1998 Itvw True Vampire Raphael Osiris aka Ralph SpindellTRANSCRIPTSONDRA:Would membership in a coven or vampiric group of which you would have knowledge, would it involve secrecy?RAPHAEL:I'd say the levels of secrecy are currently only to protect each other, and to protect a growing community from misrepresentations right now.SONDRA:That sounds awfully vague.RAPHAEL:Secrecy isn't important in terms of like, if you say the secret... SONDRA:What about secret rituals, secret words, secret meanings, people's identity? Something like that?RAPHAEL:There are certain groups that are very shrouded in secrecy. They have several different levels of initiation and even those within the group aren't aware of what is going on until they reach the next level. SONDRA:It's a typical secret society structure.RAPHAEL:I think the positive aspects of that are not getting too much too soon. Even if they're not secret societies, like the martial arts structure, you don't go on to the next level, until you've fully mastered everything from the first level. And it's simply not to cloud your mind with too many unnecessary things until it's fully developed. You've spoken of developing psychic awareness and psychic abilities, and the strength of the mind is important to maintaining a definitive structure on that. SONDRA:Do you have disciplines similar to martial arts disciplines?RAPHAEL:Yes. The disciplinary requirements are like that. It's a very physical and mental discipline and focus.SONDRA:Does this have anything to do with the OTO, Temple of Set, Church of Satan?RAPHAEL:No. Those are entirely different occult organizations. I mean, any vampire, occultist, psychic vampire or blood feeder is more than welcome to be, and could be expected to be, in any other society as well. Vampires aren't as segregated as you might think. They could be next door. They could be in your occult organization, in your church or your job, or whatever. SONDRA:But vampires don't proselytize or try to persuade others to become vampires, do they?RAPHAEL:No. That's a very minimal set, too. Most people, let's say the clinical vampires. One, they wouldn't know how to give someone else their affliction, they're not interested in giving anyone else their affliction.SONDRA:Well, take yourself, for example. You're an activist. Would that include, hey, join up with the vampires and be like me, sort of thing?RAPHAEL:If anyone's had feelings and desire to explore this aspect of their personality or aspect of this culture as it develops, and hasn't been into it enough or has heard negative things about it, my activism is simply to say, look, it's not all that bad. This is what it is. Lay out the truth.