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Those who would identify themselves as Otherkin or by names that essentially fall within the same description have, very slowly, become increasingly visible. At first, in the 'safe' venue of the online world, but increasingly identifiable in general society; if still quiet and private about their beliefs to most people except one another and the occasional individual who is exceptionally open minded.
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In a comment on the parent article Petrael said: "From months of research in the Japanese culture I have never found that the Imperial line of Japan claims descent from Dragons. They claim descent from Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess." The situation is not nearly as simple as it may sound. It's convoluted in the extreme, but I shall do my best insofar as my knowledge. First and foremost, a minor pet peeve of mine; "dragons" and 'long'(Chinese) or 'ryu' (Japan), are not a huge conglomerative lump, regardless of popular regard. Though they sometimes are used to represent some similar Elemental forces (and even this comparison differs widely upon closer examination), they are not the same creature unless you want to say that they are both mythological beings--and one would not attempt I would hope to confuse a Wyvern with a Satyr, or tell one that they are the same thing, if you catch my meaning. 'Western' dragons are by and large potrayed as at least appearing to be almost wholly reptilian, very much in the way that most people have become familiar with them through common fantasy fiction. 'long/ryu' have much more varied appearances and qualities--they can be avian, picine, mammalian, and indeterminate variants between the three. The "Eastern" part of the world that actually claims. most commonly, descent from "long" is actually several of the regional rulers (or Emperors) of ancient China (From which the 'Long' of the Seas are mythologically derived, amongst other things.) As I understand it, Vietnamese mythology also makes a large claim to descent from dragons, but I am much less familiar with that mythos than that of China or Japan. The descent of the Japanese imperial family from 'long'-like beings is convoluted but there is some evidence to support it, at least in an artistic and syncretic sense. The prototypical creator and creatrix of the Ni Hon Go (Rising Sun Land) are Izanami (F) and Izanagi (M). As many of the more 'modern' Japanese beliefs and images are heavily influenced by or derived from Chinese mythology (Shinto basically being a huge multileveled syncretization between Old Religious Taoism and the Aboriginal Ancestor-Worship practices of the original inhabitants of the Island chain, the Ainu--told you it got complicated), many of the older images of Izanami and Izanagi syncretize them with the ancient Chinese images of the progenitors of the universe- Pan Ku (M) and Nu Wa (F)--both of whom were originally portrayed as "Naga"-like beings--that is, serpentine and/or draconian from the waist down. The concept and imagery of the "Naga" comes from the Hindu-Vedic traditions, which has spawned much of the Taoist pantheon and imagery. (Kuan Yin is in fact a female 'aspect' or derivation of the Hindu diety Avalokitesvara [1]--in Japan, she's Kannon, and it pretty much continues in that vein on many fronts.) In the Vedic traditon, there is little to no distinction made between "Naga" and "Dragon/Long", and the words are frequently used interchangeably. In fact, many scholars have postulated that the "Dragon Kings Of The Sea" of China are actually descended from the Vedic mythology of the Naga Kings, and there's a large amount of evidence to support that. (That chunk of mythos, as well as much of that which now supports the belief structure of Feng Shui, appears to have first started appearing in Japan around the Jomon period, but it may well have been earlier, it's hard to say.) What does this all have to do with Amaterasu and Co.? Well, if one postulates that Izanami and Izanagi are derivations of Pan Ku and Nu Wa (which seems likely as much of Japanese mythology is derived similarly) then Izanami and Izanagi would indeed be considered to be of 'draconian' descent, and hence so would their children, among them Amaterasu (From which the Imperial line claims their descent) and Susano (who interestingly enough has many 'draconian' and 'serpentine' associations himself.) The fact that other associations began to be made with Amaterasu later on (most commonly the Phoenix presently due to the fire association, and interestingly enough also derivative of Chinese mythology in which 'dragon' and 'phoenix' represent both opposing and sychronous forces--'yin' and 'yang' if you will, or 'in' and 'yo' in Japanese) would be a fairly recent (at least in terms of mythology and legends) development, and not wholly representative of the original symbology. Additionally, though the Japanese people as a whole may not claim 'descent' from dragons, many of the original 'uji' (clans) of Japan (notably pre "Kojiki" and "Nihongi", both of which are frequently-mangled aggregations of older myths and legends that were highly politicised by the Yamato clan to support their rule) considered many different 'supernatural beings' to be their ancestors, before Shinto as it is commonly percieved today, and multiple individual 'uji' ritual beliefs and practices were aggregated into what it is now. If you look back far enough this information can be found.
Otherkin is a collective noun for an assortment of people who have come to the somewhat unorthodox, and possibly quite bizarre, conclusion that they identify themselves as being something other than human. It is also the label used by a number of communities both on and off line. (The distinction between the two is not always drawn and can lead to some confusion).
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.
Recently I got into a conversation and an interesting topic came up- Is there a difference between weres and therians? I have to admit it threw me off a bit because I had gone through my otherkinity without considering there to be a difference between weres and therians and then two people presented themselves to me adamantly insisting that there was a difference. At first I didn't know what to think of it so I told them that as far as I knew there was no difference but I would look into it. That is exactly what I done and that is what this post is about. Throughout this post I will look at the official definitions of weres and therians, the history of weres/ therians, and people personal stances on the subject. I will eventually come to my own decision and hopefully you can come to one as well.
Most people use "up" for the same general concept, except for particle physicists for whom "up" is a type of quark (but only when discussing subatomic particles, not when taking the elevator - context is often vital). This is not strange (that's a different type of quark) but a fairly usual occurance.
How do I tell someone that I'm Otherkin?
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?)
"Soul retrieval" is a concept brought by Sandra Ingerman to Core Shamanism as taught by the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, founded by Michael Harner. For more information, please consult The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner, Soul Retrieval by Sandra Ingerman and The Foundation for Shamanic Studies.
These days, you see a lot of people looking for someone who is 'everything they need', and using terms like soulmate, or soulbonded. You see it in the personals section. You see it in movies. You've probably heard it from some of your friends.
Everything is real.. but people mistake their illusions for reality.
One thing clear from the start. "Shadow" is a broad term. An almost insanely broad term. Many people will try to claim truths about shadows that simply don't take this into account - "truths" like no shadow can astral project, that spines and protrubrances on a shadow's body show rank. Taken in context such claims are ridiculous. Saying "no shadow can astral project" isn't just like saying no human can astral project . . . it's like saying no human, elf, dragon, therian, cat, dog, or any physical entity can astral project. Trying to make claims about rank in shadows isn't just like saying pips on a soldier's uniform show rank . . . it's saying that pips on a soldier's uniform show rank not just to other soldiers, not just to other people in his country, not just to other people on his planet, but to every fleshy being on every world in every dimension. It just doesn't make sense.
I was talking with Ashran the other night about something that is an extension of the "women are evil, men are stupid" philosophy that Graves came up with a while ago. It's led to the realization that some people are living in the shadow of honor (which led to an interesting side discussion of the shadow of awareness).
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.
Every so often, conversations drift to the topic of people's energetics. Sometimes it's in reference to interpreting trueforms, sometimes it's in reference to recognizing a potential lover/clanmate/etc. The energetics of individual people will react differently to each observer, sometimes manifesting as "that certain something" that causes the observed individual to be identified in a particular way (friend, lover, enemy, elf, dragon, etc.).
I got into a discussion a while back with someone who was wondering about ways to see if his feelings of being a Dragon were correct or if he was just fooling himself. This eventually lead to conversations about "role-playing" as a means of "trying it on for size." This person wasn't sure if he understood the definition of role-playing in the context under discussion and so asked if I could give an example of what I meant. This is what I came up with: