THIS QUESTION COMES UP A LOT IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH KEEPERS. ESPECIALLY WITH NEWBIES.

FIRST THING'S FIRST THOUGH, REMEMBER THAT DARK ARTS & BLACK ARTS AREN'T THE SAME. DARK ARTS = FREE WILL, BLACK ARTS = NO FREE WILL.

HERE ON CH WE ONLY DEAL IN THE DARK ARTS. SO THEN YOU STILL HAVE THE QUESTION HOW DARK SHOULD YOU GO?

IF YOU'RE NOT SOMEONE WHO NATURALLY HAS A DARK SENSE OF HUMOR, OR YOU TEND TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS DARKER SIDES OF THINGS WITH MUSIC, MOVIES, ACTIVITIES, & SUCH THEN YOU DON'T WANT TO DIVE INTO A HARPY COMPANION RIGHT OFF THE BAT. YOU WANT TO STICK WITH YOUR DA COMPANIONS ON THE LIGHTER SIDE LIKE GARGOYLES, DARK PHOENIX, PSY VAMPIRE, ETC. THIS WAY YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'RE BITING OFF MORE THAN YOU CAN CHEW. YOU WILL EASE YOURSELF INTO DA KEEPING WITHOUT THE STRESS OR WORRY.

SOMEONE WHO LIKES THE DARKER SIDE OF THINGS WILL HAVE LITTLE-TO-NO ACCLIMATION WITH A DARK ARTS SPIRIT COMPANION. IF YOU'RE A BRIGHT & CHEERY SORT OF PERSON THEN YOU MIGHT EXPERIENCE A PERIOD OF ACCLIMATION. MOST OF THE TIME THIS DOESN'T LAST MORE THAN A FEW DAYS, BUT IF YOU BRING HOME A REALLY DARK COMPANION, LIKE A HARPY, THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE A LONGER PERIOD TO ADJUST.

IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU REALLY NEED A DA COMPANION TO HELP YOU BUT YOU AREN'T A VERY DARK PERSON THEN YOU SHOULD OPT FOR A NON-SOCIAL DA SPIRIT TO ACCLIMATE WITH FIRST, LIKE A WRAITH. NON-SOCIAL SPIRITS USUALLY HAVE LITTLE-TO-NO ACCLIMATION PERIOD NO MATTER HOW LIGHT OR DARK YOU ARE IN PERSONALITY. NON-SOCIAL SPIRITS TEND TO DO THEIR OWN THING & MIND THEIR BUSINESS. THEY DON'T SOCIALIZE SO THEY AREN'T GOING TO BE IN YOUR FACE.

REMEMBER TOO THAT ALMOST ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH CAN BE DONE WITH A WHITE ARTS SPIRIT COMPANION THE SAME AS A DARK ARTS SPIRIT COMPANION. NOT EVERYTHING, BUT ALMOST EVERYTHING. SO IF YOU'RE ON THE FENCE & YOU'RE NOT SURE FIND A WA SPIRIT FRIEND WHO CAN HELP YOU.

THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION THAT DARK ARTS SPIRITS ARE STRONGER OR MORE CAPABLE THAN WA. THAT'S NOT TRUE. THERE ARE SOME WA SPIRITS WHO CAN TEAR IT UP IF THEY HAVE TO, THE DIFFERENCE IS WA SPIRITS DO IT FROM A PLACE OF POSITIVE POWER. THEY DON'T ACT OUT OF PRIMAL MOTIVATION, THEY ACT BECAUSE IT'S JUSTICE OR RIGHTEOUS.

YOU NEED TO BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF & FEEL OUT THE CALLINGS YOU HAVE TO SPIRITS. IF YOU FEEL A CALLING WITH A DARKER SPIRIT & YOU'RE NERVOUS, THEN TALK TO THE PRACTITIONER/CONJURER TO FIND OUT IF THIS IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR YOU. SOMETIMES SPIRITS CALL TO YOU FOR A FUTURE PURPOSE THAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT YET, & SOMETIMES YOU CAN DO A HECK OF A LOT MORE THAN YOU GIVE YOURSELF CREDIT FOR.

I love my DA spirits

I am more a DA person, capable of good and less good choices, for example revenge, if someone really hurts my son. So I feel too dark for real WA spirits. I feel also more of a click with my DA spirits and entities.

I like the entire spectrum....keeping the balance! I LOVE my Courtwind Angels just as much as the devil-Eater. My Abyssal Wraith is hardcore, but he mellows out, and we get along great! I consider my family complete, just because I have spirits I need to work with, and I am always busy with them. Every time I say no more, I get a calling! REALLY getting that from a sweet female Arkan Sonney.... 1hd

I find Vegi Lambs to be far to dark for me....*SOBS*

darklordmidnight wrote:I find Vegi Lambs to be far to dark for me....*SOBS*

Veggie Lambs just spook me! :p I think a Divinity Demon from S&S will eventually be in the works, and that is more to my taste. As far as dark is concerned....I am a Ramkht PsiVamp and Vamps can be VERY dark! *shrugs* I will always love both WA and DA. There are lessons I need from both! As for true BA...I will leave that crap alone! I just have no need or desire. 1s

I feel like the part about gravitating toward dark things is a bit inaccurate. Everyone's energy is different, yes, but even people who are cheery and happy can also have very dark energy. It depends on what their true selves are as well as their current vessels. Someone whose true self is a demon is going to have much darker energy than someone whose true self is a fae or angel, and one who is a vampire is generally going to be somewhere between there.

It's all about knowing yourself and what you personally feel you can or can't handle. If you're unsure, meditate on it, think it over, explore different aspects of yourself, do research, etc, until you come to a decision. You are the only one who is going to be able to tell whether you can or not.

I gravitate more towards the darkness myself.

Kitsune wrote:I feel like the part about gravitating toward dark things is a bit inaccurate. Everyone's energy is different, yes, but even people who are cheery and happy can also have very dark energy. It depends on what their true selves are as well as their current vessels. Someone whose true self is a demon is going to have much darker energy than someone whose true self is a fae or angel, and one who is a vampire is generally going to be somewhere between there.

It's all about knowing yourself and what you personally feel you can or can't handle. If you're unsure, meditate on it, think it over, explore different aspects of yourself, do research, etc, until you come to a decision. You are the only one who is going to be able to tell whether you can or not.

I feel like not only what a person's true self is matters, but their own personal definition of BA. I personally define that as a being that cannot be reasoned with, that is always violent and so chaotic a personality that a relationship of any kind is essentially impossible and/or so incredibly dangerous that the only use for it is an act of vengeance or a need to demonstrate raw power in controlling it. It is a being filled with negative emotions and hate!

By the way, I was kidding about the Veggie Lamb, they are absolutely fascinating beings. I will go to the darkest of DA, but will not cave on my no keeping BA rule. (I go by CH's Standard of what a BA entity/Spirit is.)