For real vampires an awakening is a stressful and painful, yet liberating, part of their new lives. During an awakening there are a number of things going on simultaneously within the realms of their mental as well as physiological well being. These changes, thankfully, have been going on for a while, prior to the actual awakening itself. If they didn’t, it would only contribute to the confusion the newly awakened face. There are certain things however, that unfortunately are unavoidable, such as bewilderment on the side of family and disbelief from friends and peers.

For the newly awakened, life has just become mysterious, complicated and hurtful. The mystery surrounding real vampires is both self imposed as well as the result of the world’s disbelief in us in general. Life becomes complicated because of the need for discretion in who you confide in, if anyone. And it is hurtful because sometimes we choose the wrong person in which to confide. For most, the actual event of awakening is simply a confirmation of what has already been a life filled with turmoil and suspicion. It is the validation of years of having known that they were somehow different from those around them. Ironically, it is that confirmation of the awakening that brings the greatest amount of relief to a new vampire, who is struggling to find their identity and place in society.

It is a period of time where a mentor is desperately needed and yet, because of the sudden impact these changes can have, mentors can only do so much. Fortunately, with the invention of the home computer, help and understanding are a mere mouse-click away. With that click, comes a feeling of being overwhelmed by the shear number of sites claiming to be for vampires and/or otherkin. Out of all of these, maybe half will pan out as being genuine sources of information. Those that are left will generally fall into two categories. One being sites geared toward the role playing community, and the other is those that have zero useful information. The latter of these tend to be Hollywood driven in all that they present as fact, such as those saying you can be turned into a real vampire by another one. This is just a thimble of the misinformation these sites offer. So readers beware, when searching.

Once you have found an honest and truthful vampire site, a sense of peacefulness and general relief comes to the mind of the newly awakened. This is the result of finally finding your place in society, or the sub-cultures of it that make up the real vampire community. There is a distinct feeling of finally belonging somewhere, and the warm welcomes from said community by those who in their own past took that first step as well. Another thing that the newly awakened discovers is just how organized the community as a whole is. It starts with the distinction between the OVC or “Online Vampire Community” and the (offline) “Vampire Community” or VC. There really isn’t much of a difference between the two, except for the obvious off and online aspects of them.

Each has their pros and cons and telling the difference can be very confusing at times, especially for those who are newly awakened or just merely curious. The understanding of both can be accomplished by first finding, and then associating, with those vampires who have their feet in both the OVC and VC. The online community is where one will find the majority of information available to anyone wishing to know more about real vampires. This information usually covers everything from blood safety, to feeding techniques, to proper etiquette, as well as providing for social networking among like minded souls. The VC is usually responsible for vampire related social events as well as information pertaining to vampires. The distinction is that the information originating from the VC is not so readily available to everyone.

This brings us to how both of these are organized. The OVC is, for the most part, comprised of resource sites, message boards, e-groups, and social networks. The VC is made up of houses, covens and orders, with some even having an online presence as well. The VC primarily hosts and promotes social events such as balls, meet ups and workshops, as well as any other functions in the offline world that require representation. Either one of these can and should be considered important to the newly awakened vampire. They can cut through the confusion that accompanies any awakening. Understanding how the communities work together gives those that have awakened a leg up on learning and excepting who and what they have become.

A real vampire’s awakening can be an awkward, intense, and confusing period and there is no time frame connected to it. This means there is no age limit in regards to who can have one. And there is no set limit as to how long they last. Awakenings are different for everyone, so the paths taken to comprehend them and adjust one self to them are just as varied from vampire to vampire. But as was put forth earlier in this article, an awakening is both stressful and liberating. By looking for the resources that are readily available and avoiding those sites which are not on the up and up, an awakening, and the confusion that comes with it, can be managed and coped with.

For real vampires, their awakenings are forever imprinted upon them. They can be pleasant or they can be painful. There simply is no way to determine which they will experience. But with information and a desire to learn, the painful aspects can be minimized in order to start a new way of life. Being a real vampire can be exhilarating at best, and tedious at its worst. But for the new vampire, solace can be found. It is found in knowing that no matter the age of other vampires or the amount of time since their awakening, they all have gone through the trials and tribulations of an awakening.