My usual, gut-level, teeth-grinding reaction to certain referential allusions that occasionally come up during discussion is as follows:
Private Beta
The new version of Otherkin.net is now in private beta. If you are a returning user of the Wordpress/Buddypress site, you may log in with your current password or click on the forgot password link to receive an email to your registered address. New users may join the Otherkin.net Discord Server to request an invite code to join the beta.
Brightest
The most celebrated posts from the community.
[note: This article is in no way meant to debunk past life memories, so much as it is meant to address a potential problem with remembering and offer a sane and rational way of approaching and accepting the real stuff.]
Some of this is from the Torah, some from rabbinical commentary, some from oral tradition, and probably a number of inaccuracies caused by my fuzzy memory on the subject (PLEASE feel free to set me straight if you know this better than me). Please bear in mind that this is not necessarily my take on the whole thing, just the story as I recall it. Here's the gist:
Magpie's essay on the septagram is an incredible one. It was well thought out and researched. However, at her urging I decided to present another view of the septagram... this one intensely personal.
The book of our solitary walkings
Draws nigh to a close...
And for ages we have walked alone:
Forgetful and longing in turn
For the days at hand, what was and yet will be.
As another walks to a circle by the fire
Another chapter closes
Another path comes full circle,
Andother solitary light burning bravely
Becomes one of a million stories
In a naked city of life and dream.
Can another lovely star
Join the all-star cast
Of a film that never ends?
Pick up a script and play one role...
Play it with all the depth and passion of a feature part
Without stealing the show?
We all think ourselves to be fine critics,
Learned and clever at discourse,
But if our essays teach us aught, it is this,
and we do well to listen:
Live life like Art
Breathe Art like Life
It is said that our life
is but the artful imitation of life,
And well we know that life imitates Art.
The treasure of a dream remembered
The shining center of an endless story
Becomes now a jewel in a crown of many jewels
A star in an endless sea of stars
A wave on an ocean of still Truth
One voice in a throng... or a chorus.
We have held the sparks that dared
Ever have we been the tinder that burned alone against the dark
To exhaust our selves, defiant to the last, burning against overwhelming forgetfulness.
Come together we have, to kindle a brighter fire.
Still, we must join to light a log of substance,
A flame that will endure through our lives to come
Until the light returns.
The oak that was we burn at Yule,
The tree that grew in times we knew
Will turn the Wheel again
But we cannot burn what we will not bear
What we fear to touch
Will only waste and rot...
Seasons change, trees die and are reborn...
In the wild places they hold the past for us...
And like the trees,
Born of freedom,
Our roots run deep
Lest we be washed away.
We are Faeries.
We are the wise folk,
The non-sense folk.
We are the free folk, ever changing.
We wear the green coats of ages past
We are Free... to remember.
Free enough to take our endless roles
In an eternal play.
And together we can bring a tear,
A sign, a gasp, a fright, a laugh,
To the heart of the Dream.
Gather around, ye Tybalt, Verrocchio, Hamlet, and Shylock,
Titania and Titus, Rosencrantz and Second Guard, Caesar and Soothsayer,
Falstaff and Rosalind and Porter and Herald,
Prospero, Juliet, Duncan, all...
The curtain's coming up.
I am a child of the storm
a spirit of darkness
a catalyst.
I live in the night
forgotten and betrayed by the day.
The moon is my only light
as I wander this world alone.
I am bound to my task
by vows as old as time.
I am a child of the night
ethereal incarnate as mundane,
I can only fight
and dance the winds
as the storm rises.
I am a child of power,
fire runs in my veins.
I am meant to be free
as wild as the elements,
unfettered by mortal values
by time.
I am a child,
the universe stands before me.
All knowledge,
all power,
all future is mine.
I am a child of possibility
all is mine.
I run to the storm.
I run to the night.
I run to the winds.
I am a child of darkness
and I am free.
When the Universe was young we were old.
Our home long ages gone, we lived among the stars.
We did not know fear, we did not know pain.
We simply were.
We sang as Gaia was born.
We gave her life.
She grew under our watchful eyes.
We knew joy.
She grew in beauty and swelled with life.
We cradled her in our arms as she gave birth.
We were joyful.
We sang her children lullabies.
We stood ready when they took those first fragile steps.
We knew joy.
Sadness came when Gaia's children forgot.
They abused their mother.
We knew sadness.
We came to her children, to protect and to guide.
The Elf, the Hobbit, the Fey, the Vampyre, the spirit.
Wiccan, wizard alike we took form.
We came to help and to give hope.
We were scorned, we were hated.
We knew pain.
We knew fear.
Together we hid, under rock, under ground.
In the sacred sanctuary of the trees.
Gaia mourned for her children, Gaia mourned for us.
We did not mourn.
Many aeons we waited, centuries untold, time has no meaning for us.
We will always be reborn.
The children are awakening.
They are remembering.
We come together, we take up the call.
Hark the call of the awakening.
Remember the ancient songs, take up the melody.
Help the children remember.
Children of the Stars, AWAKE!
forest deep
redwood's height
river swift
stars bright
lights glow
colour spins
flame leaps
dance begins
hands clasp
voice sings
fingers pluck
harp strings
majik flows
majik flies
moon's light
laughter, sighs
couples, then
ancient dance
sacred cauldron
bleeding lance
faery majik
flowing far
living dreams
dreams are
In the fires of his eyes
In whispered words so sage and wise
Under ancient forest ceiling
Feel this strange and glorious feeling
Feel the touch, the soft caress
The whispered velvet of his breath
The feel of petal soft lips to mine
And feel the touch of the silken line
That holds his charm to my breast
And now my heart knows no rest
As I sit and dream of the faerie king
His silver hair and sights unseen
Of ancient voices soft as lutes
To which we mortals are as mutes
And if I am left with naught but dreams
To live my life wondering what it means
Then when I tire of this life and die
My spirit to faerie lands will fly
To sing forever, play and run
With immortal youth;
with midnights son.
Ravens child beware the green
and golden bowers
For the faerie folk do dwell there and
Moonlights son is King
Stay away from crystal brooks and silver
spired towers
Can you not feel the danger when you see
the mushroom ring
Raven's child he waits for you
Silver haired is the fairie lord
Eyes of moondust misty blue
Speaks in silken voice the faerie word
Wandering under the emerald bough
In the blackest dead of night
Searching for that which will not show
Its shining face to mortals sight
And silver haired Moonlights son
Will hand in hand with faeries dance
Till Lady Night has had her fun
And will take no note of happenstance
And Ravens' child will wander through
To dance inside the mushroom ring
Underneath stately oaks and emerald bough
Where Moonlight's son is faerie king
And come the dawn they'll be no more
And mortals' daughter Raven's child
will have gone away
With silver haired Moonlight's son
through the elven door
That leads to the realms of ereafter
and the lands of Fey.
Catch a shadow by the wall
Don't look down or else you'll fall
What certain Sons did cruelly rend
With pattern, blood, and song we'll mend
Dressed in thistle, crowned with bay
Slipping in behind the day
Painted, plaited, flower-strewn,
Beat the bodhran fierce in tune
Come alone or come together
Best the song in worst of weather
Writhing, twisting, turning, sliding,
Always here our time abiding
'til their minds are quite besotten
Mother's warnings all forgotten
Hands tight clasped we'll all round turn
And set the fire quick to burn
Cast your lot and lay your bet
Weave the steps into a net
Leave the Gate thrown wide open
And lure the weary traveler in
Never tire, reaching higher, sing the fire, fire higher!
Never tire, reaching higher, sing the fire, fire higher!
Never tire, reaching higher, sing the fire, fire higher!
Never tire, reaching higher, sing the fire, fire higher!
Q.Why me?
A. There are several theories as to what the fae are, and how they came to be here. In some cases, it seems that the spirit or soul of an individual has lived many times, and at one point inhabited the body of one of the fae. Another opinion is that the fae originated Elsewhere, and arrived in this world through constructs known as Gates, which have been sealed. Memories from the fae lifetime (or lifetimes) tend to manifest in dreams or as things you "just know".
Q. Does this mean I was switched at birth?
A. Probably not. Being fae, while it can run in families, is not something generally determined by your birth parents. I was born on a military base with all the security that entails. Depite what my parents might wish, we are genetically related.
Q. Am I delusional or am I normal?
A. Not to sound trite, but this depends on your definitions of "delusional" and "normal". If by "normal" you mean "like everyone else", then no, you aren't "normal", but do you really want to be? I prefer defining "normal" as "being able to function" and "delusional" as "being unable to function." For example, I believe I am elven. I realize that this isn't something I should share with the general populace, because it would require too much explanation. For the same reason, I don't share the fact that I am Pagan with everyone, or the fact that I am a shaman with everyone. I will share it with those that I believe to be accepting. If I were to try and claim "minority benefits" for being elven, they'd probably lock me up. Likewise, if I were to go around in certain outfits on a regular basis, I'd at least get strange looks.
Q. What do you mean "Awakening"?
A. There seem to be three major ways that people Awaken that I have experienced. The first is the "gradual or independent Awakening," in which the Sleeper feels a certain distance from others, possibly proceeding through religious experimentation, until hopefully they find a supporting circle. These people may or may not be fae themselves, and the Sleeper may in fact not fully think of themselves as "fae." The second is the "alarm clock Awakening." This occurs when the Sleeper is exposed to group of Awakened fae and their own nature surges to the front. This can take the form of recognizing a shared memory or even recognizing a person they've never met before. The third type is the "snooze alarm Awakening." In this form, the Sleeper has seen evidence of their nature, but is choosing - conciously or unconciously - to ignore it.
Q. I have a friend that I think is 'Kin, but sie seems to still be a Sleeper. How should I help hir Awaken?
A.Best bet is - don't. It could be that they are worried about the reaction of others, or that it's just too much for them to deal with at the moment. While the temptation is to beat them over the head with it until they "understand", that really doesn't accomplish much - especially if they are afraid that this "elf" thing is a fanatic cult. Telling them to "admit it, you're one of us" is going to send them screaming into the night. By all means, hang around, and answer questions as best you can, but don't be concerned if they "don't get it."
Q. Does this mean I'm going to develop weird allergies?
A. This is an issue that has sparked a lot of debate. Some of my friends say that they have difficulty with iron "due to their nature". I have never had a problem with iron. I have at least one friend who is a vampire. She has no problem with running water, holy water, loves garlic, and doesn't mind going out in the sun. It's entirely possible that some races of fae are susceptible to iron. For those people, the purity of the iron seems to be a factor, as is whether or not it has been worked
Q. Does this mean I have to act in a certain way?
A. Probably not, if you haven't felt the urge to. Seriously. Not all members of a group behave the same way.
Q. This person I met claims to be a ___. How should I relate to that?
A. Are you asking how you should relate to hir as a ____ or how you should relate to _____ in general? I for one don't think that one's heritage necessarily affects that person's individual worth. If sie seems like a good person to you, proceed as you would with any other relationship. Just because someone is of the same fae heritage as yourself or someone you like doesn't mean that you and that person will or have to get along. Just because you don't like someone of a particular fae heritage doesn't mean that all people of that heritage are "bad". I have a few friends who can't stand each other. I interact with them separately, and they understand that I'm not going to take sides. I personally don't care if someone is Elenari, Draestari, Listari or Calamari as far as that goes. For one thing, I don't know precisely what my heritage is. I have clear memories of situations, and I know what "my people's" lifestyle was, but I don't have a "clan name" for them. For all I know, my people and their people might be the same, or related. For another, like it or not, some of the memories seem to show that the fae came here from Elsewhere. There's a couple possible reasons - one, we were exiled or two, we were escaping. I'm discounting rumors of world domination because of the fact that the door "back home" is locked. At any rate, there aren't that many of us, and very few have organized into groups. Taking all that into consideration, fragmenting ourselves further doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.
Q. I don't have any memories of a fae life. Does that mean I'm not Otherkin?
A. Absolutely not. There are many reasons why people don't remember other lifetimes. One of the simplest is that this may be their first time around. There are plenty of folk who are either first- or only-timers. Another is that you might not be prepared for remembering. I've seen some people try to force themselves into remembering, or even to force others to remember, and it frequently ends up either muddying the waters or even uncovering rememberings that are painful or stressful to deal with.
Q. What about humans?
A. What about them? Seriously, though, you'll find that there are a few different schools of thought on how fae relate to non-fae. One is that non-fae are somehow inferior. Another is that "after being Awakened for a while, you find non-fae distasteful". This makes about as much sense as being superior based on hair color. It's true that finding a supporting circle among non-fae may be difficult, but it is far from impossible.
Q. How do I know I'm really 'Kin? Could I be fooling myself into believing in this?
A. The fact that you even think about this question shows a healthy attitude. I've seen people (both 'Kin and non-'Kin) twisting themselves into knots trying to be something they aren't. One of the better approaches I've seen to this question is remembering that words like "elf", "Otherkin", "dragon", etc. are all just labels. As long as a label works for you, then keep it. If you find yourself trying to cram yourself into fitting a label, it isn't working, and you should probably re-examine why you are trying to keep that label.
We all strive to be open-minded about one another's beliefs and experiences. This is essential to our community, because we have had to keep an open mind about our own beliefs and experiences in order to accept them as valid and real. Much of what we believe and what forms the foundation of our community's identity are claims of supernatural or psychic experiences that mainstream culture would simply debunk. Our materialist, scientific society has no room for a sixth sense, let alone a seventh or an eighth, and the empirical rule of science leads most materialists to assert that if you can't touch it, it isn't there. So many of the perceptions and sensations that form a vital part of our experiences are subtle and numinous in nature. They cannot be proven in a laboratory. Often, it is hard for us to "prove" them even to ourselves. We simply have to accept that we are not crazy, that these impressions are valid, and that the materialist approach to reality somehow fails to account for a large portion of human experience. Yet this creates a certain amount of credulousness within the community. Since we each have had experiences that the rest of the world would reject as lies or delusion, we are much more likely to listen with a sympathetic ear to someone else's experiences, no matter how strange they may sound. We are painfully aware of how hard to believe many of our own experiences and beliefs are, especially because we have had to struggle to believe them in the face of a culture that tells us these beliefs *must* be the product of a crazed mind. Obviously, we don't want to disbelieve another's claims especially because we want to be believed ourselves. But this can lead us into a dangerous habit of accepting everything that is told to us by others without question, and the sad fact of reality is not everyone who makes an extraordinary claim is telling you the truth. There are quite a number of people who lie and make up tales about their beliefs and experiences. They do this as an attention-getting measure, to make themselves feel powerful and important, or to get you to follow them and accept further stories and orders without question. These are the poseurs and cult-daddies of the scene, and they hurt our community not only by preying upon the innocent and vulnerable, but also by giving the outside world a very negative impression of us.
Something I have observed in a number of communities where reincarnation and conscious memories thereof are accepted is the tendency to confuse last time with this time. This seems to be particularly accute in the otherkin communities where past incarnations become the basis for identity in this one.
A while back, I changed the tagline on the splash page. I was trying to make a point. Maybe I was too subtle. (What? The font wasn't big enough?)
So then Ashran and I got talking about people who aren't really mundane but aren't really Awake either. Either they never fully Awoke or were Awake and growing once and slipped into sleepishness; either way, they are acting like they are Awake on the surface, but aren't really Awake.
Otherkin is a lie. An effective, tidy, comfortable lie, but a lie nonetheless.
"So how do you define a dragon?" I was asked.
Well, that should get someone's attention. If there is anyone listening.
Lately I\'ve been struggling with the feeling of not feeling connected to this world, and just wishing to go back as a dragon and live life in another plane. I\'ve had these possible past life memories coming up recently, and it intensifies the feeling, which would make sense, I suppose. In these memories I am a colour of deep blue, scaled, as I see myself, and although I don\'t exactly see what I look like, it kind of... Feels right, I suppose? At least, that is how I choose to see myself.