Theriotype help

[Wolfblaze]

I'll just get right to the point. I've already discovered my theriotype but I don't know how to narrow it down to a specific sub-species, ive tried to meditate more on it but it seems ive struck a wall and cant find it any further. I'd love for some of your advice if you have any

[G.D.]

Hello, Wolfblaze .

Just like any other species of animal, most sub-species have specific physical traits, size differences, and preferences based on region. The Arabian wolf, a desert dwelling wolf, is much lankier with a shorter coat and tail that coincide with what that specie's needs to survive in that area. Iberian wolves, which are jungle and plain dwelling wolves, have a distinctive marking on their forelegs as well as a coat appropriate for their environment. These are just examples. It would do you good to spend a moderate amount of time studying each sub-species of your theriotype to where you feel you have a comfortable amount of knowledge on them. From there I would suggest comparing your shifts, if you experience them, to the physical traits and behaviors of each sub-species. Wolves live all over the world in many different environments.

In terms of meditation, you're likely practicing it the 'Western' way. Meditation is not about clearing your mind of all thoughts and letting random information come to you. Instead, it is calming your mind and body so that you may focus inwards. In that state of hyper focus, one may have the ability to analyze certain experiences and information in a more controlled and thorough fashion. There's much thinking do be done during meditation. You may also use things such as music or repetitive actions to help keep you in that focused state.

[Deleted]

Hello wolftherian,

I am currently searching out my subspecies as well. Geist has pretty much said what I was going to say. But I can say this while you are discovering your subspecies it would be a good idea to start a journal and log when you have your shifts and what you notice during them etc. etc. Anyways happy hunting my freind it's a long road and trust me it will be worth it.

[Wolfblaze]

Thanks for the advice, I'll start researching right it away!

[Astral]

I agree with Geist.

Research all that you can and compare with your shifts. I have identified as a parallel realm wolf for many years now and over the last couple months have been feeling like that isn't right anymore. I have researched everything I can on how I feel, comparing with multiple different subspecies around the world, and my conclusion is that I am possibly a Kenai Pennisula Wolf. I've always considered an extinct species, so I'm not quite surprised. However, this searching could take years so, like everything else, I am not rushing and I am trying to be as thorough as I can with the tiny amount of information I have. Same should be done for you.

Good luck!

[Deleted]

Super delayed response but, in addition to what Geist said, I'll also chip in and give you a personal story to maybe spark some thought towards angles you might not have considered. It seems like you haven't really finished reflecting on who you are and how best to communicate that. There's nothing wrong with that - just an observation. Assuming you're still reflecting on this topic, that is, since I'm getting to this thread some 2 weeks late.

For one, let's look at why I (and many other therians and otherkin) seek to narrow down what we identify as to specific sub species.

The reason is simple, to better communicate who we feel that we are. So naturally it's worth asking yourself those simple but difficult to answer questions: who you are and why you feel the way you do. What about simply stating that you're a wolf therian is insufficient to communicate your view of yourself to others? Obviously you've thought about who you are to some extent (either extensively or superficially, I don't know which because I don't know what you've done to come to the conclusion you're a wolf therian) since you've mentioned being sure of your type. It's worth keeping in mind that therianthropy is just a blanket term. Who you are has to come from you.

When looking around the community I notice that the individuals who feel the need to pin down subtypes tend to be kin who identify as an animal that has large variations in behaviour, appearance, etc. among those subtypes. Most sharks, wolves, cats, dogs, etc. will give specific subspecies or even breeds, and honestly this seems fair enough given that "I'm a Canadian" wouldn't really be enough to explain what part of Canada I'm from. Granted, those groups I mentioned tend to make up a large portion of the community itself, so other groups may also feel less of a need to differentiate themselves from the crowd (simply being an ant therian might be unique enough they don't feel the need to look for a specific type of ant, though that's a bad example since one I met did go that far... I digress).

So again this comes back full circle - what do you feel you are, and what terms best represents who that is? Research different subspecies. Research different animals. Research human cultures and what impacts they might have had on you growing up, and how they may have shaped how you view yourself. Just look back at your life and figure out how you've got to where you are, where you're going, and then finally, who you are. That's how I came to the conclusion that simply stating that I was a "wolf therian" wasn't enough. I found it helpful to write out a sentence or two in a notebook trying to communicate very specifically who I was in as few words as possible.

Saying that I'm a Hudson's Bay wolf wasn't enough, because identity is about the entirety of who we are... and as much as I've recognized that those words are an integral part of how I view myself and the world around me, it's not all of who I am. I'm also Canadian. My family hails from eastern Canada and I'm every bit as much a maritimer as I am a wolf therian. My grandfather was a coal miner and I watched him die of black lung when I was 5 or 6. My grandmother, a coal miner's wife who died of Alzheimer's. Those are both huge parts of who I am and shape my behaviour and decisions just as much as my, shall we say atypical, identity. Find out what's important to who you are, and that might help you more easily identify similarities and differences between potential subspecies you might decide best communicate who you are to the rest of the world, because frankly none of us are a specific subspecies other than human, physically, and when we step into the realm of identity it becomes an incredibly difficult thing to perfectly communicate.

[Wolfblaze]

Thank you so much lithillian! I guess I never really considered how the cultures in my childhood influenced how I see myself, I always thought that it was just the way I felt from a specific moment, and I guess I never thought about my childhood cultures changed how I see myself differently than I did before. I will definitely consider this while I'm researching. Once again Thanks!