|
One of the temptations that come from being a part of the vampyre community is the desire to be part of a house. Very often, this desire is not well thought out. The desire too frequently come from the misguided notion that a real vampyre is a member of a house and that as such, will command respect and power. The desire becomes, after a short period, so powerful that the individual loses perspective and winds up jumping in before they have full understood what it is they are doing. I should know, I was one of those people.
It is not my intention that this come across as an attack on vampyre houses. Rather, it is a presentation of how to go about it properly, with forethought and an understanding of what you could be getting involved in. This will protect both the seeker and the house. The first thought that should be considered is why join a house? There are a number of decent reasons for this. The first would be to be able to congregate with others of like mind. We all want to be around people who are like us and can support us in our condition. We feel less like freaks if we are with other freaks. This is the reason behind themed clubs. Another reason includes the gain of knowledge and/or wisdom. There are a few reasons that are worth considering when thinking about being a part of a house. There are also bad reasons. Do not join a house to acquire rank. That is a hollow reason. Do not join one to learn secrets because in most cases, you will not find any. Do not do it because of the prestige or name of a particular house. Do not do it because your friend did or you know someone who is a part of it. All reasons to join a house should be internal to yourself and they should be centered around attempting to achieve growth. They should not be for outward signs of prestige.
To further complicate the matter, you must consider that most valid reasons for joining a house can be accomplished with out the help of a house. To grow in knowledge of vampyrism doesn’t require a house; it requires persistence, research, and study. If the house is worth its salt, it will not merely hand you the keys to the chest, but will only point you in the right direction and send you on a journey of discovery. We learn best through hard work. When I became a member of a house, I wound up spending a lot of time buying books, surfing the internet, experimenting with ideas. I had very, very little given to me. It eventually came to be that I had grown far more than many members of that house. Why would that be; because my reason for being there was to grow in knowledge and understanding. It was not a social club for me.
If you take a second look at what I just said, it could be deduced that what I gained from being in that house is that growth stems from within. The house didn’t give me anything I didn’t already possess.
Thus, I am left with the notion that being a part of a house is primarily due to social instinct. It is because we want to belong. However, we can all belong to the greater vampyre community without belonging to a house. A house is a subjective formalization of that desire to be a part of the vampyre community. However, if you are a vampyre, then you are already a part of the community.
A part of a house one should also be prepared for the possibility of dealing with a lot of politics both within and without. Just as people form cliques, so do houses. Within a house you might encounter internal politics, favoritism, philosophies that do not mesh well with your own or behaviors that you may not agree with. It is not likely that within any given house that all of that house’s practices are going to agree with your own personal framework and you must be prepared for this reality. A house is comprised of people (vampyres are people too), so, in a way, a house will have a personality that is made up of the sum of its parts. In the community as a whole, I have noted many instances where houses will argue and threaten each other. Houses jockey for position as to who is greater than whom. This external puffing of chests will often take precedence over the internal growth of a house.
Now that my own views have been put out there for critique, I will say that being a part of a house is not altogether a bad thing. I know that it would seem I have predominantly espoused great negativity toward the idea of joining a house, but what I have done is placed reality before you. If you know what you could possibly face prior to considering joining a house, then you know the right questions to ask. Joining a house I is, or should be, work for both sides. It is a test of relationship and philosophy.
A house should have a prospectus, or code of ethics and philosophy for public consumption, or, at the very least, to present to people wishing to join. If they do not have this document, they should communicate it clearly to potential members. This way, the house and the potential member are clear about where they stand.
In joining a new house, the prospective member should question those who run the house as well as other members to get a sense of the type of people they are and the practices that go on within the house (within reason, of course). The house should be clear on their internal structure and requirements of new members.
If there is a ranking structure or grades that should be made clear as well as requirements for progression.
If members have left the house, the house should be able to explain why and hopefully, be willing to give last contact information for the person should the new member wish to ask their side of the story.
If the house has a physical meeting location and you are in that area or nearby, you should ask around about the house and see what others have to say about it.
A good house will have a probationary period for the new member; it is during this time that you evaluate the practices of the house and the members as much as they are evaluating you for fit within the house. Use this time wisely. They are on trial as much as you are.
As I have mentioned already, the reason for writing this was to put out my own opinion on houses, why to join, and what to expect. These are my own feelings, but there is experience and thought put into these words. These may not reflect the experience that others have had and if this is the case they should be weighed in conjunction with all the other thoughts out there. This is merely presented as a possible guide to those new in these forests.
|
