1) Sanguinary
Overview: For sheer pound per pound potency it's hard to rival a sanguinary feed, and in many ways it is the most complex of all the feeds to fully absorb. An amusing contrast to it's rather direct feeding methods (as compared to the less tangible forms).
Positive Sanguinary feeds: theses are gifts out of friendship loyalty, love. They sustain and reaffirm as someone willingly gives a portion of their own vitality , imparting it in a show of faith in our better nature and as such ripples out adding improved aspects to any and all facets of our lives.
Negative Sanguinary feeds: these feeds are won out of displays of our own power, seduction, coercion, intimidation, manipulation, and in some extreme cases even violence. From here springs the core of old vampire myths and the seed of that primal hate-fear response within so many, being drawn like moths to a flame. Only shying away when escape is far to late. This feed is an Adeline and endorphins laced cocktail of life's strongest motivators (survival for self and for spices) that unlocks a power and energy quite unlike others. The enhanced ability and intensity is such that feats are at your finger tips and pain is as a distant memory, little wonder it bears with it the risk of addiction, among other things.
B. Under view: These feeds can be overwhelming to those who take them unprepared, this is true ultimately of all feeds and will be covered in a future installment "too long into the Abyss", however it bears repeating here because many forget that it is as readily true of the sanguinary and pranic feeds as it is of the elemental and mental.
2) Pranic
a) Overview: One of the easiest yet most complicated feeds, pranic feeding s often bleed over into empathic with out the feeding vampire taking any great note. These feeds are readily camouflaged by comparison to the others, after all who?s going to find someone being sexually active noticeably uncommon? Even so care must be taken due to the social and emotional repercussions of this method of feeding, even among consenting adults and knowing donors.
i) Positive: pranic feeds are intimacy personified almost for its own sake, the energy ebbs and flows on the turn of a breath (often laterally) and if allowed to run wild will do what this sort of energy always does while rampant. Leave both parties exgusted, jaded, and confused. It can be an incredible experience when vampire and donor are well suited. Just remember this takes more than mutual good will. Positive pranic feeds provide energy for smooth interactions, intuitive understanding, compassion, and yes a certain charismatic glow as well.
ii) Negative: pranic feeds hold a deep duality, a fusion of closeness and impersonality. Gratification is the key note, eclipsing even satisfaction. Craving and lustfulness both show quite prominently as elements even I they are frequently masked. Allure, assurety, seduction, and perceptivity are all readily channeled uses of this sort of energy.
3) Empathic
a) Overview: Empathic feeds literally run the gambit of emotional ranges. This is an age of isolation and the blessing offered by empathic energies is drawn is the sure understanding that you are not alone. The pitfall is the risk of emotions becoming subjective or of losing track of which emotions are your own.
b) Definition of the empathic feed is complex and difficult because it's a changeable mix of the emotions taken in, you're shielding (if any) and the emotions already present within the vampire. The positive of this however is ironically enough somewhat readily defined. In fact empathic maybe the simplest to define a line between the positive and negative, even if the line between energies is in constant flux leaving your relative place on such a spectrum quixotically inclined.
i) Positive: compassion, happiness, joy, hope, affection, are some examples of positive feed energies.
ii) Negative: aggression, fear, anger, resentment, frustration, bitterness, are all examples of negative feed energies.
c) Each may be used to influence the fundamental emotive trends within the sphere of the vampire, both internal and external.
4) The Psychic/ Psionic Connection
a) Overview: Psionic; this involves a focused and active interchange of ideas, like what you would get discussing a topic of interest with a professor in a class. Psychic; on the other hand is feeding on the ambient energy of the area around you. As of feeding from the radiant energy given off by an auditorium of class mates attending the professors class.
b) These two feeds are some of the most self explanatory to attempt in tandem. Empathic fits hand in glove with them as well. Truly for the Eclectic feeder all feeds may be unified these three however are situationally the most readily merged.
i) Positive Psionic; in most ways parallels to it's Negative counter part the main delineation falls on the difference between Critique and inspiration, where the Negative Psionic would test the metal of an individual or idea the positive psionic would inspire and temper it, helping to improve on it (or at least positively re-enforcing it) regardless of what it's "ground zero" form might be. Some of the key note energies here are, insight, calibration, synthesis, enthusiasm.
ii) Positive Psychic; again very similar to it's counter parts, the most readily notable difference is that positive Psychic feeds are almost always found during the coming together of groups. Where Negative Psychic feeds often are available in masses of unassociated people, Positive Psionic feeds hardly ever present themselves that way. A word of caution, Psychic vampires who draw to heavily from one group or situation can cause it's dissolution and even end up poisoning themselves on the residual negative trend or by having consumed too much too quickly. When well balanced however the Psychic feeder can often leave the situation better than when he/she found it. Some key note energies of Positive Psychic are unification, adaptation, integration, relaxation.
iii) Negative Psionic; like empathic this depends largely on the type of energies being taken. "Dark" thoughts are indicative of a negative feed, schemes, paranoia, utilitarianism, settling scores, or extreme self depreciation are all negative mental energies. Psionic feeds are also greatly influenced by the vampire's feeding method. For example a vampire feeding off of the positive mental energy of creativity for the negative internal motive of spite will still ultimately get a negative feed. This is important to not as many misconstrue it to be the result of poor shielding of some outside interference. Repartee, sarcasm, and an inexorable momentum in discussion/debates are all examples of Negative Psionic feeds.
iv) Negative Psychic; is by contrast almost solely defined by the energy drawn in. What energy is chosen or indeed what energy is out there too be drawn are still ever bit as influenced by the Vampire, simply put while feeding from a tide of ambient energy "ground zero" (the vampire him/her self) defaults more to neutral. Negative Psychic aspects fall along the same lines as Negative Psionic; they do however have an individual. For example where a Negative Psionic feed would lend itself to making a point that pins down an individuals thought process, the negative Psychic feed would lend itself to altering the pattern or trend of thought present in the individual or group addressed.
5) Overview: Elemental feeding is the practice of drawing from the most primal and fundamental aspects of nature. Earth, Air, Fire, Water. Each one of these and their many fusions, often called Pseudo elements, behave in their own unique ways, thus I shall touch on the four prime elements, and for the moment leave the catalogue of pseudo elementals for you to infer.
6) A perspective overview; the hows and whys of Elemental feedings could take up a book of their own. As could a full catalog of pseudo Elements. For the sake of clarity and brevity in this article I will be focusing n what is Negative verse Positive energy in the elements, the trend that provides a rule of thumb to run by, and some examples of each.
a) Earth; the element of the earth is deep and strong in it?s energy, providing foundation and lasting force immutable in the eyes of many and although it can be slow to move, once in action it is hard to withstand or turn aside. Below are some examples of Positive and Negative Earth energy.
i) Positive Earth Energies; These are the energies of the calm mountain peek, of the firm supporting stone. The fertile earth, the warm sand. Are all Positive Energies of the Earth.
ii) Negative Earth Energies; Landslides, Earthquakes, etc. comprise the Negative energies of the Earth.
b) Air; a massager among the elements dancing and light, this shifting harbinger is able to lift or dash so much on the turn of it?s impulsive will. Some examples of these energies in both their aspects follow.
i) Positive Air Energies; a gentle breeze, a soothing wind, the currents through the trees and around peeks. All demonstrative of Positive Air Elemental Energies.
ii) Negative Air Energies; The raging winds tossing birds, the currents that bring monsoons or parch a landscape, and of course Tornados. All of these are demonstrations of Negative Air Elemental power.
c) Fire; destroyer and renewer, it consumes what sustains it and ensures it's embrace seeks to be total while only moderation is able offer even a measure of safety. Fire is a contradiction turned unity, a harmony of paradox, and while all elements truly hold this within them, fire is the one which most clearly wears it on it's sleeve.
i) Positive Fire Energies; the warm glow of a candle, a nice fire crackling in the hearth, the cooking fires providing food. All, literally, shining examples of Positive flames.
ii) Negative Fire Energies; wild fires, massive house fires, all those blazes which rage and consume, these are firing showing it's Negative power.
d) Water; Deep, persuasive, covetous, sustaining, the mothers blood of life. Water is within so much of us and covers most of the world. Water can hold you up or pull you down and it's tides dace to the song of the moon that moves all the world. Water is the most frequent element to show both it's faces, sometimes at the very same moment. The following are some examples of Positive and Negative water energies.
i) Positive Water Energies; Refreshing, healing, the thirst quenching draught in the morning or at the end of the day, the tides that hold you letting all your body relax. Every one demonstrates Positive Water Energies.
ii) Negative Water Energies; riptides, whirlpools, tidal waves, all the hungry possessive, grasping waters of the deeps, these are shows of Negative water energies.
e) Pseudo-elementals; Just to touch on a few of them, Lightning, Storms, Hurricanes, Steam, Fogs, Volcanoes, are all mixes of the elements, and can further display their energies and interplay.
Hopefully this installment will be of use and illumination to the readers of it. As always I would be grateful for any feedback and questions that you might have to pose to me. My address for e-mail is grayangel@vampire-chruch.com and I can also be reached by posting over the e-list, just put Gray Angel as the subject line and I'll be sure to get back to you. May you all find safe harbor in the coming days of your lives.
Gray Angel
"Forsake neither darkness nor light for either absolute becomes blinding"