Are You A Therian? - Rose's Tips

First of all, welcome! You've got your paws, claws, and other appendages on a great resource for learning about therianthropy. If you haven't read the FAQs on the main Therian Guide site yet, I highly recommend starting over there.

It can be difficult to figure out if you identify with or identify as a given animal/being, and having doubts is a very common part of the therian experience. If you're uncertain or questioning, you're definitely not alone! Throughout this post I say animal, but otherkin are included as well - just replace "animal" with whatever term suits you best.

Personally, it took a lot of reflection, meditation, and journaling over a period of about six months to confirm that I am a therian and subsequently determine my theriotype. It can be a long process, or your type/species might hit you suddenly as you're researching, but don't worry either way. I'm sure you'll figure things out and we are happy to help too!

Now, let's move on to the tips...

(1) First, consider what overall animals feel "right" - canines? Felines? Birds? Reptiles? Don't be afraid to imagine yourself as several different animals! Taking notes can be very helpful during this stage since it can get a little overwhelming. It's also ideal to start with a broad category (also called a clade) and narrow things down from there.

(2) Once you have an overall animal family that feels right, next you can start to envision more specifics about yourself. Try to do so in as much detail as possible - what does your skin feel like - do you have fur? Scales? Feathers? How do you move? Are you looking for others like you, or do you prefer to be solitary? What climate do you feel at home in? What plants and/or animals say "food" to you? Often at this point, a set of characteristics will stand out and help you determine your type(s) and eventually, species and subspecies.

(3) Research can also help a lot during this time of uncertainty. Try to learn everything about your possible theriotype as you can! Again, I recommend doing some journaling about how each one makes you feel, what traits and characteristics hit home and what might not resonate as strongly. In my experience, after reading a lot of studies and articles about wolves, my inner monologue morphed into "oh yeah, we do that," or "they're right, we do like xyz" whenever wolves were mentioned. Of course, this isn't something every therian experiences, but it was a key factor in my awakening.

Ultimately, the decision whether or not to label yourself as a therian is up to you. Don't be afraid to claim the label even if you're still unsure - the beauty of it is that our labels are free to change as we learn more about ourselves. I hope this is helpful for those of you who are just starting on this journey, and for those who already know your theriotype, I'd love to hear how your journey began! Of course, my inbox is always open as well.

~ Rose

(2023-04-02 4:26)TherianRose Wrote:  First of all, welcome! You've got your paws, claws, and other appendages on a great resource for learning about therianthropy. If you haven't read the FAQs on the main Therian Guide site yet, I highly recommend starting over there.

It can be difficult to figure out if you identify with or identify as a given animal/being, and having doubts is a very common part of the therian experience. If you're uncertain or questioning, you're definitely not alone! Throughout this post I say animal, but otherkin are included as well - just replace "animal" with whatever term suits you best.

Personally, it took a lot of reflection, meditation, and journaling over a period of about six months to confirm that I am a therian and subsequently determine my theriotype. It can be a long process, or your type/species might hit you suddenly as you're researching, but don't worry either way. I'm sure you'll figure things out and we are happy to help too!

Now, let's move on to the tips...

(1) First, consider what overall animals feel "right" - canines? Felines? Birds? Reptiles? Don't be afraid to imagine yourself as several different animals! Taking notes can be very helpful during this stage since it can get a little overwhelming. It's also ideal to start with a broad category (also called a clade) and narrow things down from there.

(2) Once you have an overall animal family that feels right, next you can start to envision more specifics about yourself. Try to do so in as much detail as possible - what does your skin feel like - do you have fur? Scales? Feathers? How do you move? Are you looking for others like you, or do you prefer to be solitary? What climate do you feel at home in? What plants and/or animals say "food" to you? Often at this point, a set of characteristics will stand out and help you determine your type(s) and eventually, species and subspecies.

(3) Research can also help a lot during this time of uncertainty. Try to learn everything about your possible theriotype as you can! Again, I recommend doing some journaling about how each one makes you feel, what traits and characteristics hit home and what might not resonate as strongly. In my experience, after reading a lot of studies and articles about wolves, my inner monologue morphed into "oh yeah, we do that," or "they're right, we do like xyz" whenever wolves were mentioned. Of course, this isn't something every therian experiences, but it was a key factor in my awakening.

Ultimately, the decision whether or not to label yourself as a therian is up to you. Don't be afraid to claim the label even if you're still unsure - the beauty of it is that our labels are free to change as we learn more about ourselves. I hope this is helpful for those of you who are just starting on this journey, and for those who already know your theriotype, I'd love to hear how your journey began! Of course, my inbox is always open as well.

~ Rose

I wish I found this earlier! This is very useful, thank you Rose!

Hi,

I suppose one important thing to point out is that you don't have to be a therian... The reason why some of us consider ourselves therians, is because we have experiences we're trying to explain and being a therian feels like the most likely explanation for these for us.

If you don't have similar experiences, there is no point in considering yourself to be a therian.

If you just want to hang out with us on TG that's okay and you don't have to be a therian to be here or to be our friend.

LP,
Dusty

(2023-06-25 23:20)DustWolf Wrote:  If you don't have similar experiences, there is no point in considering yourself to be a therian.
LP,
Dusty

I am curious as to what you meant by that statement? What experiences is one required to have in order to consider themselves 'therian'?

Shifts? Phantom limbs? Not trying to be confrontational but I am curious.

(2023-06-30 1:04)Observant Demon Wrote:  

(2023-06-25 23:20)DustWolf Wrote:  If you don't have similar experiences, there is no point in considering yourself to be a therian.
LP,
Dusty

I am curious as to what you meant by that statement? What experiences is one required to have in order to consider themselves 'therian'?

Shifts? Phantom limbs? Not trying to be confrontational but I am curious.

Yes basically the stuff that's all over the site. Experiences other therians have, such as shifts and feral traits.

LP,
Dusty

(2023-06-30 12:20)DustWolf Wrote:  Yes basically the stuff that's all over the site. Experiences other therians have, such as shifts and feral traits.

LP,
Dusty

Well then I suppose that -by your standards anyways- I am not a therian then because I have not experienced shifts or feral traits. For me it is more a background or underlying feeling that is perhaps more on a spiritual level than physical.

Useful realization, don't you think?

LP,
Dusty