When we realize that we were once an intelligent being different from humans, we tend to drift away to those distant times when things were simpler and much different. This happens for two reasons: the previous body had a number of advantages over humans, and we simply already know how to live in that other body. Even in the same lifetime, we may have a more localized situation where, in the face of difficulties, we do all kinds of things to escape back to a carefree childhood. So the fierce rejection of the current body is the same thing, but on a slightly different level. Yes, we were once animals and other humanoids and maybe even nature spirits, but that doesn't devalue the life we have now - it enriches it.
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So...this might take a bit of explaining. My name is Ami and Ami is the name my parents gave me; just not my biological parents.
Version 1.1 - Updated 2014-05-19
Created 2013-09-16
By Orion Scribner
Originally posted on Dreamhart.org.
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.
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.
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.
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?)
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:
At about 1:30 am on the morning of April 18th, 2002, I discovered the Otherkin community. Like most of you, I felt as though I had found something that I had sought all my life. I had all but convinced myself that the sensation of phantom wings was an illusion; and my sense of being different was nothing more than the lingering effect of childhood trauma. (Public school was a singularly unpleasant experience - and a mercifully brief one, for I soon began learning at home.) Then, all of a sudden, I found that I was not alone, and for the first time in my life, I was at peace.
I think there's been some reluctance in the online Sayuneldi (Otherkin) community to point fingers at anyone for being self-deluded, because a) we're all considered deluded by the average person on the street; b) we're afraid of scaring off the newer folks on the lists or the ones just Awakening to something real in themselves; and/or c) in times past there had been cases of back-lash when someone dared mention someone might need to do some further self- exploration or seek help. I'm not excusing the reluctance, just trying to give some background. I am all for questioning one's self; questioning one's sanity can be fun :). I just think there needs to be a balance between acceptance and well-intentioned, mature questioning.
There is a reason (and often several reasons) why we often feel like we don't fit into this society of modern mankind, and thus consider ourselves, and are considered by others, to be "not normal." Much of it stems from a deeply rooted incompatibility on the philosophic underpinnings of modern human economic theory, which has little if anything to do with the truly magical nature of the spiritual beings we all know ourselves to be.
I believe that the Otherkin body ticks a little differently on the whole, even when there is no genetic trace. I think that harbouring a non-human soul will have some effect on the body in the same way that ones' state of mind affects the body too. For instance, the reason why stress makes people sick, and why energy healing such as reiki works, is because of the effect of non-physical occurrences on the physical body.
I've noticed several patterns that people becoming aware of their difference from others, or the existence of magic, seem to go through. Not everyone goes through all of them, but almost everyone I know has gone through some of them. Thus I think it useful to outline the patterns so hopefully at few less people have to learn things the hard way.
This is something I have been thinking about for quite a while now. Why do we choose the labels we do?
[Originally created for "Water Under the Bridge", newsletter of the Incipient Canton of the Broken Bridge (Brooklyn, NY S.C.A. chapter), never published.]