The judgment

Reflecting on many things over the past month, I have observed how ups and downs occur all the time.
Moments when certainties run out through the fingers like sand.

Stopping to observe from a neutral point of view is difficult, but necessary. And that's when, once again, we stare into our reflection, and our shadow, our demons are reflected in our eyes. Things we keep in a private Pandora's box, but that are there. Obstacles that we think we have won, but that have just been swept under the rug.
I realized how easy it is to judge. And it comes from the feeling of being judged.
The irritation of thinking that certain behaviors are expected. What intentions could be "x or y" of people with regard to their being, and their expectations.
A looping of irritation and judgment, projecting into the surroundings, maybe our own frustration.
I realized that we created expectations about certain things. We begin to control the behavior of others from our point of view and from our own expectations.

Thoughts like, "But that's not how I think they should act." "Wow, they're being extremists and radicals." "They seem to be talking arrogantly as if they wanted to get an air of knowing everything."
Judgments. And without realizing it we do it all the time.
But often we only realize it when we become their target, and we feel wronged.
"Why are you pushing me this way?" "They are not understanding my way of acting and wanting me to follow a pattern".
When we are uncomfortable with something, it is very likely that we may be doing the same in return.
Waiting for a pattern is judging.
And at this point, here comes a particular moment. An outburst in realizing how much more internally than externally I have done and keep doing so.
How much my disappointment with certain things, groups, people, was, in fact, a projected expectation of what I would like to find and that I thought it would be as it should be.
Once again I thought, I hoped, and that would be my vision. My way of feeling and seeing things, and hoping it would be so with others.

Herein lies the lack of respect. It is necessary to respect the space of the other, the way each one manifests in himself his passions, his tastes. The way that each one externalizes what he brings within himself. My fail. My lack of respect. My flaw to respect the way others are and act.
Whether this exteriorization is characterized by beautiful and flowery words or texts that sound arrogant or elitist. Whether this form of manifestation is more timid and contained, or more verbal and angry.
Each individual is an individual.
To feel that you have the freedom taken, is, first of all, you putting yourself shackles, often for not wanting to disappoint somebody and to try to meet the expectations of others.
Realizing that it affects you in some way is because there is something there. Especially because you care about their opinion, and value them. And often there is respect and affection, and you respect so much that you try not to disappoint, but there you fall into the error of not being yourself, out of fear. And at that point, you fail.
I feel that there are many things that need to be worked out. Emotional aspects that make us realize how wrong we are, how often we stumble and fall.
Moments that are our greatest learning. People who, even in a painful way, are our greatest teachers.

I leave here an immense thanks to a special person who helped me in a conversation to see things better through the light of Dawn.

There is much still to ponder. But the path of each is individual and the way of living it as well.
Within the path of vampirism, there are innumerable things to go through. Much to deal with and one of them is precisely the confrontation with oneself.
Within the path of vampirism, which in my view is one of the many layers that we deal with, that we possess, there are innumerable systems and tools that can be used for growth and evolution.
Not everyone looks for evolution, not all seek power.
I think that criticizing the way, and the way of each one is not productive, at least for me.
There are those who within the occult seek satisfaction for something, others who only want the fireworks. There are serious seekers, there are curious ones. Anyway, there are different reasons why you are looking for something.

I know that many get angry at the distortions because they lead new, ignorant people to error and deal with false or ridiculous things.
I know that many are struggling to get things done in a more serious and clear way.
But, in my opinion, criticizing something you dislike, every five words you use, every post or text is also not nice.

Saying bad things about other systems or traditions, just because you do not like them, is unnecessary, but that is my opinion.

And even within groups, there are conflicts and contradictions. For they are people, and people possess their instruments of interpretation, which is affected by their experiences. One person will not see one event in the same way as the other. What they carry within them is decisive for the perspective they will have.
What has happened in the past, can bring reactions of defense, roughness, or lightness and serenity.
And again, a personal thing I will write here is, just because I interact with different people, that may have a different and opposite opinion about things I deal with, does not mean I am a "traitor". I try to act friendly with people. Am I going to be judged by that? For sure. But that is me. And that is something I will also have to deal with.

If I do not fiercely stand up and fight in some occasions, does not mean it is because I agree or disagree.
In the end, we will always be judged, and judge as well, even if we try to think we won't.
And we always judge ourselves.

I am here, slowly letting things flow better.

May we be lighter in our Journey and chosen path, leaving behind unnecessary heavy things.

                                                     

Em Hotep.

Individual and personal choices - Our own Path

In the end, each one has an individual path. One that is real. It may connect with others, complement itself, unite. Some people may find they can walk the same road, and they get together. Exchanging ideas, experiences, learning and evolving. Finding similarities.

Some cross paths, from maybe, other lives, and they rejoice at finding each other one more time.I am glad I found some companions to share this Journey with. But, in the end, it is always you and yourself. It is you and You. The Real Master you can trust, the One that will always guide you, be with you, Be You.

We travel specific roads that may be familiar or roads that we need to go. We deal with specific things, and there is no right or wrong because they are personal. But it is good to find a path where you feel you are finally HOME.

Your feelings. But they are yours, even if others share similar ideas, you cannot impose what you believe to be the best, because that will work for you. Respect the others, enjoy the exchange and evolve as an individual.

Much has been said about "my way" of doing thousands of things. It is ok because this element will work for this individual. The problem begins when this "my way" becomes " should be like this for everyone".

Talking about religion, spirituality, occultism, vampirism, or whatever it may come to mind, trying to impose something on others simply because it works for you is ignorance.

What if this or that person prefers to act this or that way? What difference does it have in your life?

"Oh but this is not the way it should be." But how it should be? Who are we and what do we know enough to try to act as a god?

Like I said, in the end, each person will have a different path, different choices, different results, but many seeking for the same thing.

Some will feel more comfortable one way than the other. And it is not up to me, you, whoever to judge, to think " my way is better".

It is, however, very good when we can connect to something that resonates with our soul. That thing we feel is ours. We look and say " wow, I believe that was what I was looking for".  And maybe that thing may work for some years until the day you discover that maybe you need a different approach, a new experience, some new studies.

And that is just life, like a school.

The ones open to this eternal and mutable tide may flow with it and grow.

Our experiences are ours. Our feelings. And sometimes, when we look back we see how much we changed and things we used to love and defend maybe do not deserve that much of our energy anymore, or some of them got stronger.

But we may feel embarrassed for some behaviors we had, or look with some affection for the emotion we showed.

But being able to observe, analyze, and learn from those experiences can make us better people.

We need to be better than we were yesterday. Otherwise, it is a waste of time.

Feet on the ground...
Practice, try, gain experience, but keep your sanity...

Head on the clouds...
Risk more, trust yourself, know that there is much more than meets the eye.

We should have balance. We should be neutral. And we must realize everything follows a Law... a flow.

Balance and Justice.

Maat.

Being part of the All, we reflect it and we also Are.

Going back to the "my way" issue, many discuss that there is a correct religion, a correct practice, a correct vampire path....

Is there?

Are there some that would "bring shame to vampire community"? Which community? Which vampires?

For the open world, everyone talking about vampirism would be a joke...

So why are some still wrestling about it? 

I agree that few take the study of vampirism in a serious base. But that is my view. I see that vampirism goes beyond fangs and fantasy. For me it is a deep occult topic. But... who am I to keep criticizing others and their practices or beliefs? Or their role-play way of showing they like vampires?

It may sound bad, lack of respect, a joke... but... what difference does it make for me? It is not my path, so... let them be what they want to be.

If some are delusional, deceiving themselves, or just acting like kids playing... who am I to judge them?

The only thing that maybe bothers me is when some use that to deceive others saying "this is the only real path".

It is, again, up to each individual to try and decide... 

In the end...

...each one has an individual path.

I found mine.

A Tree with lots of branches, leaves and fruits, a strong trunk and Ancient roots, very Ancient roots...

Em Hotep.

Reflections - the alchemy of the soul.

I have been taking some time off from many things. Studying and reading. I came to notice that there is much to learn, and understand and many things are just tricky, roads that when taken can lead us to the most different aspects of ourselves.


When I examine life, peeling its layers, I get a glimpse of what could be the core. We hold different aspects, masks, layers like I said that exist to support life, this life. This one we have in this existence. But what are we exactly?
Observing some layers we are a name, an age, an address. Then we are a daughter or son, a niece, a cousin. A friend, a professional, someone on the street.
Then there is the internal resonance with something we feel connected to. Those studies, beliefs, things we follow, we practice in order to evolve. But we are still not them.
Descriptions inside this world could be like: vampire, witch, otherkin, Asetian, human... still we ARE NOT these.
I believe they are how we vibrate, we identify, but we can keep digging deeper.

What is inside? The essence... the raw material...


"Know thyself and you will know the Universe and the Gods."

 (Inscription on the frontispiece of the Temple of Apollo on Mount Parnassus, Greece, 2500 B.C.).

There are many ways a person can take in order to discover his true nature, about himself. And it is, indeed a hard work. One that demands patience.


"... Spiritual evolution and magickal power are only attainable through undeniable hard work and those forces cannot be limited by the constraints of time."
Violet Throne
~Luis Marques

I find it to be very interesting The Magnum Opus (The Great Work). A term for the process of working with the prima materia to create the philosopher's stone.

 Then the four stages

nigredo, a blackening or melanosis
albedo, a whitening or leucosis
citrinitas, a yellowing or xanthosis
rubedo, a reddening, purpling, or iosis

"In alchemy, nigredo, or blackness, means putrefaction or decomposition. Many alchemists believed that as a first step in the pathway to the philosopher's stone, all alchemical ingredients had to be cleansed and cooked extensively to a uniform black matter.

In analytical psychology, the term became a metaphor 'for the dark night of the soul, when an individual confronts the shadow within"

"Albedo - It is a Latinicized term meaning "whiteness". Following the chaos or massa confusa of the nigredo stage, the alchemist undertakes a purification in albedo, which is literally referred to as ablutio – the washing away of impurities. In this process, the subject is divided into two opposing principles to be later coagulated to form a unity of opposites or coincidentia oppositorum during rubedo.

Titus Burckhardt interprets the albedo as the end of the lesser work, corresponding to a spiritualization of the body. The goal of this portion of the process is to regain the original purity and receptivity of the soul. Psychologist Carl Jung equated the albedo with unconscious contrasexual soul images; the anima in men and animus in women. It is a phase where insight into shadow projections are realized, and inflated ego and unneeded conceptualizations are removed from the psyche."

"Citrinitas, sometimes referred to as xanthosis, is a term given by alchemists to "yellowness." It is one of the four major stages of the alchemical magnum opus, and literally referred to "transmutation of silver into gold" or "yellowing of the lunar consciousness." In alchemical philosophy, citrinitas stood for the dawning of the "solar light" inherent in one's being, and that the reflective "lunar or soul light" was no longer necessary. The other three alchemical stages were nigredo (blackness), albedo (whiteness), and rubedo (redness).

Psychologist Carl Jung is credited with interpreting the alchemical process as analogous to modern-day psychoanalysis. In the Jungian archetypal schema, nigredo is the Shadow; albedo refers to the anima and animus (contrasexual soul images); citrinitas is the wise old man (or woman) archetype, and rubedo is the Self archetype which has achieved wholeness."

"Rubedo is a Latin word meaning "redness" that was adopted by alchemists to define the fourth and final major stage in their magnum opus. Both gold and the philosopher's stone were associated with the color red, as rubedo signaled alchemical success, and the end of the great work."



Everything goes through different kinds of processes, and they take time. Transformation and transmutation take a lot of time...

(Persistence of Memory - Salvador Dali)

The important thing is acting. Seeking for answers. Feeling that agony inside, the one that moves us forward.
When we begin questioning life, our existence itself, we begin opening our eyes to roads that were not visible before. Learning that life is not real, being mere shadows projected in the walls of this cave we believe is our home.

When we question, we begin to free ourselves from the concepts mentioned by Plato in his "Allegory of the Cave". There is much to question, there are so many things that should not be taken just because someone said it is like that.

Living and experiencing things can bring better results as we are able to feel them.

Bringing this issue to the identity layer, as I mentioned above, the idea of being a vampire, for example, is one of this layers but cannot be used as a crutch, or as a single element of the being, like "I am this or that and period". This kind of thought would be limiting and thus, impede growth.

When a person identifies himself as having a vampiric nature, being a vampire, practicing vampirism, I believe he can use the elements connected to it to go after the necessary things for him to learn and evolve.
It could be the books, the rituals, practices that best align with what he is and pursues.

Inside vampirism, there are a lot of areas, concepts, ideas, practices, and they are also related to what people think, want, like. Especially vampirism that is something people tend to have a prejudice against even inside occult circles, finding answers is not always easy.
There will be lots and lots of people, houses, groups with their own ideas and concepts. Things that resonate with them. Some will have serious work, others crazy ideas. So it is not easy for newcomers to find trustful info.

I would strongly recommend a person that is looking for answers to not stay closed inside a system without questioning, researching a lot of different things in order to compare and validate some of them or discard...

This is something I always had with me, the eager for reading and learning about different things. Of course not practice them all! It would be confusing and conflicting. But, for me, what works is knowing about different things, this way I am able to at least talk about them and know what serves me and what serves me not.
This is something mentioned in the Aset Ka books, by Luis Marques. Studying and learning about many things so we can expand our framework.


When there is seriousness involved in the journey, the process is rewarding.

Life is a mystery and quite fascinating.

In the end, we are all going through the alchemical processes, we are all changing and transmuting somehow.
Let this process be one we are conscious about. Because if we are not in control of life, if we are not driving the car, we will be sitting in the passenger's seat, blindfolded, being driven...


Source:  Wikipedia
              Violet Throne - Luis Marques- Aset Ka

Emptiness

Great power and forgotten mastery hides in the unspoken art of interpreting the forbidden language of silence. ☥

~Luis Marques

Silence. Nothing. Just nothing.

I have been wondering why it is so hard to be quiet, and empty. We are always trying to fill the silence with something. It seems that being empty brings a sense that something is wrong. 

Even during a spiritual Journey, there is a tendency of going after information, books, practices, and maybe we forget the value of nothingness.

During some insights, I wondered about the importance of disappearing. We die. We must die. But who needs to cease from existing? Everything that is not us. Everything we identify with is simply not us. A good start is our name. We are not a name, a tag, a body, our Jobs, and families.

We understand that while here, incarnated we are part f these things, but our Real Us is not.

We are blind and deaf for what we really are. Our True Self.

It cannot manifest simply because we are too busy giving attention to our senses and getting so attached to what happens to us in different plans of manifestation, that we just fall. And we become this matter. The false illusion that we are real.

It is like trying to see something through a dirty window. Unless we clear the window, unless we destroy the window, we won’t be able to see the real landscape.

But it is hard, really hard to silence everything and feel the real emptiness.

We first need to know ourselves, completely. All our sides. We cannot defeat an enemy we know nothing about.

We cannot burn everything if we do not even know what to burn, or if we try to hide what needs to go.

It is a long Journey, it is a hard one, but, those who understand that in order to Be we need to not Be, will see some value in these words.

While we are, we will not be.

We will only Be when we realize we have to be Not.

Nothing.

Empty.

Everything.

Full.

Em Hotep ☥

Nigredo - finding self-knowledge

The wise man is not surprised by death

he is always ready to leave.

La Fontaine

This melancholic state is so powerful

that, according to scientists and doctors,

it can attract demons to the body,

even to such an extent

that one can get into mental confusion or get visions.

Agrippa

NIGREDO

In the alchemical sense, Nigredo, or blackness, means putrefaction, decomposition.

Activation of the inner fire occurs by the penetration of the external fire, so the matter starts to putrefy. The body is reduced to its primal matter from which it originally arose.

Psychologically, nigredo is a process of directing oneself to find self-knowledge.

There is a focus, the problem is given full attention and reduced to its core. This is not done so much in an intellectual way, but especially by feeling the emotions. The confrontation with the inner reality is often painful, and can lead to depression. But once in the depth of the darkness, with the discovery of the seed of the problem, the seed in the ‘prima materia’, the white light is born (=albedo, whiteness, the next phase). A state of rest arises. Insight into the problem has been gained, it has been worked out emotionally, and knowledge arises on how to handle it in a more positive way and to build a more pure attitude.
In analytical psychology, the term became a metaphor 'for the dark night of the soul, when an individual confronts the shadow within.

 (Basilius Valentinus, Azoth, Paris, 1659)

Jung

As a student of alchemy, Carl Jung (and his followers) 'compared the "black work" of the alchemists (the nigredo) with the often highly critical involvement experienced by the ego, until it accepts the new equilibrium brought about by the creation of the self'. Jungians interpreted nigredo in two main psychological senses.
The first sense represented a subject's initial state of undifferentiated unawareness, 'the first nigredo, that of the unio naturalis, is an objective state, visible from the outside only...an unconscious state of non-differentiation between self and object, consciousness and the unconscious'. Here the subject is unaware of the unconscious; i.e. the connection with the instincts'.

In the second sense, 'the nigredo of the process of individuation on the other hand is a subjectively experienced process brought about by the subject's painful, growing awareness of his shadow aspects'. It could be described as a moment of maximum despair, that is a prerequisite to personal development. As individuation unfolds, so 'confrontation with the shadow produces at first a dead balance, a standstill that hampers moral decisions and makes convictions ineffective or even impossible...nigredo, tenebrositas, chaos, melancholia'. Here is 'the darkest time, the time of despair, disillusionment, envious attacks; the time when Eros and Superego are at daggers drawn, and there seems no way forward...nigredo, the blackening'.
Only subsequently would come 'an enantiodromia; the nigredo gives way to the albedo...the ever deepening descent into the unconscious suddenly becomes illumination from above'

Further steps of the alchemical opus include such images as albedo (whiteness), citrinitas (yellowness), and rubedo (redness). Jung also found psychological equivalents for many other alchemical concepts, with 'the characterization of analytic work as an opus; the reference to the analytic relationship as a vas, vessel or container; the goal of the analytic process as the coniunctio, or union of conflicting opposites'.

SATURN

The planet that rules nigredo is Saturn. Its alchemical symbol is used, like Mercurius, as a symbol of chaos, the prima materia as rough stone, and as the philosopher’s stone. These are all symbols for man at the beginning of the alchemical process. Saturn, with his traditional scythe and hourglass, is the god of death and putrefaction, from which new life will arise. The scythe is another tool for penetration, as is the lance and the sword. Saturn is the philosopher’s lead. He is the god that can cause melancholy and devilish visions. ‘Melancholia’ is another term for nigredo.

Saturn is also a god of fertility. Therefore "our black earth is fertile earth", an alchemical expression to express the transformation of death into new life, which is also clearly depicted in the thirteenth tarot card. The putrefaction is a necessary phase to start a new beginning. Life itself is a cycle of death and birth, ever creating new life, giving man the opportunity to work on himself and strife to improve his condition.

The alchemists say that nigredo lasts forty days. Forty days has a symbolic value. Jesus fasted for forty days in the desert. There are forty days of fasting between Easter and Ascension Day. The Israelites wandered for forty days in the desert. Saint Antonius spent forty years in the Sahara desert, being plagued by visions of extreme erotic scenes and devils.

"Putrefaction is so effective that it destroys the old nature and form of the rotting bodies; it transmutes them into a new state of being to give them a totally new fruit. Everything that has live, dies; everything that is dead putrefies and finds a new life." (Pernety, 1758)




Notes:
1 http://www.soul-guidance.com/houseofthesun/alchemy%202.htm
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigredo

Loneliness or Uniqueness?

You barely open your eyes. You are alone. Even surrounded by your mom, dad, family, you are and you will always be alone. It is you, and only yourself who you will carry wherever you go. Life happens exactly where you are.
You can be in your house, or decide to go for a pilgrimage at Tibet, everything you will always possess is yourself.

You OPEN your eyes. You awake to your true nature. You realize you may not be "just" a regular human being. You sense you are different, something inside you leads you to seek for answers, for others that might be able to help you. " Are there others like me?" You may think. "What am I? What is this I am feeling?"

Something makes you so unsettled that you think you may be getting crazy.
You make a decision to go for more information. Then, your identification points you to the direction of vampires...
There may be a moment of surprise, shock, fear, empowerment. Many different feelings can run through the veins of different individuals. Each one may interpret from different perspectives.

Alone...

That is the sensation. Loneliness.

You decide to find a group. Maybe read something that you align with. But groups are made of people, and people may have their own agendas. Different personalities, egos, purposes.
Some people do really enjoy the experience of pertaining to a group. They feel safe, they enjoy the interaction and the exchange.

"Belongingness is the human emotional need to be an accepted member of a group. Whether it is family, friends, co-workers, a religion, or something else, people tend to have an 'inherent' desire to belong and be an important part of something greater than themselves. This implies a relationship that is greater than simple acquaintance or familiarity. The need to belong is the need to give and receive attention to and from others.

Belonging is a strong and inevitable feeling that exists in human nature. To belong or not to belong can occur due to choices of one's self, or the choices of others. Not everyone has the same life and interests, hence not everyone belongs to the same thing or person. Without belonging, one cannot identify themselves as clearly, thus having difficulties communicating with and relating to their surroundings." 1

Also, the sense of being guided brings some kind of safety. It makes the person a little more secure of the steps he is taking. We cannot deny that it also can become something negative, like a crutch since the young learner can rely too much on his instructor, guide, teacher. But from my experience, I have seen some people that really prefer the interaction of groups, houses or Orders.

"Abraham Maslow suggested that the need to belong was a major source of human motivation. He thought that it was one of 5 human needs in his hierarchy of needs, along with physiological needs, safety, self-esteem, and self-actualization. These needs are arranged in a hierarchy and must be satisfied in order. After physiological and safety needs are met an individual can then work on meeting the need to belong and be loved. According to Maslow, if the first two needs are not met, then an individual cannot completely love someone else." 2

On the other hand, some individuals prefer to walk their Journey in a lonely way. Some follow a tradition, on their own, others do not get linked to any specific thing, but learn from different sources. Some words are used to describe these individuals, but I prefer to see them as they are, people that have just decided to not join anything, they are there, following their individual paths, as individual beings.

Is there a correct way?

I believe the right one is, as I always say, that one that aligns with your heart and soul. More spiritualized, less spiritualized, more focus on magick, LHP, RHP, the need for group rituals, the practices a person can do alone...

There are so many ways and options. The important thought is to not go by others footsteps... Do not try to fit somewhere, just because it seems "nice". Do not try to join a group because loners are criticized. Do not leave a group because groups are criticized.

What works for me, may not work for you. And even inside groups, the diversity can be so big that, one begins influencing the other.

Problems may arise as the individuals working in groups may develop thoughts about the ones in other groups, or the loners. The sense of honor and loyalty can be very strong in some individuals, and in my opinion, it has to be, since you defend that thing you consider Sacred to you. But everything has to go from the correct level of judgment. The action should be always from the heart, and not blind faith, following rumors, or acting out of anger, without even checking if that is the correct way.

"In-group favoritism, sometimes known as in-group–out-group bias, in-group bias, or intergroup bias, is a pattern of favoring members of one's in-group over out-group members. This can be expressed in evaluation of others, in allocation of resources, and in many other ways.

This interaction has been researched by many psychologists and linked to many theories related to group conflict and prejudice. The phenomenon is primarily viewed from a social psychology standpoint. Studies have shown that in-group favoritism arises as a result of the formation of cultural groups.[3][4] These cultural groups can be divided based off seemingly trivial observable traits, but with time populations grow to associate certain traits with certain behavior, increasing covariation. This then incentivizes in-group bias.

Two prominent theoretical approaches to the phenomenon of in-group favoritism are realistic conflict theory and social identity theory. Realistic conflict theory proposes that intergroup competition, and sometimes intergroup conflict, arises when two groups have opposing claims to scarce resources. In contrast, social identity theory posits a psychological drive for positively distinct social identities as the general root cause of in-group favoring behavior."3

The thought that separates "us" from "them"

"Social categorization occurs whenever we think about others in terms of their category memberships rather than on the basis of other, more personal information about the individual. 
Social categorization can have a variety of negative consequences for the people who are the targets of our stereotypes. But it becomes even more important and has even more powerful effects on our reactions to others when the categorization becomes more emotionally involving, and particularly when the categorization involves categorization into liked ingroups and potentially disliked outgroups.

Because our ancestors lived in small social groups that were frequently in conflict with other groups, it was evolutionarily functional for them to view members of other groups as different and potentially dangerous. Differentiating between “us” and “them” probably helped keep us safe and free from disease, and as a result, the human brain became very efficient in making these distinctions. The problem is that these naturally occurring tendencies may lead us to prefer people who are like us, and in some cases even to unfairly reject people from outgroups."4

There is this feeling of "us" and "them". The first level is when there is the thought of vampires versus mundanes.

Then segregation may begin happening inside the "inner" circle. The "us" becomes our group, and "them" the others, groups or loners.

Maybe it is a natural thing, and maybe there are benefits that can be extracted from this way of thinking. But many negative issues happen as well.

One day I noticed something very curious. There was an argument going on in a Facebook group. People disagreeing, "vampires" debating against each other. Suddenly, a post with something that affected everyone was placed by a person. I do not remember exactly what it was, but it offended almost everybody there, and what I saw was something like a union of people against this other person. At that moment the "us" became the "whole group of vampires". There was not "my group, my people, my house".

For me, it was something very interesting to observe. It is like thinking about people in general, everyone thinking about themselves, their selfish thoughts, defending their causes, but when something affects a greater area they unite with their neighbors, co-workers, defending something that is related to everyone.

There is much that can be learned with the exchange of ideas inside a circle, as well as much can be learned when you are in solitude and have only your inner master to guide you, the experiences that may take you to succeed but also to fail a lot. And then you learn from the accomplishments and failures.
I enjoy the different ways, the respect, the interaction, the freedom.
The kaleidoscope of possibilities...

So what is better: Having a master to guide you? Working by yourself? Having friends you can count on?

Anything you do, any place you are, in the end, you will always be alone.
It is your Self, your personality, your life, your thoughts, your ego.
Even with others, be yourself, act following your heart, be rational.

Do not be a sheep, in a group or not.
The steps can only be taken by the one walking...
The one thirsty should be the one that drinks the water...

No one can learn and evolve for you, so no one can decide things that only you have to.
It is ok to be in a group. It is ok to be alone.

When you realize that you will always be alone, and that is not bad, you become your best company.
Do not only be lonely, be unique.

It does not matter if you are indeed walking by yourself, or if you belong to a huge group of people, you may have company in some parts of the road, but in the end, it is always a lonely Journey.

"Fitting in is a quest of fools. Being accepted a hope of the weak. Embrace your uniqueness notwithstanding opposition and criticism. ☥"
-Luis Marques



Ref.
1. / 2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belongingness
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In-group_favoritism
4. https://opentextbc.ca/socialpsychology/chapter/ingroup-favoritism-and-prejudice/

Evolution and Diversity

The search for evolution and perfection is something the real vampire craves. When he awakens, he realizes that everything around him is very different from what he had imagined. On the one hand, he comes to see a new world, is marveled by the countless possibilities that are present before his eyes, becoming able to see things now, that went unnoticed before. But on the other hand, he is shocked, because he realizes how much artificiality is present in this so-called "reality", that is nothing, but false interpretations of our senses.

It occurs that we live surrounded by a world, whose nature presents itself in its "Original" form, however, there are several ways to exist within this world, to live, survive, interact, or actually be.
Much can be said about those who are dormant, living happily in a reality that numbs them like anesthesia, which makes them accept things as they are, basic and simple, without questioning much. Mass populace behavior.

A sleeping routine, waking up, working, having fun, sleeping, wake up...and so on.
When you wake up, when you open your eyes and realize that the world in which we are immersed has an "artificial flavor of reality", you suffer.

Suffering is derived from that perception. As in the film "The Matrix", where the artificial reality created serves to deceive, the real reality is that much less attractive.
We suffer because we see beyond what normal eyes see, we sense more, and it affects us a lot.
But what's worth more? A comfortable life of lies, or confrontation with the truth, but which breeds in itself the "heart" of the matter, the Truth?

There is also the interpretation and perception of the "reality" I mentioned above. Reality is subjective. It depends on our internal resources so that we can interpret it, and that interpretation will always occur differently for each individual. Everything depends on what he possesses, knowledge, keys, elements, an internal library that allows him to read what he understands, and creates an interpretation. That is why the search for knowledge becomes an important step for anyone who wishes to evolve.

Follow the path of intuition, feel, but also seeking to acquire the "formal" tools so that we can keep moving onward, climbing each rung of the ladder up the evolutionary path.
Dealing with occultism, with vampirism is not only to identify and live in a "basic layer" of perception.

When looking through the veil, once seen, it is impossible to remain in the previous state. You can try to ignore the path, close your eyes, but the responsibility that exists before you, will always be there. A matter of choice, but after taking the red pill and choosing to wake up, there's no turning back.
Some people keep their evolutionary journey as avid seekers. Respecting traditions and orders, going after knowledge, tools that will equip them to evolve.

I respect  these beings a lot. Especially when they show this respect and realize how much they can learn from different paths.

Inside vampirism, there are different Paths and traditions, and it is normal, holding to an identification, and defending that one you usually align with. However, it becomes very interesting when people, in their serious and mature quest, open themselves to the different ways and it is wonderful how the exchange of thoughts becomes beneficial.

This is the Path of Evolution for me. Not always people will agree, and when it is a healthy debate, it even helps to expand the view about things. People may argue, it is normal. But when the focus is placed on what really matters, then, the real magick happens.

Choose wisely how the energy is going to be applied. Time is precious, our energy is important, our Journey is Sacred.

"Speak your mind. Act on your ideals. Trust your instincts. Live your dreams. Never surrender. Ignore hate, envy and dishonest criticism. ☥"
- Luis Marques



* Edited with the help of Cory Kai Draken.