Therianthropy

Therianthropy is the spiritual condition in which a portion or entirety of a person's soul is that of an animal. Or in some cases, a human soul effectively shares the body with the soul of an animal. This is most frequently identified as the soul of a predatory big cat, or a predatory canine. Individuals who have such a soul are often referred to as weres. I.e. a werewolf or a werecat. The animal whose traits the were shares is referred to as his/her bond, (or can also be referred to as phenotype, but this term can have negative connotations, so is not the preferred choice) The term "werewolf" is very misguiding. The werewolf of fiction is able to physically change into a grotesque beast, who prowls around at night under the full moon. The real therianthrope is quite different, however, where the "shifting" is purely limited to the mind. Many weres experience something known as M-shifting, which stands for mental shifting. This is where the animal part of their soul increases it's control over the body, causing symptoms such as shuddering, an inability to think straight, and an increased sense of feeling animalistic. Traits common to the were's animal also shine through at this time. Most shifting is spontaneous and unexpected, but wears off quickly, sometimes in a few seconds, and other times for a couple of minutes or more. Dream shifting can also be experienced by weres, where the indivdual concerned turns into an animal in the dream they are having. Whilst it can be a very disconcerting and disorienting experience for weres who have only recently realised what they are, those who have more experience of it say it can be a relatively enjoyable experience to be more in touch with thier bond animal. Naturally, weres also feel a great deal of compassion for their bond animal, and are often people who care for nature as a whole. The process of realizing you are a were is not a simple matter of growing up with that knowledge. Weres usually begin to M-shift or feel like their bond animal in some way at around puberty. This is due to energy fluctualtions in the ethereal body at that stage in life. (See the section on Reiki for more information on the ethereal body) Many find their way onto one of the various were-communities on the internet, and talk to others about how they feel. Many weres can suddenly awake and experience strong M-shifts quite unexpectedly, whilst others "awake" more slowly, and discover themself in a gradual manner. A therianthrope is not a person who looks any different to the rest of us. He/she does not have a different shade of skin, or an unusual amount of body hair etc. To all extents and purposes, they are still human. Weres only differ in the soul, and the subtle differences in character traits that brings. Very few people are therianthropes (weres), but many can unintentionally delude themself into thinking they are. It takes a great deal of soul-searching, research, and meditation to know that you are a were, and most of those who are well-established in the were community will acknowledge that you can never truly know. Simply reading through this site should in no way be enough to convince anyone that they are a were. A great deal of time and deep thought is required, and if you feel akin to what's just been described, don't jump to conclusions. I would recommend going to out Links page and logging on to one of the were community websites for more information.

Otherkin

Otherkin are therianthropes who's bond creatures are mythical beings such as dragons and elves. Otherkin are actually contherianthropes, whereby no M-shifting occurs, but they have a constant feeling of being like their bond entity.

Elves

The Elves originate from the Homeworlds - either other planets or other dimensions, on habitats similar to a temperate zone on Earth. They lived in relative harmony with nature, with various races within them, for thousands of years. Some Elves lived in mediaeval-like cities, whilst others lived in the woods in adobe huts, or in caves. They practiced Magik, using it to help with all manner of things, and learnt skills such as music, healing and weaving. Of the many Elven worlds, the main one was

Se'lar, home to the Draelstari, the Listari and the Tulari, amongst others.

The Elves lived in a peaceful co-existence for a long time, but then something known as the Corruption came to the Homeworlds. It turned Elves evil, and made war amongst them. Elves who had become Corrupted became known as Vor'Jen, and killed normal Elves with alarming efficiency and brutality. The first war was between the Draestari and the Tulari/Listari. This resulted in a victory for the combined Listari and Tulari forces, who banished the Draestari to deep caverns and the deepest woodland, where they were eventually extinguished altogether. However, more Corruption came, and in the ed the Elves were forced to leave through the extremely powerful Gateways, created by powerful magik, and in this way came to Earth. It's not known if the Gateways transported physical matter or just spirits, however. Elves came to the Earth an unknown amount of time ago, although some sources suggest it may be about 5000 years. The Earth-based fae, small faerie-type creatures, welcomed them since they were so similar to them, and so the two have become intertwined in myth. Nowadays, some humans have recollections of the Homeworlds, and many have banded together to share and compare memories, many of which are identical. This is how an Elf is defined as such - basically a human who was an Elf in a past life, and/or has a part of their soul as an Elf. Elves did not necesariily behave how the Elves of myth behave, it is simply that modern-day Elves have decided to call themselves that, seeing how it is fairly similar. For more information on Elves, visit Elendari, which is an excellent site for information.

Dragons

Dragons were, like Elves, alive on other planets or dimensions in the past. They were intelligent and wise creatures, with great magikal and psychic ability. The dragons shared some worlds with Elves, and there have been some rumours of inter-breeding, though how this could have been possible is anyone's guess. Also, like Elves, some humans have found that they were dragons in a past life. If they are able to remember their past magikal and psionics prowess, they can tap into a wealth of knowledge and ability. However, this is a difficult process, and very little knowledge can actually be recalled in anyone's lifetime. People who were dragons tend to have dragon-like characteristics, and often feel phantom wings and a tail. Some dragons claim to M-shift, whilst others do not, suggesting that dragons are mainly contherianthropic. For more information on Dragons, visit Tysharina, a British dragon who'll be happy to help you.