This month's interview is with Vampire Church Associate, Deb Plantagnet.
A fun loving down to earth lady, Deb discusses leaning what to call her
vampirism at mid life, the exotic beauty of the redwoods, the trancey
energy of belly dancing, how her writing just "happens" and oh
yea.turning 50. Deb is one of those people with an infectious good
nature. Spend any time with this lady and you will soon be enjoying life
just a little bit more.
LA.: Greetings Deb - welcome glad to have you here.
Deb: Hi, lady! Nice to be here!
LA.: Ok - give me the quick version here.a few words about yourself
please.
Deb: (but at my age, it's nice to be anywhere)
Deb: Oh geez......I'm mostly harmless?
You're right, that's a bald-faced lie...
LA.: Lol - and a fun loving lady.
Deb: Uhm, I'm gonna be 50 this Thursday, I have grown kids, and a
grandson, and hey fellas! I"M SINGLE!
LA.: I have heard you say you live behind the Humboldt curtain. What the
heck does that mean?
Deb: I live in the Redwoods, way up in the Northwest corner of
California.
In Humboldt County. It rains a lot here, and there are 2 roads into the
area. When it rains, when the winter storms really hit, those roads wash
out sometimes, and we can be isolated completely.
LA.: That removed. Wow. How does that work for you? You seem to be a
person that is fairly well balanced lady and connected to others.
Deb: Actually, I'm terribly shy.
LA.: Really? I never got that.
Deb: (I know hard to believe, but real world its true) I go tongue tied
a lot in person. The quiet and peace are wonderful. And the trees!!!
Gods, if you've never seen a redwood...they are something!
LA.: To me you seem like a person that is pretty in touch with all
around you.
Deb: It's possible. I do love the countryside here. Big trees, lots of
hills, the ocean, the cliffs, and all these rivers...sometimes I just
get hit with the beauty here and get all teary. And if I need a city
fix, there's always New Orleans.
LA.: So tell me about your vampirism. How was it that you became aware
that the energy needs you were experiencing were called vampirism?
Deb: Well, I have long fangs, and sleep all day in a coffin. I can turn
into a bat or mist, too!! No REEEEALLY! I even have my official cheesy
satin cape!
Ah............I found the online real vampire community. It was
stunning. I just sat there, reading this FAQ and thinking, "Oh, my GOD,
that's ME!"
LA.: When was that?
Deb: I was about 45, 44...I dunno for sure.
LA.: How did you deal with that? Shock? Relief? Did it take an
adjustment on your part or was it more of a comfortable fit?
Deb: And lo and behold! I found I was NOT ALONE! Oh, it was such a
relief! I'd though I was dangerously mad for years! (Well, I still may
be...but that's another subject.)
LA.: I take it then it was not really an awakening - but more of an
affirmation of what you had been feeling all along?
Deb: Yes! I just couldn't believe it.....it was
so........wonderful.
LA.: Sanguinary is a very difficult road for obtaining energy needs.
Many have problems getting and keeping donors. How has that worked for
you?
Deb: Since I was tiny, I've loved raw meat, blood, the taste of
it...and I've been perennially lonesome.
Oh, it's rough. Especially up here in West Nowhere. I have to make do a
lot with other sources and travel or depend on visitors, mostly. And
it's really the only thing that works completely, the only one that
stops up that hole all the way.
LA.: You do have other means of taking energy then?
Deb: Yes, sex is the second best...then comes stuff like concerts or
performing, modeling...
LA.: That is the way it is for most with their primary energy source -
it completes them the best.
Deb: Yes! I can get some off the sun, too, and curling up in a tree.
Yeah..........tree energy is good stuff but nothing is like blood.
Nothing.
LA.: Ah - you say performing...in doing my homework on you for this
interview, I found an old dance site of yours. Belly dancing seems very
fun - tell me about that.
Deb: hmm, I've been in love with it since I was 12 or so, when I saw a
belly dancer on the news....I was just "OH! I wanna be like HER!" My
parents about died and would have none of it. They put me in ballet,
where I fell and crushed my ankle.
LA.: How is the energy from the dancing?
Deb: It's so good.......you ride the music.....it can be very trancey.
LA.: That seems very exotic.
Deb: You really can trance out, there are some trance dances in it
even, and the crowd really gives good energy. To me it feels very
natural. Most of the movements came fairly easily.
LA.: Cool. That must be an interesting Psi energy.
Deb: They are so enthralled with the whole thing...its theatre,
too...because of the costumes and makeup and jewelry and the music...you
try to make another world.
LA.: That is always the best - things that feel natural - how cool that
you found your place there.
Deb: In many ways, it's a sacred space.
LA.: How so?
Deb: Well, you really do raise energy. The dancer(s) are in there in
the center, directing it, calling it, shaping it, and the audience is
sending it to them.
LA.: I can understand that - it has that as a ceremonial element from
the movement and interaction.
Deb: Yes, very much so, as well as the trappings of it all (what an
awful word, it sounds so disdainful). But it's very........life
affirming.
LA.: So how was it you first became involved in the Vampire Church?
Deb: I found it via either a mention of it on another old list I was on
or via a web search, I really can't remember. But I like the idea of a
sanctuary, a safe space.
LA.: Either way - we are glad you are here.
Deb: Awww, gawrsh....yer gonna turn m' head!
LA.: I know like many in the VC you are involved in other online vamp
groups... how does that compliment what you do here?
Deb: There's a lot of overlap of members, for one thing...it's a small
world for a vampire, and the different groups all focus on different
things.
LA.: That is true from what I have heard.
Deb: I think they compliment one another.
LA.: Any pros or cons?
Deb: Only when there's disagreements between the members of one with
those of another, gee that makes me unhappy.
LA.: Totally understandable.
Deb: I hate being in the middle of that stuff ..it sucks.
LA.: You mentioned here - turning 50 in a few days.
Deb: Groan, yeah. And all the other vamps I meet, save you and Damien,
are so much younger!!
LA.: Lol - I guess we do have our own little "old vamps" club. Any
thoughts as you reach that milestone?
Deb: Half a century....it's weird, I'm so much the same person I was at
25, only more tolerant and open, more calm. But I look in the mirror and
YIPE! I'm OLD!
LA.: Lol - I guess we do have our own little "old vamps" club.
Deb: Right, blood mush for our gummy old mouths. Eeeew!
LA.: Has your vampirism changing in any way?
Deb: It's less driving less commanding I think. Again, the calming and
mellowing. And also KNOWING now what it is I'm dealing with has helped
immensely.
LA.: How about the energy needs?
Deb: They are no less strong, but now I know what they are about, and
how to deal with them better. No more self medicating with booze or
drugs! Yay me!
LA.: You say knowing what you are dealing with... that must have been
very confusing before.
Deb: Well, I was pretty sure I was psychotic.
LA.: How was it before you knew what you were affected by was
vampirism? I am sure you still had the energy needs - how did you deal
with that?
Deb: I was less able to deal with the depression, I felt not only
isolated, but the need to stay isolated, since I thought I was a
dangerous loon. I had reached the point where I was mostly a recluse.
LA.: Ouch - no wonder you felt like you had "come home" when you found
an online group.
Deb: Finding out what was wrong helped me learn to deal with the world
and people better.
LA.: That is very cool.
Deb: Yeah, I wasn't interested in drinking or drugs or whoring around
anymore, I was married and had kids...so I had no way to feed. I didn't
know at the time I was feeding...just thought I was crazy.
LA.: You have received several awards from the VC over the years for
writing - tell me about that.
Deb: Uhm well, sometimes I sorta have a poem happen to me. I've written
them since I was in high school.
LA.: Happen?
Deb: Blank verse usually. Yeah, I don't ever thing 'gee I'll write
about that'. It's more I feel almost trancey, and I MUST write.
LA.: Ah - cool - that is a long time you have been writing.
Deb: Lately I've been pretty dry.
LA.: Do you consider that one of your passions?
Deb: No, more a........leak in my subconscious?
Deb: I don't know, it isn't a passion, more like almost channeling
except I know it's me talking to myself.
LA.: A means of expression then I see - letting the inside out.
Deb: Yeah, it kinda bloops over the outside and grabs my pen.
LA.: Well I certainly enjoy what you write.
Deb: Thank you. Now if I could just learn to write when I'm happy.
LA.: I know that you are a mom to grown kids.
Deb: Yes.at least one isn't even mine.
LA.: .and that you give mom type advice here - funny how we do that.
Deb: Its part of the job, I think.
LA.: Yea I agree - it does see to come with the mom job.
LA.: So what piece of final mom advice would you give to folks
here?
Deb: Hmmm.wow that's tough. Try to play nice, and if you get peeved
with someone, take a nap??? It may go away later?
LA.: Lol - sounds like great advice to me Well thank you - it has been
a pleasure.
Deb: Thank you, it wasn't at all scary! Yay! (where's the beer?)
LA.: .and I look forward to reading your posts on the e-list - thanks
for keeping us fun Deb.
Deb: You're welcome, night lady! And thank you.