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[Hudine Wolfspirit]

What is Therianthropy?

Taken from VampireKitten's artical that can be found here

A therian (or 'were') has an inner connection with an animal. This connection can come in many forms and types, the following are several good examples of (but are not limited to) the theory or belief that one is a therianthrope.
# The person believes that their soul is that of the animal trapped in a human body.
# The belief that only part of their soul is animal.
# The belief they were of the animal in a past life (the idea of reincarnation).
# The belief the spirit of the animal is part of them, but separate to their human souls (sort of like two complete entities sharing the same body).
# Another, is the thought of genetics (such as vampirism) is passed down though several generations.

A therian's inner animal is, what used to be, known as their phenotype. Over time this word phenotype has changed to "theriotype" (yet it is still widely used in some communities). A theriotype can better be explained as the animal species or animal signature which resides within the human soul. The theriotype is what makes the therian, a therian.
While is seems the wolf is the most common theriotype so far, it is not limited to this. Other common theriotypes can include anything from, foxes, coyotes, panthers and tigers to whales, fish, ravens/crows, flamingos, spiders, bees etc. A theriotype can be any sort of animal, living or extinct. These theriotypes make up the therian as a whole and sometimes a therian can have more than one phenotype. This used to be a rare occurrence, but now adays more people are going though their "realization" of being werekin. Those souls with more than one theriotype are known as polyweres. Usually a polywere only has two theriotype, however I have seen 3-4 (though very rare). Over the past couple of years there has been a huge increase in theriotypes other than wolves as well as an increase in those who's phenotype are more 'astral' creatures - such as dragons, elves, phoenixes, etc. These are generally called, "Otherkin" and do have their own special classifications for their "species".

Like traditional (or movie) were-creatures they go through shifts. These shifts do not happen every full moon, however, an actual proper physical transformation has never been credibly recorded. Many claim to have physically shifted but all without solid proof. Most weres don't shift very often, and few shift regularly. It is not known what triggers them. Though usually it is triggered by strong emotions such as, Hate, Fear, and Love. It is also possible to induce shifts through meditation/ visualization. Many Native American tribes have learned to do this without being a therian which makes them natural shapeshifters. There are a number of different types of shifts and most weres find they will usually get one type or a couple of types. I do not know of any were's who've experienced every type. Shifting is further explained here.

Therianthropy is very different from Lycanthropy and the two should not be confused. Lycanthropy is a medical condition in which a man/ woman believes they are a wolf/ werewolf and nothing else but. Therianthropy has a more spiritual aspect to it than just believing one is a werecreature, however therians know they are human and those suffering from Lycanthropy usually do not.

Like Lycanthropy, the term "Furry" should not be mistaken as a term for Therian. Like Lycanthropy, furry is a completely different thing altogether. A Furry is a person who visits Anthromorphic Conventions and usually Dresses up as an Animal with ears, a tail, and often times a full fursuit. These people have a fascination with Anthromorphic art and often times act animalistic in real life, yiffing, purring, sniffing, usually the normal things their "animal" would do. They literally Role Play Real Life. However, many furries are Therians (but not all), some Therians like the "furry business" because it helps them be more in tune with their phenotype. As if a Real Vampire would dress in a dark Victorian manner, to feel more at home, a Therian would do this with fur suiting or ears and a tail.  

[Hudine Wolfspirit]

Diffrent Types of Shift

Mental Shift sad m-shift)
This is when a therian takes mental characteristics/attributes of their theriotype and start acting and thinking like their were-side. This feels like your mind is being forced back and a new one is replacing it for a little while. It is often triggered by anger, fear, or sometimes relaxing. This often happens without thinking about it and is not a conscious effort for the therian involved, can even be scary for the person involved, but it can be controlled and brought on by themselves with time and practice as well as acceptance of their animal/human side.

Phantom Shift:
A phantom shift is when a therian feels limbs or parts that are not there, eg a snout, longer k9 teeth, or even a tail. This is much the same as the phantom limb theory, where someone looses a limb but can still feel it there afterwards.

Astral Shift:
When a person astral projects (leaves their body and walks on the astral plane) their astral body becomes that of the animal as they are on the astral plane. Usually this is a self induced thing for people who know how to astral project. Although has been known to happen when a person accidentally induced an astral projection or that their phenotype/theriotype has been known to induce this for them.

Aural Shift:
The aura changes to that of the phenotype. Some were's believe their auras take on the shape of the animal during these. An aural shift is an easily induced shift if you know how to induce a phantom shift and or can feel your astral body.

Shadow Shift:
Shadows will sometimes play on a therians features giving them an intimidating and animalistic looking figure. I've noticed this occurs more or less in dim and dark rooms, with not very much light. A bright and full moon can also aid in creating a shadow shift.

Relocation Shift:
When the were's spirit leaves the body and forms a new separate physical body. This is another one of those to be sceptical about, although I don't rule anything out completely.

Physical Shifting sad p-shift)
This is when someone physically turns into their animal. Most were's wish they can but this is unproven that it can be done and most therians are sceptical of anyone that says they can.  

[Hudine Wolfspirit]

How do I know I am Therian?

This is a good question. The best explination I've found is in the Were Child Archives

Could you be a therian? Most certainly.

Are you a therian? I don't know. Don't ask me.

Can I tell you how to find out? I can sure try.

The now-generic reply to this issue is: do some soul-searching. And what is this vague term "soul-searching" referencing? Loosely, it means introspection. If you're already an introvert, great. It'll be easier for you. Especially if you already know how to meditate, which is the first thing most people try. But if you don't have any prior experience with meditation, don't research it on the Internet. Please. Do yourself a favor. Granted, there are a lot of good, accurate sites out there, but a huge ugly fistful of them are total crap and will confuse the hell out of someone with no firm foundation of prior knowledge. Just go to a library.

While meditation is crazy useful for clearing old gunk and stale sandwiches from your mind, and increasing your self-control and attention span, and attaining Nirvana and such, it's probably not going to answer our question here. You have to apply it to real life. Just like in school.

All I'm saying is to pay attention to yourself. Watch how you react to things and places, how you communicate, how you sit and walk, how you relate to others, what your dreams are like, what sorts of people (and animals) you feel most at home with. Just observe yourself. And hit the books/Discovery Channel to brush up on animal behavior. All sorts of different animals, predators and horses and dolphins. Compare what you find in the research to what you find in yourself.

Of course, the research thing is just a suggestion from a bookworm. Chances are, if you're seriously questioning your possible therianthropy, you already have a pretty good idea what your pheno is.

Anyway, nutshell: you scent out small (or large) "odd" behaviors in yourself. You trace them all the way back to childhood. Yes, pretty much all therians can do this. You compare this to the behavior of various animals. Then you listen to your gut and only your gut for the final say. This is more or less how to settle the question of whether you're a therian.

Perhaps more important, though, is why you're wondering if you're a therian. Always felt a bit different? Love animals? Feel a strong connection to a particular animal species? Feel like going wild sometimes? Wish you could be something else? Well, whoopie. That doesn't make you anything but human. About 80% of all adolescent girls could answer all that affirmatively. Doesn't mean a thing. (Unless you said no... Then it means you should most certainly find another tree to bark at.)

Therianthropy is more than a deep connection. A jockey can become one with the horse s/he rides, and a dog owner can start to act like the pooches, and a cat lover can understand felines in and out, through and through. These are deep and beautiful connections, and that's great. But that doesn't make them therians.

Therianthropy is, to borrow from Swiftpaw, when there's something inside looking out. A very specific beastie that is a part of you, at the root of your being, inside your gut, coexisting with your more obviously human parts. A very strong beastie, who will gladly put itself and all of its skills entirely at your disposal, if only you let it. A very persistent beastie, who will not be repressed, who will keep gnawing or scratching or pecking or headbutting the rest of you until you let it have its fair share of life. And that beastie is you.

This is therianthropy.

There is also a good checklist and other stuff to help you on Werebeast Suport

Disclaimer: I borrowed this without permision, I'm sorry I just wanted to help, I have sited the original. This is not a scientific test, it can very between Theriotypes.

General Nature

* You are generally a loner.
* you don't fit in well with 'normal people'.
* You could be considered a bit wierd.
* You like natrual things ( ie prefer to wear cotton, like to recycle)
* You prefer meat over veggies.
* You like animals.
* You enjoy nature.
* You don't like to see things wasted.
* You prefer the company of animals over people.
* You have an unsual attraction to a particual animal (or type of animal)
* The first thing you notice at a person's house is their pets.
* You like to chew on things ( pen lids, pencils, erasers, people...)
* You find people to be rather confusing in general.
* People just can't understand how you think.
* You move around silently, without even really thinking about it.
* You never fit in as a child, you were 'different'
* In a fight your instincts are to bite and claw, not punch and kick.
* You prefer not to fight unless absolutely nessisary.
* You tend to injure people when you play fight, through biting or scratching.
* You are creative.
* You have an artistic talent ( drama, music, writing, poetry, artist, design, etc)
* You enjoy the arts ( any or all of the above)
* You have few friends and are very picky about who you chose as a friend.
* You have animalistic tendancies ( you may pant, gowl, hiss, etc) you can't explain.
* You look slightly like a particual animal.
* Your eyes change color or your teeth ( canines) seem to get bigger or longer at times when you are angry or upset.
* You find people with animal like traits attractive.
* The sight of an animal needlessly killed ( ie cat or dog on side of road) makes you sad or ill.
* The thought of abusing an animal make you angry or ill.
* You like the smell/taste of blood ( this is only in some were phenotypes)
* You tend to find you think a little differently than most folks.
* You often feel you are going nuts from what you think and feel.
* You have very strong natural instincts.

Attitude towards Nature

* You like nature
* You enjoy hiking.
* Animals in the wild seem drawn to you.
* Animals in general seem drawn to you.
* You like being outside.
* You find it painful to see nature destroyed.
* You feel ill or angry to see an area mistreated.
* you feel most alive out in the woods.
* You would rather camp int he woods than be in a motel.
* You have no trouble finding your way in the wilds.
* You feel comfortable in the forest.
* You feel ill or upset when you see preditory animals killed for a single body part.
* You feel particulary ill when a certain animal is killed for above reasons
* You always enjoyed going to the zoo, but felt sorry for the animals.
* You recycle when you can.
* You try to be enviromentally friendly.
* You have many pets or would like many pets.

Shifting ( one yes answer constitutes a pass)

* You have shifted shape into an animal in your dreams willfully. ( you wanted it )
* You've shifted in the astral plane.
* You've mentally shifted into the thought patterns of an animal.
* You've physically shifted into an animal.
* You've mentally shifted with some physical symptoms.
* You've shifted the shape of you aura, or it appears as an animal.

Other Tendancies

* You have hightened senses ( smell, hearing, etc better than normal.)
* You have had dreams of being an animal
* You like furry art. ( anthromophic art)
* Transformation stories / movies facinate you.
* You've had an intrest in weres for a while.
* You tend to be very open minded.
* You have worked magic
* You have trouble spelling.
* You sometimes have trouble articulating verbally.
* You are not 'convnetionaly' religious, it just doesn't suit you.
* You've had supernatural expereinces.
* You've had psychic expereices.
* You have had a hard time trying to find people who really understand you.
* You enjoy roleplay.( but you are aware of the difference between fact and fiction)
* Animal react to you in a positive way.
* Even aloof or difficult animals like you.
* You like to ( or would like to) work with animals.
* You enjoying being groomed or scratched.
* You've expereinced an m-shift. ( or something like it)
* You are magically sensitive.
* You are a sensitive individual. ( to people and things in your enviroment)
* You can 'sense' things in other people.

If you answered yes to the majority of these questions, you are probably a were or potential were material. The next step would be to determine what kind of were you are.  

[Hudine Wolfspirit]

What is my Theriotype?

Well there is no simple awnser to this but it is most likely but not always the animal you like most and feel the most conected to.

What animal do you identify with?

What animal do you act like?

It is also posible to have more than one theriotype but it is rare, such cases is called a pollywere.

There are several ways to find out more, and they involve asking yourself a lot of questions, and sometimes meditation.  

[Hudine Wolfspirit]

Werenames

A werename is the name a were or therian chooses to use. Most therians do not like to use their real name online so they have a new name.

The werename could be there screen name, an old nickname, a name they choose that they feel describes their theriotype and themselves, or a name given to them.

New people choosing their name should avoid names like 'red fox' or something that is just your animal and it's colour or the like, cause you generally will be made fun of or not taken seriously.

Once a werename is chosen it's hard to change it if you want to make a name for yourself in the Therian community, or want to be taken seriously. There is a lot of communities that will practically interrogate you before accepting, mostly because there is a lot of people role playing therian, messing around being stupid, or just using therianthropy as a coupling mechanism. (I've been accused of the last one because of my illness, but it's not because I've been like this before I was ill, it just manifested stronger after)