The Rephaim Society

Journal Entries

May 1, 2008

I guess I'm just tired of being the only one who sees the world the way I do. I suppose that's a selfish motivation behind creating a community, but there you have it. There's more to it though. I have been getting signs left and right that I should do this. I keep watching shows where people connect on emotional levels, or where people build bridges and get immense personal satisfaction from doing so. Besides, I've been looking to find a community for so long, I figure I should just start my own.

I really want to avoid making any religious connections, at least at first. I don't want to put people off, at least not by something as superfluous as religion. Granted, I'd wager most of the vampiric and otherkin/therian community are pagans of some fashion, but still I want to be open to other possibilities. Besides, discussion of religion can happen in many locations, so why feed the flames when I want to stand out of the crowd? It's very important for me to have a reliable, consistent home for people to communicate both in real time and message boards.

Note to self: develop rating systems for articles!

Apr. 24th, 2008 at 6:18 PM

Here's something that's been stewing inside my little brain for a while now.

Why are people who are members of subcultures obsessed with secrecy? Take this for example... I recently had someone claim to me that she was a vampire who had been created a vampire, not born. She also claimed that she was old and had powers and all that. Yet, when I asked her for proof, even just in the form of an anecdote or picture, she panicked and said that while she had proof, she didn't feel comfortable showing or tell me it. Now, moving beyond the fact that chances are she didn't have diddly squat to show for herself, I've noticed that her claim seems to have some precedence for it, if nothing else.

Many people, especially those who claim to be otherkin, vampires, witches, etc. feel the need to suppress who and what they are behind a veil of secrecy. They lie about their names, their ages, and lord knows what else. Of course, I can understand lying about some things on the internet - God knows who's listening and who will try to steal your identity. But does that mean we need to lie to one another about our personal stories? Does that mean we need to hide in the shadows instead of making real connections with other people around shared experiences and life events? Life is cold and lonely enough as it is, why should we pretend otherwise or pretend that we are all proud lone-wolves, scouring the country side in search of fame and fortune. Too bad lone wolves never make it through the winter since they starve to death without the rest of the pack to assist in the hunting party. I, for one, don't want to starve of social deprivation. Besides, we're supposed to be able to understand one another, we're in the same boat after all. We who are on the fringes of society, whether by choice or by the prejudices of others, need to stick together. Sure, the culture at large might make fun of us for believing that we have souls who have been reincarnated as angels, dragons, merpeople, or rabbits. And sure, the culture at large might mock the vampire for saying that he or she is capable of manipulating the life force of another person. But that's why we create safe havens and places of tolerance and love on the internet, so that we can express ourselves without fear of rebuke, judgment, or verbal abuse.

And yet, no matter what is attempted, or how safe a space it might be, people still clam up and insist on being close-lipped about their experiences. In my humble opinion, one of the best reasons to keep on living this crummy ass life is so that we can connect to other people, learn about them, understand them, find out what makes them tick. If we're constantly keeping all that information private, however, we can't get anywhere. So what are you afraid of? Open up your mouth, get those fingers exercised, and start sharing your truth. You never know when you could change someone's life.

Originally Posted on Livejournal

By Tabitha, 2008 | Return Home