Lunching on Loggerheads

By Bholanath © 2004

Early within the experience of the strigoi vii, he discovers that not all energy is of the same quality. Colored, perhaps in part by the Western good-bad morality but also by the "taste" of the energy, it is by common conclusion that energies related to fear, hate, anger, and other tragic emotions are considered "negative". There are those strigoi vii who deliberately choose to feed off these negative energies, regardless of whether positive (or good) energy is readily available. This can seem rather curious for both those who find it distasteful and even immoral.

Why may depend a lot upon the strigoi vii:

The most simple and yet pessimistic answer: he simply has no control over who or what he feeds upon – or even if and when he feeds. Unconscious feeding can happen any time there is a psychic bond; this is especially true for the unawakened or the novice. If the strigoi vii should choose to act as a donor, opening a channel to send positive energy simultaneously creates a channel for negative energy to escape and even acts as an attraction for it.

However, as the experienced strigoi vii knows, this can be controlled.

Different strigoi vii may have different techniques for controlling his draw, but this is mine: When I deliberately feed, I focus on the specific source that I want to feed from and visualize that energy moving from who to myself. It is as easy for me to decide whether to energy feed from Albert or from Betty (hypothetically speaking) as to decide whether to eat the steak or the carrots on my plate. While I may passively feed from multiple sources, I find that I can "block" unwanted energy from getting in by deliberately feeding from a desirable source, as if only so much energy can enter at any given time and the deliberate feeding has bottlenecked the entryway against unwanted energies.

Somewhat similar to feeding off specific people, I can filter the energy I am receiving. To filter, I just focus on the energy I am drawing in and visualize it as black and white (i.e., negative and positive) and visualizing only the white being allowed to enter me (presuming I want positive energy and not negative energy).

If the negative energy is actively being sent towards me, the above methods may not work. If I was radiating positive energy I would stop and attempt to simply break the bond. If I can not break the bond and unwanted negative energy continues to assault me, I reverse my own polarity: I make myself a source of negative energy. To do this I call to mind graphic images and sounds of violence and death until I am radiating my own negativity... I can either just let off enough to maintain a balance, or I can retaliate against my assailant so that he/she will break the link.

However, experienced strigoi vii may willfully feed upon negative energies. In part, this may be just a matter of taste... just as someone might prefer spicy food over mild food. Of course, someone may choose to eat spicy food for practical reasons: even though spicy foods might burn (either on the way in or the way out), they are good for both boosting the human immune system and keeping away insects.

Just so, feeding off negative energy can be a matter of practicality. Not just in the sense of what energy is available, but what do you intend to do with it. Negative energy is the energy of malcontent -- a sense that there is something wrong with the universe that needs to be transformed. If the vampire/magus aspires to change the world he lives in, rather than just sustain himself in the status quo, harnessing and utilizing negative energy -- while possibly more dangerous -- can be more efficient than feeding off of positive energy and then attempting to build with this energy.

Consider, positive energy is the energy of happiness, contentment. It does not desire change or anything. It just wants to be and remain. This is good for maintenance, but this is useless for productivity.

The healthy strigoi vii both appreciates his existence and aspires to do something with his existence. For this, he needs a balanced diet: both positive energy and negative energy.

A common complaint among those who feed upon negative energy is that it makes them feel sick. They feel guilty for relishing in other's pain – perhaps even deliberately (though not necessarily consciously) causing fear, anger, or other anguish just so they may harvest the energy. They feel a deep sympathy for all the hatred, fear, grief, and pains they have collected from. In a word, they become depressed.

This depression has two sources:

First, there is the aforementioned guilt. The strigoi vii has not embraced his dark side. Not everyone can and depending upon who you ask, it might be suggested that nobody should (I make no judgements).

Second, even though we need negative energy, it's not healthy to store too much negative energy. Negative energy needs to be applied somewhere or it becomes a diseased form of potential energy. (Much like animal fat is all potential energy, it's good to have some, but if you have too much, instead of making you powerful, it tends to make the strigoi vii sluggish and unhealthy).

The healthiest solution to a surplus of negative energy is to exercise it. Negative energy is very useful and recommended for doing creative work, regardless of what medium one uses or what one is creating or aspires to create. As an artist, I work with many media. If I don't have a particular use for the energy, I find playing a musical instrument (regardless of one's skill level, or lack thereof), is an especially great method of venting excessive negative energies. However, if I don't have an instrument, I can write, draw or find some other medium to work with.

Another method of dealing with excess negative energy is to transform the energy. Any energy can be transformed into any other form of energy (if one knows how and has the desire to – but Caution! I wouldn't recommend attempting to transform nuclear energy to chi!). However energy will necessarily be expended and lost in the transformation.

Consider one possible method of transformation (others may exist): To transform the energy, my method is more an exercise in allowing a double self-transformation. I draw the negative energy (or perhaps, depending upon circumstance, I allow it to enter me or I already have it). I allow this negative energy to make me negative (instead of fighting to remain positive – as many might attempt to do). I then *embrace* my own negativity: relishing and amusing myself with nihilistic thoughts. (Essentially, the trick is learning to love hatred, fear and other negative feelings). Once I have surpassed a certain level of delight, my elevated mood allows me to restore myself to a more positive / balanced perspective.

There are those who say with power comes responsibility. What then is the responsibility of one who can draw and transform negative energy? Should he not transform the energy and return it to his donor as positive energy?

I believe that each individual is on his own unique spiritual path. I don't believe there is a universal morality that should be applied. The strigoi vii deliberately feeds off energy. While "need" may be relative, feeding is essential for the strigoi vii (or else, by definition, he is not strigoi vii). Needing energy, it might be generous -- but it would not necessarily be wise, prudent, nor healthy – for him to expend his own energy to draw negative energy, convert the energy to positive energy, and then return the energy to the original owner at the strigoi vii's own expense. Of course, if he cares for his donor and draws a surplus he may choose to return some of the energy.

Can the strigoi vii deplete a source of negative energy?

It depends upon both the source of the energy and the strigoi vii who chooses to work with the energy. Most humans develop attachments to their negativity. Their hates and fears may begin as natural manifestations, but the natural manifestations have dissipated after a mere five minutes. Anything more than this is because the human wants to fear, wants to hate, etc. As long as this person retains this want, they will remain a source of negative energy.

If the strigoi vii working with the energy then wanted to put energy into transforming the psychological energy of this source, he may or may not have the ability to transform it, depending upon his skills as a psychologist, hypnotist, etc.

Of the course, the question becomes: why would he want to? This is like asking if one can take a healthy daily cow and make her stop producing milk! Nor is this even healthy for your donor: it is his negative energy which might allow him, or even make him, do something with his own life. Otherwise, he is a mere cow and sympathy for him is as misplaced as sympathy for your hamburger!