10 Things You / We can DO to Improve the Vampyre Culture

My mission vision for the VC (Vampyre Culture) is apart of the “Great Work” and it is something which is at the foundations why I wrote the Black Veils Master Vampyre Edition. The my goal is to inspire, challenge and set and example through my businesses including the Endless Night Vampire Ball events. Everyone should strive for personal nobility, everyone should strive empower their own internal King or Queen. I have seen the Vampire Mythos has evolved and we are entering a vampiric age we beyond anything of the past. It is our duty to embrace and take this opportunity, lets not miss the chance.

So here are 10 things which I suggest individuals do to take action to improve Vampyre Culture beyond just partying and spending all day online in Vampire’s “Game of Fangs” politics. I forewarn this Great Work will take focus, hard work, creativity, action and effort.

With so much talk on the concept of improving of the Vampyre Community we must start with Culture. Culture is an important part of evolution of the unity of any community. People talk about Unity, but they don’t know where to truly start is in the individual. Unity is a desire to get along in harmony and the Vampyre is an evolved being, we are the forerunners of many trends and the keepers of lost traditions and ideas. Focus your energy on the beauty and majesty of the vampire archetype.

1. Music - Listen to classics, educate yourself on lyrics or support a band talking about Vampire Culture. Music vibrates and moves the very building blocks of the universe.
2. Dance - Be it ballroom, the waltz, ballet, gothic / industrial, asian geisha dances, etc. are a powerful energetic and creative focus.
3. Martial Arts - can bring forth discipline and focus, provide training for self defense and explore a philosophy of chivalry and honour.
4. Education - The BDSM and Pagan communities have workshops, courses, classes, etc. on a a variety of subjects of interest. Do courses, presentations, classes on Yoga, reiki, Vampire Mythology, Ancient cultures, dance, etc.
5. Write - a book, poem, song or article on a subject to inspire, educate and challenge the modern VC.
6. Gastronomy - eat and drink together, cook, host a dinner party. Food and cooking together at the same table is a powerful cultural tool of unifying the VC. When in another halo explore the local cuisine.
7. Visit / Travel / Explore - YES BE A TOURIST. Get to know the local monuments, food, history, culture, historical and sites of interest. Do it with other local vampires.
8. Communion - Do energy communions together, hold hands, breath and meditate, cleanse, center and ground.
9. Talk - Communication is key, don’t focus on differences, focus on common things of interest like music, food, humour, your favorite TV show or films, etc.
10. Craft - make things, create be it a new corset, pair of fangs, crafted piece of wood or a beautiful painting. Crafting its good for the soul, Current and brings good focused energy.

So lets begin…

The Modern Vampire Mythos

Excerpt of the Black Veils Master Vampyre 888 Edition

The Modern Vampire Mythos is defined in Black Veils as the collective impact of all of the legends, film, literature, fantasy and mythology related to the vampire from all time periods. From ancient times almost every culture has included some sort of vampiric mythological figure in their superstitions and lore, ranging from the Lilitu demons of ancient Sumerian and Jewish myths, the Incubi / Succubi of Medieval folklore, the faerie like Baobhan Sith of the Scottish Highlands, the Strigoi of Romania, the bloodthirsty Gods of Central and South America and the ghoulish predators of Asia and Africa.

These past legends have collectively given rise to our own modern vampire mythos. One can say that this modern mythos began with the Romantic Movement literary work of author John William Polidori; the short story “The Vampyre” published on April 1st, 1819, featuring the suave British nobleman vampire character Lord Ruthvan. This more modern view of the vampire was expanded upon in Victorian literature works such as the lurid serialized penny dreadful Varney the Vampire (1845-7) and the gothic horror of Carmilla (1871). Then all radically changed with the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula in 1897, and from there the Modern Vampire Mythos exploded into mainstream culture in a very refined manner.

The Vampire Mythos was truly defined and evolved in 20th century though thousands of incarnations in film, television, literature, role-playing games (RPGs), video games, merchandise and even spawned an entire Vampyre lifestyle subculture. The biggest influences of the past 100 years on the Vampire Mythos, aside from Dracula (in films from 1931, 1958, 1979 and 1992), include Barnabas Collins from the gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows (1966-71), Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles novels (Interview with the Vampire published in 1975) and the tabletop role-playing game Vampire: The Masquerade (released in 1991). All of these interpretations have influenced and illustrated what a modern Vampyre can be; that is regal, aristocratic, angelic anti-hero, who is immortal, powerful and highly social yet extremely independent. The Vampyre is a powerful being that many of us wish to become. We can see them reflected in our own primal desires and a as monster that we can relate to, and many times sympathize with.

This is the modern 21st century Modern Vampire Mythos and its spirit is the Vampyre Current.