Marlene's Corner

Neko

This is my kitty~ His name is Spoopy! I adopted him here!

Hello Everybody!

My name is Marlene. I'm a friend of Yukon's!

I'm here to tell you more about the wide world of modern vampires! Yukon already gave you a little introduction so I'm here to expand on the concept!

But first, I'm going to tell you a little about myself!

Here I Am!

Image credit: dressupgames.com. Image description: a goth cartoon girl wearing a small tophat, corset, skirt, long diamond earrings, and a choker. She has long blue hair and black eyes. End description.

I am a psychic vampire. I'm also vampirekin. I practice witchcraft, I play croquet, I write, and I sew! I'm from London! I love heavy metal, alternative, and grunge music, stuffed animals, gothic fashion, and my favourite colour is navy blue! My pronouns are she/they. I'm 28 years old. I'm kind of an open book. I bet you don't know half as much about Yukon as you now do about me!

Anywho, onto modern vampires!

First things first, let's talk history. The modern vampire community, sometimes called the vampyre community or real vampire community to distinguish us from other more cinematic vampires, is decades old and really started to gain some traction with Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan in the 1960's. Lots of us found the community through occult interests or religious interests (athiesm, satanism, etc.) In the 90's on some forums, we began to refer to ourselves as "real vampires" but that term is used far less now. Modern vampires are not physically different from other humans but we are different on some non-physical (spiritual, psychological, emotional, etc.) levels. Think alterhuman instead of plain human. We aren't all goth by a long shot but many of us dress in gothic fashion or in punk or emo styles. Lots of us wear prosthetic fangs. Of course, the modern vampire community does not have one look. This is why most of us don't use term "vampire lifestylers" for ourselves. Being a vampire is more than a fashion style, and it's more than a lifestyle. It's an identity.

There are plenty of different types of modern vampire. There are lots of little distinctions people use to differentiate their type of vampire from other types of vampire. Generally speaking, though, there are three main types:

  • Sanguinarians
  • Pyschic vampires
  • Hybrids

Sanguinarians drink blood. This is done safely, consensually, and in small quantities. Some sanguinarians simply eat bloody meat; rare steak, blood sausage, you get the picture. Many will have a dedicated non-vampire friend who acts as a "donor" and gives them blood in small quantities. Yes, there are health risks to consuming blood. It is possible to do it safely, though, and many sanguine-vamps do!

Psychic vampires feed on psychic energy, or "life force", and this can even happen unconciously. Prior to realizing their vampiric selves, psy-vamps are not aware that they feed on psychic energy. Psychic vampires are a kind of energy vampire. It's important to note that we're different from "emotional vampires" which is a human personality word, but emotions can make it easier to feed! I noticed from a very young age that I was very empathetic. I felt other people's emotions like it was second nature. No, I'm not claiming to be an empath. When I feed, I sometimes get glimpses of other's emotions. I also know other psy-vamps who feed by arguing or debating with people. The rise of emotions displayed in a debate gives them a feeling of fullness. That said, psychic vampires are not inherently predatory. We also use donors and feed on large groups so people don't notice so much. Furthermore, sometimes a refreshing of one's psychic energy is needed. In Michelle Belanger's book "The Psychic Vampire Codex" she explains that when we feed we make room for new, fresh psychic energy to flourish in a person.

Hybrids do both. They drink blood and consume psychic energy. Hybrids are kind of the best of both worlds! Some hybrids can sustain themselves through either method of feeding while some insist they need both to feel fulfilled. Some vastly prefer one method of feeding while some are indifferent. The only thing they all have in common is the ability to feed on both psychic energy and blood.

Looking For Belonging

Like any niche community, learning that you're a modern vampire can be as much an isolating experience as a spiritual awakening. Fortunately, there are many modern vampire communities and associations that exist! Before the internet, we met one another through a shared interest in the occult. In the early days of online forums we connected by stumbling upon the right ones. Now it is easier than ever to connect with modern vampires. Apps like Discord allow us to form small, protected communities. Sites like Tumblr and Facebook allow us to connect with large groups! There are many online and offline vampire communities. I'm very grateful for all of them!

There are many semi-famous vampyres who have worked to make the community more visible. For example, Father Sebastian is considered to be a founder of the modern-modern vamprire scene. He's done lots of interviews and made appearances on many TV shows as well as written lots of books! One of his close collegues is Michelle Belanger, a psychic vampire author! Together they have created much visibilty of the community.

But remember, especially kids but really anyone, not everyone has your best interest at heart. Not all vampires like other vampires. Not all vampires like being vampires. Respect and consent are incredibly important in any vampire space. Anyone advocating for "vampiric supremacy" over humans is not your friend. Anyone saying all vampires must look a certain way/have certain physical characteristics is not your friend. Anyone who claims to be able to turn humans into modern vampires or vice-versa is not your friend. (Unlike Yukon's type of vampire, we are all born this way!) Don't go joining shady communes in the woods where you'll be isolated, don't try to change yourself to fit in with a group, and don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't be a vampire if you don't do what they say.