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Do you see your reflection in this mirror ?

Well, as we all know, at least those of us who love organic chemistry, the active ingredient in garlic that tends to effect those who are sensitive is allicin. Allicin, of course, is a sulpur compound which tends to have anti-bacterial effects when it is eaten, crushed, or broken open in one way or another. Since vampires are undead, they are covered in bacteria, therefore, thus, and hence, the anti-bacterial effects of the allicin is, more than likely the thing you are reacting to in the garlic. It is, if you will, your kryptonite. Perhaps a mild anti-bacterial soap and daily baths might help? Especially after romping around in graveyards and tombs and catcombs and such.

Interestingly enough, those who suggested puberty were not really all that far off the mark. You see, when we are young, our skin tends to breathe or absorb large amounts of oxygen... oh my, was that the class bell? Time goes so fast. We'll resume this next class.

Just a few thoughts from a chemistry geek.

Love,

Amanda Angeli

Last year I started to create a show based on Vampire mentalism.
I needed it because one of my Surnateum show is based on an exposition/expose of my huge vampiric collection, but I was missing a magical ending fo the show.
So, I decided to adapt one of my ESP show (called the Protocols/X-Mentalism) to the vampiric concept. And it works...
The idea behind the show was to demonstrate how the traditional dhampire (vampire hunter) was tested before and now.
I started a thread on the Magic Cafe:
http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/view ... orum=14&32

Objectification of ESP symbols within a vampire concept.
Each ESP card has a relation with at least 2 tarot cards.
- The Star is a XIXth century reliquary containing relics to protect virgins (no kidding)
- Waves = Holy Water
- Square is a prayer book
- Circle is either silvercoins or ring of protection
- Cross: well, you get the idea.

Excellent pictures, thank you!

The Star is a XIXth century reliquary containing relics to protect virgins (no kidding)

Probably not used very much these days.....

oooh nice idea. I've bought a pile of hammer horror DVDs to work through with Christmas vouchers and was wondering about a good vampire routines. Thought of a number of Jekyll and Hyde plots after watching I monster.

Mandrake wrote:Excellent pictures, thank you!

The Star is a XIXth century reliquary containing relics to protect virgins (no kidding)

Probably not used very much these days.....

In case of need, you can throw the reliquary like a shuriken...

Let summarize: ESP for Vampire Hunters.

- Cross: Crucifix and Crossroads. Keyword: Defense
- Circle: Circle of protection (also Sun, circle of fire, Holy Wafer, Silver Bullet, Ring, ...) Keyword: Protection (cycle of eternal life is nice too)
- Square: Earth, Vampire's Crypt, prayer/esoteric book, Coffin and mirror. Keyword: Detection (also the Door that the creature can't go thru without being invited.)
- Waves: Water (river, limit for the Vampire), Psychic waves and Holy Water Keyword: Psychic Defense and Protection
- Star: Night, mark of the Werewolf, Mark on the victim of the werewolf and/or the servant of the dark. At least in reverse. Also Souless Body. Reverse-the Vampire, Straight-the Hunter. Keyword: the Vampire.(and the werewolf)

Basic synopsis: the Curator shows his Collection about Vampires and give a lecture about the apparition of Vampire in our culture during the XVIIIth centure. Then he tells specific Vampire stories (Rhesus).
Showing the Vampire Killing Kit, he explains that only trained Vampire Killers could use those and enter various tests (I always start with "Stress Test"), then I enter various psychic defense tests with the ESP cards. (All have been described in Compendium Sortilegionis)


Vampire Killing Kit

Another good point is that ESP can be used for Hunters (H) or Vampires (V):
- Cross: H = Crucifix ; V = Crossroads (meeting point)
- Circle: H = Sun, Holy Wafer, Circle of Protection; V = Eternal "Life"
- Square: H = Mirror, Door, Crypt, book of lore; V = Coffin, Crypt
- Waves: H = Holy Water, Rivers; V = Psychic energy, blood
- Star: H = Pentagram or representation of the Hunter (like the Vitruve man); V = reverse representation of Evil, creatures of the Night, mark of the werewolf.
Some symbols can be interpreted the same way by H and V.


VampireKilling Kit

Best Vampire Hunters are known to be Dhampires, half-Human Half-Vampires (Blade is one). So, I'll rename my serie of tests: Tests of the Dhampire.
A nice start for a serie of tests may be asking the tested his own interpretation of the symbols. According to his answers, the tested is either on the hunter or the vampire/Werewolf side...
The test is also used to detect charlatans or fraudulent dhampires.
Other tests exists: if you believe the tested is a werewolf (or vampire), let him hold a silver coin. If the coin corrupts and darkened, you've your answer...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhampir
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_hunter


Dracula's Castle

Note: In March 2007, self-proclaimed vampire hunters vandalized the grave of former Serbian president Slobodan Miloševiæ and staked his body through the heart into the ground. Although the group involved claimed this act was to prevent Miloševic from returning as a vampire, it is not known whether those involved actually believed this could happen or if the crime was simply politically motivated.


Rhesus1, another Vampire Research Kit.

Before Zener Esp cards, the tarot cards were used for the same purpose, detecting and training members of the Vampire Hunters Team. There's is a tradition linking the tarot cards and the gypsies/szganies (helpers of Dracula).
the Minor Arcana.
- Cups: Holy Water/Holy Blood...
- Wands: Stakes
- Coins: Circle + pentagram: Holy Wafer, Day vs Night, Protective Circle...
- Swords: Dhampire's weapon (sometimes with a Cross shape)

Some of the Major Arcana too:
- Sun, Moon, Star
- Devil (Vampire hunting), High Priest blesses the weapons (reminiscences of Don Augustin Calmet), the Magician (holds the wand (stake) and the various symbols (Dhampire), Hermit (looks for the Crypt), ...
- Lovers : strange figure of a man between 2 choices, a bit like Jonathan Harker between Mina and Dracula's Wifes (but the angel is ready to throw an arrow on the vampire).
- Judgement: Vampires raising from the grave.
- The Fool: Under control of the Psychic Vampire, Renfield.
- Death: no specific comment
- The Hanged Man looks like a vampire resting (bat) in reverse position
- Temperance : the Rivers (vampire's limit)
- The Tower is the Castle or the Crypt.
...

There's is a tradition linking the tarot cards and the gypsies/szganies (helpers of Dracula), plus the Tarot is a wonderful tool to deal with the occult world. Even if in the XVIIIth and XIXth century, Tarot cards were scarce and difficult to obtain. Especially the Marseille deck.
And in fact, all the Major Arcana may be interpreted in a Vampire direction.
But ESP cards are more easy to use for elementary tests.

There are Vampire Tarots on the net http://www.illuminationtarot.com/vampire.php , but I really prefer the classical version of the Tarot of Marseille.
I'll also check Neil Gaiman'story Fifteen Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot.

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GYPSIES AND VAMPIRES:
Even today, Gypsies frequently feature in vampire fiction and film, no doubt influenced by Bram Stoker's book "Dracula" in which the Szgany gypsies served Dracula, carrying his boxes of earth and guarding him.
In reality, Gypsies originated as nomadic tribes in northern India, but got their name from the early belief that they came from Egypt. By 1000 AD they started spreading westward and settled in Turkey for a time, incorporating many Turkish words into their Romany language.

By the 14th century they were all through the Balkans and within two more centuries had spread all across Europe. Gypsies arrived in Romania a short time before Vlad Dracula was born in 1431.

Their religion is complex and varies between tribes, but they have a god called O Del, as well as the concept of Good and Evil forces and a strong relationship and loyalty to dead relatives. They believed the dead soul entered a world similar to ours except that there is no death. The soul stayed around the body and sometimes wanted to come back. The Gypsy myths of the living dead added to and enriched the vampire myths of Hungary, Romania, and Slavic lands.

The ancient home of the Gypsies, India has many mythical vampire figures. The Bhuta is the soul of a man who died an untimely death. It wandered around animating dead bodies at night and attacked the living like a ghoul. In northern India could be found the brahmaparusha, a vampire-like creature with a head encircled by intestines and a skull from which it drank blood.

The most famous Indian vampire is Kali who had fangs, wore a garland of corpses or skulls and had four arms. Her temples were near the cremation grounds. She and the goddess Durga battled the demon Raktabija who could reproduce himself from each drop of blood spilled. Kali drank all his blood so none was spilled, thereby winning the battle and killing Raktabija.

Sara or the Black Goddess is the form in which Kali survived among Gypsies*. Gypsies have a belief that the three Marys from the New Testament went to France and baptised a Gypsy called Sara. They still hold a ceremony each May 24th in the French village where this is supposed to have occurred.

One Gypsy vampire was called a mullo (one who is dead). This vampire was believed to return and do malicious things and/or suck the blood of a person (usually a relative who had caused their death, or not properly observed the burial ceremonies, or who kept the deceased's possessions instead of destroying them as was proper.)

Female vampires could return, lead a normal life and even marry but would exhaust the husband. Anyone who had a hideous appearance, was missing a finger, or had animal appendages, etc. was believed to be a vampire.

Even plants or dogs, cats, or farm animals could become vampires. Pumpkins or melons kept in the house too long would start to move, make noises or show blood.

To get rid of a vampire people would hire a dhampire (the son of a vampire and his widow) to detect the vampire. To ward off vampires, gypsies drove steel or iron needles into a corpse's heart and placed bits of steel in the mouth, over the eyes, ears and between the fingers at the time of burial. They also placed hawthorn in the corpse's sock or drove a hawthorn stake through the legs. Further measures included driving stakes into the grave, pouring boiling water over it, decapitating the corpse, or burning it.

In spite of the disruption of Gypsy lives by the various eastern European communist regimes, they still retain much of their culture. In 1992 a new king of the Gypsies was chosen in Bistritz, Romania.


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* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Sarah
http://www.philipcoppens.com/saintesmaries.html
I just thing that Kali is more a Dhampire than a vampire: she drinks the blood to fight the Demon.
Quote:
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So what is it that attracted the gypsies here? What is so special about Sarah that thousands of gypsies, from all over Europe, come to this area?
First of all, it is not known when and why the local church became so sacred to the gypsies, but what is know, is that it was some time after the gypsies’ arrival in Europe in the early 1400s. Likely, the devotion occurred after René d’Anjou gave the order to excavate an oratory – where the two Marys were allegedly buried – in December 1448. The crypt – in which Saint Sarah stands – dates from the time of these excavations. The excavations indeed revealed several human heads arranged in the form of a cross and the bodies of two women. An altar of compacted earth was also found, as well as a smooth marble stone that was later to be called “the Saints’ pillow”, currently visible inside the church.


(Drabardi Locker)

I gonna check those traditions, I know the Belgian King of the gypsies... Very nice man.
The divination is always performed by a woman called the drabardi.
Palm reading is also practiced: if the palm of your hand is hairy, it may be the sign of a werewolf...

One word ....

WOW .... (followed by salivation lol....)

F x

FairieSnuff wrote:One word ....

WOW .... (followed by salivation lol....)

F x

And it's only a sneak peak on my collection.

PLease sir can i have some more .................

lol....

F x

"Wow" is the only word I can think of too. Quite an inspiration. Well done sir.

Several times ago, I started developping a concept called X-Mentalism (see Hauntiques) and effects like"stress test" and the Protocols (based on the idea of what happens in Xavier's Institut).
Readapting this concept to Vampirism is easy: mentalism with meaning.

The photo above (with the scroll) was taken during the first huge Bizarre Coporate Event in Belgium, more than 10 years ago. The theme was X-Files and I had the pleasure to book Max Maven and Mary Tomich (as Professor Maven and Doctor Tomich) for the occasion. We had a museum room, a laboratory, bizarre bar, lecture room (my lecture was about time machine)... The show was a succes. So, if the question is: "Is bizarre Magic commercial ?" The answer is obvious...

More pictures here: http://www.surnateum.org

Some interesting haunted items:


The murderer spirit hand of Eva Fay


An Owen hand


XIXth century Djinn Killers (the Shihab Taqib)-from the City of Djinns


Baron Samedi's Hat

Well stake me now, and I thought I was the biggest Vampire nut around.

As a writer, about 95% of all my projects for the past 2 or 3 years have been somehow based on or elude to Vampires, (Usually with vampires as the protagonist, instead of the antagonist for who ever mentioned they'd like to see the vamp win once in a while.), and as a Media student the plot of my film this year centred around an angry forest Vampire vs. a dark and emotionaless Dhampir.

Never thought of incorporating a vampire theme into my magic though ... probably not a good idea, my friends probably really would cut my head off and fill my mouth with garlic. They're pretty skeptical of my newest paranormal hobby, and are sick to death of my obsession with vampires. Might steer clear there.

Nice collection of stuff though, The Curator. I can imagine they make excellent props for your performances, and are probably worth quite a bit?

(As a side note - a friend of mine once told me about a 'Vampire Hunter's Pistol' he saw in a gun magazine. I can't remember much of what he told me about it, but I remember the whole thing was decked out and engraved with holy symbols. and looked really ornamental. I remember the handle was engraved with passages from the bible, and small crosses carved into the head of the bullets though. Would look great in this collection, lol)

Cheers, Cal

No serious vampire collection should be without an original edition of Don Calmet's books...



... or a XVIIIth century magical sword...



Here's the gun from the vampire killing kit (on the other side, there are 3 silver crosses engraved)



There are alot of fake Vampire Killer Kits on the market, but they are easily detected as fakes. This one still has his Blomberg serum and other things that can't be duplicated or faked. The kit comes with an autographed photo of professor Ernst Freiherr von Blomberg, the originator of those kits.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Frei ... n_Blomberg

Nice collection of stuff though, The Curator. I can imagine they make excellent props for your performances, and are probably worth quite a bit?

Yep, but excellent investment...
We also have early edition of Bram Stoker's Dracula, original autographed letters by Stoker (signed by his boss, sir Henri Irving), and mooooooore... and a wonderful XIXth century walking stick hidding an iron stake.

Great photos. A truly wonderful collection.... nice to see someone who really cares about the details.

I wrote several vampire stories.
One of my favorites, also published in Hauntiques is:
http://www.surnateum.org/English/surnat ... sunset.htm

I also published Rhesus with top Belgian comic artist Yves Swolfs (who specializes in vampires):