** Common Misconceptions & FAQs Revisions **

[Haru'Shimo]

Attention everyone who cares! (which should be most of you. lol)
As Re'Harakhti has been gone for some time, and the understanding/definitions of terms concerning Otherkin and Therianthropy evolve with the community, the "Common Misconceptions, and FAQ" thread is now open for public review and discussion! Please read through them, and if you have any additions/adjustments/arguments, please post your comments in this thread as outlined below.

However, please THINK before you debate a term or point. Just because it doesn't 100% apply to your situation doesn't mean it's not accurate for the vast majority. That said, we'd like to try to eliminate wording and limitations to some of the definitions so that they better apply to those who have exceptions to the terms.

Just as with the rules before, you'll notice that each option to amend the thread requires Reasoning, and this time Source of Information. If you have a valid argument and present your case/reasoning clearly, we'll take it into consideration and adjust the information accordingly. If your reasoning is "Just because I don't like it.", your post will be ignored and likely removed from the thread.

Additions:

• Point/Information you'd like added
• Reasoning
• Source of Information

Modifications:

• Quote Original point
• How you think it should be worded
• Reasoning
• Source of Information

[Haru'Shimo]

General

1 - What is Therianthropy?
‘Therianthropy’ is the term used by people who believe they have the soul or mentality of an animal.
More commonly, an animal that exists (or is now extinct) on Earth. Therianthropes are a type of Otherkin,
but because we can study Earthly animals it is treated as separate from Otherkin.

2 - Is there a name for animal Kin that aren’t Therianthropes (Earthly animals)?
There is no single name that encompasses all of the other animal types. There are many different animal
types that aren’t Earthly, these are all known as Otherkin. A few examples of animal Kin that aren’t
Therianthropes are;
Anthropomorph (animal-human hybrid),
Theriocephalite (animal-headed hybrid)
and Mythical Beast (such as Dragon and Phoenix, less commonly known as Theriomythos Theer-ee-oh-mith-oss).

3 - What does the word “Therianthropy” mean?
Therianthropy is formed of two Greek words, it means ‘beast-man’.
‘Theri’ – meaning ‘Beast’ or 'Animal'.
‘Anthro’ – meaning 'Human' or 'Man'

4 - I hear words like ‘Therianthropy’ used in different Contexts, which ways are they usually used?
The term is used in different ways, these are the common ones;
The subject is ‘Therianthropy’.
They are ‘Therianthropic’ people (or ‘Therianthropes’).
He/she is a ‘Therianthrope’ (or ‘Therian’)
They have a ‘Theriotype’ or ‘Theritype’ which is an animal.

5 - How do people find out if they are a Therianthrope (Therian)?
Many people discover their Therianthropy through Dreams, Meditation and Research into an Animal
Species they have an affinity with. Most prefer to record their experiences and information gathered from
these using Journals, Online Blogs, notebooks and drawings. Most Therian Kin have had feelings of
detachment/discontentment ever since they were young, but not all of them.

6 - Why do Therian people exist? What is their origin?
Therianthropes have different ideas about their Origins and reasons for existing.
No one can determine if they are made the same way, originate from the same place or for the same
reason. It is unlikely that every Therian has the same purpose or origin because of the great varieties
and differences between them.

7 - Are Therian people Role-Playing when say they are 'more than human'?
No. Therianthropes are completely serious about what they believe, whatever that may be.
People who Role-Play a character or do not believe in it seriously or realistically are not Therianthropes.

8 - Does being Therian mean you are a member of a Cult, Sect or Religion? Do Therians worship Satan?
Therianthropy is not a Religion, a Cult or a Sect. It has nothing to do with Religious beliefs at all.
Many Therians embrace their Therianthropy alongside their own Religions.
You can find Therianthropic Christians, Druids, Buddhists, Spiritualists, and also Atheists,
Agnostics, and Satanists. What people choose to believe is down to the individual.

9 - I am Religious, will my Therianthropy clash with my Religion?
As above, Therianthropy does not promote any Religion or Anti-Religion. Sometimes teachings of certain
Religions can conflict (or at least disagree) with your Therianthropic or Otherkin beliefs but it is the
responsibility of the individual to fit them together in a way that works for them.

10 - Do Therians have any beliefs? What do they believe?
Therians share a common belief that they are an ‘animal within’, or an ‘animal trapped inside’ a human
body. Some believe they have lived before as the animal and have been reincarnated as human, whilst
others believe they had the soul of the animal join with their human body at birth, for whatever reason.
Psychologically minded Therianthropes believe it is caused by the mind.

11 - Is being Therian considered to be a mental illness, or physical disorder?
There is a disorder that is being newly recognised for Therianthropes called Species Dysmorphia/Dysphoria.
Like Body Dysmorphia, it suggests being uncomfortable with your physical appearance.
Species Dysmorphia refers to being uncomfortable with your 'Species'. In this case human.

12 - Are Therianthropes dangerous people (will a wolf Therian be aggressive because of their wolf type)?
Therianthropes as a Community are usually tolerant, curious and friendly. Being a Therian does not make
a person dangerous, they are still human beings and are just regular people. Any person has the ability
to be aggressive.
Therianthropes should not use (or blame) their animal beliefs as a reason to be aggressive or violent.

13 - Are there different classifications for Therian people (not all Therian people are the same animal or species)?
Different Communities use different terms for species and sub-species classification. Because
Therianthropy is often complex within an individual, and sometimes changes for individuals over time as
they discover more, it is simpler to avoid sub-species classification altogether.

14 - Do Therians have a symbol that identifies them as a Group/Community?
Therianthropes will use different symbols depending on the individual or the Community.
The most common symbols are; the Pawprint, the ‘Trinity’ Triangle and Eternal Circle interwoven,
and the Seven Pointed Otherkin Star (the Heptagram) often called the ‘Elven Star’.

Terms

15 – I’ve heard the term ‘Trueform’ and ‘Theriotype’ used before, what are they?
These are different names for the animal part of a Therian, or Otherkin.
It refers to their ‘soul’ or ‘mentality’, which they believe is not human.
They call it their Kintype (for Otherkin and Therian), Theriotype (for Therian), Trueform or Phenotype.
Different Communities will sometimes make up their own, which can often be frustrating.

16 - What is a 'Shift'? How many types of 'Shift' exist?
‘Shifting’ is a process by which part of you reverts to your animal-self, or back to your human self.
A-Shift = (Aura shift), a change in the consistency/content of an individuals ‘energy’.
M-Shift = (Mind shift), the feeling that one has slipped into the mentality of the animal.
S-Shift = (Soul shift, also Spirit shift), where one feels they are spiritually in animal form and may
experience non-physical body parts relating to their animal type. Often the cause of the ‘Phantom Limb’
sensation.
P-Shift = (Physical shift), not possible for the human body. Often confused with ‘Psychological’ or
‘Phantom’ but these are covered in both M-shift and S-shift already.
There are others created by different Communities, but these are the common ones.

17 - I've heard some complex terms related to Therianthropy. For example Cladotherianthropy,
Contherianthropy, Cameoshift... Is it difficult to learn about Therianthropy? How many terms I should to learn?
Many of the terms frequenting Communities are the result of misguided information, or an
overcomplicated system of labelling that is too strict for an open belief system.
For example, Cladotherianthropy refers to not taking a single Species as a Theriotype but rather a
whole Genus (Branch) of the family. Some would suggest that this simply indicates that the individual has
not discovered their Kintype yet.
Contherianthropy however, is used to label those who ‘do not experience ‘Shifts’’, and, because
we cannot determine if ‘Shifts’ are really a distinguishable feature we cannot assume that those who do
not have the ‘feeling’ are any different to those who do. Also, there are many who do not believe
‘Shifting’ is possible at all, and that it is only the result of ‘remembering’ the feeling of having an animal
form in a previous life, or becoming aware of your animal-soul.
There is nothing wrong with avoiding these, they are names unnecessary to your personal discovery.

18 - Can you achieve your Trueform physically?
No human being can achieve their animal form. To want to achieve it is perfectly natural,
but to believe you physically can (or to look for magical/occultist or drug induced methods to achieve this)
would be impractical and impossible.

19 - Can Therians identify with more than one animal?
They can, but there are two distinct differences to be aware of.
A Therian can live more than one life as different animals, but an Otherkin takes the forms of different
animals, much like a shape shifter.
For example, if you have lived as ‘a cat = then a dog = then a horse’, but your form is only one of
these, you are most likely going to be Therian.
But if you lived as ‘a cat = then a dog = then a horse’ but you switch between these forms, you
are most likely Otherkin, because Earthly animals do not take different shapes, and you cannot be a cat,
dog and horse at exactly the same time.
Once a Therian realises they are more than one animal (or can take the form of more than one) they
often become aware that they may be Otherkin instead.

20 - Can a Therianthrope have a Trueform that is a different gender/sex to their physical human body
(for example a woman that feels she is a male wolf)?
It is entirely possible that your animal form can be a different gender to you, and you may find this is
more common than you would imagine. Some Therianthropes have animal forms that are Asexual (both
sexes) or completely devoid of sexuality altogether, though this is much more common with Otherkin
animals.
Physical sexuality has very little to do with Otherkin/Therian Spirituaility/Mentality.

21 - What is a 'Howl'?
A ‘Howl’ is a physical gathering of members from a Therianthropic/Otherkin Community at an arranged
location.
Usually these are held by Administrators and/or Staff, but can be arranged by anyone at any time.
‘Howl’ meetings should be considered and arranged with caution.
Never give out your details to strangers over the internet and remember that safety is the first priority.

22 - What is a Shapeshifter?
Shapeshifter (in the Kin Community) is a person whose soul takes many different non-physical shapes,
or a person that believes they have lived before as an Otherkin Beast/Being that could change physical
shape.
Kin who suggest they are ‘Shapeshifters’ should hopefully be referring to an ability they believe they
had, or the fact that their soul/mind/aura shifts between forms of different animals. And not that they
believed they could physically change shape as a human being.

23 - What is 'Shifter-disease'?
More commonly known as Clinical Lycanthropy, it is considered a mental disorder that is recorded in
history as causing a human being to lose sense of rationality, compassion, memory, emotion and
humanity to the point where they are said to behave in a more primal and animalistic way, often
becoming incoherent, violent, inconsolable and unpredictable. This is believed to be where ‘Werewolf’ is
said to derive from, or to be associated with.

24 - What is a 'Phantom Limb'?
A ‘Phantom Limb’ is a distinct awareness of the presence of a non-physical limb.
For example, the feeling that you have wings, even though you do not possess them physically.
This usually comes about as a result of a Soul/Spiritual Shift, where the soul changes from its ‘human’ to
‘animal’ state, but can occur at random or without notice.
Some Kin have a hard time accepting the possibility of Phantom Limbs because of an inability to
prove/disprove the reason, existence or need of them.

25 - What is a Daemon?
The term Daemon has different meanings to different individuals, however it is often wrongly mistaken
for Demon.
1# Daemon (in the Fictional sense) refers to the manifested form of your personality/conscience
/soul. This may sometimes be referred to as a ‘Daemon Companion’, as seen in ‘His Dark Materials’ by
Phillip Pullman.
2# Daemon (in the Historical sense) refers to benevolent Spirits that are neither men nor Gods,
but are a commonly more positive forces or Beings.
Later Christianity used the basis of the Mythical ‘Daemon’ to create the purely evil creature, the ‘Demon’.

26 - What is a Totem?
Totems are often symbols that are adopted by individuals or groups. Usually these are animal figures
which are more commonly associated with Shamanistic beliefs, but a Totem can be represented as
anything (usually something Naturally occurring).

27 - What are Otaku-Kin?
‘Otaku’ by English standards is a name given to individuals who are obsessive of Japanese Fiction or
Culture.
And ‘Otaku-Kin’ are the result of a belief in Otherkin mixed with the obsession of Japanese Fiction or
Culture.
Otaku-Kin often adopt the belief that they are a Fictional Japanese Character or relate in some way to a
Race, Species or Individual that appears in Anime, Manga, or less commonly, Japanese console/video
games.

28 - What are Fiction-Kin?
Similar to #27 Fiction-Kin are individuals who believe they are Characters/Beings that are products of
Modern Media;
Often a film, TV series or Novel. Less common are video games and action figures.
Most Otherkin would be considered Mythical-Fiction-Kin because most Otherkin Individuals associate with
Species/Beings that originate from older, yet similar, sources (i.e. books). Some Modern Fiction-Kin can
logically be accepted as Otherkin, but it is less likely if the individual claims to be a certain Character from
a book/film, rather than belonging to a certain Species from a book/film.

29 - What is a Furry?
A ‘Furry’ is a person who displays themselves as an Animal/Being (as a Character) through the use of
Costume, Roleplay, Art and Literature) without the serious (or sometimes realistic) belief that they are
Otherkin or Therianthrope.
Some Therianthropes and Otherkin do choose to express themselves using these methods, but they are
not referred to as ‘Furries’ because they have the defining belief which separates them.

30 - What relation do Daemons, Totems, Otaku-Kin and Furries have to Therianthropy?
None of these have any distinct relation to Therianthropy.
Therianthropes may have Totems and Daemons, and they may live a moderate ‘Furry’ lifestyle, but these
are not part of Therianthropy, and are not necessary either.
Otaku-Kin (with its lack of relation to Earthly Animals) has nothing to do with Therianthropic beliefs.

Possible/Current Therian

31 - If I want to be a Therian/Otherkin, how I can convert myself into one?
Many Kin believe that you cannot ‘become’ Therian or Otherkin but that you are born as one. They
suggest this because the vast majority of practicing Kin have felt from a very early age that they were
‘different’ in some sense from ordinary people.
Therianthropy is, above all, a belief. If you experience the feeling that you are different within, and you
believe in it (and in yourself) you may already be Kin. If you lack either of these, there is no magic, drug
or study that will help you to become one.

32 - I Love Cats! Does this mean I am a Feline Therian?
Most likely not. Liking an animal is not the same as believing you are one within.
Just as you may have a Kintype/Form that is an animal you don’t particularly love.
Of course you may feel a great affinity with an animal that is your Theriotype, for example a Wolf Therian
might have a huge interest/love for wolves, but they feel they are a Wolf within regardless.
OR you could be a Cat Therian that has little or no interest in Cats at all, but absolutely loves Rats, Birds
or even Dogs.

33 - I have dreams about different/certain animals, does this mean I am Therian?
Most likely not. Animals have different symbolic meanings to cultures and individuals, and dreaming about
them can be down to other circumstances or situations in your life that aren’t related to Therianthropy.
Sometimes your dreams may relate to something Spiritual or Therianthropic, but it is up to the individual
to discover the meaning or purpose of these.

34 - Does being Therian mean you have special powers (like better sight or hearing, the ability to fly,
balance better or run faster)?
No, not at all. Therianthropy has no physical effects on the human body. People who suggest that they
can fly, run faster or hear clearer thanks to their ‘Therianthropy’ are sadly mistaken or deluded.

35 - I always hear about wolf Therians, are all Therians wolves? Are there Therians who identify with other animals?
In Therianthropy we see that the most common animal is the Wolf, and although there is much speculation
and discussion about the reasons as to why this is there is no clear answer for it. However if
you take time to access different Communities you will find a vast array of different animal Kin, and it is
not particularly rare to see many different species and individuals. Feline, Canine, Equine, Avian,
Reptilian, Aquatic, Land-based, the possibilities are as numerous as the species existing or extinct on
Earth.

36 - Do Therianthropes behave like the animal they identify with (will a bear Therian always behave like a bear)?
Regardless of a Therianthropes animal side they are still human beings and should/will behave (for the
most part) as their culture or society dictates. For some Kin it is refreshing to behave as their animal
counterpart occasionally.
There is the question of ‘if you had never seen a bear, would you know how a bear acts?’
We understand animals through what different studies people have performed and what medias’ have
been gathered, but we cannot replicate the behaviour or understand its meaning on the same level.


37 - You have mentioned that I probably cannot become Therian, but can I still connect with the
Therian Community? Can I have Therian friends even though I'm not Therian? What are the requirements
of joining a Therian Community?
First off, different Communities have different requirements so checking the site rules or speaking to an
Administrator would be beneficial first. Secondly, many Therian Communities enjoy sharing their
experiences with others and should welcome all people who have an interest in Otherkin or
Therianthropy. As mentioned before, Therianthropes are (for the most part) just people, and enjoy
having friends as much as anyone else.
It all depends on the individual.

38 - I think I am a Therian, but I'm not sure... What can I do to find out?
If you believe that you are Therian, the best thing you can do is research into;
What you feel you have an affinity with,
Why you feel that way,
How (and how long) has it affected you,
And Where you want to go from here.

They key things to try are;
Meditation,
Species Research,
Keeping a Journal (of things you discover),
Talking to other Kin,
Keeping a clear/open mind,
And exploring yourself.

39 - How I can be completely sure that I am a Therian?
No one can ever be completely sure because there are no known scientific methods that can prove or
disprove it.
There is no way to fully determine the existence of/personal reassurance of Therianthropy.

40 - I think I am an animal.. but not an Earthly one (for example; a Dragon) am I still Therian?
If you are not an Earthly animal, you are probably Otherkin. All Beasts that do not (have not) appeared
on Earth are listed as Otherkin.
Examples of these are;
Dragon, Gryphon, Phoenix, Manticore and Sphinx
Even hybrids like Winged Wolves and Feline/Bird hybrids are known as Otherkin.

41 - I am a Cat Therian, and my partner is a Rat Therian. Does this mean we aren't compatible
because cats eat rats?
This is a common question, but its answer is similar to that of #36.
Although Therianthropy is a prominent part of a Therians’ life, it is not going to be the most dominant
part.
Therians can have friends, colleagues and partners from all walks of life, and it should not matter which
Kintypes mix with each as long as the basic foundations of a relationship structure are there.
A Therianthrope cannot shrug off every negative action as being Kin related, they must take
responsibility to better themselves if there is an issue. There is no reason that a Cat and Rat Therian
cannot have a successful relationship as long as there is Trust, Respect and Understanding. Just like all
other relationships.

42 - What is better, to be Therian or to be Human?
That all depends on your own personal interpretation of Therianthropes and Human Beings and whether
or not you think they are much different. Regardless of whether someone is Therian or not, they have
the same life experiences as other people do. Kin often feel separated or detached from society and can
often be socially awkward, low in self-esteem, shy and lonely, but they can also have a strong sense of
inner pride, a love of nature/nurture, a passion for creativity and Spirituality, and a desire to constantly
explore new things. But so too do many human beings.
All Therianthopes and Otherkin must remember that they are human beings too, and that many of the
experiences they share are often shared by other people all over the world, regardless of whether they
are Kin or not.
There are people in the world (both Therian/Otherkin and ordinary) that are selfless and kind or callous
and cruel regardless of what they are.
Without humanity, you would not have a brain capable of comprehending your self-awareness, let alone
contemplating Therianthropy. So perhaps it is better to be both.

43 - What are the advantages/disadvantages of being a Therianthrope in the modern world?
Many or the advantages and disadvantages that Therianthropes face are the same for other people, and
there are not many that solely affect Therianthropes.
The negatives are;
Their feelings and beliefs (as answered in #42) often cause them to feel detached from society or socially
awkward.
Those who feel effects of ‘Phantom Limbs’ and ‘Shifts’ have had apparent difficulty hiding these from
society or controlling them, which may cause frustration.
They often worry that people may not accept them for what they are/believe, and this can often affect
relationships at home, in the workplace, or with friends.
The positives are;
They often have a desire to dream, have good imagination and the desire to be creative or expressive.
They keep a relatively open mind and are interested in exploring (themselves, topics, ideas and opinions).
They often feel a deep connection to the Universe or to Spirituality (but these cannot be said for everyone).

44 - What should I do, if I come across this behaviour from someone claiming to be Therian?;
"I am a powerful lycan, when do we start fighting those bloodsucking vampires?"
"I can change shape under a full moon and my eyes glow bright red!"
"I can run faster than a cheetah and my sense of smell is amazing."
Simply put, if an individual states something like this they are not Therian.
These are signs of fictive Roleplay, examples are; an individual is either clearly deluded, extremely
misinformed or generally entering a conversation or Community with the intent to ‘troll’.
A ‘troll’ will deliberately post material with the intent to provoke an emotional reaction, and should be
responded to in a calm and impassive way or deleted immediately.

45 - I'm a Therian but my life might be affected negatively if I tell people what I am. How do I tell my
friends/family/co-workers that I am a Therian? If I tell them they may think I am weird/crazy or stop
talking to me.
The best thing to do is to test the waters before you dive in to a deep conversation about everything
you think and feel. Approach people individually, wait until the moment when they are face to face with a
related topic.
For example, when they are watching an advert or show on TV about Animals/Spirituality, or reading a
book/magazine that you can draw conversation from. Even if you have pets, ask the person whether you
think it’s possible for pets to have personalities, then for pets to have the souls of dead family members.
If they respond well to these, you can ask about people with the souls of animals.
It’s all in the way you talk about the idea; keep the discussion separate from yourself until you know
how they react to the overall topic, then it’s up to you how far you go.
If you are patient and approach the conversation wisely, speaking purely out of curiosity, it will be easy
to discern their beliefs before involving your own.
In relation to this, if you cannot see yourself talking to the person about Animal Spirituality as a topic, it
does not bode well for you to talk to them about the next step – your beliefs about yourself, because
either you are extremely uncomfortable or awkward with the idea and you may handle the discussion
badly, or you may already know that they will not understand or take you seriously. In which case, you
must decide whether or not it would be best simply not telling them.

No matter what, I would like to stress that you don’t need to have the acceptance of other people to be
validated as an individual, and if you are truly serious about your Therianthropy but have the misfortune
of not being able to tell a friend/partner/family member because you know their Religious/Spiritual
/Lifestyle views will not accept yours, don’t let it affect you.
Be proud of yourself, and if you need to find acceptance seek out people who will show you respect and
guidance, and those who will accept you for you.

Questions submitted by MistWolf of Noctalium.
Sources for information include Wikipedia and fellow site definitions, Otherkin articles, and speculation.
Some information provided is matter of opinion and may differ elsewhere.

[Seraphyna]

All commentary based on 10+ years in the otherkin community...information can also be found on www.project-shift.org

I only responded to the one's I would tweak/change.

General

1 - What is Therianthropy?
‘Therianthropy’ is the term used by people who believe they have the soul or mentality of an animal.
More commonly, an animal that exists (or is now extinct) on Earth. Therianthropes are a type of Otherkin,
but because we can study Earthly animals it is treated as separate from Otherkin.

I would change this to something like "therianthropy is the term used to refer to people who identify as animals found on earth (either living or extinct). Therianthropes (or therians) are a type of otherkin that is sometimes treated as separate from otherkin because the therian community evolved independently. Like all otherkin, therians identify as such for spiritual or brain-based reasons (or a combination of the two).


4 - I hear words like ‘Therianthropy’ used in different Contexts, which ways are they usually used?
The term is used in different ways, these are the common ones;
The subject is ‘Therianthropy’.
They are ‘Therianthropic’ people (or ‘Therianthropes’).
He/she is a ‘Therianthrope’ (or ‘Therian’)
They have a ‘Theriotype’ or ‘Theritype’ which is an animal.

"theritype" is never used.

5 - How do people find out if they are a Therianthrope (Therian)?
Many people discover their Therianthropy through Dreams, Meditation and Research into an Animal
Species they have an affinity with. Most prefer to record their experiences and information gathered from
these using Journals, Online Blogs, notebooks and drawings. Most Therian Kin have had feelings of
detachment/discontentment ever since they were young, but not all of them.

This I would re-word to make it clear that therians identify AS one or more non-human animals. A simply affinity with or connection to an animal, does not fit the definition.

7 - Are Therian people Role-Playing when say they are 'more than human'?
No. Therianthropes are completely serious about what they believe, whatever that may be.
People who Role-Play a character or do not believe in it seriously or realistically are not Therianthropes.

I would make it clear that, while some people say they are 'more than human,' all otherkin are biologically human. The only possible exception is brain chemistry which has yet to be explored.

10 - Do Therians have any beliefs? What do they believe?
Therians share a common belief that they are an ‘animal within’, or an ‘animal trapped inside’ a human
body. Some believe they have lived before as the animal and have been reincarnated as human, whilst
others believe they had the soul of the animal join with their human body at birth, for whatever reason.
Psychologically minded Therianthropes believe it is caused by the mind.

I would add to this that some people believe that their identity is neurological in origin, though there is no evidence (yet) to support this as studies have yet to be done.

11 - Is being Therian considered to be a mental illness, or physical disorder?
There is a disorder that is being newly recognised for Therianthropes called Species Dysmorphia/Dysphoria.
Like Body Dysmorphia, it suggests being uncomfortable with your physical appearance.
Species Dysmorphia refers to being uncomfortable with your 'Species'. In this case human.

Species dysphoria has yet to be recognized. I would add that a non-human identity is only a 'disorder' if it interferes with one's ability to function in society and/or includes delusional thoughts (aka thoughts that are held in the face of evidence to the contrary, like physical shifting).

13 - Are there different classifications for Therian people (not all Therian people are the same animal or species)?
Different Communities use different terms for species and sub-species classification. Because
Therianthropy is often complex within an individual, and sometimes changes for individuals over time as
they discover more, it is simpler to avoid sub-species classification altogether.

You could add that there are sun- con- and clado- therians. Suntherians being a mix of animal and human all the time, but may experience changes in this 'balance' and, therefore, experience shifts. Contherians being people who are a constant balance of animal and human and do not shift. Cladotherians being therians who identify as a clade of animals (in other words, all animals in the same class).

14 - Do Therians have a symbol that identifies them as a Group/Community?
Therianthropes will use different symbols depending on the individual or the Community.
The most common symbols are; the Pawprint, the ‘Trinity’ Triangle and Eternal Circle interwoven,
and the Seven Pointed Otherkin Star (the Heptagram) often called the ‘Elven Star’.

The theta-delta should be in there (not the 'trinity triangle' business) and the 7 pointed star is more commonly called the septagram.

Terms

15 – I’ve heard the term ‘Trueform’ and ‘Theriotype’ used before, what are they?
These are different names for the animal part of a Therian, or Otherkin.
It refers to their ‘soul’ or ‘mentality’, which they believe is not human.
They call it their Kintype (for Otherkin and Therian), Theriotype (for Therian), Trueform or Phenotype.
Different Communities will sometimes make up their own, which can often be frustrating.

Phenotype should be taken off the list as the word refers to one's physical self. Our phenotype is human.

16 - What is a 'Shift'? How many types of 'Shift' exist?
‘Shifting’ is a process by which part of you reverts to your animal-self, or back to your human self.
A-Shift = (Aura shift), a change in the consistency/content of an individuals ‘energy’.
M-Shift = (Mind shift), the feeling that one has slipped into the mentality of the animal.

Should really say 'mental shift' not mind shift.

S-Shift = (Soul shift, also Spirit shift), where one feels they are spiritually in animal form and may
experience non-physical body parts relating to their animal type. Often the cause of the ‘Phantom Limb’
sensation.

Err...this one should be ph-shift for phantom shift. The spiritual business is really under aura shift.

P-Shift = (Physical shift), not possible for the human body. Often confused with ‘Psychological’ or
‘Phantom’ but these are covered in both M-shift and S-shift already.
There are others created by different Communities, but these are the common ones.

I'd just keep it to 'physical shift' is impossible.

I'd add cameo shifts (which aren't referred to as c-shifts that I've seen) which are shifts to a creature/animal that isn't a kintype. They're often caused by one's daemon/totem/guide/etc. You could also add sensory shifts, which is when one's senses seem to be heightened.

17 - I've heard some complex terms related to Therianthropy. For example Cladotherianthropy,
Contherianthropy, Cameoshift... Is it difficult to learn about Therianthropy? How many terms I should to learn?
Many of the terms frequenting Communities are the result of misguided information, or an
overcomplicated system of labelling that is too strict for an open belief system.
For example, Cladotherianthropy refers to not taking a single Species as a Theriotype but rather a
whole Genus (Branch) of the family. Some would suggest that this simply indicates that the individual has
not discovered their Kintype yet.

Cladotherianthropy refers to a clade aka class.

Contherianthropy however, is used to label those who ‘do not experience ‘Shifts’’, and, because
we cannot determine if ‘Shifts’ are really a distinguishable feature we cannot assume that those who do
not have the ‘feeling’ are any different to those who do. Also, there are many who do not believe
‘Shifting’ is possible at all, and that it is only the result of ‘remembering’ the feeling of having an animal
form in a previous life, or becoming aware of your animal-soul.
There is nothing wrong with avoiding these, they are names unnecessary to your personal discovery.

I covered this one above in #13

19 - Can Therians identify with more than one animal?
They can, but there are two distinct differences to be aware of.
A Therian can live more than one life as different animals, but an Otherkin takes the forms of different
animals, much like a shape shifter.
For example, if you have lived as ‘a cat = then a dog = then a horse’, but your form is only one of
these, you are most likely going to be Therian.
But if you lived as ‘a cat = then a dog = then a horse’ but you switch between these forms, you
are most likely Otherkin, because Earthly animals do not take different shapes, and you cannot be a cat,
dog and horse at exactly the same time.
Once a Therian realises they are more than one animal (or can take the form of more than one) they
often become aware that they may be Otherkin instead.

This is confusing. One can identify as more than one animal regardless of 'reason'. If they identify as a creature that physically has more than one animal form, that is non-therian otherkin (aka a creature that physically morphs between a horse, cat, and dog). A polytherianthrope is someone with multiple theriotypes (aka someone who identifies as a horse, cat, and dog). A polywere is someone who experiences non-physical shifts that span the earthly animal kingdom and may, or may not, have 1+ theriotypes proper.

21 - What is a 'Howl'?
A ‘Howl’ is a physical gathering of members from a Therianthropic/Otherkin Community at an arranged
location.
Usually these are held by Administrators and/or Staff, but can be arranged by anyone at any time.
‘Howl’ meetings should be considered and arranged with caution.
Never give out your details to strangers over the internet and remember that safety is the first priority.

I'd just change the wording to "the therian community". "Howl" really only refers to a gathering of therians.

22 - What is a Shapeshifter?
Shapeshifter (in the Kin Community) is a person whose soul takes many different non-physical shapes,
or a person that believes they have lived before as an Otherkin Beast/Being that could change physical
shape.
Kin who suggest they are ‘Shapeshifters’ should hopefully be referring to an ability they believe they
had, or the fact that their soul/mind/aura shifts between forms of different animals. And not that they
believed they could physically change shape as a human being.

I'd change this to someone who identifies as a being that changes physical shape and take out the soul bit.

23 - What is 'Shifter-disease'?
More commonly known as Clinical Lycanthropy, it is considered a mental disorder that is recorded in
history as causing a human being to lose sense of rationality, compassion, memory, emotion and
humanity to the point where they are said to behave in a more primal and animalistic way, often
becoming incoherent, violent, inconsolable and unpredictable. This is believed to be where ‘Werewolf’ is
said to derive from, or to be associated with.

Clinical lycanthropy is a delusion based disorder where the individual believes that they can physically transform/are physically becoming a non-human animal, typically associated with people who believe they are becoming/can become a wolf.

neuro.psychiatryonline.org/article.aspx?articleID=1828844

24 - What is a 'Phantom Limb'?
A ‘Phantom Limb’ is a distinct awareness of the presence of a non-physical limb.
For example, the feeling that you have wings, even though you do not possess them physically.
This usually comes about as a result of a Soul/Spiritual Shift, where the soul changes from its ‘human’ to
‘animal’ state, but can occur at random or without notice.
Some Kin have a hard time accepting the possibility of Phantom Limbs because of an inability to
prove/disprove the reason, existence or need of them.

Take out the soul shift thing and put in that it's referred to as a ph-shift or phantom shift.

26 - What is a Totem?
Totems are often symbols that are adopted by individuals or groups. Usually these are animal figures
which are more commonly associated with Shamanistic beliefs, but a Totem can be represented as
anything (usually something Naturally occurring).

I'd add that totems can be the cause of cameo shifts.

28 - What are Fiction-Kin?
Similar to #27 Fiction-Kin are individuals who believe they are Characters/Beings that are products of
Modern Media;
Often a film, TV series or Novel. Less common are video games and action figures.
Most Otherkin would be considered Mythical-Fiction-Kin because most Otherkin Individuals associate with
Species/Beings that originate from older, yet similar, sources (i.e. books). Some Modern Fiction-Kin can
logically be accepted as Otherkin, but it is less likely if the individual claims to be a certain Character from
a book/film, rather than belonging to a certain Species from a book/film.

I'd add that human characters are fictionkin, but not otherkin.

29 - What is a Furry?
A ‘Furry’ is a person who displays themselves as an Animal/Being (as a Character) through the use of
Costume, Roleplay, Art and Literature) without the serious (or sometimes realistic) belief that they are
Otherkin or Therianthrope.
Some Therianthropes and Otherkin do choose to express themselves using these methods, but they are
not referred to as ‘Furries’ because they have the defining belief which separates them.

I'd add that not all furries are otherkin, but some otherkin are furries.

Possible/Current Therian

31 - If I want to be a Therian/Otherkin, how I can convert myself into one?
Many Kin believe that you cannot ‘become’ Therian or Otherkin but that you are born as one. They
suggest this because the vast majority of practicing Kin have felt from a very early age that they were
‘different’ in some sense from ordinary people.
Therianthropy is, above all, a belief. If you experience the feeling that you are different within, and you
believe in it (and in yourself) you may already be Kin. If you lack either of these, there is no magic, drug
or study that will help you to become one.

I'd add that someone could potentially 'become' otherkin in a psychological sense given sufficient trauma or through a 'walk in' spirit.

33 - I have dreams about different/certain animals, does this mean I am Therian?
Most likely not. Animals have different symbolic meanings to cultures and individuals, and dreaming about
them can be down to other circumstances or situations in your life that aren’t related to Therianthropy.
Sometimes your dreams may relate to something Spiritual or Therianthropic, but it is up to the individual
to discover the meaning or purpose of these.

I'd add that dreams are scientifically understood and are more likely to be a product of the brain than have some deeper meaning.
science.howstuffworks.com/life/what-are-dreams.htm

40 - I think I am an animal.. but not an Earthly one (for example; a Dragon) am I still Therian?
If you are not an Earthly animal, you are probably Otherkin. All Beasts that do not (have not) appeared
on Earth are listed as Otherkin.
Examples of these are;
Dragon, Gryphon, Phoenix, Manticore and Sphinx
Even hybrids like Winged Wolves and Feline/Bird hybrids are known as Otherkin.

Take out the 'probably'. If someone doesn't identify as an earthly animal, they are not a therian.

42 - What is better, to be Therian or to be Human?
That all depends on your own personal interpretation of Therianthropes and Human Beings and whether
or not you think they are much different. Regardless of whether someone is Therian or not, they have
the same life experiences as other people do. Kin often feel separated or detached from society and can
often be socially awkward, low in self-esteem, shy and lonely, but they can also have a strong sense of
inner pride, a love of nature/nurture, a passion for creativity and Spirituality, and a desire to constantly
explore new things. But so too do many human beings.
All Therianthopes and Otherkin must remember that they are human beings too, and that many of the
experiences they share are often shared by other people all over the world, regardless of whether they
are Kin or not.
There are people in the world (both Therian/Otherkin and ordinary) that are selfless and kind or callous
and cruel regardless of what they are.
Without humanity, you would not have a brain capable of comprehending your self-awareness, let alone
contemplating Therianthropy. So perhaps it is better to be both.

Point out that therians/otherkin are human or word the question as 'is it better to identify as otherkin or not'. Otherwise, it's confusing.

43 - What are the advantages/disadvantages of being a Therianthrope in the modern world?
Many or the advantages and disadvantages that Therianthropes face are the same for other people, and
there are not many that solely affect Therianthropes.
The negatives are;
Their feelings and beliefs (as answered in #42) often cause them to feel detached from society or socially
awkward.
Those who feel effects of ‘Phantom Limbs’ and ‘Shifts’ have had apparent difficulty hiding these from
society or controlling them, which may cause frustration.
They often worry that people may not accept them for what they are/believe, and this can often affect
relationships at home, in the workplace, or with friends.

I'd also add controlling urges and mental shifts that are not of the socially acceptable variety.

[Malchior]

Jul 16, 2014 2:17:33 GMT Haru'Shimo said:

27 - What are Otaku-Kin?
‘Otaku’ by English standards is a name given to individuals who are obsessive of Japanese Fiction or
Culture.
And ‘Otaku-Kin’ are the result of a belief in Otherkin mixed with the obsession of Japanese Fiction or
Culture.
Otaku-Kin often adopt the belief that they are a Fictional Japanese Character or relate in some way to a
Race, Species or Individual that appears in Anime, Manga, or less commonly, Japanese console/video
games.

28 - What are Fiction-Kin?
Similar to #27 Fiction-Kin are individuals who believe they are Characters/Beings that are products of
Modern Media;
Often a film, TV series or Novel. Less common are video games and action figures.
Most Otherkin would be considered Mythical-Fiction-Kin because most Otherkin Individuals associate with
Species/Beings that originate from older, yet similar, sources (i.e. books). Some Modern Fiction-Kin can
logically be accepted as Otherkin, but it is less likely if the individual claims to be a certain Character from
a book/film, rather than belonging to a certain Species from a book/film.

"Otakukin" has recently been considered offensive, and is no longer used in the community. "Mediakin" recently has come into use as a catch-all for any popular-media-based otherkin. (I don't have a specific source for this, except that I've been interacting with fictionkin for around 4 years and I sometimes participate in the community despite only vaguely considering myself fictionkin. I know for certain this term is no longer used, though.)

In regards to Seraphyna's response;


A gathering of otherkin who live together is called a Vortex (source) but I can't seem to find what meetings are called.

[Seraphyna]

I've always seen meetings referred to as 'gathers' or similar.

[Cayo]

On #25, the second definition of Daemon, does the line, "Later Christianity used the basis of the Mythical ‘Daemon’ to create the purely evil creature, the ‘Demon’." need to be there? That doesn't seem to have any relevance to the definition. You're just describing the creatures. Maybe you can say, "the traditional definition is..." or maybe even, "not to be confused with Demon which is an evil spirit."

I personally feel like others (who may be way more sensitive than I in religious views) will see that as bias against Christianity, because of how it's worded. I could be over thinking, but those are my two cents.

Other than that nitpick, I think Seraphyna grabbed most of the things I was going to point out. I'll review over again.

[House of Chimeras]

(17) - Cladotherianthropy is when someone identifies with a larger group of animals as a whole (such as a genus or Family) rather than just a specific species. It does not just denote a genus. (For example the person who coined the term identified as all species of reptiles (which is a class) while Pantairin in our system identifies with all species of deer (which is a family).

Sources - houseofchimeras.livejournal.com/80355.html
project-shift.org/terms-definitions/



(19) - This entry is just weird. Being a polytherian does not make one a non-therian otherkin. Polytherianthropy is when someone identifies with more than one Earth animal. They are not a shapeshifterkin, polymorph, or another shapeshifting non-Earthy creature by default.

Sources - www.therianthropyresearchgroup.org/index.php/therianthropy/
otherkinsight.com/terminology
project-shift.org/terms-definitions/



(20) - Asexual means is not attracted to either gender. Being both gender is called big ender, thirdgender, or such.

Source - www.asexuality.org
gender.wikia.com/wiki/Bigender



(23) Shifter’s Disease was a term coined by Pinky in the late 90s. Its not an actual disease or anything. It just denotes when someone becomes so obsessed or enamored with shifting and therianthropic experiences they read and interpret everything as being such even if the experience is mundane or normal.

Sources (The term is mostly defunct so yes these websites are old) - www.oocities.org/rainforest/canopy/1927/greenspiral/resource.html
www.byondwolf.com/therianthropy2.htm
groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!searchin/alt.horror.werewolves/%22shifter$27s$20disease%22/alt.horror.werewolves/3tHiX-W97I8/599VCFZfejsJ


(27) - This term is seen as hugely derogatory in the fictionkin community and is a largely defunct term. Fictionkin is the term mostly widely accepted and used by fiction kin.

Sources - from-fiction.livejournal.com/120784.html(poll from a fiction kin group on Livejournal asking which term was preferred and why)
www.livejournal.com/userinfo.bml?user=from_fiction


Other than that I agree with lot of Seraphyna’s points.
\
- Miushra

[Werecat]

I've already posted my two cents on the definitions on a prior thread, no sense to duplicate it again. Please refer to that if you wish.

*Addendum*

Actually, I would like to add with the rules section and now this, this is becoming simply too burdensome. This seems needlessly pretentious to try to categorize every single thing under the sun. I mean really, we have 45 different categories! Forty-five! This is a Therian site with some related Otherkin leanings. That’s two categories. Why in the world do we need almost 50 different subcategories, especially when almost everyone will have a differing opinion on what each means? Personally speaking, if I were a new member, I would not want to bother with a site that had rules and definitions longer than an Apple User Agreement. Just keep it simple so you don’t alienate folks.

For example, here were the rules of my old site: (Don't worry about Rules 1 and 2, my site has been gone almost ten years now.)

The Rules:

01.) Do not talk about this site.

02.) Do not talk about this site.

03.) All jokes aside, rule 1 (& 2) is one I take very seriously. Letting the rest of the Net know that there is a Lycanthropy/Therianthropy site they're not invited to is not only tacky, but also disrespectful and it speaks volumes about your character. Furthermore it's downright mean. There's simply no reason for it. Please do not discuss this site with anyone not currently on the members list.

04.) Be respectful. This site is not intended to be of one thought and one opinion, and no one is beholden to ensure your satisfaction. Disagree, but keep it civil. Argue, but avoid personal attacks. This isn't hard folks. Much of the information the community takes for granted was discovered by those who came before us. You will afford them the proper respect.

05.) Any and all posts made under your identity are your responsibility. Pleading ignorance is no excuse. You will be accountable. Also, if you post something as fact, make sure you fact-check yourself. No one likes a charlatan.

06.) Duplicate accounts: You will NOT have duplicate accounts, so don't ask.

07.) Feel free to discuss anything on this board, in the appropriate area. Want to gripe about other sites? Fine, but be prepared to have others (who may own or staff those sites) call you out on it. Politics? Religion? Other occult or magic(k)al systems? Cool as well, but again, prepare yourself for argumentation from the board at large if someone has an alternate opine.

08.) I don’t expect MLA format in sentence structure, but please limit net shorthand. An occasional “LOL” or so is fine, but don’t bombard us with something unreadable except to teenagers or tech geeks.

09.) No porn. No images, no links, no nothing. Go to porn sites for that crap.

10.) Profiles. Fill them out. I'll give you until the post count of ten.

11.) Membership: Membership is by invitation only. There are currently 59 members. Anyone can nominate a new candidate, but they must be vetted, and there needs to be a majority vote of “Yay” by the current membership.

12.) Time limits and participation: There is no participation requirement. I don’t have time to be here every day, and most of you don’t either. I also don’t want asinine chat just to fill up space. If you have something to say, post away. If not, save it for when you do. The one caveat is, if you do not participate; or we do not hear from you within 6 month period, you will not be allowed to vote for or against new members unless you are back in rotation.

This site operates under the Big-Boy Rules of Life, thus we don’t have Mods or Admin because we are all professional adults, and everyone was invited here because I (and we) feel that we can police ourselves. However, if things should go awry:

01.) Written warning: Written warning - I inform you that you've behaved like an idiot.

02.) Account suspension: For the duration of my choosing based on severity.

03.) Banning. I like bannings. It's good for my liver. Don't push it. A breech of Rules 1 & 2 will be an automatic banning regardless of the circumstance.


Just twelve rules hat encompass everything without having to spell it out in depth. Short, sweet, and simple.


But hey, it's not my site, so do what you think is best. I'm just offering a suggestion to streamline it.

[Deleted]

Jul 16, 2014 2:17:33 GMT Haru'Shimo said:

General

1 - What is Therianthropy?
‘Therianthropy’ is the term used by people who believe they have the soul or mentality of an animal.
More commonly, an animal that exists (or is now extinct) on Earth. Therianthropes are a type of Otherkin,
but because we can study Earthly animals it is treated as separate from Otherkin.

I think this part isn't defined very well. I therianthropy would be people who believe they have had an incarnation as an animal or the mentality of an animal.
I know a lot of people who had other past lives aside from their animal past life. Most people have had other past lives aside from one past life as an animal. Maybe also an animal but also a lot of other beings too. Having an 'animal soul' doesn't really make sense. A soul is a soul, a matter of consciousness/energy depending on how you want to see it and isn't really defined on what physical matter they have had. They could have animal ties to the soul but calling it the soul of an animal sounds inaccurate. But correct me if I'm wrong

[Haru'Shimo]

Jul 18, 2014 9:42:34 GMT @arara said:

Jul 16, 2014 2:17:33 GMT Haru'Shimo said:

General

1 - What is Therianthropy?
‘Therianthropy’ is the term used by people who believe they have the soul or mentality of an animal.
More commonly, an animal that exists (or is now extinct) on Earth. Therianthropes are a type of Otherkin,
but because we can study Earthly animals it is treated as separate from Otherkin.

I think this part isn't defined very well. I therianthropy would be people who believe they have had an incarnation as an animal or the mentality of an animal.
I know a lot of people who had other past lives aside from their animal past life. Most people have had other past lives aside from one past life as an animal. Maybe also an animal but also a lot of other beings too. Having an 'animal soul' doesn't really make sense. A soul is a soul, a matter of consciousness/energy depending on how you want to see it and isn't really defined on what physical matter they have had. They could have animal ties to the soul but calling it the soul of an animal sounds inaccurate. But correct me if I'm wrong

I think the reason it was phrased like that originally was to be purposely vague, as reincarnation isn't the only spiritual explanation. Some don't believe in past lives whatsoever, and instead believe their soul was 'misplaced' into a human body. For others, the feel they have an animal soul along side their own, like a multiple system. It will need some revision of course, but it's best if you keep in mind that not everyone feels their current Therian/Otherkin state is the result of reincarnation. There are -many- other explanations, both spiritual and psychological.

[Haru'Shimo]

Jul 18, 2014 3:41:41 GMT Werecat said:

I've already posted my two cents on the definitions on a prior thread, no sense to duplicate it again. Please refer to that if you wish.

*Addendum*

Actually, I would like to add with the rules section and now this, this is becoming simply too burdensome. This seems needlessly pretentious to try to categorize every single thing under the sun. I mean really, we have 45 different categories! Forty-five! This is a Therian site with some related Otherkin leanings. That’s two categories. Why in the world do we need almost 50 different subcategories, especially when almost everyone will have a differing opinion on what each means? Personally speaking, if I were a new member, I would not want to bother with a site that had rules and definitions longer than an Apple User Agreement. Just keep it simple so you don’t alienate folks.

....

Just twelve rules hat encompass everything without having to spell it out in depth. Short, sweet, and simple.

But hey, it's not my site, so do what you think is best. I'm just offering a suggestion to streamline it.

1) This thread is about the "Common Misconceptions and FAQs" (Frequently Asked Questions), not the rules.
2) Regarding the rules, we tried short & simple, and they were abused, worked around, and difficult to enforce for the betterment of the Forums. As with every instance of rules/laws ever, when people act without thinking, or simply act without common courtesy or sense, rules have to be made against those actions in an effort to prevent it from happening repeatedly, and so when it does happen, something can be done about it.
3) If you had actually read this thread, you'd know that there aren't 45 different categories. There are 45 QUESTIONS that have been asked and answered.
4) As far as not alienating people, we don't. If someone want to be here, but doesn't want to follow some simple rules that are essentially common sense, but have to be stated because few people have it, then they're not benefiting the forums in any way by being a disruption here.

[Werecat]

Jul 18, 2014 20:15:06 GMT Haru'Shimo said:

1) This thread is about the "Common Misconceptions and FAQs" (Frequently Asked Questions), not the rules.
2) Regarding the rules, we tried short & simple, and they were abused, worked around, and difficult to enforce for the betterment of the Forums. As with every instance of rules/laws ever, when people act without thinking, or simply act without common courtesy or sense, rules have to be made against those actions in an effort to prevent it from happening repeatedly, and so when it does happen, something can be done about it.
3) If you had actually read this thread, you'd know that there aren't 45 different categories. There are 45 QUESTIONS that have been asked and answered.
4) As far as not alienating people, we don't. If someone want to be here, but doesn't want to follow some simple rules that are essentially common sense, but have to be stated because few people have it, then they're not benefiting the forums in any way by being a disruption here.

I read it all, but as stated, I was simply lumping everything together (rules, questions, categories, etc.) from other posts into one thread reply for sake of ease because I didn’t want to post the same thing on several different threads. As for the question categories, many of those "answers" are blatantly incorrect. I can see nine "answers" that are actually embarrassing to read because they are answered so poorly by someone who clearly has no knowledge of the larger Therian community. For example, I’ll just take one:

"Therianthropy is not a Religion, a Cult or a Sect. It has nothing to do with Religious beliefs at all."

Wrong. Whoever answered this question has no right to answer any questions, and should be ashamed of themselves. This is also a perfect example of the ignorance that gets passed along as fact. I myself belong to a Therianthropic sect. So right there, the above answer is disproven. But let’s take me out of the equation to make it more fair and balanced.

Neil Whitehead, an anthropology professor at my ala mater (University of Wisconsin) traveled to the Guyana highlands and studied various tribes, some which included Therianthropic tribes that dressed as animal-men for their religious ceremonies. (He even has a sketch of them.) When he delved too deeply into their belief system, he was targeted for assassination and had to flee Guyana without even getting his luggage from the hotel. Source cited: Dark Shamans. Kanaimá and the Poetics of Violent Death by Neil Whitehead, or you can just Google his name and read all about him.

How about the Therianthropic cult of the Leopard Society, in which they dressed as were-leopards to kill people? (See painting pic.) The British courts even passed laws against Leopard Society because it was becoming such a problem. Source cited: Human Leopards by K.J. Beatty.



Or, how about the Therianthropic religious ceremonies with Native Americans? Ever hear of skinwalkers? Did you know many tribes ban the ownership of wolf, coyote, or cougar skins because they are afraid people will use them in bad medicine and shapeshifting rituals? Source cites: Navajo Witchcraft by Clyde Kluckhohn.



And we haven’t even talked about the Middle and Far East. There’s a wealth of Therian information from Asia, but the language barrier makes the information hard to get when anthropology books aren’t translated on a regular basis.



See, the problem here (and other places as well), is, people are too myopic. Not everyone, but many. They’ll only focus on one single superficial aspect that’s easy to access from a keyboard or mouse, or they’ll only create a limited or false definition using their own personal narrative and try to pass it along as truth to others when it is nothing but conjecture. It is the height of arrogance for someone to make a blanket statement that just because they don’t know anything about religious Therianthropy, that there aren’t any groups, sects, or cults out there. That’s also self-defeating, institutionalized ignorance. No one learns mathematics by simply looking at the number “3” and pretending it's a sideways “W”. You have to start with the foundations of basic arithmetic before you can learn calculus, and that’s exactly the same with Theriantropy.

I already know this stuff, so I’m not pounding this in for my benefit or ego. I’m trying to better this community and make it stronger by having all the facts and all the truths so people can take what came before them, speak intelligently about the subject if they ever had to explain it, and build upon it something new. But that will never happen if lies or supposition are posted fact. This is the last time I’m going to comment about the rules or Q&As. I’ve done my part to try to bring truth and common sense to the subject, so fact check me. I’ve provided all the material to do so. Then when you come back, you can either make the right changes, or keep up the disinformation and continue to embarrass the site to those who are in the know. Either way, it’s no skin off my back.

[Haru'Shimo]

Jul 24, 2014 20:17:10 GMT Werecat said:

I read it all, but as stated, I was simply lumping everything together (rules, questions, categories, etc.) from other posts into one thread reply for sake of ease because I didn’t want to post the same thing on several different threads. As for the question categories, many of those "answers" are blatantly incorrect. I can see nine "answers" that are actually embarrassing to read because they are answered so poorly by someone who clearly has no knowledge of the larger Therian community. For example, I’ll just take one:

"Therianthropy is not a Religion, a Cult or a Sect. It has nothing to do with Religious beliefs at all."

Wrong. Whoever answered this question has no right to answer any questions, and should be ashamed of themselves. This is also a perfect example of the ignorance that gets passed along as fact. I myself belong to a Therianthropic sect. So right there, the above answer is disproven. But let’s take me out of the equation to make it more fair and balanced.

Neil Whitehead, an anthropology professor at my ala mater (University of Wisconsin) traveled to the Guyana highlands and studied various tribes, some which included Therianthropic tribes that dressed as animal-men for their religious ceremonies. (He even has a sketch of them.) When he delved too deeply into their belief system, he was targeted for assassination and had to flee Guyana without even getting his luggage from the hotel. Source cited: Dark Shamans. Kanaimá and the Poetics of Violent Death by Neil Whitehead, or you can just Google his name and read all about him.

How about the Therianthropic cult of the Leopard Society, in which they dressed as were-leopards to kill people? (See painting pic.) The British courts even passed laws against Leopard Society because it was becoming such a problem. Source cited: Human Leopards by K.J. Beatty.

Or, how about the Therianthropic religious ceremonies with Native Americans? Ever hear of skinwalkers? Did you know many tribes ban the ownership of wolf, coyote, or cougar skins because they are afraid people will use them in bad medicine and shapeshifting rituals? Source cites: Navajo Witchcraft by Clyde Kluckhohn.

And we haven’t even talked about the Middle and Far East. There’s a wealth of Therian information from Asia, but the language barrier makes the information hard to get when anthropology books aren’t translated on a regular basis.

See, the problem here (and other places as well), is, people are too myopic. Not everyone, but many. They’ll only focus on one single superficial aspect that’s easy to access from a keyboard or mouse, or they’ll only create a limited or false definition using their own personal narrative and try to pass it along as truth to others when it is nothing but conjecture. It is the height of arrogance for someone to make a blanket statement that just because they don’t know anything about religious Therianthropy, that there aren’t any groups, sects, or cults out there. That’s also self-defeating, institutionalized ignorance. No one learns mathematics by simply looking at the number “3” and pretending it's a sideways “W”. You have to start with the foundations of basic arithmetic before you can learn calculus, and that’s exactly the same with Theriantropy.

I already know this stuff, so I’m not pounding this in for my benefit or ego. I’m trying to better this community and make it stronger by having all the facts and all the truths so people can take what came before them, speak intelligently about the subject if they ever had to explain it, and build upon it something new. But that will never happen if lies or supposition are posted fact. This is the last time I’m going to comment about the rules or Q&As. I’ve done my part to try to bring truth and common sense to the subject, so fact check me. I’ve provided all the material to do so. Then when you come back, you can either make the right changes, or keep up the disinformation and continue to embarrass the site to those who are in the know. Either way, it’s no skin off my back.

I'll not argue that many, if not all, of the FAQs need to be re-worded, including that one. That's why we opened it up to public review in the first place.

And while I respect the information you have come to accept as personal truths, you really have no right to tell anyone they should be ashamed of themselves for proposing their accepted answers through their world-view. That's exactly what you're doing right now. The one who wrote those answers was Re Harakhti, the one who started this site. Obviously that doesn't make her personal views the beat-all-end-all, nor 100% right. Again, that's why we opened it all up for review.

However, I have to disagree personally with your specific statement about the various religious activities. While each of those may very well be able to be considered Therianthropic in nature, that doesn't make Therianthropy itself a religious function. Just because a person dresses as an animal or attempts to invoke the spirit and power of a slain pelt doesn't make them Therians or Otherkin, nor does it make the act that they're trying to perform Therianthropy, nor does it make everyone who is Therian or Otherkin a part of any of those religions. So while the answer could be worded slightly better, I completely agree with the original statement. If anything, it should merely be elaborated on as follows:

"Therianthropy and Otherkin ARE NOT religions, cults, or sects, although some who claim to be may form any of those out of their personal beliefs. While there are religions and belief systems that include shape-shifter concepts and animal spirit/skin rites, when examined strictly as states of being, as they are here, they have no inherent ties to any specific religious beliefs or practices."

Finally, as a matter of forum rules and common decency, just because someone's ideals disagree with your experiences doesn't make them any less valid than yours. That's the miracle of perception, EVERYTHING is relative to the individual that experiences it. What you've experienced in your life has set the tint of the glasses you look through, and while everyone else in the world who -isn't- a part of your personal sect and practices may appear as ignorant, I can assure you that not everyone is.

Contrary to how you've been presenting yourself lately, you're not the only one here who's spent time looking into occult practices and theosophy. There's more than enough aggression in the world to go around, and we don't need any more here, so kindly stop looking down your nose at others.

[Doppel]

Jul 24, 2014 21:26:10 GMT Haru'Shimo said:

Contrary to how you've been presenting yourself lately, you're not the only one here who's spent time looking into occult practices and theosophy. There's more than enough aggression in the world to go around, and we don't need any more here, so kindly stop looking down your nose at others.

Quoted for Emphasis.