Atlanta Vampire Alliance [AVA]

Thought it'd be fun to ask this :)
For all the energy workers, players, manipulaters (whatever you choose to call it), how did you find out you could do that? How old were you? What was it like when you first did it?

I started when I was around 12. I had started exploring spirituality going into wicca first. Energy based religion so thatd be my first :). It was interesting the first time I did it as the "teachings" on energy play that are about generally have ways for you to feel it or describe how it would feel. Interesting topic though kim not many ask about it.

I was doing healings around 6-7.   ???

Dont do it any more.

Actually Pain I didnt get into healings myself until around 15-17. I have stopped since as it seems to be more alleviating of pain in a few cases. But I have been looking into getting a few texts (Likely E books, good ole demonoid) about the anatomy and the way the cells work in forming and regenerating damaged tissues as well as whatever else I can find to put it in as few words as I can. Energy working can be as simple as forming a sphere or as complex as internal or external healings though :P

yeah.. I got put on the faith healing circuit as a kid.  Kind of a weird time in my life obviously.  I figure it was a basic form of reiki I was doing instinctively, probably on the pain alleviation side.  Every now and then I will do a little work in that direction, but its just a gift I turned away from.  I ususally just work with colors and sounds.. get a feel for what should be, vs what it is.  (IE area should be green, but it is red and black and sluggish.. so send light green).  Course you dont want to send a cancer green.. things like that.

Having a Tsalagi Great Grandfather who was adept in the Medicine Way, I started getting trained early...  At 7, this self same Great Grandfather handed me my first deck of tarot cards because "your medicine way is different than mine but it is still strong"...

So the honest answer is, I've been working with energy as long as I can remember...

I think the easiest answer is that I never started, exactly, I just always have. My family has been encouraging of this and it's just always been a part of my life, that's all there is really.

At a very young age (12, I think).  My hands and forehead were tingling so badly that I couldn't control it.  I asked those closest to me if they knew what was going on, but they declined in any type of answer so I had to research things myself.  We moved across the street from a true life psychic (I mean this guy was GOOD), who taught me about power stones, healing materials, color cards, intuitive notions and other things of that nature.  He changed my life from the first time I met him.  Bad thing was, that first time was a bit of a fright.  He handed me his power stone and I almost ended up passing out from something coming out of that stone that I could not describe.  He told me to go wash my face with cold water, that cold water would stop the sensation.  He then informed me that it was a test to see how "sensitive" I claimed to be.  I passed with flying colors as he told me I almost had a natural OBE (out of body experience) just by holding that power stone.  From the time of our first meeting, to my move to another part of the city never to see him again, I learned a great deal about my hands, forehead and other natural occurances that envelope my life.  If it weren't for him, I think I would still be a green horn to this day.  The most important thing he did teach me was the fact that when people around me state that they use energy or can manipulate it and or work with it, I need to take them with a grain of salt.  Most people who talk about it, don't really know the differance between actual spiritual energy and other types to be aware of how to use it, let alone how to manage it.  Don't get me wrong, I know plenty of people that are true to their nature, but some out there are "full of it."

Wise words.  Same can be true of many claims, from being able to drink gallons of blood a week, to the guy who is selling you the used car and saying it runs great.

36

I'd always been interested in occult and pagan stuff. I was empathic and sensitive to things most folks were not. But 36 is when fully awakened in a rather big way. The rest is history. I'm 42 now.

I remember, sometime between the ages of 6 and 8, i can remember trying to prove to my sister that i could read minds.. i'm not sure if that was my understanding of empathy or i could really read minds... my approach though, wasn't how i now would think the best way..
i sort of described a sensation and perception that i still have trouble with.. it's like wearing a mask, but of a real person.. like wearing their face.. sometimes, depending on how strong it is, i can almost make out what they're thinking wherever they are, or even seeing.

I remember sometime before then (before age 6) of looking out the car window, while laying in the seat and wondering if others could feel as i do.. i think that was about the time i realized that what i was used to, wasn't exactlly 'normal'..

I was always the little kid asking all kinds of questions, and reaching out to comfort someone.. though this is normal to some extent of development.
I was mediating and counseling peers in the first grade, and sought to do so for adults as well.  i've also always had a habbit (up until a recent boyfriend who became irritated with it), whenever someone was injured, either simply giving them a hug and wanting to be close, and/or of holding my hand over the wound. there was never an obvious result of anything.
I do find that, while i'm vulnerable to developing my own headaches and random pains, that sometimes i (not usually on purpose) take part or all of someone else's pain. many times, i've been called a liar or copy-cat, because i claim the pain, oftentimes after they already have.. so i've learned to try to keep quiet and just deal with it..unless i'm unaware or it has not already been mentioned that the pain originated from someone else

After 'awakening' and learning the proper terms to what (traits, abilities, symptoms etc) i had encountered (energy, healing, energy manipulation, vampire, empathy, etc) i attempted healing myself several times, only to find ONCE that i may have sped the rate at which a small scratch healed.. i was aware of my typical healing rate, though not to an exact "this many days", and it seemed this one time, it healed faster than my average.
but being my own body, and no witnesses, i cannot wholly prove it nor say that it was anything entirely special.
around that time i was also explained what the 'mentor' described as 'magic(k)', he explained the psi-ball as a very basic technique. This i've practiced since then, but am never sure or solid in the manifestation of the energy manipulation.

i believe i was born with my capacity and maybe some bits of ability or sensitivity (emotions, spirits, etc) and awareness of energy (nature) but over time, it developed further (nurture). sometime between the ages of 13 and 16, i 'awakened' and accepted what i was able to do (or what i felt) i found terms for it and was effected more by them.
For example, when i was younger it was positive or just neutral, not a bother but just a part of me. as i got older, it became overwhelming and a bit stronger.. and influenced me a bit more.
I believe, sometime after accepting it, i questioned things and the fact it was so overwhelming sort of stunted my 'growth' and development. it was never really something i could control at will or on a whim.. it started as natural, and  just understood most of it as a passive part of me.
If ever i try to control it, or block it out.. it ends up weakening to the point where it doesn't seem to exist for a while.. even if i want it to.. then will randomly come back on it's own.. sometimes gradual, sometimes more instant-ish.. (not quite a smack in the face).