28

secret society members. One tradition identifies the Tarot as The Templar Rota of the Knights Templar, and claims that it represents the Wheel of Alchemy or Cycle of Transformation brought back by the Templars from the Middle East. The card called “The Devil” is identified by this same tradition as being a depiction of “the Baphomet”, a name that also comes from the Templars. The Tarot card has a great deal of similarity to a figure by Eliphas Levi that he called the Baphomet. The motto “Solve et Coagula”, which is inscribed upon the creature’s arms, describes a secret door to the spirit world for those that understand.

1  Figure 16, Eliphas Lev i’s Baphome t

“The Baphomet” is a name that comes from the inquisition and torture of the Templars. After their arrest on Friday the 1 Levi chose to depict the Baphomet as the God of the Underworld. Christians decided he was Satan. Satanists liked the idea, and took up the symbol. But Satan is not the God of the Underworld. th

13 , the name was brought up in accusations that the Templars possessed a head that they worshipped and used as an oracle. The head was supposed to prophesy, like that of the head of Orpheus. Some suggest that the head was the head of John the Baptist, cut off by Herod at the request of Salome. The head was kept, preserved by John’s 29

followers, and eventually passed on to the Knights Templars. Depending on what language you believe “Baphomet” to be derived from, the “met” part could mean wisdom, head, or dead. “Baph” or “Bap” is often said to relate to the word drowned, or baptize. The meaning of the name has been guessed to be anything from “The head of the Baptist” to “The baptism of wisdom”, with many other  variations. There has even been an attempt to link the name Baphomet to the name Mohamet, but that is a clear  misdirection. A much more obvious connection is to the Babylonian word for gateway. Babylonia means the land of Babel, and Babel means the gateway to the God El, the supreme God of creation worshipped as El and Elohim  by the early Hebrew people before the name Jehovah was adopted for their God. Bab, gate, and Baphomet, gatekeeper to the gate of death, fit the illustration. If this interpretation of the name is correct, it explains why Levi drew the Baphomet using symbols for the God of the Underworld. With the proper understanding of the name the connection to the head possessed by the Templars becomes far easier to understand. Babylonian vapirs have a rather peculiar connection to heads. Much as an Egyptian king’s body was preserved as a mummy in order to keep the king in the spirit plane, Babylonian vapirs would preserve the head of an avatar  when the avatar died, keeping it around so that the avatar could continue to exist in spirit form. The spirit of the avatar could be consulted through the head, and when it was time for the avatar to incarnate, the head would be  burned, thus allowing the completion of the cycle, and the reincarnation of the master whose head had been kept. This was usually done during a conjunction taking place in the star formation known as “the three wise men”, which is the Babylonian name for the three stars in Orion’s belt. The nebulas known as Orion’s sword are also known as “the gateway”, which reinforces the connection between the Baphomet and Orion. Although the rather obvious connection between the Mysteries of Orpheus and older Babylonian legends and  practices of preserving an avatar’s head makes the derivation from Babylonian sources probable, the connection to Babylonia has repeatedly been ignored or misdirected.

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Figure 17, Bring me the head ...

The Templars had a head called the Baphomet, and that same name was incongruously used to refer to a Tarot card that illustrates a guide through the underworld and a method of freeing oneself from the chains of repeated incarnations. The conjunction of these two pieces of information does not require that we wait for a star to become aligned in Orion’s belt in order to understand the message. The Templars were in possession of the head of a master vapir who acted as the guide through the underworld, and whose form of initiation could free a person from the chains of repeated rebirths to attain immortality. Since the fall of the Templars the head has presented something of a mystery; all outward traces of it having vanished.

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THE ROOTS OF VAMPIRISM Incubus and Succubus It has been suggested that the vampire legends stem from the universal legends of the incubi and succubae. Although there is some truth to that, the vapir  is far more complex.

Figure 18, Succubus

The incubi and the succubae are so common as to be a dead giveaway to the reality of the spirit world. They are not the hideous demons most commonly referred to in literature. In fact, almost any teenager, whether male or  female, can tell you of an experience with one of these apparitions. What they are more loath to admit, however, is that they may have been the apparition of someone else’s experience. If you have never experienced anything similar to the legends of the incubus and the succubus, then you are either blocking, under a memory spell, or under 10 years of age. On the other hand, if you have ever had a dream so vivid that you reached a sexual climax, then you have either experienced or been an incubus or succubus. The facts are these: We are only partially bound to our physical bodies. These “flesh pots” that hold our spirit and soul are animated for us for only a short period of time. Flesh is matter, and matter is dead. Life, on the other  hand, comes solely from the realm of spirit and animates our flesh in order to give us consciousness and memory. Spirit creates consciousness and memories make up our soul. But how does life enter this physical dimension? Through sex, of course. Procreation requires sex.

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Figure 19, Incubus

When a human reaches puberty, they are charged with excessive amounts of sexual energy from the interactions with the spirit plane. This excessive energy will cause a person to project from their body to that of another that they desire. Although they will sometimes appear in their true form, the fright of the other individual, and the sometimes brutal or inconsiderate attack of the one projecting may cause their appearance to be monstrous. In this regard, it is unfortunate that most males will appear as monsters to their potential mates, while most females will appear in extremely desirable forms, and only turn ugly if spurned or fought off. However, like the story of Beauty and the Beast, once love is established as the bonding force, the shape changes to a more desirable and acceptable one. As this is often followed by the two who have coupled in spirit finding each other in the physical world, it is also common that the “attacks” will end with the consummation of love in the flesh. Once a person has a physical mate, their sexual circuit is closed. Thus the myth concerning virgins being more prone to attack has a basis in fact. Sexual projection is the source of all incubus and succubae phenomenon. It is commonly nothing more than the natural result of puberty, but there are times that the source is from an older, and more purposeful, individual.  Nearly anyone who first experiences the ability to act as an incubus or succubae may decide to attempt the experience on purpose. If they have repeated experiences and actually explore what they experience instead of   being ashamed and trying to hide from it, they may be able to produce the effect on demand. If they are successful, they may take the first steps to becoming an initiate to the mysteries of spirit. On the other hand, if they become addicted to the process, they may become its slave, and never advance beyond the erotic pleasures of the flesh. In this case, they may even remain an incubus or succubae after death. Although rare, this produces a particular type of hungry spirit, as discussed below.

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Figure 20, Vampire as Incubus

Although an incubus or succubae may project their spirit accidentally through lust, a vampire learns to project their spirit consciously through will. While an incubus or succubae is not a true vampire, a vampire may act as an incubus or succubae. Suicides and other Hungry Ghosts We are all descended from dead people. That is to say, we all have many dead ancestors. It is no wonder that the majority of people acknowledge some encounter with a dead relative, either in a dream or as a waking apparition. Many have encountered non related spirits as well. Unfortunately, not all of these encounters are  pleasant. In fact, some are so extremely unpleasant and yet universal as to be recorded in a similar manner in almost every culture. The experience of the “hungry ghost” is such a one. We have all experienced people who are so clinging and needy that they simply can not function without another person’s help. When such a person dies, or even worse, commits suicide, they long to contact those they left behind for help. Although the living may have very little to offer in the way of help, such a spirit may demand attention and help anyway. Such a spirit may become a “hungry ghost”. Such a ghost does not fully recognize their  situation, and will not let their soul’s memories completely dissolve, nor will they pass on to a new incarnation. Such a hungry ghost will drain a person or make them ill whenever they manifest, yet not fully realize that they do so. One of the persistent legends concerning vampires is that a suicide will become a vampire. This is not true. The reason for the belief is primarily due to cultural confusion between the hungry ghost and the vampire, but a suicide will not always become a hungry ghost, and even if they did, a hungry ghost is not a vampire. Another classic example of a hungry ghost is the ghost of a person so desperately in love with another, yet torn from them, that they will do anything to get their loved one to pass over and be with them. Unfortunately, love may also create a hungry ghost. The problem is prevalent enough in some societies that all ghosts are treated as if they were the hungry ghost variety. Navajo and Japanese beliefs tend in this way. Hungry ghosts are perfect for Hollywood. They are both dramatic and tragic. They are victims themselves, and 34

victimize others accidentally, out of desperation or from a need beyond their control. They are not fully conscious in the spirit world. They act more through instinct. But they do victimize. In fact, a hungry ghost is one of the clear  adaptations used to create the Hollywood vampire. But they are not true vampires. The incubi, succubae, and hungry ghost occur naturally, but vampires do not happen by accident or  happenstance. Vampires train themselves to accomplish what nature has shown to occur. Unlike the incubus, vampires learn to project at will, not just through lust. Likewise, unlike the hungry ghost, vampires learn to die  before their death, so they may live consciously in the spirit world. Shape shifters - From Werewolves to Merlin Shape shifting is an art as old as shamanism. The basis of the process lies in the projection of the spirit and soul from the body. Despite the Hollywood versions, the actual body never changes. That is not to say that the  projection is purely mind and not physical, however.

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Figure 21, Ancient Shape shifter

There are four ways for a shape shifter to change their shape. The first is to create a glamour over the shape shifter’s body. This is usually confined to disguising one’s self to look like another, or to make one look more  beautiful or hideous than they really are. The second is to project a sending. This second method produces an apparition which can be seen or heard, but will have very little interaction with others. It is sent out as a warning, to perform a specific action, or invisibly to spy upon a situation and then report back. The third method is to take over or possess the body of an animal. Finally, the fourth, and most common method, is a projection that includes the shaman’s consciousness. The apparition thus produced may appear solid, and able to interact with others, but will not be able to perform any real physical actions. The third method, the werewolf transformation, is slightly easier than the full vampire transformation and is 36

sometimes used as a learning stage. More commonly, a werewolf is a witch or shaman similar to a vapir , but with closer ties to animals. The word derives from the Sanskrit vira or the Persian var , both meaning “man”, and wolf. The Persians dedicated their eighth month to the wolf-man, and named it Varkazana, meaning, month of the wolfman. The shamans that practice turning into animals are often from hunting tribes. The types of animals chosen from such tribes include tiger, bear, wolf, caribou, and deer. Merlin preferred the stag, but is said to have used other forms. The Egyptians had a very large number of animals that they used for such practices, including the crocodile or dragon, the snake, the ibis, the cat, and even the hippopotamus, although their favorite seems to be the falcon. The Babylonians and Canaanites preferred a snake or a bull, Greeks preferred a goat, and witches of the Middle Ages preferred the cat, crow, owl, and bat. In South America the Jaguar is the preferred animal, but throughout the Americas almost any animal might be used. The werewolf transformation is often used by an apprentice shaman or witch with a willing host animal until they get better at projection, and the host is no longer  needed.

Figure 22, The Fool

This form of shape changing takes advantage of our ability to dominate animals. In fact, dominate is probably the incorrect word, as this form of transformation requires a bit of cooperation with the animal, and is somewhat symbiotic. Although the werewolf does not actually transform his body into that of an animal, he does transfer  to the body of an animal. When a werewolf transforms, he takes on the body of a host wolf. In order to do this, the shaman usually begins by making contact with the head spirit of the wolves, and asking to be accepted by him. He then transfers his consciousness to a wolf host. That is the truth behind the werewolf, and a secret of first transformations. In some cases, the wolf, in return, is supposed to be invited into the sleeping shaman's body, keeping it safe until his return. Awakening a shaman thus protected normally results in the death of the intruder. Unfortunately, the shaman can not return to their body until the wolf within it falls asleep again, and while in the

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 body of the wolf their intelligence and abilities are reduced. Such transformations are extraordinarily exciting and addictive. Living within a wolf’s body during a hunt or  while mating is so invigorating that words can not describe it. As wolves love to hunt or mate during the full moon, this is the time that most werewolves desire to transform. The wolves must enjoy the experience as well, as they have been known to come unbidden to the hut or house of the shaman, and wait patiently for the shaman to get ready. It is the addictive nature of this relationship that drives the legend of uncontrolled transformations. According to some sources, the wolf may also become addicted to the heightened senses and lust of the human within them, and initiate the transformation themselves. Legends claim that this type of transference was once practiced with lizards, crocodiles, or dragons, who enjoyed the human form's increased intelligence and learned to become witches themselves. Such lizards are reputed to still roam the earth. Their natural form is no longer that of a dragon, but instead they have evolved into what are now called "lizard men". Their natural form is much more humanoid, with a well developed brain and the ability to speak, the same as any human. They are not humans that take on the form of lizards, but lizards that take on the form of humans. A silke or selke is a sort of Celtic mermaid or merman. They are said to look like men or women on land, but  become seals and live in the sea most of the time. In fact, they are said to be seals that shed their skins and take on the form of a human. There are some that say that, just as there are lizards that become men, and wolves that  become men, the silke started out as an exchange-animal for the werewolf type transformation, and learned to maintain human form. Some legends say that if you hide the skin of a silke it will remain human. Others say it will  pine away and die. There are legends of men finding the skin of a female silke, hiding it, and taking them for their   bride. I have never met a silke, and can not say for sure, but I expect them to operate the same way as other shape changers. That is, a true physical presence requires a glamour, and does not involve leaving their skin. When using a glamour to appear human while in their physical body, they are said to be mute, and may not leave the rocks they come up on, as they do not move well on land. If they do leave their skin, their appearance will actually be an apparition and not a true physical presence. A silke may appear in dreams, particularly to Celtic sea-faring folk, and in dream or apparition may speak through the mind, giving prophecies or warnings. Unlike the lizard men, they are gentle and kind creatures, often aiding fishermen in distress. In some American Indian traditions, the shaman will take over the body of other Indians and possess them as they would an animal. This may be done to an enemy in order to learn what they are doing, or to drive them mad, or to attack their own war party. It may also be used as part of initiation. Similar practices are found in Voodoo. The fourth method of transformation is the most common for vampires. Using projection techniques, the vampire is capable of changing form to anything desired. The vampire can indeed change during their projection into vapor, a bat, a wolf, or almost any other shape desired. But neither vampires nor werewolves actually change their corporeal shape. It is, in that sense, an illusion. Many people today are familiar with the transformative arts of Merlin only through the Walt Disney animation “The Sword in the Stone”. In Hollywood’s imaginative style, Merlin is shown as a dottering old wizard who teaches his young apprentice, Arthur, shape shifting skills in order to learn important life lessons. The legends  behind the Hollywood version of Merlin, Arthur, and the Grael are much different. Merlin was, according to legend, a shape shifter. He aided a king to change his shape by using a glamour, and while thus deceiving the wife of his enemy, conceived Arthur. Merlin in turn trained Arthur in the arts. Arthur, although by all accounts a shape shifting witch or  vapir , was a great and compassionate hero of England. He is connected to the Grael legend, and the health and well being of the entire land. Clearly not all vapir’s are supposed to be evil.

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PRACTICAL ADVICE Mors consumit eos qui morantur – Death consumes those who delay How to annoy a vampire Various items have been associated with ways to annoy vampires. The most common are garlic, henbane, foxglove, wolf bane, and salt. Normally, these items don’t seem to do them any real harm, but, like mirrors, they are good at annoying them. For instance, vampires are not supposed to be able to stand the smell of garlic. Likewise, wolf bane is supposed to work not only to keep away werewolves, but is supposed to be effective against vampires as well. Feeding a vampire a combination of henbane, foxglove and wolf bane is supposed to kill them. Salt is supposed to be effective for a great many things. Throwing salt over one’s shoulder is supposed to reveal a hidden entity, such as a vampire creeping up on you. If you throw salt in the eyes of a vampire, it is supposed to cause them to dissolve. If you find the skin of a witch while the witch is flying around in their spirit form, and fill the skin with salt, it will stop the witch from being able to put the skin back on, and kill the witch. The reality is that garlic can be effective for curing certain illnesses, but has no more effect on a witch or a vampire than it does on any other person. In fact, some vampires are reputed to really like garlic, particularly with a little basil and olive oil. Henbane, foxglove, and wolf bane are actually used by some witches and vampires, but if you were to feed anyone very much of those items, you would kill them. Wolf bane is useful, however, in stopping dogs from peeing on things. As for salt, if you find the vacated body of a witch, shape shifter, or vampire, and pour salt in the mouth and sew the mouth closed, it may, in fact, kill them. It might kill anyone else you caught napping too. However, throwing salt in anyone’s eyes is sure to annoy them, and throwing pepper over your  shoulder will reveal most hidden presences more effectively than salt. Killing a Vampire I hesitated to put this section in, in case it got into the wrong hands, but decided that it is important for a  potential vampire to know what dangers lie ahead so that they may prepare for them. For anyone reading this in order to get tips on becoming a vampire hunter, my advice is simple: Do not attempt to kill a vampire. You will only end up being charged with murder, and force a discarnate vampire to look for a new host body, which could easily be yours. Instead, consider for a moment what your psychiatrist might tell you if you were to admit that you want to kill a vampire, and what a judge might say concerning your taking the law into your own hands on the suspicion that a person was a vampire. Besides, vampires are really hard to spot. You are far more likely to end up killing a person pretending to be a vampire than to ever spot a real vampire, as they take pains not to be discovered. In the television series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, the vampires would very obligingly turn to dust when staked through the heart. Most vampires are not so obliging, leaving a very solid corpse behind. Explaining to the  police that the body belongs to a vampire will not do you any good. Murder is illegal in most states, even if the  person is a vampire. The misconception of vampires turning into dust is due to misunderstanding the legends. According to legend, a vampire can project a pleasing apparition but if their concentration is broken or if seen in a mirror their true appearance can be seen. For instance, when suddenly startled while feeding they may appear as their body truly is. If their body has completely decayed, nothing will be seen in a mirror, but if their body is  partially decayed, that is the sight you will see. Legend states that this is why their apparition can look so gruesome. If they are killed, they will take on their true appearance. This same legend leads to the belief that if  their corpse is dust they will do the Buffy thing. This is erroneous. If a vampire is killed while in their physical body, the body will die the same way any other   body will die. It will not vanish in a puff of dust. If a vampire projects itself as an apparition, it is not physical, and can not be killed. Apparitions will not turn to dust. The best you can do is banish an apparition, and you can not banish an apparition by putting a stake through its heart. The legends are partially correct, however. Some vampires may possess an old or ugly body, in which case they might wish to project a younger, more attractive appearance. Such a vampire may disguise their physical appearance with a glamour. If a vampire’s body is killed, any glamour being projected will normally vanish. Even this is not absolute, as the glamour could be embedded deep in the minds of the observers, and not need to be 39

maintained by the vampire in spirit. Although they are more difficult to kill, vampires of flesh and blood can be killed like any other creature. Vampire armies consist almost entirely of apprentice vampires that are fearless in battle, due to their already knowing what death is, but they can still be killed. A vampire warrior will usually bind up their extremities with sashes or cord. Today the use of elastic from bungee cords or rubber tubing is more common. This is done to cut the circulation, and, if struck in these areas, it will reduce bleeding and allow the vampire to continue fighting. This, combined with the vampire’s control of blood flow and breathing, allows a vampire to be struck down only to rise again, so long as the wound is not too severe. Norse vampires would use the Amanita Muscaria mushroom to aid them, while Philippine vampires and those from South America are fond of coca leaves. Some gangland vampires in the United States and Germany are reputed to use PCP. Even without these aids, vampires typically have better reflexes and are better at avoiding traps. Their  heightened psychic senses often give them an advantage. This does not stop them from being killed. The reason for  the legend of the stake through the heart is that wounds that would stop a normal warrior will not stop a vampire. I the true physical heart of a vampire is pierced with a stake, it will  die. A stake is used to ensure that the wound is large enough that it can not be recovered from. Chopping off a vampire’s head also kills them, but then, a bullet to the heart or brain will normally work just as well. The question of disposing of a vampire’s body is tricky. Should a vampire’s body be burned, or should the head be cut off and buried separately from the body? Should you fill the mouth with salt and sew the lips shut, or can you simply bury it with a stake through the heart? The reason why the stake is left in the body of a freshly killed vampire is to ensure that the wound can not heal. This is a good idea, especially in battle, but putting a stake through the heart of a vampire’s already completely dead body will not do anything. Likewise, if the head is already cut off, putting it at the feet of the vampire, or   burying it separately is unnecessary. The idea behind burying the head separately is that it will confuse the vampire and stop them from rising again. If the physical body of the corpse actually rose from the grave, this might be useful, but that is not how vampires work. Salting is supposed to stop a vampire from returning to their body, but any method of preventing an apprentice vampire from re-entering their body for a prolonged period of time is supposed to cause the body to die. This may have given rise to the legend that a vampire must return to their resting place before dawn, and has produced interesting stories of seducing a vampire so they will forget about time, and stay too long from their body. Salting an already dead vampire is a mistake. In fact, a vampire’s head may be preserved by such actions, allowing them to remain in spirit form until a new host can be found. The head known as “the Baphomet”, brought back by the Templars from the Holy Lands, is said to be just such a head. Burning the body of a vampire is still the best bet. Although a vampire may be able to sustain itself without a physical body, it is more difficult, and an apprentice vampire may be forced to reincarnate if its body is burned. If the apprentice has not learned the secret of  reincarnation, this may essentially destroy them. Most importantly, it is far easier to force a vampire into the light if it does not have a body to tie it to the earth. This leads us to the crux of the problem. Killing the body is not enough. The vampire can continue to exist in spirit form at least as long as the body remains, and a Master Vampire can last even longer. The biggest problem with vampires is that they rise again in spirit. A vampire will not only physically rise again on the field of battle, i their wound is not severe, but they can also possess any handy living creature, including, when possible, the  person that killed them. Even if the vampire is not advanced enough in abilities to take possession of their killer, they also reincarnate quickly, retaining a hatred for their former enemy. They will even reincarnate as the children of the very people that slaughtered them. Returning as the children of those that conquered them was the ultimate trick of survival used by the North American Indians that participated in the Ghost Dance.

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Figure 23, Impaled on a Stake

It was believed by the Romans that raising a vampire to the sun and not letting their feet touch the ground would destroy a vampire and stop them from rising again. This same technique was used against the Turks by the vampire-king Vlad the Impaler, who, knowing a fair amount about vampires himself, attempted to prevent his enemies from returning to the earth and reincarnating by impaling them on stakes. To further ensure their total destruction, he then burned them, often while they were still alive. The actual success of this method was dependent upon pain and fear, however, and did more to stop new recruits than it did to destroy actual Turkish vampires. Any vampire with adequate training would leave their body before it was impaled, and find another. Even lesser trained vampires would soon incarnate again. The problem isn’t in killing the body of a vampire. The problem is in separating its spirit from its soul. That simply can not be done by any method that merely destroys the body. Vampire spirits can not be killed by earthly methods. Unlike a normal person, whose soul separates from the spirit at the same time that it separates from the  body at death, a vampire has achieved a union of the soul and spirit that is retained in the other world. A Master  Vampire does not need a physical shell, or more accurately, they can survive for a very long time without one, and when needed, a vampire can obtain a new body. Vampires can only really be killed by forcing their soul, or  memories, away from their spirit, or consciousness. This can be done by being absorbed by another vampire or by  being forced to reincarnate without their memory (which is as close to death as a soul can get, and the fate of most humans anyway.) To force a vampire to reincarnate, it is necessary to force them to go into the light of creation. This is the same method used to get rid of ghosts. It dissolves the bond between memories and consciousness, and forces them to start over. As the light of creation is identified with the sun by most shamans, this has aided the myth that sun light will destroy a vampire. The good news, for those desiring to become vampires, is that once fully reborn, it is very difficult to be destroyed. The bad news is that very evil entities exist, and are very difficult to get rid of. Because of this, it takes a master vapir to destroy an evil vapir. If you really want to become a hunter of evil vampires, you must become a vampire first. The Myth of Blood Initiation  Neither werewolves nor vampires are created from the bite or scratch of another werewolf or vampire in any sort of transmitted instant initiation. There is, however, a reason for the myth. 41

Initiation occurs when a candidate gains consciousness while they are out of their body and becomes completely aware that they are a spirit with a greater consciousness than they were aware of before. Initiation traditionally used a near death experience. Other methods involved extreme fear or pain. The use of fear was an adjunct to the “attack” form of initiation. Although it is most common to initiate an apprentice that is willing and desiring to learn the art and discipline of the vampire, there are some traditions in which a young apprentice was  picked out and initiated without consent. In these traditions a candidate was initiated by forcing a transformation through an attack. European vampires and werewolves were not the only shamans to use this technique. The  Navajo Skinwalker was said to initiate an apprentice in this manner, and some Australian Aborigines did too. The  balance of fear and control is important. The candidate must be frightened enough to cause them to leave their   body, but remain in control of themselves, and responsive to the initiator. However, initiation alone does not confer power. It’s a very common belief that a person can become a vampire and immediately have all of a vampire’s  powers. This is simply not true. The process that allows a person to become “undead” or born again into the spirit world, does not confer instantaneous vampire powers, although it will erase the fear of death, and confer an understanding of unity of life and awareness of a person’s higher spirit consciousness. A single experience of   being fully conscious outside of the body in the spirit world only marks the beginning of a process of growth. Without further training and spirit exercises, one experience will not achieve anything. Opening the door is far  different from moving to the other side and taking up residence there. Traditionally, the stages or degrees of advancement followed those that were common for all trades and guilds in the Middle Ages: Candidate, Initiate, Apprentice, Journeyman, Adept, Master. These six degrees are seldom used today, as the formal teacher-student roles are not applicable. At one time, only a master was allowed to  perform an initiation, as it was dangerous and prone to failure. Today, most candidates self-initiate. In the past, once a successful initiation took place the initiate would remain the apprentice of the master until they had learned all they could. Today, an apprentice may not even be aware of their master or guide until they have achieved a fairly advanced consciousness in the spirit world. At one time most spirit work was done by journeyman or higher. Today, apprentices are expected to band together to achieve many tasks and help each other grow. These groups form an intricate network of vampires that are much more self directed than in the past. By making initiatory groups more self directed, and making the process clear from the start rather than shrouded in mystery, there is less problem with false initiations, and a greater number of individuals have successful and more powerful initiations. Initiations Initiations were most often accomplished by a near-death experience, or by a combination of fear, pain, and an  NDE. In Babylonia, Phoenicia, and seafaring cultures, an initiate would be drowned. In Siberia, and other places with intense cold, an initiate would be left out in a blizzard. In parts of India, the initiate would be strangled. In  parts of Persia and Greece they would be sealed in a cave filled with smoke from incense and herbs. In Egypt, a sarcophagus was used, with the initiate sealed inside. In some tribes, particularly warring tribes of Germany and  Nordic countries, they would let blood. In other cultures, such as those of Serbo-Croatia, the candidate would be vampirized and drained almost completely of life force. In order to achieve the near-death experience the breath and pulse must come to a near complete stop. However, one thing must be understood from all of these methods; Initiation did not simply involve killing the initiate. They must also be brought back to life. Accidental death or brain damage is not desirable. Pain has also proven to be a useful way of forcing a person out of their body. In fact, crucifixion on the tree of   pain, also known as the tree of life, or tree of knowledge, was a common form of initiation for certain prophets. The Canaanite priests and prophets were reported to use pain and mutilation. The wounds of the prophets are mentioned in Zachariah, and may be referred to by Paul. Pain and mutilation are not reliable methods of initiation though, and some vampire cultures combined them with the use of poisons and drugs in an attempt to elicit the exact response necessary for an initiate to enter the other world with relatively full consciousness. Mutilations have a lasting effect, however, and some of the poisons are known to cause madness. Pain and fear also play an important part of the initiation process used by the Australian Aborigines. With the 42

Australian Aborigines, a child is initiated at puberty. If they can not respond to the frightening projection of the head shaman, they will be killed. Likewise, if they lose control and give in to their fear and pain, they will be killed. Initiation through fear is often sudden, unexpected, and extreme. The initiation process is kept secret  primarily for that exact reason. The attack is psychic, and takes place in the Australian dream time, as well as  being physical. There is absolutely nothing more frightening than what can be encountered in a psychic nightmare. Fear can be augmented in dreams far beyond anything that could ever be experienced while awake. Fear is not only a common tool used in controlled initiations; it is also common in self initiation. More explicitly, fear is a common side effect of self initiation. Transferring consciousness to the spirit world feels like death. Self initiation experiences commonly include causing the initiate to believe that their body is being torn apart. Being torn apart and later put back together again is an extremely universal experience, and is reported by initiations followed by Hindu, Chinese, European, African, Australian, South American and North American Indian shamans. The techniques of initiation that involve pain, fear, and near death experiences may have been the roots from which initiation of the vapir  began, but the Hindu fakirs discovered much deeper and much less dangerous techniques. Fakirs mastered the ability to control their breath and their blood, and learned what is required for the  body to release the soul. Many American Indians also use fasting and sleep deprivation as a way to achieve spirit consciousness without risking the problems with drugs, poisons, or mutilation. At certain times during sex, death, meditation and dreaming, the mind becomes open to awareness of the group minds to which it belongs. This has  proven to be the key to modern initiation. Hindu fakirs experimented with pain through the use of a bed of nails, which they used along with fasting to create a sleep deprivation trance. The nails required an advanced state of concentration to allow the yogi to remain perfectly immobile so that no harm would occur. An alternative method involved being hung upside down. This proved to be successful, and the amount of pain was neither extreme nor potentially mutilating. These same ogis also practiced breath control until they could successfully be buried alive, and go into a trance state in which their breathing and heart rate were slowed to practically nothing, thus producing a perfectly controlled fully conscious out of body experience. Although these yogis mastered the art of rising from the grave, western myths fail to link them to the Eastern European vapir because yogis are simply not the frightening monsters expected by the legends. The Hindu fakir, Egyptian followers of Osiris, and Romany vapirs all used coffins as a method of sensory deprivation as well as for breath control. Fakirs would bury the initiate, with or without a coffin, but often with straws to the surface to provide minimum air. Romany vapirs would simply nail them shut in a coffin, but not actually bury them, and relied on natural air leaks. Very dangerous. Egyptian initiation included, in at least one form, a stone sarcophagus that was near air tight. Without perfect timing, this would result in death, not initiation. A variation of this includes throwing an initiate’s coffin in a river, or into the sea. Several ancient stories mention sealing a person in a coffin and throwing them into the sea. Most do not identify the practice as initiation, but that is where it started. The rocking motion of water aided dissociation from the body. In Egypt and Babylonia, the initiation used a special room with a tunnel that pointed, like a telescope, to the Eye of Osiris (later named “the Eye of Horus”). We know this today as the Sword of Orion. It is the nebula cluster   beneath Orion’s belt, which was known by the Babylonians as “the Three Wise Men” or three priests or magi. Sensory deprivation aided out of body consciousness, and the tunnel directed the soul to the nebula cluster. Rituals calling the soul to go on its journey were done when the tunnel lined up with the eye. Happily, ecstasy can also induce out of body experiences. Ecstatic methods vary widely from meditation techniques to drugs, alcohol, sex, music, drumming and dancing. The most famous use of ecstatic techniques is that of the Bacchanalia. It is more common for ecstatic techniques to be used for possession or influx of the Holy Spirit than for initiation. Unlike a fully conscious out of body experience, ecstatic experiences by themselves are normally fleeting, but when practiced along with breathing exercises, sleep deprivation, fasting and invocations, they can augment an initiation. Once the door of initiation has been opened, ecstatic techniques can be used to reenter the spirit world. Such processes are found with the Tibetan, Hindu, and Native American practitioners, as well as some Arabic and Persian groups. Voodoo groups also use ecstatic singing, dancing and invocations of  43

spirits as a method of entering the other world. Yogic techniques of the fakir have slowly gained in acceptance, and have been blended with traditional vampire techniques of using animal group minds as well as incubus – succubus techniques. These have become the  preferred methods in self initiations and apprentice led initiations. The advantages are obvious. Initiates don’t accidentally die or go insane. They also provide deeper initiations and capabilities than older hit-or-miss NDE style initiations that were designed more to control the initiate than to give the initiate control. Fear, pain, bloodletting, asphyxiation, strangulation, drowning, and poisons, producing hit-or-miss and less  powerful initiations, or fasting, sleep deprivation, ecstatic breathing, dancing, and sex, producing deeper and more intense initiations and giving the initiate more control. Which sound better to you? Self Initiation If you don’t know what you are doing, self initiation can be a difficult and time consuming process. When the secrets are revealed, however, it can be done, and can be done safely. More safely, more powerfully, more completely, and with better control, in fact, than by an old style attendant induced initiation. There are, of course, similarities between the two. Attendant induced initiation usually takes place in three stages: An unprepared candidate is given an initiation in which a near death experience with complete out of body consciousness is induced through fear and suppression of the life force. If it takes, this allows them to “die before their death”. They become aware of themselves as a spirit outside of their body. This frees them from their fear of death. Having died once and been resurrected, they know they can be resurrected again. At this point they make good, fearless soldiers, but have no real powers. This is followed by a self induced out of body experience or spirit projection. They are instructed in a method to recreate the spirit projection through control of their breath and pulse. They practice projection until they  become aware of their spirit consciousness in the spirit world. Through practice, they can learn to maintain their  spirit consciousness. Vampire traditions use animal transference to aid the process of being conscious outside the  body. In the third stage they invoke their own spirit consciousness to unite with their soul. They are then able to be filled with the spirit when in their body, and fully aware when in spirit. Once they have successfully invoked the spirit consciousness into their body they can transfer their consciousness into the spirit world along with their  memories, or soul. They are then “undead” and reborn in the spirit world. Self initiation, on the other hand, skips the forced near death experience, and instead prepares the candidate by a series of exercises and invocations leading to a full self induced out of body consciousness. When self initiation  progresses to an adequate stage, invocation of the spirit consciousness to finish the process is successful. The candidate is an initiate who has “died before their death” not by a forced NDE, but by finding the gateway to death, and the guardian beyond. This is still just the initial step to becoming a vampire. The initiation provides the candidate with the first transformation that must be done. The initiate still needs to learn hypnosis, telepathy, the use of a glamour, fascination, fear, projection, control of their own life force, and control of the life force of others. The initiate therefore becomes an apprentice. Mass Initiations Initiation was once a closely guarded secret passed down from shaman to initiate, and hidden from the rest of  the tribe. Shamans typically performed very specific duties, primarily involving healing and “seeing”. Shamans were normally not involved in wars or the affairs of kings except as advisors. It was unusual for a shaman to want to be a warrior or a warrior to want to be a shaman. But occasionally, the two roles would overlap. Perhaps it was such an overlapping that first drew the attention of some warrior-king and caused him to wonder if an army of  immortals might be useful in battle. In some primitive tribes, the linkage of the werewolf type initiation to animal savagery was seen as a useful weapon against the tribe’s enemies, and gave rise to leopard-men and jaguarmen. As a natural result of wanting massive armies of undead, massive initiations were desirable. The one form of  mass initiation that seemed to be most promising was baptism. Large numbers of people could be drowned and resuscitated in a fairly short amount of time. The Jews, after the Babylonian captivity, used this technique. Mass initiations were used during the time of the Maccabees as well as the Judeo-Roman wars. Mass instant initiations 44

through NDEs are very dangerous. Unfortunately, to be safe, the drowning was not always complete, and the initiation was often lacking. This was sometimes made up for through concurrent invocation, and sometimes by subsequent starvation and sleep deprivation, but most commonly, only a few initiations would actually “take”, and the rest would simply be swept up in the excitement. There have been repeated attempts at mass initiations in more recent history as well. American Indians  participated in mass initiations in the form of the Ghost Dance, which started in 1888 and reached its peak in 1891. WWII hosted massive initiations for Hitler’s elite troops. Since then, groups like the Underground Gnostics have used Harvest Festivals in order to draw and disclose likely candidates. Vampires have even created “clubs” in urban areas to entice candidates. The success of such attempts have been sketchy, however, and the ranks of  successful initiates have remained small, yielding more poseurs than true dedicated initiates. The main reason, I’m convinced, is because of a lack of truly useful information on self initiation. Initiates must maintain secrecy, but must also identify candidates and help them acquire the information they need for the transformation. This booklet, and the use of the Internet, is part of a plan to achieve the dissemination of knowledge without drawing too much attention from the wrong parties. When things go wrong Things can go wrong. Things can go very wrong. This is not a subject that is usually spoken of to non candidates,  but for those that are candidates, it is very important. Death is the most obvious failure for any near-death initiation. However, madness or rage, permanent incoherence, loss of conscience or humanity, loss of memory, partial or complete paralysis, loss of speech, insanity or a child-like or even vegetative state could result. In other words, one or more parts of the brain can be permanently damaged.

Figure 24, Nebuchadnezzar

There have been many historic records of failed initiations, and the resulting “beasts” that are created. The most well known instances include Nebuchadnezzar, Nero, Caligula, and Hitler. Baptism was the predominant form of  initiation in ancient Babylonia and Nebuchadnezzar was initiated through baptism. Unfortunately, after being drowned, he was difficult to resuscitate, and suffered from brain damage. According to some accounts, he 45

eventually recovered. Nebuchadnezzar lived as a “wild man” in the desert for a while, much like John the Baptist. In fact, the parallels between John and Nebuchadnezzar make it clear that they both followed the same traditions,  but, although John also lived as a “wild man”, he is not considered to have had a failed initiation. Nero and Caligula underwent initiation through asphyxiation. This form of initiation involves the inhalation of a mixture of  smoke from frankincense, myrrh, laurel, storax, copal, or other resin incense, often mixed with other herbs or   botanicals. The smoke thus produced is made in such great quantities as to exhaust all oxygen, and stop the breath and pulse completely. Improper recovery and installation of an inappropriate possessing spirit resulted in megalomaniac beliefs and loss of compassion or conscience. Although the exact method of initiation is not know, (at least by this writer,) a similar result occurred with Hitler, who appears to have been initiated by a false group of “adepts” that mimicked the Roman initiations without a full understanding of the procedures, purposes, or  consequences. In many cases of failed initiations, the failure is not apparent at first to any but a very advanced master. Unfortunately, such masters are rare, preferring to leave this earth and this plane of existence in order to join others of their kind. As the aforementioned initiates were all groomed specifically to be leaders, those that sponsored them were loathe to admit any mistake, and believed they could be controlled. In fact, such initiates often make very charismatic individuals with strong magnetic personalities and persuasive abilities. In the case of  Hitler, his attempt to create an army of undead came very close to succeeding. The vast numbers of gypsies and Jews that were slaughtered to feed the demons he invoked eventually worked against him, however, and when England’s vapirs were joined by the Russian and American vapirs, he was unable to prevail against them. Rogue Vampires Becoming a spirit based entity instead of a physically based entity is difficult for some people. The created universe is surrounded by chaos that is held away through the reinforcement of shared perceived patterns. While many enjoy the oneness of life, others rebel against it. Rogue vampires are not merely vampires that have chosen to be loners. There are plenty of those, of course. Most such loners are not sociopaths. Some, however, are. A sociopathic loner vampire is like a mad elephant: they trample everything in their way, and eventually cause their  own self destruction. When the life force is completely under the control of the vampire it can be withdrawn from an old body and transferred to a new one. This is normally done through the regular birth process that all spirits undergo. As this is accomplished by a vapir without loss of consciousness, it’s somewhat inconvenient, as childhood has to be experienced again, but it does provide relative immortality. Rather than go through childhood again, a rogue vampire may attempt to hijack another person’s body. This has the advantage of providing a mature body, but it is complicated by the brain continuing to hold the brain patterns of  the former owner’s habits, emotional responses, and thought patterns, which is very undesirable. Occasionally they might do so as a “walk in”, taking over the dying body of an accident victim and then healing it, but they are ust as likely to do so through vampirization. This is tricky, as the body must be brought to a state near death, and then the victim must be cut off from their body. Completely eradicating the former owner is very difficult, and often fails. It is not at all uncommon for the victim to return and re-establish their connection to their body.  Needless to say, noticeable personality changes can lead to complications with the victim’s friends and relatives, and erratic behavior can easily lead to commitment in a mental institution. Even if the vapir is so lacking in compassion as to not care about the victim, these complications make the practice of hijacking less appealing than starting fresh. Although control of their life force is the most important thing for a vampire to learn in order to retain the union of their spirit and their soul, it is often the last thing that a rogue is interested in. The fascination with power  and illusion will quite often overwhelm a rogue vampire, causing them to expose themselves early on to discovery, and leave them vulnerable to destruction by those that know what they are doing. Vampire Wars

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Figure 25, Vampire Wars

There are legends of good angels fighting bad angels, and good vapirs fighting bad vampires. There are legends of  enmity between vampires and werewolves, who are really nothing more than variations of shape changers in different cultures. It is said that the witches of England were pitted in the spirit plane against the soul suckers of  the Nazi SS, and that Hitler himself was an initiate gone wrong, who fled this plane at the end of the war by cremating himself, waiting to reincarnate and come to power in another part of the world. Vampire wars are real, and those that participate are merciless. Although the participants and their motivations vary greatly, the greatest division between the two sides is that one side is bent on keeping the majority of mankind in the dark, and using them as an expendable food supply, while the other side desires that all mankind eventually reach what they consider to be their destiny: freedom from their physical limitations and virtual immortality as spirits in the spiritual realm.

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CREATING A COVENANT AND AN ASSEMBLY The Structure The Vampire Regeneration Movement chose a member centric structure that closely resembles those of certain other secret societies. It is somewhat similar to a spider’s web, with the members connecting up to others in order  to work their  exercises properly, and those that they connect up with in turn connecting to others. Members know only those they are in direct contact with, and are not restricted by a bureaucratic hierarchy. The structure is designed purely for support of its members, the dissemination of knowledge, and the creation of group mind clusters that are essential to making the exercises and practices work. “Covenant” means agreement or promise. In the Vampire Regeneration Movement it implies a resolution on an individual’s part rather than a contract expecting something in return. A “covenant” also means a group of people who have made such resolutions to themselves regarding work with each other. The word “covenant” was chosen in order to avoid confusion with the Wiccan term “coven”, which denotes 13 individuals, while a covenant can be as few as two. (Technically, a covenant can even be a single person who has made a promise to their self.) Covenants are created with two to four people, but any single person can be a member of many covenants. They form specifically in order to complete a stage of work, and members resolve to aid the others for that purpose. Covenants are made upon intent  rather than absolute expectation, as it has been a universal experience that intentions can not always be followed through on. The resolution is made to oneself rather than to the other  members of the covenant. Theoretically, this should reduce some of the evils that exist in other types of compacts, such as attempting to force a person to do something against their will due to a promise they later thought better of, or were no longer capable of fulfilling. Covenants are expected to share the results of their exercises and practices. They dissolve and reform easily, oining for a specific time for specific work, and dissolving when done. Agreements last for a maximum of one ear, but can be dissolved and reformed or reaffirmed at the whim of their members. Many people continuously renew their covenants with the same people, changing only details about when to practice, or what goal to work  towards. The one year maximum length is imposed specifically to force those who have made a covenant to reassess their current agreement, and make adjustments as necessary. Covenants in the Vampire Regeneration Movement are constructed with one head, and are usually limited to three body members. The reason for limiting the size of each covenant is practical. The covenant agrees to  practice with each other. The agreement has to be trusted and reliable. This can easily be accomplished with two  people at a time, and two pairs can be managed. But more than that starts becoming problematic. Therefore two  pairs are the maximum recommended size for a covenant. Although two pairs may be the maximum size for a covenant, any one person may belong to many covenants, and many covenants can work together. A person may work with a different covenant each day of the week, or they might work with all of them at once in a single coordinated exercise. When several covenants agree to work together in a common interest they are known as an “assembly”. Some assemblies will make loose agreements with other assemblies as well. All of the vampires that a person has ever worked with may sometimes be referred to as a family, as all the minds have touched and oined. In the past, the term “family” would sometimes be used to refer only to vampires made by an individual, (the children,) and the vampire that made that individual, (the parent,) or even refer to all of the vampires  produced down line (grandchildren and great grandchildren etc.,) so clarification is sometimes required when using the term. Legends tell of vampires making new vampires and spreading vampirism rapidly. Although the legends generally confuse vampiric attack with vampiric generation, vampire growth is, indeed, very rapid by nature. Due to the necessity to work with exercises that rely on more than one person, a vampire is expected to find new candidates and recruit them. Part of the power of the vampire is the group mind that is formed by their covenants and assemblies. Growth is somewhat like a spider’s web. In order to “web out”, each member of a covenant is expected to form a new covenant. Each new covenant is expected to work together until some agreed upon stage of  work is complete. Of course that doesn’t always happen, and some members will become inactive, so new

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covenant members must be sought. Thus each member of one covenant is expected to be the head of another  covenant, passing on their experience, and guiding those below them. Just as each member is expected to form a new covenant, each covenant will eventually form a new assembly as the covenant members web out. Anyone may start a new covenant at any time by simply finding another person to practice with. New vampires sometimes have a problem finding a covenant to join. It is perfectly acceptable for a new and inexperienced vampire to start a covenant and be the covenant leader. However, they will want to become a covenant member  rather than leader at some time, in order to gain experience in both roles. Practicing as both a covenant member  and as a covenant leader is important, particularly in the advanced exercises. It is precisely for this reason that vampires web out quickly, forming new covenants to lead as soon as they grasp the lessons and exercises. Group mind awareness is vital for the working, and can not be fully achieved by working in only one role. Some types of  advanced exercises produce better results in one role than in another, but for most there is only a subtle change in consciousness that occurs as a covenant member in comparison to a covenant leader. It is this subtle change that ou are looking for, and so it is imperative to practice your exercises in both roles. The difference between the roles provides a vital key in group mind awareness. Some covenants will rotate leadership just for that reason. Each member of the covenant should read their booklet thoroughly so that they understand what is expected of  them in their exercises. The covenant agreement should specify the terms of working together. It may be very general or very specific. An example of a simple Basic Covenant Affirmation of Intent can be found at the end of  this booklet. Covenants are usually limited to the head or leader, and three other members. When a fifth member is attracted to the group, one of the members will usually form a new covenant with the new member. If the new covenant continues to work with the old covenant, they have formed an assembly. The original covenant leader is now also an assembly leader, and is expected to guide the covenant leaders immediately beneath them. An assembly consists of the leaders of two or more covenants. Although very large assemblies can be formed, it is usually deemed unwise. Assemblies join in agreements similar to the basic covenant, and therefore the same concerns of reliability dictate that most assemblies should consist of no more than four covenant leaders. Assemblies and covenants are grouped into rough alliances of any size when desired. Alliances remain informal, and are not bound by formal agreements, but rather by communication of intent between members. Alliances of this sort are often known as “societies” and may be formed upon anything as simple as a shared territory, language, philosophical outlook, or a more specific goal or  target. The entire network of vampires formed upon this model is loosely referred to as the Vampire Regeneration Movement. It should be clear from the above that the web thus formed is designed to propagate rapidly. Covenants, assemblies, and society or tribal alliances have a great deal of autonomy, and are formed primarily as a method of  support for each other, but they still maintain relative anonymity. Not all covenants will be able to form assemblies, and it is expected that a few pockets of vampires may never grow, due to the nature of individual differences towards being gregarious or reserved. In all cases, vampires are a secretive lot, not being able to share their beliefs and practices with the general world due to cultural disbelief and societal animosity towards them. In fact, it is expected that vampires may know the other members of the covenants they are members of   primarily through the Internet and spirit plane, and may never meet in the flesh. Vampires are also rather paranoid, having been hunted throughout history, and declared to be pagan devil worshippers and other nonsense. Because of  this, certain measures have been taken to make the vampire movement less traceable. Contact through the Internet is expected to be through pseudonym, and a vampire is expected to use a different name for their covenant than for  any other activity. Even though it is likely that a vampire may see another vampire in a club or some other such spot, discretion is used in speaking of vampire matters. The duties of the covenant leader include: recruiting at least one person to work with as a covenant member, creating the covenant or agreement of cooperation, giving the covenant a name, starting a private blog or similar  message system for the covenant, defining and describing the spirit plane meeting place and time of meetings, and coordinating the work, goals, and targets. The covenant leader is usually, but not always, a member of an assembly. If a covenant leader does find a compatible assembly to join, they coordinate assembly work, goals, or  49

targets with their covenant. They may also pass special needs of their covenant to the assembly. For instance, if a new recruit is having a particularly difficult time achieving spirit projection or out of body consciousness, the covenant leader will coordinate exercises for the entire covenant to do to aid the initiate. If this still proves  problematic, they may coordinate with the entire assembly. The duties of the covenant member include helping to recruit at least one more member, participating in the  blog, and participating in the exercises. They are expected, but not required, to become the head of a new covenant  beneath them. Occasionally a covenant leader will get tired of being a covenant leader. In that case, another covenant member may take over the covenant leader duties by dissolving and reforming the covenant. The duties of an assembly leader are similar to those of a covenant leader, but for an assembly. That is, they include: organizing covenant leaders together into an assembly, creating a covenant or agreement for the assembly, giving the assembly a name, starting a private blog or similar message system for the assembly, defining and describing the spirit plane meeting place and time of meetings, and coordinating the work, goals, and targets. Why you need to form a covenant Vampires are not solitary creatures. Vampires are social beings, with strong ties to those they form covenants with. There is often a fierce loyalty and bond to those in their vampire “family”. Undoubtedly one reason for this is that vampires share their transformational experiences with those they practice with. More than that, they need covenants in order to transform. The majority of exercises are geared towards two or more persons. It is far easier  for a person to achieve awareness of the group consciousness if they have another person to work with. However, that person does not need to physically be in the same room. In fact, exercise partners might not ever meet in the flesh. Covenants provide validation or verification of the shared experiences in the spirit plane, and solidify the spirit consciousness. They provide the ability to work telepathically in a structured and testable manner. Your  covenant members have both a spirit and a body. You will rapidly learn to feel their spirit presence during your  exercises, and thus be prepared for spirit communication with those that do not have bodies. You should be a member of at least one covenant, and become the head of at least one other covenant. Perceptions change radically when one is the head of a group mind in comparison to when one is a member of a group mind. All exercises should be agreed upon and scheduled to begin at a specific time. The covenant leader should  post an announcement before hand, and all participants should post their experiences afterward. When two or  more covenants work together, experiences are posted on the assembly’s blog, bulletin board, or whatever other  shared communication tool is used. It is up to you to follow through with the exercises. You are expected to seek out and work with others to achieve full initiation and to learn the tools of spirit. You are expected to apply what you have learned to accomplish specific tasks. Initially, these tasks will all be geared towards initiation. Throughout this time, one or  more vapirs may or may not make themselves known on the spirit plane. Again, you are far more likely to make contact with a master vapir if you are a member of at least one covenant and the head of at least one other. Making contact through the subconscious mind to the spirit world is aided by having diverse contact points, and the more covenants you make, the more contact points you have. Some vampires like to have a different covenant to work  with for each day of the week. Others prefer that all of their covenant contacts work together as an assembly and only meet once a week. These choices are up to you and those you work with. They should be specified in your  covenant agreement. Vampire Sex It is advantageous to form at least one covenant specifically for sex. Although not absolutely necessary, the  practice of vampiric sex is a powerful adjunct to the development of a vampire. There are specific exercises devoted to its proper use. Vampires and the Internet This booklet is being released in the year 2008, in English, in the United States. The majority of those that will find this booklet are expected to do so through the Internet. This is in accordance with the current plan of  dispersal. In this year, it is possible for the Internet to be used as a method of communication and linkage that is 50

vital to the vampire web or net. In fact, the Internet lends itself perfectly to a web or net dispersal system. There are numerous blog and networking resources that allow people of like interests to find each other. Making contact The easiest way to make contact with others that wish to form covenants is through a blog. Just ask if anyone has heard anything about the booklet “Initiation into the Vampiric Arts”. Those that have, and want to form a covenant will reply. Of  course, it makes no sense to attempt to form a covenant with those that have not already read the booklet. You can be fairly certain that those who have actually read it are going to be more enthusiastic about forming a covenant than those who have not. Vampires should not, however, communicate openly about their exercises. It is  perfectly fine to discuss myths and clubs, but no mention of the actual exercises should be made in open communication on blogs. A private blog or email should be used for such communications. The current situation with vampires is somewhat similar to Speak Easies during Prohibition. It is not appropriate, or safe, to admit that you are a vampire, or that you have special exercises that you follow. Once  private communication is established, you should make sure you trust the person is not a witch hunter or vampire hunter or fanatical Christian or Muslim. Typically, such people will never purchase the booklet, although they may try to get you to send them one. Interestingly enough, it is far easier to find out if a person is a fundamentalist Christian or Muslim than it is to find out if a person is a Vampire. Although Vampires do not burn at the touch of a Bible or Koran, religious fanatics have a definite reaction to their Holy Scriptures. Failure to read this booklet is obviously a big red flag that the candidate won’t follow through on the exercises, but the cost of the booklet is low enough that some people may purchase through curiosity and still have no intention of following through. In order to help prevent unwanted attention from vampire hunters it is recommended that a variation on the protection exercise be done with a focus or contemplation on protection from  predators and attraction of compatible candidates. Warnings It is very important that vampires keep a low profile, and that the general members of society do not become alarmed at the thought of vampires in their presence. It is also important that power-hungry individuals do not try to organize vampires into too large an assemblage, or draw public attention resulting in a confrontation such as that which occurred with witches in Salem in 1693, or 300 years later with the Branch Davidians in Waco Texas in 1993. After all, vampires would much prefer that enemies be misdirected to attack other enemies than to  become aware of, and frightened by, true vampires.

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EXERCISES The Process

Figure 26, The Rive r of Life and Death

In order to ensure that any spirit contact is beneficial, rather than detrimental, all of the following exercises should  be preceded by protection exercises. Furthermore, in order to avoid troubles from (sometimes well meaning but obnoxious) physical plane or cyberspace individuals, a great deal of discretion is required. It should be apparent by now what is needed. You must learn to traverse the gate of death without actually dying. You must confront the guardian to the underworld. You must confront the essence of your spirit consciousness, unite with your soul memories, and you must return to your own body, That is what this booklet will teach you to do. But there is more. You must study the vampire form of hypnosis, telepathy, and spirit projection. You must learn how to dominate and transfer your consciousness to an animal form in order to control the center of your  consciousness independently from your own life force. You must release the bond between your body and soul while transferring your consciousness to a united soul and spirit. You will then be a spirit being, a “creature of the night” or of the spirit world, and undead. And that is still  just the beginning. Good luck. Scripts and Formulas Scripts are directions that you read to yourself. Scripts are pieces of a formula. Each exercise is provided in a form that is expected to be turned into a script. It is important for you to learn how to write and record your own scripts. Some scripts you will write yourself, others you will write with the aid of your covenant members. You are expected to find a way to record them and play them back. Whether you use a tape recorder, an mp3 player, or  record them on CD is up to you. Scripts will include directions to the animal mind of your body or to your spirit  body and should be recorded in your voice. That is to say, you should not use other people’s recordings, and your  recordings should not be shared with others. You are learning to communicate with different parts of yourself, much as a person might learn to use new 52

muscles in synchronized manners. The first tools you will be using will be affirmations, visualizations, and directed intent. After you have made the transformation from dwelling in your body to dwelling in your spirit, there will be even more to learn, but these tools must be mastered first. Formulas are scripts and other processes that are put together for a particular purpose. For instance, a formula may consist of an inversion board, semi-darkness, frankincense and myrrh resin incense, protection script,  progressive relaxation script, joining script, contemplation script, return and closing script. The scripts should be combined into one smooth recording. There are three types of formulas available for a candidate: Contemplation, Sexual Projection, and Invocation. Any of the subjects discussed in any of the chapters of this booklet can be used for contemplation. The first ones selected should be for protection exercises. Contemplation should be combined with each of the five trance types. Sexual projection uses the Hyper Breath technique, but it can also be practiced with the other trance techniques. For instance, some people find that combining the Mirror exercise with sexual projection produces excellent results. Invocation of Death should only be done after all of the trance states have been mastered, and all subjects contemplated. Sexual projection should also have been mastered, as should the ability to join minds, and the ability to get to the crossroads. Other tools A large mirror, an inversion board, a charcoal incense burner, charcoal, frankincense and myrrh, a recording device and a timer are all miscellaneous items you may wish to have. If you record using your computer, a tool for  cleaning up the script and adding lengths of silence when needed is useful. It is far easier to assemble the scripts that make up a formula if you have recorded them on your computer. Otherwise, you will need to re-record the scripts in each of their  combinations. The Silence and the Darkness Sensory deprivation activates your inner senses and helps you become aware of the group minds. Sound and “inner hearing” are the most obviously affected. In fact, most people produce an inner dialogue that runs pretty much non stop to fill any silence, thus blocking any inner hearing that could otherwise take place. Stopping the inner dialogue and listening to the silence is often, over time, all that is required for a person to become aware of  spirit presence. A sound proof room is an adjunct to inner hearing, but a quiet room is adequate. Many of these exercises are scripted. Padded headphones that limit exterior noise can be used when listening to scripts and, if  necessary, ear plugs can be used for non-scripted exercises, but the real secret of the silence is inner. Although sensory deprivation for sight can be achieved with a blindfold, most vampires prefer to prepare a special darkened room, a closet, or, as described below, a coffin. All exercises should be done in semi-darkness or low light. Objects manifest in low-light in a manner that is simply not possible with absolute darkness or with a  blindfold. Our inner sense of sight often works better with something to “seed” the bridge between imagination and inner seeing. Full darkness sometimes stimulates imagination too much, while full light suppresses it too much. Of course, once the eyes are closed, the difference between low light and absolute darkness is minimal, but many times manifestation will take place in the twilight or hypnogogic state between a meditative state and full consciousness that occurs directly after an exercise. The Use of a Coffin

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Figure 27, Inner Sound

Some modern day vampires do sleep in coffins. Well, not exactly sleep. They are used for sensory deprivation. Some practitioners believe they also serve as a container for life force, for those experiments that require such things, and that inner sounds are more perceptible while in a coffin. The closed, claustrophobic container is usually padded to reduce noise and sensations. There is a special buzzing sound that accompanies spirit  projection, and many coffin users report it is easier to focus on this sound in a coffin than in an open room. Air  holes need to be cut in the coffin. The entire room in which the coffin is kept must be dark so that light does not come in. Even with air holes, the coffin provides a hot, stuffy environment that can be very uncomfortable. The discomfort will, at first, defeat the sensory deprivation aspects. The Egyptian Mystery followers would also wrap the arms and legs to reduce movement. Coffins are often propped up at a slight angle. If desired, a coffin can be  propped head downward to act as an inversion board, although ankle restraints are needed for anything more than about 30 degrees. The Hanged Man - Using an inversion board The choice of a bat as a symbol for vampires is not by accident. Of course, bats represent the underworld, but that’s not all. Bats are nocturnal. Bats hang upside down. One of the most useful things discovered by Hindu fakirs was the use of hanging upside down. Not only does it force more blood to the head, allowing greater  consciousness while the body shuts down, but it also slows down the breathing process. This combination is extremely useful for a shaman when attempting to leave the body through spirit projection.

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Figure 28, The Hanged Man

Although there are devices that make it easy to hang from your ankles, a more effective device is a simple inversion board. The easiest form of an inversion board is nothing more than a board a little taller and wider than ou are, propped securely at an angle. The angle is not critical, and can be anywhere from 20 to 80 degrees, with 30 to 45 degrees being quite common. Some boards are used by strapping your ankles to the board, and then leaning backwards, allowing the board to flip, and placing you in a near upside-down position. Your arms are allowed to hang down below your head. Such a board can be built with a piece of plywood, a length of pipe, four   brackets, and a couple of saw horses. You will also need some straps to hold your ankles. You can build one easily from plans on the internet. Find a good design, and be careful when using it. Make sure you can get free easily, and have an assistant available. Alternatively, find a steep hill, and simply lie head down. Inversion exercises can last from a few minutes to many hours. Inversion will often result in an awareness of   being out of the body rather rapidly in comparison to many other methods. One of the biggest problems with being out of the body is similar to a problem with beginners using self hypnosis: we don’t recognize when we have achieved the state. The spirit wants to right itself, and so you will find that you will realize you are out of your   body when you realize you are upright. Combining inversion with ear plugs and a blindfold provides an experience very similar to a full sensory deprivation without the complexity of a sensory deprivation tank or  coffin. 55

Why a journal yields great benefits It’s very important to work regularly with the initiation exercises in order to achieve a solid experience and be able to progress properly. You are expected to keep something to write with, or something to record with, near  our bed to record your dreams. You must also have it available to record your experiences for every exercise. Some of the exercises w ill promote dreams or visions. Others will produce bodily sensations. Somewhere, the combination that unlocks the door to the spirit world will be revealed. The first time this happens, it will be in symbols. Recording your dreams and exercise experiences, no matter how corny, sexual, embarrassing, or boring they may be, will give you keys to those symbols. More importantly, recording your dreams and your experiences after your exercises helps change your awareness. You will post your experiences from your exercises to a common place for the other members of your covenant to read. Make sure that where you post your experiences is a private area that no one other than your covenant members can read. This must never be a public spot. You do not want any of your experiences diminished by the misunderstanding, unacceptance, ridicule or disbelief of strangers. You may edit your posts if you like, but if so, a comment such as (edited due to embarrassing issues) or (edited due to sexual content) or (edited due to personal identifying details) should be added. Some exercises are very sexual, and some people are not comfortable sharing sexual details. Other people are a bit too exhibitionistic, or voyeuristic. Clearly these issues need to be worked out on an individual basis. Because of the relative anonymity of the covenant members, most people find that what would otherwise be embarrassing is easily shared with little fear, especially as others have similar  experiences and are willing to open up. You might even say it is somewhat therapeutic. One of the secrets that you must learn now, and not just skip over, is that repetition is an essential part of  making things so automatic that a single word, gesture, or symbol can elicit the response. Reviewing your exercise experiences and your dreams is part of making the connection between worlds become automatic. The techniques for condensing entire scripts into power w ords, gestures, or symbols will be covered in advanced exercises. Some people like to call their journal a “Grimoire” or a “Book of Shadows”. “Grimoire” comes from the same word that yields “grammar”. Just as a “spell” is related to spelling a word, grammar is related to its proper  usage. No doubt “grimoire” may have related to text books on Latin grammar that were considered to be important to proper invocation and prayer. However the word is also related to “grim”, or death. “Spell”, also relates to reciting, reporting, or speaking and the inner teachings relate a “grimoire” to a book that tells how to speak to the dead. Likewise, although witches like to call their spell book a “book of shadows”, the name is more appropriate for a journal of spirit world experiences. The “land of shades and shadows” is, of course, the underworld, or land of the dead. I know of some people who like “Necronomicon”, thinking it means “Book of the dead”, but it really means “Book of the names of the dead”. As such it is less appropriate, but that is not the point. You may call your journal whatever you want to, but whether your journal is kept in a paper form, audio recording, or digital, please do not label it “Book of Shadows” “Gran Grimoire” or “Arcanum Necronomicon” and leave it lying around. Instead,  please give it an outer name that will not be of interest to prying eyes, such as “Exercise Journal”, “Cookbook”, “Food Diary” or maybe even “Tax Records”. You can have “Tax Records” lying around and most people will avoid getting near it. You should still keep it put away however. You can give your journal any inner name that is more inspiring or fitting, of course. And this book? Keep it hidden. I would like to explain a peculiar secret. If you can not remember a dream that does not mean you did not have one. Your imagination needs to be freed up so that it can not only work creatively to make things up, but also inspirationally. If you make up what you think a dream might have been like, you may add some material that is from your conscious filtering system, but a made up dream is as valuable as a remembered dream. In fact, if you can not remember dreams or impressions after sleeping or performing these exercises, it would be extremely  beneficial to act as if  you remembered them, and record your  made up dreams and impressions anyway. What you think you are “making up” may very well be your subconscious mind speaking to you. Melting and Melding This is a simple but important exercise. Many cats do this naturally. If you have a cat, try getting the cat to purr  on your lap, and notice if it starts to melt into you. That will give you a good idea as to what this exercise is all

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about. This exercise can be done inverted, using your coffin, or lying down normally. The process is very simple. Practice the progressive relaxation trance method. Imagine melting into the bed, inversion board or coffin. You may also practice melting into grass in the park, sand at the beach, rocks, trees, chairs, or even melting into the night sky. When you can effectively melt into other things, it becomes very easy to melt into the consciousness of  our covenant members and allow your minds to merge or meld together. Contemplation Contemplation can be done on any subject. Contemplation is not restricted to knowledge of things. You may ask for help on anything you choose to during contemplation. The subject of contemplation should be posted for the covenant to use for each meeting. While learning protection, the subject shall be one of the attack or protective measures. Contemplation simply means to think a bit about the subject, and then relax and see if you can feel or hear the echoed thoughts of others on it. One of the first things you should contemplate is a variation on the protection exercise done with a focus on protection from predators and attraction of compatible candidates. When contemplating, let new ideas float to you, observe them, and wait for more. When done properly, the subconscious minds of all of the members of the covenant will join in the collective unconscious, and those concepts that are similar in pattern will begin to form around the seed concept being contemplated. Once a covenant has been formed, the insights gathered by candidates during such contemplation will be from the group mind of the covenant, even when the candidate practices alone. Choosing a Mee ting Spot A meeting place is a place in spirit. Vampires meet in spirit. However, a meeting place is also a physical location. A physical location is used to pinpoint a spirit location in such a manner as to allow anyone to find it. This is  particularly true when a group of vampires (in this case a new covenant) have not met each other before. The leader of a covenant designates a meeting place. This may or may not be a place that the leader has been to before, but it should be a place that has been photographed. The leader must distribute the map location, detailed description, and photographs of the meeting place. This is much easier these days than it was in the past, as virtually any place in the world can be found with Google Earth or Map Quest. There are certain types of places that vampires tend to  pick to meet at. Parks and cemeteries are quite common, but indoor locations including churches and schools are ust as common. The choice is up to the leader, but should be acceptable to the covenant. Whatever the location, it’s preferable for it to be uninhabited at the time of meeting. Before using the meeting place, it is helpful to look  the location up and trace an aerial route from your location to the meeting place. Protection Exercises Do vampires even need  protection against malevolent forces? Of course they do. Although candidates and initiates are not expected to invoke or battle evil entities, such entities may be drawn to them. But malevolent entities are not the only problem. Even well meaning friends or relatives may disrupt or confuse your psychic progress if not properly blocked. One of the foremost rules of protection is to not make yourself a target. Discretion and silence form your first line of defense. The easiest way to dodge a bullet is to never be in front of a gun. As a vampire progresses, they may indeed bump into or even seek out to destroy malevolent spirits. Learning basic psychic protection early ensures that it will be there when needed. Protection scripts form the first part of every formula. When covenants are first formed, you should practice your protection exercises daily, even when not meeting with your covenant. This will allow you to focus the protection more precisely later. You need to practice the exercises until they produce an automatic change in consciousness. When repetition yields an automatic response ou can condense the ritual to a single word or gesture. In order to use protection, it is important to understand what it is and how it works. There are many books on  psychic protection, each written from the perspectives of particular groups or practitioners. Some of them are rather naïve in their approach. Nevertheless, even the simplest attempts at protection will at least do something. Ultimately, protection can be done by each member of a covenant in their own manner, but when working to learn 57

about protection everyone should follow the same script. There is protection readily available by simply forming a covenant. The covenant is an agreement to work  together, and as such forms a bond between individuals that also serves to keep out those that did not join the covenant. Whenever you work with your covenant you will be joining together on the psychic level with the minds of others that you trust, and feel safe to work with. You know these others will be working with you towards a common goal. Covenants will be guided by the inner plane consciousness of the individuals involved in a far more effective manner than any single individual can achieve. The result is that the more that you work with your  covenant, the more you will feel confident in recognizing friendly minds. Furthermore, the uniting of minds in a covenant gives you far more power than any malevolent entity can exert. Protection comes in many forms. Some types of protection work very well for certain types of dangers, but not at all for others. This is true for worldly protection as well as spiritual protection. For instance, a bullet-proof  vest won’t help at all in defense against food poisoning. Keep in mind what it is that you are protecting. Classifying dangers will aid in understanding protective measures. After putting up your protective psychic barriers, contemplate the different types of dangers and appropriate protection. Your spirit and soul consciousness currently resides within your body. You want to protect the body’s life force or spirit energy, and all of the entry points into the body and mind from the spirit world. The entry points are through the inner senses that correspond to our outer senses, plus emotions, logic, memory, meaning, imagination, and attachments. Emotions include love, fear, greed, avarice, hate, rage, and others. The purpose of protection is to stop unwanted intrusion without blocking desired awareness. One of the first things you should contemplate is protection from predators and attraction of compatible candidates. Other subjects to contemplate for protection include these: Attacks on the mental level, emotions, logic, memory, meaning or intent, group inclusion, or through attachments. Attacks on the physical or energy levels, Attacks using sleep deprivation, digestion, sexual levels, muscle strength or muscle pain. Attacks on the spirit plane, imagination, spirit connections, or spirit body. Attacks through projection of fear, ridicule, or disbelief. Protection from these attacks can be achieved by hiding or camouflage, repulsion of negative energies, or  attraction of positive energies. Protection may use group association or allies, exclusion, disassociation or  detachment, intent, determination, goals and resolve, reminders, awareness, emotional energy, life force energy, imagery, visualization, symbolism, affirmation, and will. If the source of an attack is known, counterattack can be done. Counter attack can be through any of the above mentioned forms of attack, with the most common being through ridicule or disbelief, or more aggressively through  projection of fear or dissolving the source. Attacks can be originated from incarnate or discarnate entities. They can be maliciously directed or accidental. A large source of attacks comes from group minds that are “bumped into”. Some group minds are very aggressive towards any spiritual activity not in conformance to their beliefs. Some attacks, however, are unintentional attacks from friends and family, and you do not wish to harm them while defending yourself. The most common form of protection is through visualization of a white light surrounding you. What this actually accomplishes is a strengthening of your spirit body. A strong spirit body does indeed protect you from many of the possible attacks you might encounter. If you do not purposefully join with others, however, you will also be blocking your ability to contact them. Your first protection script will be using directed intent, affirmations, and visualizations to focus your  awareness on your goals, form a strong group mind, create a shield of disinterest or invisibility, and strengthen our spirit energy. You will then contemplate a pre-chosen aspect of attack or defense, which you will incorporate into your protection. Script for Protection This script may be used when sitting, lying down, or inverted. Your first protection script will be using directed intent, affirmations, and visualizations to focus your awareness on your goals, form a strong group mind, 58

create a shield of disinterest or invisibility, and strengthen your spirit energy. You will then contemplate a prechosen aspect of attack or defense, which you will incorporate into your protection. 1. Affirm your group protection: “I have joined in a covenant with (state the names given by your covenant members.) My protective forces go out to my group mind. The group mind of the covenant protects me.” 2. “I protect my covenant, my covenant protects me. I recognize friendly minds and spirit presences, and find guidance from those that can help me.” 3. (If you chose a method of attack to learn to protect against.) State it out load. “I choose to contemplate and strengthen my protection against attacks through (state a method of attack you are protecting against.)” 4. (If you chose a method of defense) State it out load. “I choose to contemplate and strengthen my protection using (state a method of protection.)” 5. Focus your awareness upon the energy from your body. Sate: “I am aware of the energy that surrounds my  body. This energy is strengthened now.” Imagine the energy getting stronger. 6. Imagine energy in each breath you take. Imagine that energy going to the field of energy around your body. State: “My protection grows stronger with each breath I take.” 7. Breathe in deeply. Imagine that you are like a sponge in a sea of energy. Imagine that you draw in energy from the sea of energy around you, and then send it out through every pore of your body. 8. State: “I am now going to take ten breaths, and as I do so, each breath strengthens my protection. It also strengthens the protection of my covenant members, (state the name of each member.)” 9. Take a slow, even breath, expel, and then count, repeating ten times. 10. State: “I have no enemies that can find me. I am invisible to any who might harm me. I hold no interest to any who might harm me. I have no enemies.” 11. Continue to breath like a sponge, feel your protective energy growing stronger with each breath. 12. “From now on, my protection springs up automatically to protect me. I am protected from any harmful thoughts or psychic disturbances sent by anyone, either purposefully or accidentally.” 13. “I protect my covenant, my covenant protects me. I recognize friendly minds and spirit presences, and find guidance from those that can help me. “ 14. Continue to breathe like a sponge, feel your protective energy growing stronger with each breath. 15. “My life force is protected. My mental force is protected. My spirit force is protected.” 16. Continue to breathe like a sponge. State: “I feel my protective energy growing stronger with each breath.” 17. “My inner senses are protected. My emotions are protected. My thoughts are protected, my imagination is  protected. My memories are protected.” 18. (If you chose a method of attack to learn to protect against.) State it out load. “I choose to contemplate and strengthen my protection against attacks through (state a method of attack you are protecting against.)” 19. (If you chose a method of defense) State it out load. “I choose to contemplate and strengthen my protection using (state a method of protection.)” 20. Contemplate the chosen method of attack or defense, and imagine your   protection growing stronger against such attacks, or through your chosen method of protection. Contemplate how ou can be protected, and imagine your protection growing stronger. 21. State: “I am now going to take ten breaths, and as I do so, each breath strengthens my protection. It also strengthens the protection of my covenant members, (state the name of each member.)” 22. Take a slow, even  breath, expel, and then count, repeating ten times. 23. Repeat three times: “I am protected. My covenant is protected. We are completely protected.” Trance Exercise Scripts The following trance exercises should be turned into scripts. Follow the steps, and instruct yourself on what to do each step of the way. Record yourself giving those instructions. Basic trance exercises involve lowering the  pulse and breath while slowing the thought process and relaxing all the muscles in the body. When done properly there is an increase in awareness, but a decrease in thought about that awareness. You must first move your  consciousness from the analytical portion of the brain to the direct experiential portion. When done properly, you can then move from sense perception to consciousness itself. 59

Here are the steps for simple trance exercises. Go through each exercise and record the instructions. Trance Script 1 - Pulse and breath 1. The exercise is done inside, but it helps if you can go outside and find Orion in the night sky before you  begin. 2. Sit in a straight-backed chair with your feet flat on the floor. 3. With your one hand take the pulse of your other wrist. 4. Raise your chin slightly and roll your eyes slightly upward to look at the ceiling. Keep your eyes open. 5. Breathe in slowly through the nose, out through the mouth. 6. Count your pulse while you breathe in, hold, breathe out, and hold. You should start with about 5 pulses for each  part of the cycle. 7. Slowly increase the number of pulses counted for each part of your breath cycle. Do not force it. You are aiming to slow down both your breath and your pulse. 8. Imagine the constellation Orion above you in the night sky. Focus should be primarily upon the Eye of Osiris, also known as Orion’s Sword, just below the belt. 9. Move your consciousness from the portion of the mind that thinks to the portion that experiences. Every time thoughts intrude, return to what you experience. No matter what you experience, good or bad, do not react, or make inner comments, just experience. 10. Practice only five minutes the first time; add 10 minutes each time up to 45 minutes. Trance Script 2 - Progressive relaxation This form of meditation is a variation on progressive relaxation. Go through the exercise and record the instructions. You may lie down on a bed, or use your coffin or inversion board. 1. Close your eyes. Quiet the voice in your head. 2. Start with your left foot. Speak to your body. Say: “Relax the left foot. Let it relax completely.” Pause “My left foot is completely relaxed. Soon it will be so relaxed I can not even feel it or move it.” 3. Go through every muscle group in your body. Speak to each part of your body in a similar manner. 4. Do not think while relaxing, just return again and again to relaxing and pay attention to the experience. 5. When you get to your head, first relax each part of the head, then pay particular attention to the eyes, behind the eyes, and then the back of the head, and base of the skull. 6. Imagine floating upright, looking down on your body. 7. Repeat until the trance is so deep that your ability to think stops and all that is left are your experiences. 8. Follow with the return and closing exercises. Write down our experiences. The Binding variation Do not confuse this with a protection technique by the same name. This binding exercise involves slowing the circulation by binding the arms and legs. I do not recommend this, but include it anyway, just for historical sake. It used to be done as a “quick start” process if the candidate could not get the floating sensation from the previous exercise, which is actually rare. Do not attempt this if your circulation is in any way impaired. In fact, it is  probably better to simply keep practicing progressive relaxation until the floating sensation can be felt. 1. Get someone to watch you. Seriously. If a mistake is made it could be extremely damaging, and could mean the loss of your limbs. 2. Use a charcoal briquette and resin frankincense and myrrh. 3. Set an alarm or timer for fifteen minutes. 4. Use 4 large scarves. Tie a knot in the middle of each. 5. Place a knot against the main artery in each arm and leg.  Lightly tie off your circulation in the lower and upper   part of each leg and arm. To have the proper effect, this should be done lightly enough to reduce the circulation, but not stop it entirely. 6. Repeat the relaxation exercise above but imagine and describe a tingling turning into a numbness that spreads over the entire body. 7. Imagine becoming completely immobile, in a state of complete suspended animation. 8. Imagine looking down at yourself from the foot of the bed or inversion board. 60

9. When the alarm goes off, follow the return and closing exercise. Have your assistant help you untie the bonds and restore your circulation. 10. Massage your arms and legs. Take a hot bath. Write down your experiences. There is no point in repeating the binding exercise more than once. Whether or not you can get any noticeable results, return to the other exercises. Trance Script 3 - Mirror Exercise

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Figure 29, The Mirror

Mirrors can be very helpful in entering the other world. They are also useful in conjuring a glamour, remote influence, and far seeing. The following exercise requires a large mirror. The mirror should be at least a full floorlength mirror. The large mirror exercise is an extremely powerful exercise that is used for out-of-body travel. It can be done with or without a covenant. This exercise should be practiced directly before a covenant meeting, for an hour the first week, and then 5 minutes less each week after that. On days that you do not have covenant meetings, this exercise can be done through step 12 just before you go to sleep. The results of this exercise may come in your  dreams at first. This exercise is to be done in semi-darkness. 1. Sit in a chair facing a full length mirror. 2. Perform your protection exercise. 3. Stare at your own eyes, and relax your eyes into a trance state. 4. Stand, walk to the mirror, and touch your hand in the mirror. 5. Say “Help me leave my body”. 6. Imagine stepping through the mirror. 7. Return to your chair. 8. Close your eyes. 9. Imagine performing steps 3 through 6, but when you step through the mirror, thank yourself for helping you out of  our body. 10. Return to the chair. 62

11. Open your eyes. 12. Repeat for 1 hour, alternating between actually standing and going to the mirror, and imagining doing so. 13. At the time of your meeting, switch to your inversion board. 14. Use the protection exercise, followed by the progressive relaxation exercise. 15. Imagine rising up and going through the mirror again. 16. Use the joining exercise to go to your meeting place and join with your covenant. 17. Perform whatever group work you may have. 18. Finish by using the return and closing script. Write down your experiences in your journal. Trance Script 4 - Hyper-breath This exercise is used primarily for sending, but also makes a good preparation for the sexual projection exercise. 1. Sit in a straight-backed chair with your feet flat on the floor. 2. Raise your chin slightly. 3. Close your eyes, and roll them up upward to look through your forehead. 4. Breathe in rapidly through the nose, Blow out rapidly through the mouth. 5. Imagine seeing the constellation Orion through your forehead. Focus should be primarily upon the Eye of Osiris, also known as Orion’s Sword, just below the belt. 6. Imagine a tingling sensation that turns into a numbness throughout your body. 7. Practice only five minutes the first time, 10 minutes the second, and 15 minutes any time after that. When using this as a technique for sending, just before you finish, imagine a bat taking shape in front of you. Tell the bat exactly where to go and what to look for, how long to be gone, and to report back in your dreams. You will normally follow this by the return and closing exercise. Make sure to write down any experiences. You may pass out. If you do, record any impressions and record any pieces of a dream you may have. Trance Script 5 - Reversal of Time/The Crossroads This is a regression script designed to take you back in time through your memories. It becomes more effective with each use. Your memories will grow stronger, and our  consciousness will flow back in time more effectively every time you use the script. The script requires some preparation. It should be practiced first as a solitary exercise, done without joining minds with your group. All of us have certain memory markers in our lives that help us anchor events and dates together. Common markers include birthdays and holidays. Many people can recall specifics for particular Christmas or Fourth of  July celebrations for instance. Other markers include first day of school, or first softball game, and so forth. Finding markers for preverbal times may be trickier, but you will discover some. Every time you practice this you will remember more and more of your very earliest memories. When you discover forgotten memories, use them as markers for the next time you practice. Select four memory markers. Select different markers each time you practice, as earlier and earlier memories return. One of them should be as early a memory as you can recall. Write them down and number them, with number one being the earliest. Write down everything you can think of about them. Figure out the date and day of  the week if possible. Make note of who else was there. If you have pictures, find them. Note exactly where the events took place. Think about each one of your senses, and find something you can associate with each. When creating your script, you may wish to mention something pertinent to the memory markers you have chosen, especially when returning. Use your coffin if you have one, or your inversion board. As usual, this script is to be used in semi-darkness. Go over your memory markers, from four to one just before you start. The first time you use this script it should be used after your progressive relaxation script. Use your protection script, followed by progressive relaxation, followed by Reversal of Time, followed by the special returning script. After you have been successful with it, ou may use it as a regular trance script. This script was written as an example of giving directions to yourself in second person. You may change it to all first person if you want. Record the following for your script: 1. Feel yourself melting into your surroundings. Your body disappears as you melt and dissolve. Melt and 63

dissolve. 2. Let go and drift. You are adrift in time. Adrift in time. Time stretches out all around you, in every direction, and you let yourself drift whichever way the currents might take you. Drift. Drift. 3. Memories are like bubbles, drifting near you. The currents of time are taking you back, back through time. Drift with the currents as you feel yourself going back. 4. Bits and pieces of memories go by as the current takes you back, back. A day here, a week floating by over  there, going back, back. The currents of time flow backward, taking you back. 5. Your fourth memory marker floats near. (Mention something about the memory.) Pay attention to the memory. Remember the events of your fourth memory marker. Observe it carefully. Remember what you saw, what you heard, what you felt. The sensations from each of your senses return to you. Take a moment to re-experience the events now. (Pause) 6. The memory floats by, and you go even further back, further back. The currents of time flow backward, taking you back. 7. Your third memory marker floats near. (Mention something about the memory.) Pay attention to the memory. Remember the events of your third memory marker. Observe it carefully. Remember what you saw, what you heard, what you felt. The sensations from each of your senses return to you. Take a moment to re-experience the events now. (Pause) 8. The memory floats by, and you go even further back, further back. 9. Your second memory marker floats near. (Mention something about the memory.) Pay attention to the memory. Remember the events of your second memory marker. Observe it carefully. Remember what you saw, what you heard, what you felt. The sensations from each of your senses return to you. Take a moment to re-experience the events now. (Pause) 10. The memory floats by, and you go even further back, further back. The currents of time flow backward, taking ou back. 11. Your first memory marker floats near. (Mention something about the memory.) Pay attention to the memory. Remember the events of your first memory marker. Observe it carefully. Remember what you saw, what you heard, what you felt. The sensations from each of your senses return to you. Take a moment to re-experience the events now. (Pause) 12. The memory floats by, and you go even further back, further back. The currents of time flow backward, taking ou back. 13. I am now going to count backwards from four to one. As I do so, you will go back even further in your memory to a time before you were born. 14. Four, drifting back, back, little snippets of memories floating by. Younger and ounger. 15. Three, preverbal sensations and memories, impressions. Drifting back. The currents of time flow  backward, taking you back. 16. Two, Your birth. Memories and impressions of your birth. Sensations and impressions, experiences float past. 17. One, your body is safe inside your mother’s womb. Your consciousness hovers nearby. Things are simple, and clear. You have an intuitive understanding of life and existence all around you. The currents of time flow backward, taking you back. Back  even before the womb. 18. You have returned to the source. The place between incarnations. Let yourself experience it for a moment. Focus now on the spirit world around you. When the entire group has become proficient at returning to the womb, you follow with joining at the crossroads. The crossroads of life and death are visualized as two dirt roads in the desert at midnight, with Orion overhead. Use the joining script followed with contemplation, and then return. This is the backdoor to death. The first several times you do this exercise, it should be followed by contemplation, and then returning and closing, as described below. This is as far as you go for this script at first. When you have mastered the ability to return to the time before the womb, you can shorten the exercise. When you have successfully found the crossroads, and can feel the presence of all members, then and only then 64

should you schedule an invocation of the Guardian of Death. This script is for returning from a reversal of time: 1. State: “I thank the guides and guardians who protect me in the spirit.” 2. State: “My work is done. Let my work today be fruitful. Let my protection stay with me from now on.” Repeat three times. 3. State: “The currents of time flow forward again. I return to my body.” 4. “I am now going to count from one to four. As I do so, my memories return me to the present.” 5. “One, moving forward, past my birth to my first memory marker.” (Mention something about the memory.) 6. “Two, moving forward. I see my second memory marker.” (Mention something about the memory.) 7. “Three, I remember my third memory marker.” (Mention something about the memory.) 8. “Four, I am at my fourth memory marker. (Mention something about the memory.) I continue forward to the  present.” 9. “I reenter the present time. I remember the date (say the date), I remember the day of the week (say the day of  the week). My senses return to me. My limbs respond to me again.” Repeat three times. 10. Wiggle your fingers and toes. 11. State: “My work is done. Let my work today be fruitful. Let my protection stay with my from now on. I have returned.” Repeat three times. Get up. Stretch. Script for Sexual Projection There are many variations on sex meditations, including incubus-succubus meditations. This particular  exercise is very similar to those used to raise what is known as the “serpent power”. It is not usually practiced as  part of your exercises with your regular covenant. This exercise requires that you have a consenting sex partner  who creates a special covenant with you specifically for performing this exercise.

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Figure 30, Naga/Nagini This exercise produces a very strong union of minds. It is excellent for learning about group minds. When  performed properly, this exercise can help a person realize that their mind can be sustained by a group mind, without the need for a body. You and your partner must create the script for the entire exercise in great detail. This exercise should be done in semi-darkness, either sitting upright with your feet flat on the floor, or lying down. If  ou use a coffin or tilt board it should be tilted with the head up, rather than head down, although you are free to experiment if you so desire. You and your partner begin at an agreed upon time. This exercise begins as usual with the typical meditating processes of protection and relaxation. You should be familiar with, and have practiced, both of them. You do not use the joining script. Instead, begin the hyper-breath exercise while thinking about your partner. While doing the hyper-breath, breathe in through the nose, and imagine the breath being drawn to the sex organs. Imagine the center of your sexual energy being like a fire. On exhaling, blow rapidly out through the mouth and imagine the fire flaring up and burning brighter. Script the process carefully, and build sensations of ecstasy. Imagine a fire serpent or dragon rising from the flames. Imagine your partner performing the same exercise, and the dragon within them awakening. Imagine the fire serpent rising up through your body. Imagine the head of the serpent moving past your solar plexus, then past your heart, then past your throat, and finally into your head. Bring

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ourself to an ecstatic frenzy as you feel your consciousness merging with the serpent or dragon.

Figure 31, Fire Dragon

 Now imagine that your spine and the spine of the dragon are one. Every breath fills you with excitement. Imagine  being the dragon, bursting up through the crown of your head. Travel to your meeting spot with your partner. Imagine both of you arriving as a dragon or fire serpent. Imagine both of you changing your shapes to take on your  spirit body images. Imagine greeting each other in your spirit body. Remember, your spirit bodies can look totally different from your physical bodies. They can be any shape or sex, or, for that matter, any type of creature. Make sure that you discuss exactly what both of your spirit bodies look like, and describe them clearly in your script. Have sex. Describe the details of what each of your six senses perceives. During your orgasms, meld your minds and spirits together as one. Maintain a united consciousness for at least five minutes. Follow with the returning and closing script. Write down your experiences. Script for Joining You should practice the melting exercise in order to prepare for joining your covenant members. The covenant leader must supply the rest of the covenant with a clear description of the meeting place. It should be as detailed as possible, and all senses should be employed. All covenant members should supply each other with detailed descriptions of what they look like in spirit. You will record these descriptions in your script. The covenant leader  declares the purpose of each meeting. It should be clear to each member. 1. Rise up from your body. 2. Visualize your meeting place. 3. State: “I am drawn to my meeting place.” Imagine flying to your meeting place. 4. Visualize your meeting place again. Picture everything you know about it. Describe each detail. 5. Imagine the other members of your covenant arriving. 6. Put your arms around each other. Bow your head towards the center. 7. Imagine melting together. Imagine your minds touching and melding to become one. 8. Speak your name, and each covenant member ’s name. State: “We join together.” 9. State: “We have come together tonight for the purpose of (state the purpose).” 10. Again, imagine melting together. Imagine your minds touching and melding to become one. 67

11. Again repeat your name, and each covenant member’s name. State: “We join together.” 12. Let go of each other, and back a few steps away. 13. Proceed with the work for the day. I would like to point out something here. I ask you to put your arms around each other. You are not in your   physical bodies, but I want you to try to FEEL each other’s presence. Vampires must learn to merge minds in order  to accomplish most of the things they do. Script for Return and Closing The directions for this script assume a regular covenant meeting has finished. It should be modified when needed for individual (non group) exercises. 1. Put your arms around each other. 2. State: “Our work is done. Let our work today be fruitful. Let our protection stay with us from now on.” Repeat three times. 3. State: “We separate now, to return to our bodies.” 4. Imagine separating and flying back to your body now. Imagine coming face to face, then reentering. 5. “I reenter my body. My senses return to me. My limbs respond to me again.” Repeat three times. 6. Wiggle your fingers and toes. 7. State: “Our work is done. Let our work today be fruitful. Let our protection stay with us from now on. I have returned.” Repeat three times. Get up. Stretch. Invoking Death without dying

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Figure 32, Death

The dying God has been depicted in many ways. Prometheus, Dionysius, Osiris, even Father Time, – they are all aspects of the same concept of death and rebirth the dying God. The dying God holds the keys to life and death. The dying God dies over and over again, making the journey through death repeatedly in order to guide others through. He is the one that guides all those who die through the realm of death to a new incarnation. The Greeks call such a guide a “psychopomp”. The most famous  psychopomp in Western literature is Virgil, who was the guide through the afterlife in Dante’s Divine Comedy. Vapirs and shamans act as psychopomps, or guides through the realm of death, not only for the dead of their  community but for initiates as well.

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Figure 33, Ce rberus

In Greek mythology the guardian and the guide are depicted as separate entities. The Guardian of Death is depicted as the three headed dog, Cerberus, who guards the gates of death. Everyone gets in to Hades sooner or later, so who is the Guardian of Death trying to stop? The Guardian is there to protect you from getting lost or absorbed when venturing into the realm of spirit. Cerberus will  let you through, but if you approach him, he will tear you apart so that you are only a spirit. The three heads of Cerberus guard three of the four directions. Vampires can learn to use the fourth. Death is often depicted in terms of variations on hell or purgatory, and the Guardian of Death as a demon or  monster, but that isn’t always the case. Occasionally, the Guardian is depicted as both a gatekeeper and a guide. Such was the case of Charu, who was an Etruscan deity of the dead. The Etruscan Charu, Xaru, Karun, or Charun is closely related to the Greek Charon, who took on only the single role of ferryman. The Etruscan Charu holds a hammer, which indicates his connections to smiths, mining, and the underworld, similar to Hades. He has enormous bat-like wings, pointy ears, fiery eyes, tusks, and a black beard. He has snake like hair and wears snakes around his arms. He is sometimes represented with blue skin or hair, like the Picts or Dacians. The vampire guardian is much more similar to the Etruscan Charu than any other well known God of the Dead. When a person dies normally, their consciousness and memories are attached to their body. Therefore when their body dies, they have no vehicle to carry their consciousness and memories through the underworld. Our  memories are dissolved along the way to a new incarnation, thus causing us to start afresh with bits of our   personalities but no memories of our previous life. Those that do not follow the guardian get lost along the way, and remain in the place of dissolving until there is nothing left of their memories or their personalities when they eventually incarnate again. In order to become undead, you do not have to actually die first. Well, you do, but your  body does not. That’s very important, because you can not come back to a dead body. Those that confront death before dying are capable of learning how to maintain their personalities and  their  memories while traveling through the realm of death. The trick is to move their consciousness into their spirit body while still alive. Transferring the consciousness in this manner feels like death and rebirth. The consciousness must be dissolved and reformed again, hence the directive “Solve et Coagula”. Confronting death frightens the body. The body reacts to protect us from dying. Our consciousness is guarded 70

from the realm of death so that we do not become absorbed by it before we are strong enough to withstand it. Vampires from the yoga traditions practice getting control of their body, and training it to obey, much as you would train a dog or a horse. By using a combination of fasting, sensory deprivation, and sleep deprivation, you can confront death in a manner similar to the Hindu Vedic legends of confronting Yama. There is a place within our consciousness that is guarded by fear. It is very difficult to get past. We can, in fact,  pass through the gate of fear, but our body will struggle violently to stop us. Every cell of our body is alive and holds a bit of consciousness. Although we think of ourselves as being a single entity, we are actually a colony, much like the jellyfish known as the Portuguese Man O' War. The gateway is a place of dissolving that breaks apart our consciousness, as well as the bonds of life that tie us to our body and animate it. The biggest problem with venturing into death is loss of consciousness while the personality and memory is dissolved. If a person fights the process, it can be hellish and terrifying. Giving in to this fear will expel a person  before the transformation is finished; therefore you need a guide to take you through. By joining in group minds we can grow accustomed to forming a larger consciousness and dissolving it again. If we join with the guide we can maintain consciousness while losing our identity. The guide carries us. One of the secrets is to not struggle against the loss of identity. As warned in many myths and fairy tales, we must not look back once we have started the journey, and we must trust the guide. We will lose ourselves, but we will find ourselves again. In vampire initiation, the guardian and the guide ar e the same. We are given a method to avoid confronting the guardian directly. Much like the story of beauty and the beast, the guardian appears from one side to be a hideous monster, more animal than human, but from the other side, they appear to be a handsome prince or beautiful Goddess. Therefore, we learn not to face death directly. At least, not at first. The Guardian is not concerned about  people coming out  of the realm of death. The dead can not come back out because their dead body can not hold them, but a vampire retains their body, and the body retains our memories and identity. Therefore, even if a vampire becomes completely dissolved in the realm of death, when they return they regain themselves, thus “Solve et coagula” is well applied to this transformation. There is another entry to the realm of death. The entry way is through birth. The gate to rebirth does not need to  be guarded; spirits can freely exit when a body is ready for them. But shape shifters go the other way. According to one of the legends of Merlin, he was born old and got younger as time went on. That is a shamanic allegory for  reversing time and entering the realm of death by going back through birth. Time itself is often thought of as being the guardian of death. Father Time and the Grim Reaper are the same figure. It is not as hard to enter the realm of death by being reborn as you might think. We can enter the realm of death through our memory. By going back in time through our memories, we can re-experience birth, reenter our  mother’s womb, and regain our consciousness as a spirit. In order to regain consciousness in the realm of death, it is necessary to confront death itself. There are two scripts that are used for this process. One is the Reversal of  Time, and the other is the Invocation of the Guardian of Death. The Reversal of Time has two parts; the first is used to go back to the time in the womb. The other part is used to travel back to a previous lifetime and then forward again to re-experience death. The script for that part you will have to create for yourself. In either case, the real goal is to find the crossroads, which is a place between lives. Script for Invocation of Death This script is to be done after the Reversal of Time regression exercise has been perfected, and the ability to get to the crossroads has been achieved. The formula is usually as follows: Semi-Darkness with inversion board or coffin, Protection, Going to crossroads, Joining, Invocation of Death, Contemplation, Return and Closing. The exercise works best when done as a group with four individuals, but may be rewritten for solitary use. When written for solitary use, start at the north and walk to each cardinal point in turn, returning to the north to complete the circle. This is the formula used during a four day ordeal. It is recommended as a group exercise for the first time it is done. Assign each member of the group one of the four cardinal points. The northern point is the leader of the exercise. Rotate assignments each time you practice. 1. The entire group imagines a large circle drawn in white chalk upon the ground. 71

2. The Northern point member faces north and sketches a large circle in the air. Then draws a large “X” over the circle, and affirms: “The northern portal is sealed. None may enter unbidden from the north.” 3. The eastern point member faces east and sketches a large circle in the air, then draws a large “X” over the circle, and affirms: “The eastern portal is sealed. None may enter unbidden from the east.” 4. The southern point member faces south and sketches a large circle in the air, then draws a large “X” over the circle, and affirms: “The southern portal is sealed. None may enter unbidden from the south.” 5. The western point member faces west and sketches a large circle in the air, then draws a large “X” over the circle, and affirms: “The western portal is sealed. None may enter unbidden from the west.” 6. All face the center and affirm: “The circle is complete. None may enter unbidden into this circle.” 7. Step into the center of the circle and stand back to back. Hold hands and spread out to arms length. 8. All say: “I call upon the Guardian of Death and Guide through the Underworld to be with me now.” Repeat three times. 9. All say: “Guardian of Death and Guide through the Underworld, I call upon you to manifest within this circle of   protection now.” Repeat three times. 10. Feel the presence of death behind you. 11. All say: “Let me die to my old self and be born anew in spirit.” Repeat three times. 12. Say “Guide me through my death now.” Repeat three times. 13. All say: “I invoke you now. Fill me now with the flames of death and rebirth.” Imagine flames consuming you. Repeat three times. 14. Remain facing outward, and take 500 breaths. Contemplate the flames of your death stripping away memories and identity, and all attachments, leaving only consciousness as you breathe. 15. If you lose consciousness or fall asleep, DO NOT abandon the exercise without proper closing. Simply carry on as soon as consciousness returns. Not only would this be very bad for you, but you have other covenant members to think of as well. 16. All say: “I thank you now for guiding me through my death.” Repeat three times. 17. All say: “I release you, Death, to return to your realm as I return to mine.” Repeat three times. 18. Return to the cardinal points. All face inward again. 19. Say: “The work is done in accordance with the ancient art.” Repeat three times. 20. West: Face Outward. Draw a large circle and say: “I release the portal to the west.” 21. South: Face Outward. Draw a large circle and say: “I release the portal to the south.” 22. East: Face Outward. Draw a large circle and say: “I release the portal to the east.” 23. North: Face Outward. Draw a large circle and say: “I release the portal to the north.” 24. All Say: “The circle is dissolved. My work is done.” Repeat three times. Follow the Return and closing script. Please note: Most invocations do not call the entity they are invoking into the same circle. This one does. Also note: No names of entities were used, only what might be called working titles. This is because most of the names come with a lot of baggage. For instance, although Papa Guede could have been called, those that use that name have a lot of expectations and associations with it that are not desirable for a vampire outside of Haiti or New Orleans. If the result of this exercise is subtle, then you may need more practice with your other exercises. Condensing rituals to power words and gestures Once you have mastered a particular exercise it is possible to condense the entire thing to a single power  word, gesture or symbol. The process for doing so is very simple. First you must choose a power word and gesture. Moldavian, Sanskrit, Latin or Irish are the traditional languages of choice. Any language will do however. The main requirement is that it is not your everyday language. Technically, it could be in your own language, but ou don’t want the power watered down by everyday use, or to have it accidentally triggered when you don’t mean to use it. Likewise the choice for gesture can be anything from Hindu mudras to American sign. Although ritual magic practitioners would prefer a set of syllables and gestures that have symbolic resonance with the collective unconscious, the fact is that the only thing the words or gestures have to resonate with is your memory and your own symbolic triggers. A safety feature to prevent accidental triggering is the specification that the word, symbol, or gesture must be accompanied with intent. Nevertheless, you would be wise to be careful of those 72

words or symbols that have strong connections to other concepts. That is to say, for instance, do not borrow voodoo loas sygils or words. (Unless, of coarse, you are a Haitian vampire, and already familiar with the proper  use of loas, sygils and words.) For illustrative purposes, I w ill use basic protection as the exercise, and French as the power language. When condensing an exercise, choose a single word to describe it, such as “Protect”. Find the word in your chosen  power language. The French for “Protect” is “Protégez”. Create one or more hand symbols to represent the concept. You may spell the word with finger spelling, learn the sign gesture, or just use a standard “activation” gesture or mudra, such as touching the thumb and middle finger, ring finger or little finger together. The gesture in this example is to clench your fist in front of the chest, and then hold the open hand palm out in front of you as if  saying “Halt”. If you wanted to represent the exercise with a written symbol, you could just write it out in your   power language, or choose to use something as elaborate as Egyptian hieroglyphs. Sanskrit is very handy, as the symbols can not be understood at all by those that do not speak the language. A simple symbol for “Protect” could  be an open palm, signaling “Stop”, or a circle with a slash symbolizing “No”, or a five pointed star symbolizing a marshal from the old west. Such symbols are handy in spirit, because you can draw them in the air and have them linger as a visual reminder of protection. In this case, we will use the circle with a slash, which means “No”, and also indicates a closed portal. When you have mastered an exercise such as the protection exercise, add words similar to these at the  beginning: “The symbol to activate protection is the circle with a slash. (Draw it in the air and visualize it.) The word to activate this exercise is Protégez. The gesture is to clench my fist in front of my chest, and then hold my open hand palm out in front of me, as such.” (Perform the gesture.) “From now on, whenever I use any of these with the intention of activating my protection, my protection shall be activated automatically. I feel it spring up automatically and instantaneously.” Perform all three. Immediately bring up your protection. Feel it around you. If  ou can’t feel it, or it doesn’t come up fully, perform the rest of the protection exercise. When your protection can  be felt at full strength, repeat the above words and actions. You may notice that some exercises have stages that occur in the practice. Such stages can be worked into the word or gesture in order to ensure that each stage is achieved properly. For instance, suppose you went through four stages in relaxation. You might use “Je Relax, un, deux, trois, quatre.” And touch your thumb to your pinky, then ring finger, then middle finger, then first finger. Each of your exercises should be practiced until they feel natural and automatic. When they have become familiar enough to you, they can be condensed in this manner. They should then be practiced in this condensed manner in order to reinforce them, and until you are satisfied that they work in full strength with just a gesture or a word. It takes a long time to become adept at this, but then you wouldn’t call a person an adept if they never   practiced. The First Work  The first work you should do in a new covenant is contemplative meditation upon protection. Meditation should be performed upon each of the forms of attack and defense, choosing a different set each day. Contemplative meditation is a sort of observation without comment. The formula to record for contemplative meditation on the elements of protection is: Semi-darkness, inversion  board or coffin, protection script, trance script, joining script, followed by the concept or subject to contemplate, the contemplation script, 20 minutes contemplation, and the closing script. Assuming you have at least one person to work with, and your communication media is a private blog, these are the steps for the first work: 1. Post the date and time of the first work on the blog. 2. Post the formula to be used, with the first subject, attacks on the mental level. 3. Request confirmation. 4. Record your formula. 5. Wait until the posted time comes. 6. Go to your meditation room, dim the lights, and lie down on your inversion board. 7. Start the script. 73

8. When the script ends, write down or record your experience. 9. Post your experience. Read your covenant member’s posts when they come in. Comment and discuss. The nice thing about covenants is that they are small and flexible. You can decide what needs changing and do things slightly differently the next time if you desire. Just make sure you have done every exercise at least once, and persist until results are felt. The entire process will take at least 9 months, and many times takes closer to two ears. The more covenants you form, and the more you practice, the sooner the complete initiation experience will take place. You will know when it does. The Four Day Ordeal Traditionally, an ordeal was a method of confronting death. Ordeals could last as much as 40 days. That is simply not practical for modern vampires. Four days is usually adequate if the preparatory exercises have been completed. During this time, no food is taken, nor sleep allowed, and the invocation exercise is performed every hour. In the Vampire Regeneration Movement, an ordeal is only attempted after at least one year of training. An ordeal is recommended in order to overcome a plateau or if initiation is not achieved after a full year of training.  Not all candidates need it, or desire it. On the other hand, some vampires feel that the intensity of an ordeal is necessary to become adept at becoming a guide through death, and recommend an ordeal every two or three years. Ordeals are designed to be done solo, as it is often difficult to coordinate a four day ordeal with other  covenant members. However, ordeals can be done either solo or with a covenant. Inversion: Although being hung upside down was once a common method used to confront death, inversion is not necessary during the entire ordeal. Inversion should be relieved as necessary between invocation sessions. Action: It is good to have some action that can be done between meditation and invocation sessions. Walking a circle over and over again while chanting or putting up protection is one simple possibility. Moving rocks, or  digging a hole and then filling it in are others. Obviously, this is easier to do if you are not in a small apartment. Fasting: During these four days only water is taken in. A person needs to be in good health to make it through a four day fast, and can not have any sort of health problems. Sensory deprivation: Total darkness and silence is commonly used during at least some part of the ordeal. If it is possible, block all light except a single candle flame. The last four hours can be with no light. Sleep deprivation: The candidate attempts to stay awake for a full four days. If sleep does overtake them, they redouble their efforts to stay awake. Four days of sleep deprivation is not easily achieved. Having something that must be done every hour is very useful. If you can find 92 candles that burn exactly one hour, and have one match, it will require being awake whenever the candle burns low in order to light another one. The last few hours will  be in darkness, and will be the most difficult in which to stay awake. Invocation: Invocation of your guardian is done approximately every hour. It is very convenient to do it right after lighting a new candle. A kitchen timer may be used if desired. Some practitioners prefer to keep track of time  by setting up their exercises to last a specific length of time, and move pebbles from one bowl to another each time they complete a session. These details are up to you. When everything is finished, a closing exercise MUST be done, whether you think anything happened or not. This is very important. It is not unusual for an ordeal to seem to have achieved nothing, and a few days later come to fruition. On the negative side, failure to close can produce a condition in which a person is essentially split in two. It will resolve, but such a situation can cause extensive problems. Just close the ordeal properly. If you have mastered the other exercises you will find that four days is adequate to gain a profound and lasting experience. If this does not happen, continue to practice for another six months and extend the length of time for the next ordeal.

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