Awakened: Austin Vampires Recount Epiphanies

Daley Catherine Hodges (middle) is the queen of the Austin Vampire Court. Hodges, shown here during the annual Austin Vampire Ball, says she realized she was a vampire while attending high school in suburban Austin. Photo by Graham Dickie.

In 2001, Nero Cone was a 13-year-old living in Tulsa, Oklahoma and searching the web for answers.

Cone had been feeling strange changes that he now describes as shamanistic -- shifting energy levels in those around him. He stumbled on a support website and “realized that what they were describing was fitting me to a T.”

“I started doing some research and I encountered the phenomena of the psychic vampire,” Cone said.

The site talked about the astral plane and feeding on others’ energy in order to make it through the day, and that became the norm for Cone, who identifies today as a psychic vampire.

Cone’s story is one example of the numerous ways today's real-life vampires come to terms with their identities. The experience is known in vampire communities as “an awakening,” an epiphany when vampires realize their true nature.

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Vega Delano, a tattoo artist and vampire from New Orleans who traveled to Austin to attend October's vampire ball. Photos by Graham Dickie.

Although we all may like to think that we know what a vampire is, awakenings challenge popular conceptions of vampirism. Twilight movies and True Blood episodes have taught millions about creatures that cannot stand the sun and relentlessly attack harmless individuals in pursuit of blood, but the reality is a little different.

The Austin Vampire Court is a good example of how vampires work in the real world and the importance of awakenings. Led by Daley Catherine Hodges and her fiancée Logan South, the court is a formal organization with dozens of local members. It's also a resource for vampires who are still torn or confused by their awakenings.

To learn more about awakenings and how they work, we asked Hodges and South, as well as multiple members of the court, about their experiences.

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Hodges, a Sanguinarian (blood-drinking) vampire, awakened during her sophomore year of high school at age 15. She was discovered by a coven of vampires in Austin that was close to her age and had awakened a few years earlier than she had.

An energy signature, referred to as a beacon, allows vampires to sense other vampires near them. The coven noticed that Daley was in the early stages of awakening and decided to take her in and help her understand the changes she was going through.

“The first thing that happened to me was that I became very sensitive to daylight,” Daley said. “My senses very heightened so normal things became an inconvenience. The sun was so bright that I would always have to wear sunglasses because I could not stand the brightness.”

She remembers the first time she felt the need to feed, during a time in class after feeling severely dehydrated. As soon as class let out, Hodges ran to the nearest fountain and began gulping down water -- but nothing seemed to help.

Turning to the leader of the coven for advice, he allowed Hodges to feed from him. The thirst vanished instantly.

In the Court, Hodges and South teach Sanguinarian members other methods of feeding and help them through their own awakenings, just like Hodges’ friends helped her.

South said he also awakened when he was young. He felt empowered by the experience and said he ran off into the world as an extremely confident young vampire. But he now sees himself as full of arrogance during that time period and regrets the decision.

South also placed extreme emphasis on being true to your vampire identity. He said if you're not a a vampire you cannot force it, and although many may try to convince themselves so they can feel a sense of belonging it’s not advisable.

“The best thing you can do is be yourself,” South said.

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Roxy Vyxsin and Madasin Bordeaux perform a burlesque show at the Austin Vampire Ball registration event. Photos by Graham Dickie.

Stephen Moore, meanwhile, was 13 when he noticed something different about himself. Living in Hawaii, Moore was playing with a friend when she fell down and injured herself. His mind automatically went to cleaning up her wound with his tongue. After tasting the blood, his heart started beating really fast and it became hard to breathe.

Moore is now a knight of the Court -- he keeps the peace and resolves disputes -- and has been a member for five years.

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Jennifer Varner (left) and Andrea Tolan (right) of the Austin Vampire Court. Photos by Graham Dickie.

After moving to Austin and meeting South, Moore was exposed to the culture and began understanding what was going on with him. He was confused but relieved that his previous thoughts of internal and mental illness now had answers.

Moore confided in his family about his vampirism. His family is supportive but feared that if people find out he would face discrimination.

Many vampires are anxious about telling relatives. Rowan James, who grew up in the conservative East Texas town Beaumont, felt stifled by his environment and isolated when he started to have his awakening.

But knowing he was a vampire still gave him solace.

“A lot of people are against labels these days, but sometimes they're very relieving,” James said.

Jennifer Varner is Hodges and South’s caregiver and assistant, someone who has not yet awakened. She has been working for them for about a year now after meeting South for a fang appointment.

“I am a human,” Varner said. “I have not had an awakening yet. It’s possible later on, but I am not a vampire to my knowledge.”

Varner is not anticipating an awakening. She claims it is an experience that you cannot expect and sometimes will overlook without the helps of others. Overlooking the process does not mean you are not a vampire, but rather, you just have not realized it yet.

“For some people, they know who they are right away,” Varner said. “And for others, it takes more time. And sometimes you don’t know it at all.”