Time to Kill the Vampires

by Mark Stavish

Do You Know Any Vampires?

It is that time of the year again when very soon the vampires will be out to play. And it’s not just the vampires but, in fact, the entire world of the undead. Well, maybe not the undead, but close to it – children in costumes extorting candy out of you.

Perhaps you are among those who unfortunately does not see Halloween as the best holiday of the year, and who starts decorating sometime after Labor Day? Then all will be good come November 1st, as this parade of brightly colored ghouls and goblins will only last for a few fun-filled hours and be done. For the rest of us, our decorations will remain up until a week before Thanksgiving; some, such as the pumpkin lights, pulling double duty.

The not so good news is that the vampires of Halloween are the easiest to deal with. Give them a chocolate bar or some candy corn, and they go away. This is the bargain of Halloween. Other types of vampires are not gotten rid of so easily. The bargain you have with them is different; and not much of a bargain, as it all goes one way. You know the type, and most likely have one or two floating around. These are the folks that suck you dry and wonder why you never call.

No need to go into the details of it, you know them all too well. Yes, now is the time of the Fall Harvest, the time of assessment, and with that, the time to kill your “vampires,” those relationships you have with people that bring you nothing good and only take. You see, life is too short to be plagued by “hungry ghosts,” be they hungry for candy, or your time and emotional energy.

Take a Good Look at Energy-Suckers

Fall is about looking back as well as forward to winter and to the time when spring no longer comes. It is about the end, finality, to death. I know, not happy or upbeat, but that is reality. And this is why I repeatedly say to be free, to live your life, to be happy, and not to live the life others expect of you.

Those others can be parents (even if they are dead), so-called friends, family, or even certain social norms whose false narratives are designed to guilt you into an action you otherwise would not perform. These social norms are not limited to secular concerns, but are very much also a part of various spiritual, initiatic, and esoteric movements. These overwhelming frameworks are used to define us – these egregores – wherein we exchange one set of external expectations for another. So get rid of those energy-sucking undead (or is it really unliving?) creatures now, or end up joining their club of “unhappy and unfulfilled souls” in the afterlife.

Summer is over, fall is here, and winter is coming. It is time to weigh your life in the Balance of Truth. Free yourself from parasitical people, as well as the situations that cultivate them. This is the purpose of many esoteric teachings and in theory groups. These provide us with a set of tools and environment to learn how to use them. When used properly, these tools, in turn, help us create a happy, healthy, and meaningful life for ourselves and others.

So, break out the wooden stake along with the full-size chocolate bars (do not go cheap!) And slay your personal vampires this season. You will be glad you did.