Interview conducted in 2007
When was the AVA established?
The Atlanta Vampire Alliance
[AVA] was officially founded August 12, 2005. The conception and early
foundation for the present House was discussed as early as October 2004 from a
meeting of two of the current founders, Eclecta and Kiera, while in New Orleans,
LA. It’s important to note that although the titles of Atlanta Vampire Alliance
and House [AVA] are often used interchangeable, there is a distinct difference
between the public membership forums, local projects, social gatherings, etc.
represented by the [AVA] name and the actual private House.
Who were the Founders of the
AVA?
The present and current
founders of House [AVA] are Merticus, Eclecta, Zero, Kiera, and SoulSplat. The
current members of House [AVA] are Merticus, Eclecta, Zero, Kiera, SoulSplat,
Drist, Maloryn, SethNunMin, Andarael, Cathmael, and RedRaven.
Who is presently in charge of
this House?
While the founders
administrate certain affairs of the House including approval of memberships,
potential security related issues, or new policy proposals; all members of the
House enjoy equal status in meetings, discussions, and all other matters before
the House. There is no head or tail to House [AVA].
Who chose the name for the
House and why?
Merticus and Eclecta chose
the name for the House with the approval of the other founders after nearly a
month of accepting different proposals, researching meanings of obscure name
choices, and evaluating what was important to convey to others. We decided that
since we are a local Atlanta entity and a gathering of individuals from all
paths with a sincere interest of working together; to choose a name that would
encapsulate those components in the easiest and less pretentious manner
possible.
Does the House have it’s own
sigil and if so would you please describe it and why it was chosen?
Our sigil or logo:
The radiating arms represent
the energy associated with psi vampirism. The center circle represents the
united body of both the House and vampire community. The crimson 'V' represents
the sanguine aspects of the vampire and forms over the "pi" - root of the word,
meaning "to drink".
What is the philosophy of the
House?
The mission of the Atlanta
Vampire Alliance [AVA] is to promote unity in the greater Atlanta Community
while being available to the newly awakened to encourage self-awareness and
responsibility. We honor the traditions of history, respect, and discretion
regarding Community affairs while advocating the safety and well being of our
members. Emphasizing research and support of social gatherings we highlight the
importance of education and strength of involvement as a cohesive force in our
area. By taking an active role we will serve not only ourselves, but also our
Community, and our City. We do not criticize other Houses, Orders, or beliefs
but remain neutral and available to all who wish to belong. Additionally we
offer an open hand to those who in the past have chosen to remain solitary in
the Community. It is left to our members to discern which path is appropriate
for them while we work in concert to support their journey of spiritual and
intellectual growth.
I. To honor our
beliefs, traditions, and devotion to our members; guarding against prejudice and
perversion from both within and outside of our community.
II. To share ideas, opinions, and knowledge related to vampirism in our
own areas of expertise while challenging others to refine their abilities and
beliefs.
III. To establish an educational mentoring system for the benefit of the
newly awakened and independents who seek our counsel.
IV. To encourage a non-judgmental and open-minded atmosphere among our
fellow kin while maintaining the goals and interests of our house and local
unity at the forefront of our beliefs
V. To provide open lines of communication between other houses within the
community while avoiding the pitfalls of political division and divisiveness
wrought from personal hostility or disagreement.
VI. To investigate any community related situation, which either violates
our code of ethics or may affect the safety of our members or the mundane.
Further; to advise action as to the resolution of these issues with appropriate
enforcement measures.
VII. To foster a safe
and structured environment for those newly awakened or without a house composed
of similar minded individuals who believe in protection and unity for all rather
than personal aspirations serving as their guiding precept.
VIII. To ensure each
member is afforded respect without subjugation to internal political struggle or
outside dispute that would otherwise lead to an instable or oppressive state,
while enjoying equal representation and having a voice in all matters that come
before us.
For a detailed explanation of
our fundamentals please visit our web site.
Is the AVA an online
organization as well as offline?
House [AVA] is predominately
an offline functioning House with online public membership based forums. Our
involvement in the Community in a research capacity should and is considered
separate in most regards from the [AVA]. All research and international
involvement within the vampire or energy worker communities is a component of
Suscitatio Enterprises LLC and the individual interests and backgrounds of our
members. As an offline House we actively travel both in and out-of-state to
attend Community functions and gatherings. In addition, we also host monthly
[AVA] Socials where we invite other vampires, energy workers, otherkin, and
other like-minded individuals to come share with us their questions, viewpoints,
concerns, and general inquiry so that we may better serve and understand our
local Community.
Are there any geographical
prerequisites to membership or special requirements?
Applicants must reside within
the Atlanta, GA or the surrounding area to be considered for membership unless
special consideration is given for those who frequently visit or have since
moved from Atlanta, GA. Select elders, leaders, et. al. as well as out of region
individuals may be considered for “associate” membership on a per case basis,
however, we do not actively seek individuals outside of Atlanta, GA for such
positions. We accept members of both sanguine and psi backgrounds that generally
have already achieved a degree of tenure within the Community. Applicants must
be 21 years of age prior to acceptance. Membership to the [AVA] is not for those
who feel the need to join for recognition or to sit idle, but rather those who
wish to join for the greater good of the Community through active involvement.
We’re an active offline participatory House that is engaging with members
outside of formal meetings and in many cases visit with each other on a frequent
basis as we consider [AVA] members to be familial in nature.
What is the House structure?
The [AVA] does not endorse a
traditional House hierarchical system of promotion or separate class and elder
levels. The following represents the general structure of the House.
Founding Members: Original
[AVA] Charter Members
Members: Official [AVA] Local
House Members
Associates: All Region
Vampire Contributors, Advisors, and Out Of Region [AVA] Members
The majority of our members
share a similar background of solitary participation and therefore when drafting
our fundamental articles, we made a personal decision to avoid using a
hierarchal or social promotion system. While we respect others who choose to
institute such a caste system, we remain steadfast in our chosen structure,
allowing us to freely encourage camaraderie and proactive involvement within the
vampire community. Despite the lack of common ritualistic protocols, our
policies regarding those we do accept and the maturity of our applicants are
taken very seriously. Our members enjoy equal status and voice regardless of the
path, religion, or philosophy they hold.
Do you have alliances to any
other House or any other organization such as sister Houses?
The Atlanta Vampire Alliance
promotes itself as a neutral vampire community organization or independent
House. We are not directly affiliated with any other House, et. al., although we
welcome associate members from many diverse areas of the vampire community.
While we host numerous groups, Houses, and notable public Community figures who
find their schedules intersecting with Atlanta, GA, we rarely lend our name or
sanction any direct projects or beliefs of such said entities or persons. We
maintain open dialogue with virtually every niche of the vampire community and
support friendly and non-dramatic sanctuary for social and intellectual
discussion.
What are the future goals of
the AVA?
The primary goal that we have
for 2007 is to see the Vampirism & Energy Work Research Study completed and the
subsequent findings published so that the Community can better understand the
dimensionality and general beliefs held by its members. We feel this study is
crucial to lay the foundation for future researchersto expand into more
in-depth lines of questioning. In order for detailed anthropological,
psychological, or phenomenological research to be properly conducted on a
community a foundation must first be established. Forums come and go and
accounts of individual's experiences are spread far and wide. In order to be
able to firmly grasp the overall scope of such data there needs to be an
exploration into the shared commonalities, differences, and developing trends in
a concise and centralized format. In addition to the completion of the VEWRS &
AVEWRS, we would like to promote local gatherings in Atlanta that encourage
networking and active evaluation of worthwhile projects for our Community.
What is it about the AVA that
sets it apart from other Houses presently established?
House [AVA] seeks to actively
encourage the cooperation of all those within the vampire community through
projects such as the Vampirism & Energy Work Research Study and other targeted
initiatives that will be suggested and possibly implemented in the future. We
understand that there are current existing entities that favor such unilateral
ideals but in practical application often lack the discipline, stamina, desire,
networking ability, non-exclusionary mentality, proper attitudes, clear
organized goals, and foresight to see any such project to a viable working order
- the passions of the few are often not realized through the labors of the many.
As
a whole this Community, Subculture, Group, Culture, Nation, or the like must
recognize the need for cohesiveness, adherence to basic fundamental ethics, and
establish clear understanding of what purpose our Community serves both to the
outside or mundane society, ourselves, and us as individuals. If we are not
willing to encourage an expansion or betterment of knowledge, self-improvement,
understanding of the vampiric condition, and promotion of tolerance both
personally or as a collective; then what good is it for us to spend time
rambling aimlessly about the hypocrisy of our own people? Often by our own
admission the majority of the Community operates independently of one another
without any sincere desire to be aware of what the other is practicing,
believing, or advocating. At best we attain only a pseudo understanding of the
climate and workings of other Groups, Forums, Houses, Courts, et. al. from the
sensational or "public" spectacles that surface with infrequency. The subsequent
broad and many times superficial assumptions we then form are often used to
level judgment about the validity and worth of an individual, path, or group
without regard for an evaluation to determine the quantifiable balance of their
constructive versus destructive endeavors.
The pervading apathy and pursuit of individual power throughout the Community chips away at the support institutions that instruct, counsel, and care for the awakening and also existing members who have lost touch or began to question their nature. Additionally the resolve of those who do genuinely care is eroded every time we see elders and respected vampires hiding behind club kids and the pervasive drama, albeit personal or Community related in origin; or to have given up on the Community altogether and abstained from any direct contact. In effect such persons are finding solace in the current public perception of our Community, articles written that blur the lines between fantasy and reality, poorly researched psycho analyses of clinical, psychopathic, and moreover sycophantic individuals who form the basis for written guidelines for use in law enforcement, and television specials that leave the public even more confused as they are expected to sort the sprinkling of truth from the illusion. It is no wonder the public and even those among us hold a skewed and myopic view of real or modern vampirism.
We believe that the Community needs to shift their focus back to curbing
negative perception, advocating education in areas of the World where the only
support structure is based on sole extremist viewpoints; often with fantastical
or religious overtones, and learn to communicate with even the most gauche among
us without regard for personal and terminological disagreements over what
composes the "true" repertoire of the modern or living vampire. We hope that
this philosophy serves to set us apart from other Houses, who in many cases have
chosen to uphold the status quo of Community division, egotism, and
self-isolationism; therefore creating the unfortunate stigma that permeates the
use of the words “House” and “Elder”.
In closing, what one thing
would the AVA like to impart to the Vampyre Community?
We would like to make inroads
to instilling a sense of renewed purpose, positive, direction, and tolerance
among those in the vampire community. If we fail to find the common principles
that unite us, we not only fail ourselves but the individuals who seek our
counsel and knowledge of the vampiric condition.
Contact:
questions@atlantavampirealliance.com
Web
Site:
www.atlantavampirealliance.com
Forums:
www.atlantavampirealliance.com/forums
Research: www.vampiresurvey.com