Michael W. Ford is known in black metal circles for his contributions within a sect called Black Funeral, one of the pioneering bands from the United States. He also happens to have currents of dark energy spurring from his every fibre, and he spends his time writing books on Left Hand
Path Gnosticism, Magick, Witchcraft, Ritual Workings, Olden Mythology, Astral Vamprism, and Lycanthropy. He has obviously found his niche in the dark underworld of literature. All of his writings have been released through an occult collective site luciferianapotheca
His tome entitled The Book Of The Witch Moon caught my minds eye when I was seeking for texts and practices of mental vampirism and lycanthropy. Half of the book is devoted to these concepts along with folkloric stories of werewolves, belief, and the mind on the astral plane which Ford captures with impeccable brevity yet perfect understanding and practicality. The other half is traditional left hand path esoterica, which I don’t prescribe to but will focus on the former here… Mental vampirism is an external practice/output towards others, manipulated in such a way as to aid the individual obtain something in the waking life from others. By meeting with the vampire spirit in the astral plane where reality can be shaped according to desire and will, one procures special traits possessed of the vampire; cunning, power, empathy, seerlike visions, stealth. All of these became vectors for the mortal personality. Through ritual work, sigils, yoga and meditation, the altered states of thought can be achieved, and it is directly here that the mundane realities become abstract.
Find out what goes on in his mind here
Ford casts some preliminary methods in which way one can be in alignment with the astral, but never proclaims a stone doctrine. Because the use of this praxis works on the individual level it is meant only for the I, and can not be created by an outsider. To be properly united with the darker astral spirits, and use them effectively, one needs to have strict self discipline, control, a strong mind, and a purpose. One achieves the balance this way. A passage from Michael’s ritual at his chamber using the death posture to enter the ‘astral realm’ follows…
“My evocations led up to a powerful intonation, at which I FELT Kundalini rising
through my spine. An aura of great strength visible as an outline of red light surrounding
me emanated through my being and was observed by Soror Davcina. So much may be
expected by those who would use such evocations from the very heart of night. The
atmosphere of the chamber became rather humid and heavy, so much so that sweat
began to form upon my forehead. I felt I was ready to assume the Death Posture, to
perform which I bent my body over towards my legs and began breathing at a deep and
rapid rate, exhaling until I felt a dizziness take my mind.
As I regained my standing position Soror Davcina took both her hands and with a firm
and steady grip squeezed my throat until I lost consciousness. I later learned from her that
I had fallen within the entrance of the circle, and she was careful not to let me fall hard,
land on a candle or injure my head. At the moment of assuming the Death Posture I had
felt a rush of red energy, followed by what seemed to be a spiraling ecstasy of phantom
energies within my mind. All conceived dogma was now destroyed. There is much that
can be said regarding that exact moment, for the self becomes nothing yet open to allpossibilities”
On Lycanthropy, I had gained valuable insight for the mental realities that show themselves if one truly devotes their personality to its nature. The Lycan (werewolf) symbolizes the transformation from the mere man into something altogether more primal, closer to nature, bestial, stronger, and more wise. It is void of the excess allegory of deities or demons which I could never quite wrap my head around. Instead it relates to our emotions, physical actions, and personality. 
These are surely possessed by some individuals I am acquainted with and find them in myself. They are always present, like a coiled energy that preserves itself until it needs to be used. These are not inherently a negative traits, only to the one who cannot harness them, or to outsiders upon which their causes are being directed. Meditation, extreme physical testing, or dreams are the most effective ways to unleash it, and it will replenish itself through careful self-control and keeping a sound consciousness. He recalls in one part of a journey he endured with his wife, while walking in extreme cold and storm from his dwelling, and forgetting to wear proper clothing against the elements. He stopped halfway and focused his mind on the wolf, entwining it within his own being and was able to make the rest of the walk. Both these concepts of mental vampirism and lycanthropy hold a firm base on the way I determine my own life. Always striving against weakness, never faltering to be overcome by external trials, and thus the attainment towards anything I desire. To be at one with a wolf or vampire, or any animal atavism helps one connect to something not immediately perceived. When one controls the constituents of the mind one controls everything. I would recommend these texts to anyone with a reverence for the predators of the animal kingdom or appreciation for the shadow sides of reality. The pdf version can be located here if interested. http://azjeh666.angelfire.com/WitchMoon.pdf
Sir Ford also has a dark ambient project with his wife, going by the name Hexentanz encompassing black magic, with the use of archaic period instruments (Kangling Kapala), chanting, human bones, and medieval-esque synth. I think the music is fitting while reading his literature, and have enclosed here a couple songs from Necrocrafte.
Midnight Procession Hexentanz – Midnight Procession
Birth Is Through Blood Hexentanz – Birth Is Through Blood
Binding Of Shadows Hexentanz – Binding Of Shadows
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