​This week I would like to talk about vampires. Not the highly romanticized ones we see in books, movies, and TV shows, but the ones people don’t like to talk about. The ones that feed off people’s energy. Now, you may have read about the vampire as an archetype, and this is a different topic all together that I could go on about at length, but also not what we are going to cover in this post. While the archetype shares similarities to psychic vampires, it is a concept of self; of personality; not the real thing. However, due to the archetype description, and how vampires have been portrayed through the ages, there is a very negative stigma associated with psychic vampires as a whole. I hope to shed some light onto this (sometimes) taboo subject, and even maybe change a few minds.
I will start by saying that I am not a psychic vampire, but it is a topic I have read extensively about (I have more than one shelf in my library dedicated to the topic) and I have known a few personally as well. This is a topic I have long been interested in. There are many theories about why they exist, but we may never know for sure. Are they born that way? Were they born through trauma? Once a soul is a psychic vampire in one life will they continue on that way through other incarnations? It is said they feed on other’s energy because they are not connected to the universal well (as most are) and therefore need to feed on those that are to survive. Does this mean they were disconnected somehow? Were they ever connected? Can they be reconnected? Considering their palpable connection to energy, what could they teach others about gathering, using, and manipulating energy? Questions I would love to find answers to for sure.
There are many books on the topic, many of which are committed to teaching the reader how to identify and/or protect oneself from them. They are portrayed as evil manipulative creatures that will drain you of your energy for their personal benefit. An inaccurate and restricted point of view. Like any other person on the planet there are those that may fit into this picture, but it most certainly does not represent their nature as whole. There are actually entire groups of them out there that gather together like covens do, some practice magic, they generally have rules and an acceptable code of conduct, just like any coven. There are some out there that are unaware of what they are so they do not/cannot control what they are doing. It may seem hard to believe that they would not know, but it can happen to anyone with any gift. Knowledge is power.
There are two main kinds of psychic vampires, which I will describe in the following paragraphs.
The first kind feeds on energy out of need. They are separated into those that feed strictly on energy, whether that is directly from a willing person or the ambient energy that is the natural output of people going about their daily lives. This is an especially effective method of feeding where large crowds gather, like large public spaces, or at events like concerts, clubs, and sporting events. As well as those that feed on blood. Now, this may seem a little “out there” for some, but there are those that feel the need to do so. Blood contains our life force/energy, and that is what they need. What needs to be understood is that this is not like it is in the movies. They do not drain people of their blood, or even drink it by the glassful. All that is really needed is a few drops. Often a small lancet like diabetics use to test their blood sugar is used on a willing donor to draw the blood. One thing that I would like to emphasize here is that regardless of how they gather the needed energy, their “donors” are (generally) willing and have given permission. Unless they are feeding on ambient energy, which takes from the energy already being put out there. In this case, most would never even notice, and expelling that energy whether they are aware they are or not. If you would like to read more about these kinds of psychic vampires I highly recommend The Psychic Vampire Codex and Vampires in Their Own Words: An Anthology of Vampire Voices by Michelle Belanger. Though pretty much any book by her is a good read.
The other kind of psychic vampire does not feed out of need, but rather as spiritual practice. Again, there is generally a code of conduct, and other practices similar to how a coven works. This is a spiritual practice like any other, based in a search for immortality, however you may define that. This is a topic that is best learned about by reading Father Sebastiaan’s book Sanguinomicon.  It is too lengthy a topic to cover properly in this blog post. I simply wanted to make my readers aware.
Regardless of how or why they feed, they are not the “monsters” people (and various media) have made them out to be. One of they best explanations about their purpose in our world was covered in Michelle Belanger’s book The Psychic Vampire Codex. She explained how they help keep the balance, energetically speaking. If you think of the energy flow as a triangle you have the regular people at the top that both give and take. Energy healer’s and other energy workers would be a bottom corner (say the bottom left). They produce/channel an abundance of energy and give to both regular people and psychic vampires. That leaves psychic vampires in the other corner (say bottom right) as those that can only take (as they are not connected to the universal well and therefore have none to give). Thus creating an energetic balance.
Whatever you choose to believe about psychic vampires, I hope that I have at least made you curious about them, and hopefully less afraid (if you were). There are plenty of books about there about psychic protection and shielding if you don’t want to fall victim to one of the few that may not follow any particular code of conduct, but I hope you now know they are not all like that.
So how do you feel about psychic vampires? Have you ever met one? Are you friends with one? Would you be?

​The moon and her many phases are an important part of many people’s practices. Many spells, rituals, and celebrations are centered around particular moon phases. That said, while moon phases can certainly play a part in whatever we are planning, we should remember that some circumstances may not allow us to do things with perfect lunar timing. This is ok, and we should not beat ourselves up about it or drop our plans all together because of it.
The moon has 8 phases, and each phase corresponds to certain concepts that we can integrate into our lives and into our magic. We begin our lunar journey with the New or Dark Moon.
 
The *New/Dark Moon is the beginning of a new cycle, and as such it is a good time to initiate new undertaking. It is also a time of renewal and rejuvenation, allowing us to take time to align ourselves with our life path and our deepest desires.
 
Next she shifts into the Waxing Crescent phase. As the moon begins to uncover herself once more, we should take time to set new intentions and start the foundations needed to attain those goals and desires we want to work towards.
 
The third phase is the First Quarter. This phase is about gaining the momentum needed to get us where we want to go, pushing forward with our intentions, and removing obstacles that may prevent us from achieving them.
 
This leads us into the Waxing Gibbous phase. Now that we have a plan in motion, it is time to reassess, refine, and adjust it accordingly.
 
Mid cycle now, we come to the Full Moon. At this time the moon has the most effect on water and its tides, and since we are more than half water, some believe it has the most effect on us.** There are many who believe it has a great effect on our mental emotional states. The full moon may have more lore surrounding it than any other phase, as it is the focal point or cause of many legends and myths. This phase is also a time of heightened intuition, completion, and can be a time for banishing or releasing what no longer serves us. However, it can also be used as a time of manifestation. Each full moon also has its own name, and purpose in the greater yearly cycle, depending on one’s cultural or spiritual beliefs.
 
After the moon’s culmination of her full self she begins to veil herself once more; starting with the Waning Gibbous phase. This is a time for self-reflection and introspection. Looking within to see what no longer serves us in our life and on our journey and releasing it.
 
The 7th phase is called the Last Quarter. As we near the end of the cycle, and the New/Dark Moon, we continue reassessing our path/plan, releasing what we no longer need, cleansing ourselves of these burdens/negativities, and preparing ourselves for a new cycle.
 
The Waning Crescent is the last slivers we see before the moon is veiled in darkness again. This is the time to rest from all the work, inner and outer, we have been doing the rest of the cycle. It is time to regenerate our self and our energy, reconnect with ourselves, practice self-care and surrender any final remnants of unwanted energies, emotions, and thoughts that are beyond our control.
 
And a new cycle begins again….
 
This is by no means an exhaustive list of meaning and uses for the phases of the moon, but I do hope that it was helpful to you on your journey. It is always recommended in books (at least the ones I have read) to keep track of the moon phases when conducting ceremonies/rituals, doing spell work, and when journaling about meditation, journeys, and dreams. One never knows what patterns or other insight one might find if they do. Do you keep track of the phases of the moon for your work? Do you note them when you journal your mental or spiritual practices? Have you noticed any trends? Do you have phases when you feel more powerful or affective? Do the phases phase you at all? I would love to know.
 
 
* The New Moon is sometimes referred to as this phase where the moon is fully unseen, and sometimes as when the first sliver of the moon can once again be seen. How you view it is up to you.
**It should be noted that the New Moon also has a significant effect on the tides. Some may feel emotional turmoil or stronger emotions at this time as well.

​I was reading a book recently by a magic practitioner and author named Kerr Cuhulain called Full Contact Magick. In chapter 18 of his book (I would quote the page number, but there are none, which I found a little annoying, but that is a personal problem) he recounts a story he calls “Big Rocks”. I have read this story in multiple other sources before, and you may have heard it before as well, so now I will give you the gist of it.
A professor stands in front of his class with a large glass jar. In this jar he places some large rocks and asks his students if they think the jar is full. Of course, they say yes, because he cannot fill the jar with any more large rocks. He then produces a container of gravel and proceeds to full the spaces with the smaller rocks. He then asks them again if they think the jar is full. Less students agree that it is now full. He then produces a container of sand and proceeds to pour the sand into the jar filling it up even further. By now most of the students have realized what is going on and know that the jar is not quite full. The professor then produces a jug of water and pours it into the jar filling any remaining space in the jar. Finally, he asks his students what they think the demonstration meant. In this case, it was a group of business students, and one answer was that he was demonstrating that no matter how much you think you can get done in a day, there is always room for more. Well, as you might guess, this was not the point at all. The professor explains that what he was really trying to say was that the large rocks he put in first represent the big things in life. They are the things that are most important to you. If he had not started with those rocks, in the end there would not have been room for them. His point was that we should make space for what is important to us. Whether that is our family, our religion, or job, or any other number of things you can think of (this is a highly personal question after all). If we focus on all the little worries and stresses in life we can forget the bigger picture.
If this jar were to represent your life, the big rocks would represent the bigger more important things, the gravel would represent the everyday events (good or bad), stresses, and concerns that persist or are consistent. The sand would represent the little things that happen day to day that may make us happy, or bother or inconvenience us, but are small singular events (like some guy that cuts us off or getting the last donut in the case that you love). The water represents everything else.
I think this is a good thing to remember; in life, and in our practices. Life gets busy, and we tend to stress out about a lot of stuff that probably doesn’t matter much in the long run. It mostly feels so important or overwhelming only in that moment. We also often put our own wants and needs on hold for the people in our lives that matter to us. This can lead to upset, resentment, and a feeling of being unfulfilled and unhappy with our lives. It is surprising how much better our lives can feel when we take time for self-care (something I wrote about in a post from 2024 called Find Your Joy), and remember what is actually important in the grand scheme of things. What are our goals? What are the things (big or little) that actually bring us joy? What will be important to us a year from now, 5 years, or even 10 years from now?
Perhaps now is a good time to stop, take a few deep breaths, and let go of what ever you are holding on to that does not serve you. Regardless of how much energy you have already put into something, if it does not serve you then let it go. Focus that energy into something worthwhile. Afterall, it was really only a waste of time and energy if you didn’t learn from it.
How do you feel about this story? Have you heard it before or was this the first time? Did it change your perspective any?

​In my last post I used the term hypnogogic to refer to the state before falling asleep when a person is between awake and asleep. In this state people can often hear or see things that they may not have if they were fully in either state (awake or asleep). People commonly report seeing movement, shadows, or even full entities/apparitions, hearing unexplained noises like voices or sounds like their name being called, footsteps, or a ringing phone. Some even report a feeling of falling. While not everyone knows the term for this, approximately 37% of people (asked) have experienced it.
There is, however, another term that is used to describe the same phenomenon in the “opposite” state. The term “hypnopompic“ is used to describe that same sleepy state that happens upon first waking, when the person is not quite fully awake and aware, but not actually sleeping. Approximately 12% of people (asked) have also reported to see and hear the same paranormal-like events during this time as well. The difference between the two is really about timing, but it does seem that less people experience these auditory or visual perceptions during the hypnopompic state. IN this case these experiences are sometimes attributed to the continuation of a dream sequence.
Another sleep related phenomenon is sleep paralysis. During REM sleep the body is rendered paralyzed so that the dreamer does not act out their dreams, which could lead to serious harm. This condition could happen in either of the above-mentioned states. This has happened enough that there is even myth/lore related to it. Stories of the paralysis demon, the Night Hag, succubi/incubi, or even divine punishment/tests of faith have been used to explain sleep paralysis. Such creatures could visit in the night to feed off one’s emotions/energies. Perhaps they even controlled one’s dreams in order to facilitate the proper response so they could feed.
While I have not personally experienced sleep paralysis (that I can remember), I have experienced seeing apparitions, hearing voices (like my name being called or what sounds like a tv is on) in both states, and have many times felt like I was suddenly falling during a hypnogogic state (which I read once is also often attributed to astral projection).
Of course, while it cannot fully explain these phenomena, science does offer an explanation involving brain function, or rather a disruption of proper function, during REM sleep. While this is a very plausible explanation, it is neither concrete nor does it really explain some of the more interesting/mysterious paranormal-like occurrences. At least, not for me.
So what do you believe? Have you ever experienced physical, auditory, or visual events during either of these states? Have you experienced sleep paralysis? Did you see or feel anything seemingly unexplainable at the time? Does the scientific explanation make the most sense to you or do you feel it comes up a bit short?
 

​The idea that two souls are actually two parts of the same soul and are so deeply connected that they seek each other out in each lifetime trying to make themselves whole/complete is not a new concept. While it is said the first use of the word soulmate was first known to be used by the poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in a letter in 1822, the first known mention of the concept was in Plato’s Symposium which was written somewhere in the 4th century BCE. The symposium is a fictional story about 7 real men at a banquet (that never actually happened) who are challenged to speak praise about the god Eros (the god of love and sex). It was in Aristophane’s speech that told the story of how people (our primal ancestors) used to be creatures with faces on opposite side of the body. Much like two people back-to-back, but with round bodies. They tried to climb to Mount Olympus and Zeus cut them in half, separating the two halves into individuals. Thus creating the idea we were not “whole” and could potentially spend eternity searching for our other half in an attempt to regain our primal nature.
The concept that we are in constant search for the perfect mate that “completes” us is the basis for many romantic movies, tv shows, and books. It has even been specifically mentioned in some (I recall a particular episode of Bones in which she tells the tale to Booth). We, as humans, put a lot of time and effort into finding a “perfect” mate, that person that just feels right; feels like home. One of the common misconceptions about soulmate theory is that this has to be a romantic connection, when really that was not stated in Plato’s story. One’s soulmate does not have to be a romantic partner at all. Some spiritual beliefs say that our souls travel in groups. That throughout our reincarnations our souls will have stronger relationships with those in our group, though the dynamics of those relationships change with each incarnation. So two souls may be lovers in one lifetime, but siblings or parent and child in a another, or even just good friends. If we are truly here, lifetime after lifetime, to learn lessons to further our soul’s growth, then it would make sense that we would need different teachers in each lifetime, that other souls in our group would need to play different parts so we learn different lessons and support each other in different ways each time.
One part of this story that is rarely (if ever) mentioned is that there were three types of primal creatures. There were males that were descendants of the sun that had two male parts, females that were descendants of the earth that had two female parts, and hermaphrodites that were descendants of the moon that had a male and a female side. After hearing this my daughter pointed out that she would have thought the female aspects would have been descendants of the moon, and I had to agree, but that was how it was written.
So, if we have a soulmate, would that soul play a predominate role in each of our lifetimes? Would we learn our greatest lessons from the other half of our own self? Would the role they play have to be different each time? I don’t have all the answers, that is one of the great mysteries of life. Maybe we will find out on the other side, just to forget it again and start all over. What do you think? Do we have a soulmate? Is there someone out there that completes us? Do we travel in soul groups, helping each other to learn and grow? Or maybe we are all thrown in together like a giant spiritual science experiment to see what happens?