18AUG2022
Lessons of the Vampyre
I picked up this book, I believe, in early December of 2021. At the time, I was visiting bookstores in my new town of Albuquerque, New Mexico, in search of the items on "Uncle Setnakt's Reading List", which is posted on the website of the Temple of Set. While doing so, I became aware of other books written by the authors mentioned, notably this recently-published volume, authored by Don "Uncle Setnakt" Webb himself. I have read and revisited this book twice since my purchase of it, and I am currently on a third re-reading of it. I have attempted the "Vampyre Lite" practices upon each revisit, predictably starting with determination and yet falling away quickly. On this, my third attempt, I am trying to figure out why an adherence to routine and structure is difficult for me in general - as this is something I must definitely sort out before I can commit to initiation of any kind, Setian or otherwise - and I have arrived at some initial ideas.
The book's focus on energy, notably feeding, exchange, storage, and transmutation was initially alien to me. However, after reading "On Becoming An Alchemist" by Catherine MacCoun about a month ago, these concepts now make more sense. I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 36 (early 2021), which finally caused me to understand why, on a fundamental neuropsychological level, I have struggled greatly with all forms of creating and maintaining order. I have used prescribed low-dose, extended-release amphetamine since then to assist with executive function, but it doesn't help with everything and nor does it seem to help consistently, the latter of which appears to be influenced in part by my natural monthly hormonal fluctuations.
The issue here is that I find myself often craving certain types of energy with an addictive-like desperation. The most troublesome of which is social energy aka attention/interaction either one-on-one or in a very small group, which releases dopamine. Since arriving in Albuquerque and having to make a completely new social circle, I found myself utterly obsessed with attention from and interaction with my new friends, going so far as to neglect basic needs (especially sleep) and academic responsibilities (studying/assignments) because I needed that social energy with a level of craving that eclipsed all other desires. I also had gone off of my medication at the time, which was absolutely, in retrospect, a very poor choice.
Reading this book, "Energy Magick of the Vampyre", for the third time has helped me realize why I crashed so hard after I moved across the country. My energy sources were fixed upon certain people, certain places, and certain activities, all of which were specific to my previous location in New Orleans, Louisiana. Instead, fixation should be upon the ways that I obtain energy, and not the actual sources used. That sort of fixation (surprise, surprise) is quite literally what the magical practices detailed in this book focus upon. The first fixed component of daily/weekly/monthly/yearly ritual is specific to the individual and can be done anywhere, with the added advantage of tethering one to both the natural and man-made calendar cycles. The second fixed component of sources of energy is based upon categories of ideas and concepts, and the discerning Vampyre can find suitable sources embodying those at any location. The third fixed component is that of the Vampyre mythos as an archetype, which allows the newcomer something both fixed and powerfully ancient to tap into for inspiration and focus.
While I have now begun to give the practices in this book another try (and have changed the title of this blog accordingly), the most important task in doing so is to introduce new energy feeding practices to compete with and ultimately replace the social energy addiction that has been a consistently major handicap for me in my professional, academic, and magical endeavors. I know I will have to also contend with the possibility of historical energy addictions rising up again as well, such as excessive video gaming and food pleasure (carbohydrates specifically, which release dopamine), so I will remain vigilant in this transformative process.