Understanding the Animal Within...

Therianthropy Day 2019

2019-11-10T00:24:09Z

Posted by: ulfrvif

This year, Therianthropy Day and the full moon of November occur on Tuesday the twelfth.

Online discussion of Therianthropy began in November of 1993 on Alt.horror.werewolves. There is also the importance of meeting other Therianthropes in person. In 1994, the November Harvest Howl was organized by Smash Greywolf, and many Therians from AHWW met for the first time.

I was thinking of how else to celebrate this day, and I realized that the Therian Wiki lacked a page about Lupa's book, "A Field Guide to Otherkin". It has now been added with an image of the cover and references. https://therian.fandom.com/wiki/A_Field_Guide_to_Otherkin

For more information about Therianthropy Day and how it can be celebrated, see the related page of the Therian Wiki.

https://therian.fandom.com/wiki/Therianthropy_Day

For a few notable events in Therian History, you can get a quick overview on the timeline page also on the Therian Wiki. (This is still a work in progress.) https://therian.fandom.com/wiki/History_of_Modern_Therianthropy

I hope you have a good Therianthropy Day on Tuesday!

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Beginning of Drumming Series for Meditation

2019-10-28T00:07:29Z

Posted by: ulfrvif

I have been away from the online Therian community for many months during the busy summer. I needed to focus on adult life, responsibilities, and other hobbies such as gardening. With the winter months approaching, I have more time again. I started working on a new series of video which I hope will be helpful to many in this community.

Drumming Series Introduction: This video briefly describes the purpose of the drumming sessions, how to use them, and what to expect.

Drumming Intro: https://youtu.be/5KaYqfYVDuU

5 Minute Drumming Session: This video can be used for quick meditation and relaxation. The length is probably not long enough for a Shamanic Journey. Beats per minute are about 220. At the end of the video, there is a more rapid set of beats to bring you back to a normal state of consciousness.

5 Minute Session: https://youtu.be/eF2del3KMuI

I hope to have longer sessions out soon.

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Therian Panel at Pine Fur Con

2019-03-30T01:27:52Z

Posted by: ulfrvif

Pine Fur Con is taking place from Friday April 5 to Sunday April 7th this year. Location is South Portland, Maine.

The Therian panel called "Therian Howl" hosted by RunningRed is scheduled for 1:30 PM on the first day of the convention, Friday April 5.

This will be an informal gathering open to anyone who identifies as a Therian or is interested in learning about Therianthropy. Running Red is a wolf Therian who has been in the community for a long time, since the mid 1990's. He's definitely a reliable person to talk on the subject in my opinion.

Day passes are available. Friday is $30 if you just want to attend the Therian Panel, but there is a lot going on that day. Erin, who is also a Therian, is hosting a concert starting at 4:00 PM.

Youtube video announcement: https://youtu.be/LdWFTk4Qp0I

https://pinefurcon.org/

In related news for gatherings and Howls, the date for the Northwest Howl in Washington State have been confirmed by Traveller, the organizer. The howl will be from Saturday July 20th through Tuesday July 23rd. There are still spaces available. You can learn more by creating an account and viewing the thread on Therian Guide forum.

https://forums.therian-guide.com/index.php

I hope to have information to share about the Norway Dragonkin Gathering soon. It's occurring later this summer.

Thanks for reading.

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Therian Otherkin Panel at Texas Furry Fiesta

2019-03-16T23:59:59Z

Posted by: ulfrvif

Taking place in Dallas Texas on March 30 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. More details in video below or at the convention links.

https://youtu.be/WgxYEQtbzNg

Texas Furry Fiesta Main Page - https://2019.furryfiesta.org/

Panel Event Page - https://guidebook.com/guide/145631/event/22809250/

Furry Fiesta Schedule - https://guidebook.com/guide/145631/schedule/#date/03-30-2019

Ulfrvif

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News from February

2019-03-16T23:15:09Z

Posted by: ulfrvif

Kinda late adding this to the group, but the Howls are for this summer and the Otherkin meets are monthly. These are in the form of short videos available on Youtube.

Planned Therian Howls and Otherkin Meets - https://youtu.be/l8u-gNyIoII

Serious Therianthropy Discussion Chats - https://youtu.be/gAylo3YC1t0 (next one is March 17)

Therian Talks (like a podcast) - https://youtu.be/tBDiUSFPfow

Resource of the Month - Werelibrary - https://youtu.be/rOzquCxIFpM

Therian.org Telegram Chat - https://youtu.be/R2JtoxhXJoM

Infamous Therian Bible - https://youtu.be/iz6a3q_CPLE

Therian/Otherkin Google+ Groups (where they are moving to) - https://youtu.be/Eup7Bj2_jro

Notable Stuff from Tumblr - https://youtu.be/bIhCE9_AUZc

Notable News from Twitter and other Social Media - https://youtu.be/QO8RR_WPb9w

I'm already working on some March news and other videos for the channel.

Ulfrvif

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Therianthropy Day 2018

2018-11-19T02:10:27Z

Posted by: ulfrvif

This year Therianthropy Day falls on November 23. Therianthropy Day falls on the day of the first November full moon, so it moves. It’s on a different day each year. Last year (2017) Therianthropy Day was on November the 4th, which happened to be the same day that the first howl was held in 1994.

November 7, 1993 is the day that a bat-identified person began to talk about his dreams of being a bat and feeling like a bat on the Usenet group Alt.horror.werewolves. That discussion is considered a starting point for Modern Therianthropy and the online community. The group Alt.horror.werewolves was created a year earlier on November 16, 1992. So, November is a significant month to us historically.

Werebat dreams - https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/alt.horror.werewolves/cnaZs0KC9Bk

More info about the first Howls - https://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Howl

Also, the idea of a day like this for Therianthropes is not new.

“It was first proposed as a sort of holiday in March of 1996. Ultimately, AHWW decided to use it, and it stuck. It went through a few iterations of names, “International Werewolf Day”, and then the less species-specific “Awereness Day” (since were is the older term for therian), and after the term therianthropy caught on, “Therianthropy Day”.”
BearX

Here’s a link to the 1996 “International Werewolf Day” discussion on AHWW. https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!msg/alt.horror.werewolves/eOvzhlG3IaI/NqmIpx9-JN4J;context-place=forum/alt.horror.werewolves

Therianthropy Day is meant to encourage the acknowledgement of our history and the spread of accurate information. This is a day to recognize the Greymuzzles from AHWW who founded and built up the online community. Many support this day in the hopes that it can synchronize the online community and bring it together despite it being spread out across various social media platforms. Therianthropy Day is also supported by many who feel that Therianthropes need to form some solid traditions to strengthen our culture.

Along with the emphasis on history, the day is meant to be fun and lighthearted. Building connections and relationships with other Therianthropes is a large part of Therianthropy Day since it commemorates the first Howl. This can be done through chatting, playing games, and meeting up with others in real life if possible. Therianthropes are also encouraged to take part of this day for self-care.

Unfortunately, there is some opposition to Therianthropy Day. Some feel that it too closely resembles "Pride" celebrated by LGTBQ+ peoples. In response to that, an effort has been made in the online community to educate the younger Therians who want "Therian Pride" and explain to them that calling for "Therian Pride" is inappropriate. Others oppose Therianthropy Day because they think it only encourages "fluff" and roleplay.

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Types of Shifts (Therianthropic)

2018-07-07T16:49:42Z

Intro to Shifts

Shift (Therianthropic): any temporary change in mentality, mood, sensory perception, or spirit that causes a Therianthrope to feel more instinctual or animalistic like the therioside in a non-physical manner.

Shifting has been discussed since the beginning of the online Therian community. "Your best mental transformation", is a discussion from AHWW which took place on December 1, 1993.

Shifts are experienced differently for each individual. Shifts can occur in varying strength and frequency and be both a positive or negative experience. Multiple types of shifts can be experienced simultaneously. A person does not need to experience every type of shift to be a Therian. Some Therians may only ever experience one type of shift throughout their lives. Many Therians do not have shifts. See the video for Contherianthrope.

In most cases shifting is entirely controllable, but sometimes a Therian will experience strong shifts that do cause them to temporarily loose the ability to function completely as a human. Shifting is typically involuntary, but some Therians learn to induce shifts.

Be aware that having a single shift or even several shifts does not mean that you should assume, without a doubt, that you are a Therian. We must carefully consider what experiences are relevant. There could be rational explanations for why a person experiences a shift-like sensation that has nothing to do with Therianthropy or being Therian. We must be mindful and cautious that we are not simply imagining these sensations or tricking our minds. One example is the Rubber Hand Illusion.

Astral Shift (ALS): occurs when the astral body separates from the physical body, travels to the astral plane and shifts to the form of a nonhuman animal. This is considered an out-of-body experience (OBE). This is a spiritual related shift that requires the belief in the existence of souls or a form of consciousness called an astral body. This is related to astral projection or could occur during astral projection, and the idea of astral travel is ancient and occurs in multiple cultures.

Astral Shifting can occur during sleep, with the aid of spiritual trance, meditation, or induced through hypnotic means such as self-hypnosis. Not all astral shifts will be related to Therianthropy. Some people may practice this ability for other purposes such as Shamanic work and spiritual healing.

Astral Shifting was being discussed on AHWW in 1994/1995 or sooner, but it's a less common shift that is not mentioned as often as shifts like mental and phantom.

References

Shifting Types, Therian Wiki - http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Shift_(Therianthropic)
"Shifting and Awareness Terms" were.net archive circa 2001(accessed May 25, 2018) https://web.archive.org/web/20010118174900/http://www.were.net:80/~pinky/wereterms.html
Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive) - http://web.archive.org/web/20060901112859/http://www.therianthropy.org/SO/encyclopedia.htm
"Returning, with werecard" Alt.Horror.Werewolves - https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/S5F48mtcmVE/KdsA_CFi-DsJ
Astral Projection
Benjamin Radford, "Astral Projection: Just a Mind Trip" March 18, 2013 http://www.livescience.com/27978-astral-projection.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astral_projection

Aura shifting (AS): occurs when the shape or form of an auric field or life energy field changes to that of the theriotype. This is a spiritual related shift in that it requires the belief in auras which are considered paranormal. A Therian may also experience a partial or full mental shift along with an aura shift. Discussions on AHWW were clearly including this type of shift as early as 1996, but this is a less common shift that we don't see mentioned very often in the community today.

References

Shifting Types, Therian Wiki - http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Therianthropic_Shifting_types
Were.net, "Shifting and Awareness Terms" January 18, 2001 (archived page accessed May 25, 2018) https://web.archive.org/web/20010118174900/http://www.were.net:80/~pinky/wereterms.html
Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive) - http://web.archive.org/web/20060517083239/http://www.therianthropy.org:80/SO/shifting-a.htm
"Proposal: Werecode v.0.5", September 29, 1996, (accessed May 25, 2018) https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/1cYEm0yfZZM/m6W8ZaoNKzMJ

Berserker Shift: occurs when a person has the "ability to induce a state of possession by his kindred beast, acquiring its strength, fearlessness, and fury." Trances and altered states of consciousness are methods to enter a berserk shift, most commonly used by warriors for the purpose of going into battle.

This shift is arguably not related to Therianthropy. There are discussions around the term on AHWW throughout the 1990's, but most were to explain the term's origins in Norse mythology and explain that emotions, anger, and rage are human traits.

Feral Shift might be a more accurate term, in that it means a person is having a full mental shift due to strong emotions such as anger that completely pushes away the human side temporarily. However, shifts are never an excuse to lash out at someone and cause harm. Self control is still possible and should be practiced during all shifts. This form of shift is rarely experienced or discussed in the community.

Berserker comes from Old Norse berserkir meaning “bear-shirts”. Another related term is úlfheðnar (pronounced “oolv-HETH-nahr” with a hard “th” as in “the") which is Old Norse for “wolf-hides”. "These names are a reference to the practice of dressing in a ritual costume made from the hide of the totem animal, an outward reminder of the wearer’s having gone beyond the confines of his humanity and become a divine predator." It is highly recommended that you read more about the Norse origins of these terms.

References

Daniel McCoy, Norse Mythology for Smart People, "Berserkers and other Shamanic Warriors", 2012, https://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/others/berserkers-and-other-shamanic-warriors/
Kershaw, Kris. 2000. The One-eyed God: Odin and the (Indo-)Germanic Männerbünde. p. 27.
http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Berserker_Shift
Alt.Horror.Werewolves, "Question about Lycanthropes" November, 17, 1992, https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/WU1jL5Ey5Zs/JhiKORWQGwMJ
Therianthropes United, Berserkr Shifting, December 18, 2007 (archived page accessed May 26, 2018) https://web.archive.org/web/20071218234913/http://www.therianthropes.com:80/berserkr_shifting.htm

Bilocation Shift (Bi): occurs when a Therianthrope appears in two locations simultaneously, with the double appearing in the form of the therioside. Unlike an astral shift this occurs in the physical plane. The double can appear to be solid and physical or ghostly. Different accounts say that the double can or can not interact with people and objects. This could depend on the individual's amount of practice or power. This shift was first being discussed on AHWW around 1999. Bilocation is a rare shift that is not experienced or discussed very often within the community. Bilocation is an ancient phenomenon which is considered to be a psychic ability. There is no scientific evidence that bilocation is real. Cases are usually anecdotal reports that can not be verified.

References

Bilocation - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilocation
http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Bilocation_Shift
Shifters.org, "Bilocation shift", May 17, 2006 (archived page accessed May 27, 2018), http://web.archive.org/web/20060517083207/http://www.therianthropy.org:80/SO/shifting-b.htm
Were.net "Shifting and Awareness Terms", January 18, 2001 (archived page accessed May 27, 2018) https://web.archive.org/web/20010118174900/http://www.were.net:80/~pinky/wereterms.html
Jakkal, "Shifters: The Update Continues", August 10, 1999, https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/SkxlWGXutsE/HMIojdZqaB8J

Cameo Shift (C): occurs when a Therianthrope experiences a shift which feels like an animal that is not a known theriotype. This could be a mental, phantom shift, or dream shift, but other types of cameo shifts are possible as well. Cameo shifting seems to have first appeared in Alt.Horror.Werewolf discussion in the late1990's. This is a common shift experienced by most Therians at some point in their life.

A cameo shift should not be the sole consideration as evidence of being a polytherian.

It is possible that a cameo shift could be due to an individual having a spirit guide or being animal-hearted instead. Dream cameo shifts into other animals could be symbolic of other events in the Therianthrope's life and not related to therianthropy.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Cameo_Shift
Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive) - http://web.archive.org/web/20060901112859/http://www.therianthropy.org/SO/encyclopedia.htm
Mokele, “Is it a new wereside?", circa 2004. https://web.archive.org/web/20050913135105/http://www.therianthropy.org/mokele/essays/cameo.htm
"Hypothetical new weresides" June 17, 1999, https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/zG6ruKsEY7M/KEea7jJaucsJ

Dream shift (DS or d-shift): occurs when an individual is partially or entirely an animal within a dream while the physical body remains unchanged. The dream might also include the transformation into the animal. A dream shift can occur in both lucid and non-lucid states.

This is a common type of shift that is often discussed in the community. Seeing or sensing oneself as an animal during a dream was taking place in the earliest days of the community as Alt.horror.werewolves was transitioning from a group about werewolf fiction to a group for people who intrinsically identified as nonhuman creatures.

People who do not identify as Therianthropes can also dream of being animals. Never automatically assume that seeing yourself as an animal in a dream means that you are a Therian or that the animal is your theriotype. Many other experiences, research, and introspection should also be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not you identify as a Therian.

Seeing oneself as an animal other than the known theriotype, may only be a dream cameo shift and does not always indicate that one is a polytherian. Not every dream may be relevant to one's therianthropy. Sometimes animals appear symbolically to represent events or mental/emotional states that the dreamer is experiencing in life.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Dream_Shift
Scribner, O. “Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged.” The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/
Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive) - http://web.archive.org/web/20060901112859/http://www.therianthropy.org/SO/encyclopedia.htm
"Stop howling, we heard you already" November 7, 1993, https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups=#!topic/alt.horror.werewolves/cnaZs0KC9Bk

Emotional Shift: occurs when a Therian shifts during a certain emotional state such as stress or anger, but it could also be a positive emotion such as happiness. Usually occurs in conjunction with another type of shift. There is little information about this type of shift. It may simply be a mental shift that is referred to as an emotional shift because the Therian recalls that the shift was triggered by a certain emotion. Shifting triggered by various emotions has been discussed since the beginning of the online community, on AHWW in the early 1990's.

References

https://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Emotional_Shift
"Your feelings on the subject" AHWW, June 6, 1996, https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/4o964AZnZe0/HTTPbr7BYaMJ

Mental Shift (MS or m-shift): occurs when a Therianthrope temporarily has a change in mindset from the humanside to animalside and thinks more instinctively like the therioside or other nonhuman creature. Cameo mental shifts are possible. During a mental shift, the Therianthrope usually expresses animal behavior and vocalizations while the human body remains physically unchanged.

The term first appeared on Alt.Horror.Werewolves in 1995, but this phenomenon was most likely discussed earlier. This is still a commonly discussed shift in the community that is experienced by most Therianthropes.

Mental shifts can happen in the midst of any emotional state. These changes in consciousness, whether involuntary or voluntarily induced, are not always at the same level of intensity. Mental shifts can be very mild to very strong and any level in-between. During mild shifts the human mindset never fully vanishes. By the same token, many Therians claim that even when not "shifted" the animal mindset is never fully dormant.

It has been hypothesized that involuntary m-shifts are more likely when the Therian is still coming to terms with their animal nature. Some Therians choose to study their shifts to learn what triggers them. They can then use these triggers to induce shifts when they choose to. It is important to learn to control shifts of any kind, and shifts are not an excuse to cause others harm.

A strong mental shift can make a person lose the ability to think in words in favor of thinking in pure awareness. This full shift, especially if due to an emotionally heightened state, can be referred to a Feral Shift. If you know that you are prone to strong mental shifts, it's good to learn the sensations that are precursors of your shifts so that you can suppress it until you find a safe and private place to experience your shift.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Mental_Shift
Orion Scribner, “Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged.” The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/
Therianthropes United, Mental Shift, December 18, 2007 (archived page accessed June 2, 2018) https://web.archive.org/web/20071218234939/http://www.therianthropes.com/mental_shifting.htm
Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive) - http://web.archive.org/web/20060901112859/http://www.therianthropy.org/SO/encyclopedia.htm

Phantom Shift (ph-shift): occurs when a Therian experiences phantom limbs or a full phantom body. The physical human body remains unchanged. This is a phenomenon that refers to the sensation of having non-human body parts attached to the human body. The most common example is the feeling of having and moving a tail. These phantom limbs can even overlap the normal limbs of one's body, such as feeling paws instead of hands.

Discussions about this type of shift appeared on Alt.Horror.Werewolves in 1996. Phantom shifts are a common experience for Therianthropes that are often brought up in discussion.

"The specific ways in which these can be experienced varies vastly, but included amongst them are a diversity of levels of ‘realism’, some being very minor to some even being so intense that the phantom part feels almost entirely “real” regardless of the fact it is not physical. Some phantom parts are constant, but the ones referred to in this definition are those that are temporary and ‘shift’ in and out of occurrence. Other effects associated with some phantom parts include pain or discomfort in/on or associated with the phantom part, movement (voluntary or involuntary) of the phantom body part, and reactions to outside ‘real’ stimuli such as objects, sounds, movement of other things, and so forth." - Project Shift

One does not need to be Therian or an amputee to experience phantom limbs. Experiments prove that people can be fooled into thinking that another object or even an invisible limb is part of them. The deception is known as the rubber hand illusion.

References

Choi, Charles Q. “Even Non-Amputee Can Feel A Phantom Limb,” Live Science, April 12 2013, http://www.livescience.com/28694-non-amputees-feel-phantom-limb.html (accessed June 25 2016)
"Phantom Extra Limbs" Mind Hacks, May 14, 2008, https://mindhacks.com/2008/05/14/phantom-extra-limbs/
Seung Don Yoo, Dong Hwan Kim, Yong Seol Jeong, Jinmann Chon, Jihea Bark, "Atypical Supernumerary Phantom Limb and Phantom Limb Pain in Two Patients with Pontine Hemorrhage" J Korean Med Sci. 2011 June; 26(6): 844–847. Published online 2011 May 18. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3102884/
Therian Wiki - https://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Phantom_Shift
O. Scribner, “Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged,” last modified Sept. 8, 2012 in The Art and Writing of O. Scribner http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/
Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive) - http://web.archive.org/web/20060901112859/http://www.therianthropy.org/SO/encyclopedia.htm

Physical Shift (PS or p-shift): The transformation of a human body into the physical shape of another creature. There is no scientific evidence for this type of shift ever happening. No one has ever been able to provide proof. While a lot of Therians wish they could change their physical bodies, the Therian community agrees that physical shifting is impossible.

There have been a few cases of theft and abuse when naive or unsuspecting individuals trusted someone who promised to teach physical shapeshifting in exchange for money, goods, or services. Claims of physical shifting are often made by trolls preying on the young and gullible in the community. Do not be a victim of this behaviour.

Physical Shifts in Legends

Many legends tell of people who have the ability to turn into an animal. In Shamanic cultures, Shamans are able to become animals in the spirit realm during trance-like states known as Shamanic Journeys. These experiences are real, but no physical shifting actually occurs. What likely has happened, is that lay people have misunderstood Shamans as they speak about their spiritual exploits, and have mistook spiritually becoming an animal as physical shape-shifting.

References

https://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Physical_shift
Orion Scribner, “Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged.” The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/
Lupa "Why Physical Shapeshifting is Bollocks" The Green Wolf, July 6, 2012. http://thegreenwolf.tumblr.com/post/26638052677/why-physical-shapeshifting-is-bollocks
Swiftpaw, "Real Guide to PShifting", March 2004 (archived page date) http://web.archive.org/web/20040324003658/http://www.otherwonders.com:80/swiftpaws/therian/old/pshift.html

Sensory shifting (Se or SES): occurs when the Therian’s senses temporarily become more like that of the therioside. The physical body remains unchanged. This is different from a mental shift, but It can occur along with mental shifts and other types of shifts. The Therian experiencing a sensory shift will feel somewhat animalistic, alert, and often have a pleasurable heightened sense of their physical body.

Sensory shifting does not make the senses more powerful. Focusing attention on a certain sense, such as smell, can allow us to pick out more smells than usual. It is important to note that this is a heightened focus rather than a heightening of the sense itself. Our senses may feel more keen during these times of focus, but sense shifts cannot increase perception beyond the physical limitations of the human body.

Hypersensitivity is a similar experience which can also occur in humans for various reasons. This is why a person should not identify as a Therian due to a few shifts alone. Identifying as Therian is an accumulation of years of non-human experiences.

Sensory shifting can be helpful in determining a theriotype, as different animals use a certain sense over others. Ask yourself what senses are most prevalent during a shift. Canines, for example, understand the world primarily through smell. Sensory shifting was first mentioned in the community circa 1999 on Alt.horror.werewolves. It's not really one of the most discussed types of shifts, but it is mentioned regularly in the community today.

References

https://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Sensory_Shift
Orion Scribner, “Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged.” The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/
Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive) - http://web.archive.org/web/20060901112859/http://www.therianthropy.org/SO/encyclopedia.htm

Shadow Shift (SW): occurs when the therianthrope sees the animal form around his/herself as a transparent apparition or when the appearance seems to change. This is an illusionary change that mostly happens in low, dim lighting. This shift is not necessarily a supernatural phenomenon, and it could be explained rationally, such as due to eye fatigue. The person's attitude, posturing, making animal sounds, can give off the image of a physical change, but this is not a physical shift. Shadow shifts were first discussed on AHWW in 1999. This is a rare shift that is not mentioned in the community very often.

References

Orion Scribner, “Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged.” The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/
"Shifters: The Update Continues" Jakkal, AHWW, August, 10, 1999, https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/SkxlWGXutsE/HMIojdZqaB8J
Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive) - http://web.archive.org/web/20060517083327/http://www.therianthropy.org:80/SO/shifting-s.htm
Therianthropes United, Berserkr Shifting, December 18, 2007 (archived page accessed May 26, 2018) https://web.archive.org/web/20071218233510/http://www.therianthropes.com:80/shadow_shifting.htm

Spiritual Shift (S): occurs when the spirit takes on the form or shape of the therioside while the physical body remains unchanged. The experience has been described as "A spirit shift is also the merging of the two (or more) "sides" of a therian's own spiritual makeup. For example, if a therian is a human and a wolf, the merging into an "anthro-wolf" form would be a spirit shift." This is also described as being similar to astral or aura shifting, but some people may feel this shift occur naturally within or around themselves in the physical plane without needing to visit the astral plane.

Spiritual shifts can be experienced along with other types of shifts such as mental and phantom. They seem to be an uncommon type of shift. This could be due to the belief that the soul or spirit is always in the shape or form of the animal. Discussions about this type of shift clearly appear in Alt.horror.werewolves in 1996 or earlier.

A similar experience can occur due to having a bond with a spirit guide. Guides can also make us feel shifty or lend animalistic traits to the person they are communicating with, so always take that into consideration as well.

References

https://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Spiritual_Shift
Shifters.org Encyclopedia (2006 web archive) - http://web.archive.org/web/20060517083327/http://www.therianthropy.org:80/SO/shifting-s.htm

comments

Common Terms used by Therians and Otherkin

2018-07-05T23:21:39Z

Posted by: ulfrvif

If you think a term should be included or have more information about any of the terms currently in this list, please leave a comment or send Ulfrvif ( https://ulfrvif.dreamwidth.org/profile) a message.

Alter-human: Alternative Humanity Personal Identity (AHPI) is "A category of personal identity which encompasses identification that is alternative to the common societal idea of humanity." You may decide to call yourself alter-human if you experience an internal identity that is beyond the scope of what is traditionally considered 'being human'. If you feel nonhuman but your experiences do not fit into Therianthropy or Otherkinity, you may want to learn more about Alter-humans.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Alter-human
Website - http://www.alt-h.net/
Tumblr - https://alt--h.tumblr.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/alt__h

Animal-hearted: when a person identifies as human but has a strong "connection with" or feels a "relation with" an animal. The term was coined on The Daemon Forum. It's definition was clarified by a member named Teddy on October 26, 2009. This is not the same as being a Therianthrope, who identifies as an animal. "I identify WITH wolves." does not equal"I identify AS a wolf." Some people may use the term Kith. The equivalent term in the Otherkin community is Other-hearted. To use the term correctly, a person who feels close to deer would say, "I am deer-hearted." or "I am deer kith."

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Animal-hearted
Mossland, "An Interesting Find" January 19,2018 http://atlas-of-mossland.tumblr.com/post/169890816504/an-interesting-find
House of Chimeras, August 17, 2014 "The History of the Term Animal-Hearted" http://liongoatsnake.tumblr.com/post/94999217300/the-hisotry-of-the-term-animal-hearted

Awakening: the process of realizing and accepting that you are a Therianthrope. Typically Therians report experiencing this phenomenon in early adolescence (generally between the ages of 10 to 15) though some have reported time frames for their awakening earlier and later in life. The term awakening was being used in the first days of the community, as early as 1994.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Awakening
"Werecard" Alt.horror.werewolves, December 27, 1994. "This event triggered a kind of awakening within me, I've never felt before." https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/alt.horror.werewolves/yF62b6zutRA/wlBAZEuZAC4J

Cladotherianthrope/Cladotherian: a Therian who does not identify as a distinct species, but instead feels a broader identity encompassing an entire genus or family, such as Canis or Canidea, or a larger grouping. Cladotherianthropy was coined in 2003 on the now defunct Awereness Forums. The term comes from the Greek words klados meaning "branch" and therion meaning "animal." The klados prefix was originally chosen because in scientific terms, a clade is a group of organisms believed to have evolved from a common ancestor, and all its lineal descendants, according to the principles of cladistics.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Cladotherianthropy
http://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/a-history-of-the-therian-community---2003.html

Contherianthrope/Contherian: a Therian who does not experience mental shifts, but is always in a state of both theriotype and human at the same time (passive). This is considered a level of integration. The term was coined by Joshua Lion Templin on January 19, 1997. His work "A Short View of Modern Contherianthropy" was posted to AHWW in four parts. "I bring forth then contherianthropy, adding 'con', from Latin 'contas', meaning unchanging. The unchanging is that of the single mixed agent and its continuous perception."

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Contherianthropy
Joshua Lion Templin, "A Short View on Modern Contherianthropy" January 19, 1997. http://web.archive.org/web/20051028221321/http://www.leonine.com/~lion/cthwww/mt_d_001.txt

Copinglink (C'Linker): is a person who consciously creates a coping mechanism which centers around knowingly, willingly, and actively identifying as (or in some cases, with) the user's choice of a non-human entity. This term was coined by Who-Is-Page around September 2015 on Tumblr. The term is meant to replace "copingkin" because that term implied a form of Otherkin which it is not, because being Otherkin is not consciously chosen.

A Copinglink is able to change and pick who/what they identify as/with as need dictates. This identity can be created by anyone, and thus, is not dictated by one's mental health. This is not to be confused with instinctual and unconscious defense mechanisms/behaviors which can lead to Therianthropy or Otherkinity. A person who is a Copinglink could also be a Therian or Otherkin at the same time as long as the theriotype or kintype was an unconscious identity that was not chosen. A person could also be Other-hearted while being a Copinglink.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Copinglink
http://who-is-page.tumblr.com/post/139572508999/fearlykid-hey-hey-hiya-can-someone-explain-how
http://who-is-page.tumblr.com/post/139871297049/clinkers-and-copinglink
http://who-is-page.tumblr.com/personalfaq

Greymuzzle: an older member of the community who may be seen as wiser and more experienced. First used on AHWW, they were the 'backbones' of the community who had been in the group the longest. A remark by Windrunner in the "Our History" section of the AHWW FAQ from 1996/1997 seems to suggest that Smash Graywolf coined or perpetuated this term.

To be considered a Greymuzzle, one has been actively involved in the community for approximately 10 years, around 30 years of age, or has garnered widespread respect in the greater community. Age is not always a factor, as some Therians do awaken in their adult years. Unfortunately the term has been abused, so don't blindly trust others who label themselves a Greymuzzle. If you are unsure, it's okay to ask for proof of their time and involvement within the Therian community. If someone refuses to answer, then use caution.

References

"Our History" section of the AHWW FAQ. Windrunner. 1996.http://www.firelion.org/raven/ahwwfaq/ahwwfaq09.html#part8
Scribner, O. "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged." The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. https://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/

Howl: a real life gathering or meeting of Weres/Therians, usually to go camping. The term was originally used on Alt.horror.werewolves. The first "Howl", the 1994 Harvest Howl, was organized by Smash Greywolf in Ohio, USA. To learn more and read about other notable Howls that followed, see references.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Howl
Smash GreyWolf, Turning Back Time...,November 10 2008. (archived page) https://web.archive.org/web/20090309071049/http://www.lycanthrope.com:80/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=53:firsthowl&catid=1:latest-news
O. Scribner, "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged," last modified Sept. 8, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Scribner_Lexicon_0-1.pdf

Otherkin: real, non-fictional people who identify as other than human. Otherkin identify as creatures from myth and legend, usually elves, faeries, and dragons. This is a sincere identity, not role-play. Being otherkin is a very individualistic thing: each otherkin reaches his own explanation for how and why he is an otherkin. There are both spiritual and psychological hypotheses for the causes or origins of feeling non-human. The term was coined in 1990 by Torin in the Elfinkind Digest listserve. It is a variant of the word "otherkind," which referred to any creature that was not Elven. In the early 2000's it became an umbrella term that could include Vampires, Therianthropes and other people with animal self-images.

References

Scribner, O. "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged." The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. https://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/
Scribner, O. "Otherkin timeline: The recent history of elfin, fae, and animal people, v. 2.0." The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. https://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/

Paleotherianthrope /Paleotherian: a person who as an internal self-identification as an extinct species. The term appears on Alt.Horror.Werewolves in a thread from 1997. The term can appear as "paleokin" in the Otherkin community. Paleotherians are considered uncommon. Often they have feelings of being out of time and place.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Paleotherian
"Odd musing: weres of extinct animals?" January 25, 1997. Alt.Horrow.Werewolves, https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/pHBAX7xEhsE/UHJelHp7HSQJ

Phytanthrope: a person who has an internal self-identification as a plant; experiencing phytanthropy. Comes from "phyto-" meaning plant and "-anthrope"meaning human. The term was created in 2013 by Darahagh (da-re-har-uh), a southern live oak. Plantkin is also an acceptable term that actually came into use earlier that phytanthrope around 2004 in a Livejournal community.

"It was a term I cobbled to together in in February 2013 for myself as a plant-identified person to use due to being tired of people saying otherkin are mythical creatures only even while plantkin being part of the otherkin community." -Darahagh

The term wereplant was being used on AHWW in the early 1990's, and a few people were reported to have identified as plants back then. In 2004 on the website Green Is More Than A Color the term "greenkin" was also used. In 2006 the term "woodkin" was coined on another Livejournal community, unfortunately this profile has been purged.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Phytanthrope
Darahagh, House of Chimeras, "Kin to the Plants: Of People Who Identify As Plants", 05 April 2013. http://houseofchimeras.livejournal.com/128446.html
"A History of Plant-Identified People in the Otherkin Communities"- http://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/a-history-of-plant-identified-people-in-the-otherkin-communities.html
"What Being A Phytanthrope is To Me"- http://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/what-being-a-phytanthrope-is-to-me.html
Darahagh, "Plantkin/Phytanthrope" June 2, 2018, http://liongoatsnake.tumblr.com/post/174495825925/plantkinphytanthrope
Plant / Green 'Kin. August 4th 2004, [accessed June 2 2018]. https://plant-otherkin.livejournal.com/profile
Phytanthropy, April 23, 2014, http://liongoatsnake.tumblr.com/post/83649310749/phytanthropy
"Stupid Question," alt.horror.werewolves, February 20, 1995, [accessed June 2, 2018]. https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/ZEDpEzhCDjA/jEAFj-yq1EUJ
"Green is more than a color?," Qilora.com, [accessed June 2 2018]. http://web.archive.org/web/20060207123401/http://greenkin.qilora.com/
Woodkin, June 15 2006, [accessed June 2 2018]. https://woodkin.livejournal.com/profile

Polytherianthrope/Polytherian: identity with more than one species of nonhuman animal. Poly is a prefix meaning "many". This is the current terminology. Polytherian replaced the old term Polywere which had first been use in 1996. It is not known exactly when the term polytherian became standard use within the community. It most likely came into use in 2005/2006 when the term Therianthrope was replacing Were.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Polytherian
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/alt.horror.werewolves/WDdboohjnkc/1CneYAUjNVwJ

Shift (Therianthropic): a temporary change in mentality, mood, sensory perception, or spirit that causes a Therianthrope to feel more instinctual or animalistic like the therioside in a non-physical manner. Shifting has been discussed since the beginning of the online Therian community. "Your best mental transformation", is a discussion from AHWW which took place on December 1, 1993.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Shift_(Therianthropic)
"Your best mental transformation", AHWW, December 1, 1993 -https://groups.google.com/d/topic/alt.horror.werewolves/sfJ0k722SKA/discussion
"Believe It or Not?" written by Meirya, December 2007, Project Shift -http://project-shift.net/believe-it-or-not/
"Types of Shifts" written by Sonne, Project Shift -http://project-shift.net/types-of-shifts/
Therian Timeline - Words and Concepts -http://www.theriantimeline.com/therianthropy/words_and_concepts
O. Scribner, "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged," last modified Sept. 8, 2012 in The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/

Shifter's Disease: "occurs when a person starts reading some therianthropic meaning into mundane, everyday occurrences." Individuals who are researching Therianthropy may begin to trick themselves into thinking that normal feelings and sensations that can be explained rationally, are actually therianthropic shifts or evidence of Therianthropy. This in turn, leads them to falsely identify as a Therian for a short period of time. This is similar to Medical Student's Disease (MSD) in which medical students perceive themselves to be experiencing the symptoms of a disease that they are studying. This term was coined by the members of Shifters.org circa 2001.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Shifter%27s_Disease
Pinky "Shifter's Disease" https://web.archive.org/web/20010203200900/http://www.shifters.org/newbies/disease.shtml
Polar "What is Shifter's Disease" https://web.archive.org/web/20010702102741/http://www.shifters.org/newbies/polar1.shtml

Suntherianthrope/Suntherian: "a therian whose therioside (primary or sole therioside) is integrated into his baseline personality. However, that integration does not prevent him/her from having minor fluctuations of mood that feel slightly more animal, or slightly less animal. He/she can feel them both at the same time, human and animal. He/she can not mental shift into his/her base theriotype (whether primary or sole)." The term was created by WordWolf on April 18th, 2005. It was not a community coined term. Instead WordWolf created the term to describe his own personal experiences. The terms Syntherianthropy and Syntherian are interchangeable. This is different from the accepted meaning of Contherian.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Suntherianthropy
"Suntherian" Thread on Christian Therianthropy forum in which WordWolf coined and defined the term. April 18, 2005. http://werecat.proboards.com/thread/304/suntherian

Therianthrope: a person experiencing Modern Therianthropy; a person who has an internal self-identification as a non-human species. Therianthropes understand that they are still physically human. Therianthrope was being used in Alt.Horror.Werewolves as early as 1995/96. Therian is shortened slang or jargon that became commonly used around 2005. Before that, members of the community called themselves Weres. The words therianthropy and therianthrope originate from the portmanteu of the Greek words Therios and Anthropos (animal and human respectively) which combined loosely translates to "human animal" or "animal man".

There are many sub-types of Therianthropes. See the pages for each to learn more.
Polytherian
Paleotherianthrope
Cladotherianthrope
Vacillant Therianthrope
Suntherianthrope
Contherianthrope

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Therianthrope
Therianthropy, AHWW, December 14, 1994 https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!searchin/alt.horror.werewolves/therianthropy%7Csort:date/alt.horror.werewolves/-Bl7zmVezJs/lCpsZ-AAUToJ
Scribner, O. "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged." The Art and Writing of O.Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/
Scribner, O. "Otherkin timeline: The recent history of elfin, fae, and animal people, v. 2.0." The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/ [Therianthrope/Therian term page 30-32] [History of online Therian community start on page 28]

Modern Therianthropy: is an identity and ontological phenomenon categorized by a deep integral or personal belief that an individual is to some degree, a non-human animal. This is not to be confused with historical therianthropy. Therianthropes are still human, understand that they have human bodies, and understand that physical shape-shifting is not possible.

The word Therianthropy originates from a portmanteu of the Greek words Therios and Anthropos (animal and human respectively) which, combined, loosely translate to "human animal" or "animal man".

"Therianthropy is an innate part of the person's life. Therianthropy is the recognition and acceptance of the animal within."

Therianthropy is a subjective belief based on personal experiences and not on scientific fact, with most Therians being "self-labelled" or "self-identified". Therefore, both spiritual and psychological hypotheses for its cause or origin are legitimate and acceptable in the community.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Therianthropy
Shifters.org Encyclopedia http://web.archive.org/web/20060821231231/http://www.therianthropy.org/SO/terms-t.htm
Therian Timeline, Mind of the Were, Development http://theriantimeline.com/therianthropy/the_mind_of_the_were
"Foundation's Edge: The History of the Online Were community, Jakkal, 1999. http://web.archive.org/web/20010620111439/http:/www.were.net/foundation.shtml

Theriomythic: can be used by individuals who straddle the Otherkin and Therian communities, in that they identify (non-physically) as one or more mythical type creatures (IE. Dragon, griffon, etc.). This term is used by people who feel that their theriotype/kintype is more wild and instinctual or a being that does not have what is considered an advanced culture (i.e. a dragon or unicorn that does not speak a language and that does not use magic). These individuals may feel more at home in the Therian community or find it easier to discuss their more feral shifts and experiences with Therianthropes.

The term seems to have been originally coined on the Therian Wilderness Forum in 2010 as theriomythos. It was then translated into Spanish as los theriomitos by Otherkin Hispano. It was re-translated from the Spanish into English as theriomythics by Akhila, on May 24, 2013. Weremythic was used in an AHWW discussion on July 25, 1996.

"So, apparently the term, "theriomythic" isn't exactly a new concept in the therian community though one that didn't gain a lot of attention. More the new term, theriomythic, is people coming to a similar conclusion and use of phrase as others had once perhaps." - LionGoatSnake (aka House of Chimeras) -

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Theriomythic
Re Harakhti, Common Misconceptions and FAQ, question #2, May 28, 2010, http://therian-wilderness.proboards.com/thread/3082/common-misconceptions-faq(accessed Sept 2, 2017)
Jarandhel, Theriomythics, Tumblr, February 28, 2013, https://jarandhel.tumblr.com/post/44222181640/theriomythics (accessedApril 4, 2018)
Golden Spirit, "Classes or Types", Otherkin Hispano, https://sites.google.com/site/otherkinhispano/tipos(accessed April 4, 2018)

Theriotype/Therioside: now the most common words for the animal species which is an individual's nonhuman identity. The term came into use in 1999. Theriotypes are based on known animal species extant and extinct. An example of usage is "I have a whale therioside." It is also acceptable to say "I am a whale Therian." The term was developed as a replacement for the old words Wereside and Phenotype. Some Therianthropes believe that a theriotype develops as part of their mentality much in the same way that their personality develops.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Theriotype
http://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/history-of-the-therian-community---1999.html
Therian Timeline, Words and Concepts, http://www.theriantimeline.com/therianthropy/words_and_concepts
Terms and Definitions, Sonne, hosted on Project Shift. http://project-shift.net/terms-definitions
Scribner, O. "Otherkin lexicon: A multi-lingual dictionary of jargon used in the communities of otherkin, therianthropes, and other similar peoples, v. 0.1 Abridged." The Art and Writing of O. Scribner. 8 September, 2012. http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/otherkin-lexicon/

Vacillant Therianthrope/VacillantTherian: refers to a Therian whose animal side and human side are integrated such that one or the other may still come to the front of the mind noticeably stronger than the other, as needed or as desired. This describes a level of integration when shifts occur more gradually and smoothly, as if on a sliding scale, and shifts tend to follow a more consistent pattern. Although unexpected stimuli may trigger sharper or more sudden shifts. This is a term coined by the community in 2004 or 2005. It is based on the word vacillate which means to alternate or waver.

References

http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Vacillant_Therianthropy
"Contherianthropy, Suntherianthropy, BS therianthropy, Apatherianthropy..." by Jakkal, March 14, 2006. http://bitchcraft.livejournal.com/1968.html
Wolf Van Zandt, Mind of the Were, Therian Timeline, http://theriantimeline.com/therianthropy/the_mind_of_the_were
Velvet Wings, January 6, 2016, "Contherianthropy and Vacillant Therianthropy" http://felinity.co.uk/therianthropy/contherianthropy-vs-vacillant-therianthropy/

comments

Sources of Therian/Otherkin Information

2018-04-17T02:34:08Z

Posted by: ulfrvif

If you know of another site that you think should be on this list, please leave a comment.

Quick References and Detailed Information

Werelibrary - http://werelibrary.com/

Project Shift - http://project-shift.net/

Therian Wiki - http://therian.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

Otherkin.net - https://www.otherkin.net/articles/

AnOtherWiki - https://anotherwiki.org/

Orion Scriber, May 19, 2016. "A Simple Introduction to Otherkin and Therianthropes" http://frameacloud.com/otherkin/nonfiction-otherkin/introduction-otherkin/

Therian Timeline Website by Wolf Van Zandt - http://theriantimeline.com/

Thébaïde includes information and essays by Akhila - http://akhila.feralscribes.org/2004/therianthropy/

Lupine Instincts - Between Land and Sea by Elinox - https://lupineinstincts.wordpress.com/

For Parents of Therians

http://www.therian-guide.com/index.php/8-Parents

For Therapists, Counselors, and Professionals

"Guide for Professionals working with Therians" by Wolf Van Zandt (February 2018) http://theriantimeline.com/guide_for_professionals

"Tips for Therapists and Counselors" by Wolf Van Zandt (February 2018) http://theriantimeline.com/guide_for_professionals/tips_for_therapists_and_counselors

History

Orion Scribner, September 8, 2012. "Otherkin Timeline: The Recent History of Elfin, Fae, and Animal People" http://frameacloud.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Scribner_Timeline2p0.pdf

Between Forest and Sea by House of Chimeras includes informative articles about the history of various communities.

http://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/informative-articles.html

Academic Articles

(For a full list visit: https://houseofchimeras.weebly.com/sources-on-otherkin.html )

An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Identity in the Therian Community - Timothy Grivell , Helen Clegg & Elizabeth C. Roxburgh (2014) An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Identity in the Therian Community, Identity: An International Journal of Theory and Research, 14:2, 113-135, DOI:10.1080/15283488.2014.891999

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262685394_An_Interpretative_Phenomenological_Analysis_of_Identity_in_the_Therian_Community

Life Stories of Therianthropes: An Analysis of Nonhuman Identity in a Narrative Identity Model - Bricker, Natalie, “Life Stories of Therianthropes: An Analysis of Nonhuman Identity in a Narrative Identity Model” (2016).Senior Theses. http://publications.lakeforest.edu/seniortheses/63

comments

Welcome!

2011-10-28T21:11:18Z

Posted by: tala_wolf

Welcome to the Dreamwidth Therians community! For the security for all members, posts made by members will be only be viewable by members.

Just in case you didn't see the rules on the Info page, I'll post them here as well. Please read these before you join:

I. For anyone new to the community, I would appreciate it if you would make a post to introduce yourself so that we can start getting to know each other.
Please share your:

Name that you prefer (doesn't have to be your real name):

Age:

Therian/Otherkin or just curious:

Theriotype/Kin Type:

How long have you known that you're a Therian/Otherkin:

Other sites you like to hang out at (optional):

Anything else you'd like to say about yourself (optional):

II. As this community develops, I'll try to develop the profile page better. In the meantime, just a couple things to remember:

1: This is a community for Therians and Otherkin to interact in peace. I don't want any fighting, bashing, flaming, trolling, etc. I don't expect anyone to act uptight to uphold the rules, but I don't see why discussions can't occur in a peaceable, mature manner.

2: I want this to be a safe place for any new Therians to be able to ask questions without being raked over the coals like they should have already known better. So please, please PLEASE DO NOT sneer at them if they ask questions about stuff that the more experienced ones already know about. It doesn't matter if we think the question is ridiculous. Questions that we may think to be ridiculous does NOT make anyone a poser, it just means that they don't know. So if you can't bring yourself to answer a question without mass amounts of scorn, then don't bother.

3: In regards to the more controversial topics such as Physical Shifting: If you can't be civil and maintain a debate without getting nasty, then don't bother. Some people think that Physical Shifting is possible and others don't. It's as simple as that and it's not THAT big of a deal. Don't get nasty; agree to disagree if you start feeling pissy and then just move on, please.

4: I know it can be difficult to know what to talk about, but not everything HAS to be about Therianthropy/Otherkin. I know that being Therian/Otherkin doesn't comprise EVERYTHING you are as a person and, again, this is a community for Therians to meet, interact, and get to know each other. So if you want to vent to us, try to get advice about anything, etc., those posts are more than welcome. I would like to try to keep this community decently active, so I would very much appreciate it if y'all would keep the lurking to a minimum and try to post on a relatively regular basis. ^_^

If I'm coming across like a real hard-ass, I don't mean to. I would just like for this community to be as peaceable and friendly as possible and I'd really like to keep the drama to a minimum.

comments