Vampyre Spirituality pg 2
|
|
e-mail: webmaster@officersofavalon.com |
|
To contact us: |
|
The
Black Veil has 7 basis tenets relating to: Discretion Diversity Control Elders Behavior Donors Community |
|
-Spiritual immortality and rebirth:
Vampyres believe in reincarnation and some of their rituals, such as
the blood bond (see below) are intended to create links between incarnations. -Life-force: This is manifested
as either prana or blood. -Energetic connection and exchange between individuals. -Affinity with night, darkness, and shadows. -Rapport with spirits:
Influenced by their concept of spiritual immortality and individual
divinity, this principally refers to the spirits of the dead. -Death as change. -Exceeding human limitations:
The idea of becoming more than human. The Ankh, also known as the Crux Ansata, or AnX, is the ancient
Egyptian symbol of sexual union and immortality. Ankh means “life” or “hand mirror”. Vampyres have adopted the Ankh as their
symbol, due to its symbolism of life and eternity. Egyptian mythology and symbolism makes its
way into many Vampyre practices.
Inspiration is drawn from this ancient source due to its antiquity,
its reverence of the dead and personal immortality, and its mythic connection
with forgotten wisdom. Other symbols
used by Vampyres include skulls, skeletons, or coffins: To Vampyres these symbolize the power or
triumph over death. Vampyres have organized themselves into Covens, Households and
Traditions and have developed complex languages, mythologies, philosophies
and spiritual systems.
The mythologies chosen by a
particular group affect their philosophies and practice. Examples include the Strigoi Vii, Cainites,
Khlysty, Lilitu, Nephilists, Order of the Dragon, Setians, Starseed Vampyres
and Xanastasians. Vampyre covens or
houses can be as large as several hundred people: The term “house” is more frequently used to
describe Vampyre groups than the term “coven.” Smaller groups may be referred to as
Covens, Circles or Clutches, larger groups may be referred to as Legacies,
Households and Clans. There are no
requirements for forming a Vampyre coven other than a group of people with
common interest getting together and choosing a Sigil, a name and a
theme. Becoming recognized by the
greater community is more of a challenge, since it takes time to earn their
respect. Some of the better known
Vampyre houses are: House Sabertooth,
House Omallie, Mavenlore, Della Noir, Blackdove, House Kheperu and Trylesta. A person initiated into one or more Houses
is referred to as a Kithal. The founder or leader of a large family or House of Vampyres is
referred to as a Primus. A Household is a large group or collection of groups who use one Sigil
to identify themselves. Households
have their own established rules of order, rituals, and beliefs. Examples include House Sabretooth, House
Agasti and House Kheperu. In House
Sahajza, a population of Vampyres in a geographic area is referred to as a
Grotto. The underground culture is
referred to as the Cabal. A Vampyre council of Elders is referred to as a Jhatyet. The code of conduct and
etiquette of the Sanguinarium is the Black Veil, which was originally created
by Michelle Belanger in 1997. It was
derived from the earlier Thirteen Rules of Community created by Father Sebastian
Todd, founder of the Elorathian traditions.
The Black Veil is recognized by all of the various traditions of the
Vampyre community. It encourages
respect between differing Vampyre traditions and encourages sensibility and
discretion in their lifestyles. The
latest version, updated by Belanger in 2002, has seven tenets: 1. “DISCRETION: Respect
yourself and present yourself so that others also respect you. Take care in
revealing yourself. Explain what you are, not to shock, but to teach and to
inform. Do not flaunt what you are, and know that whether you want them to or
not, your actions will reflect upon the rest of the community. Share your nature only with those with the
wisdom to understand and accept it, and learn to recognize these people. 2. “DIVERSITY:
Among us, there are many
different practices and many points of view. No single one of us has all the
answers to who and what we are. Respect each person's individual choices and
beliefs. Learn about them and share what you know. Our diversity is our strength,
and we should not allow misunderstanding to weaken our community. Find the path that is right for you and
uphold this freedom for others. 3. “CONTROL:
Do not allow your darkness to
consume you. You are more than just your hunger, and you can exercise
conscious control. Do not be reckless. Always act with a mind toward safety.
Never feed because you think this makes you powerful; feed because this is what
you must do. Be true to your nature,
but never use it as an excuse to endanger those around you. 4. “ELDERS:
Give respect to those who have
earned it. Anyone can claim a title, but a true leader will prove him or
herself through dedication, hard work, and great deeds. Even so, leaders
should be guides and not dictators. Look to them as examples, but always decide
for yourself what you must do. Respect
the person, not the position, and understand that your choices are always
your own. 5. “BEHAVIOR:
Know that there are
repercussions to every action, and that you alone are responsible for your
decisions. Educate yourself about risky behaviors, then always act with
wisdom and common sense. Do not allow others to abuse you, but also, do not
selfishly abuse. Respect the rights of
others and treat them as you would be treated. 6. “DONORS:
Feeding should occur between
consenting adults. Allow donors to make an informed decision before they give
of themselves to you. Do not take rapaciously from others, but seek to have
an exchange that is pleasant and beneficial for all. Respect the life that you feed upon and do
not abuse those who provide for you. “COMMUNITY: Reach out to
others in your community. Exchange ideas, information, and support. Be
hospitable to others, and appreciate hospitality when it is extended to you.
Do not engage in illegal activity, for this can endanger us all. Seek to nurture our community and support
all those who do the same.” Michelle Belanger founded the Khephrian Order. The Egyptian word Kheper means
“transformation” or “becoming”, and gives us a hint as to the essence of what
Khephrians believe. Khephrians believe
that Vampirism is a condition of the spirit which manifests through
successive incarnations. Their
philosophy involves taking a potentially harmful and destructive tendency and
transforming it into a mutually healing experience. The Black Veil refers to this concept as
the Twilight Pillar, and originated with the Temple of the Vampire
group. It refers to mastery over or
balance between the two aspects of one’s nature: One’s primal or magickal/spiritual nature,
referred to by Vampyres as “Nightside”, and one’s civilized or mundane
nature, called “Dayside.” Some
Vampyres refer to their true nature as “the Dragon” within them. Others refer to it as “the Beast” or “the
Shadow”. |
