What is therianthropy and how do I tell if I am one?
These two questions are often hand in hand when people first start to look in to therianthropy (or otherkinnity) before/after their awakening. I think it is likely the two most common questions in fact. Those two questions will mean something a little different for every otherkin, so keep that in mind while you read. You are free to disagree with my advice/my viewpoint.
Anyway, a lot of people wonder 'How can I tell if I am a therian?' and the unfortunate answer really isn't all that simple. Therianthropy can be described as being very intouch with a more animalist side of nature to where it is incoperated in to your daily life. Your expirences and how you interact with the world around you feels more in line with a wild animal than a human. I will try and list some examples of 'typical' expirences and hopefully a few will resonate. You do not need to feel all of these ,this is by no means a comprehensive list (as said, it feels slightly different for everyone):
-Therians report feeling a very deep connection with one or more species of animal, to a such a degree they self identify as them. Usually people start to research this topic when they start to notice some of their behaviours might be more animalist than would be considered average. These behaviours feel ingrained and are not usually brought on by puporse but are instead an instictual reaction/behviour.
-Along with these moments are often the feeling of 'phantom limbs' (though each can occur on their own as well). A phantom limb is best described as the sensation of a body part such as a tail or fur that is not there. A person may feel the weight of a tail or the swiveling of ears on the top of their head. The strenght of the feeling varies from person to person, with some therians saying a phantom tails make it uncomfortable to sit, while others only get a faint, almost ghostly feeling of something there. For me, I would say it almost feels like a light tingle where my brain thinks there should be something there, though how much I notice depends on how focused I am on it (but it is never fully gone). You may also feel some discomfort from these phantom limbs, such as itchyness or soreness!
-While I personally have no spiritual basis from my therianthropy, some therians believe in past lives and/or something similar. This can cause dreams/visions of the person as an animal (not neccesarlly from first person!). Past life memories are also common.
- A feeling of homesick for somewhere that isn't home. Maybe you look at pictures of great lakes, coral reefs, any number of wild places and go 'Huh, that feels so familiar and comforting'. When a therian can visit these places, they will often feel euphoric, energized and excited. When I enter a forest and walk amongst the under growth, a surge of peace and comfort will roll over me. It is like walking in the door after being away for a long time and finally feeling like you belong there.
- Feeling more comfortable expressing emotions via animal mannurisms (such as wishing to wag a tail, fold back ears etc etc).
While everyone may have these sorts of feelings once and awhile, you may be a therian if these feelings are presistant. Keeping a journal is often recommended to track behaviours and moods to help notice patterns. When the person's thereotype (the animal they identify as) is more present, this is called a shift. There are many many types of shifts, and I have tried to make a list of many of them here.
So I think I really am a therian/otherkin, now what?
Congratulations on the self discovery! Now that you have decided you are a therian, the next step is to try and find out what kind. This might be daunting at first, or maybe you knew what animal you were right away. Either way, I will try and give some general advice:
-Pay attention to how the phantom limbs feel. What shape are the ears? Round? Pointy? Maybe you do not have fleshy ears at all! Is the fur long, thick, wooly? How long is that muzzle? Because one cannot see these limbs, it can take awhile to get the shape down but take some time to quietly sit and meditate on the sensations and try to visualize them in your head. Write small desbriptions down whenever you have small “aha!” moments and review once and awhile. Hopefully you start to notice some patterns.
- Notice where you feel most at home. Home could be curled up next to a fireplace or sprinting across the tundra. While on your daily routine, take some time to sense out where you feel happiest. It doesn’t need to be where you can be in person, looking at photos or videos can bring up the same sensations. If you are drawn to certain locations, look at to what creatures live there. This can help narrow down a list of possibilities, and is very helpful paired with the above listed advice.
- Research animal behaviour! This is not only a great way to just learn some cool stuff, but it could help explain why you do the things you do. For example, I often really want to rub my cheeks/chin on people/things due to various stimuli. This is a common bevaiour of many carniverous mammals, including the grey wolf (https://publish.iupress.indiana.edu/read/how-animals-communicate/section/d60e31a7-f9c0-4f0d-b569-7a922f64e0c1). So that was a hint to help me tease out my identity.
About the author
Hello, you can call me Cry. I am the author and owner of this website. I hope the information found within this site can help any and all otherkin/therians who find it. It might even teach you some things you didn't know! While some of the information is general, the focus on lycanis is the lived life of wolf therians/kin, straight from a wolf's maw, as well as wolf conservation.
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Disclaimers
Lycanis is not affiliated with any other groups, nor sponsored. Any images are either royality free or of my own creation. All opinions are my own.
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