Therianthropy Day 2018 (November 23)

(2018-11-18 16:15)WolfVanZandt Wrote:  So, Bear, do you know who started the Werelist? It wasn't Coyote and he can't think of the guy's name. It started with B. When it was started, it was literally only a list. People signed up to let other weres have a way to contact them. When it became of forum, it was just for news. When people started using it for socializing, Coyote broadened it out into a forum.

I always think of Coyote as the one who made it useful. There were actually several werelists. I know that Wolfie! had one, for instance, as did Utlah, but the one I think got passed to Coyote was the one from "STriker RedWolf".

STriker's was originally at https://www.wam.umd.edu/~tygris/werelist, which the wayback machine didn't archive. It then moved to Furnation, and sometime in 1997, he decided to shut it down. Then in January of 1998, Coyote posted on AHWW that the mantle of Keeper of the Werelist had been passed to him.

I wonder if he was thinking of Bender? I know there was some conflict about one of the werelists related to him. Duplication of effort or something?

(I don't keep this stuff in memory, I search the archives )

I bet it was Bender! That rings a bell. I'll check with him. Thanks! If I can nail it down, I'll correct The Timeline and let Ulfrvif know.

(2018-11-18 15:40)BearX Wrote:  

(2018-11-18 13:22)Blackwolf Silverpaw Wrote:  I didn't even know that we have such a special day *shame on me*

It's more shame on folks like me, I think. It's irresponsible that our history is being lost and distorted. Those of us who know it need to do a better job of making it available.

@WolfVanZandt and @Wolf_Daughter are doing a great job with their sites and spreading knowledge, but a lot of the therians who were around in the early days aren't around online anymore, I took nearly a decade of hiatus myself -- the offline therian community is far more important and active than I think most folks give it credit for but is by nature disconnected from the online one. This creates a vacuum in places like Amino and Tumblr where those folks with knowledge and experience are in short supply, and there is a general disinterest in going back through the various archives that exist to learn more.

It is having the effect of fragmenting the community into two groups with vastly different knowledge of our history and of what therianthropy is or isn't. Maybe we need to be louder...

It's ok Really. You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You did your best through bringing it up again after all so a lot of old and new memers like myself are aware of it now.

Coyote said that Bender sounded right. Both of us have serious problems with names, but Bender was very active in the early 2000s hosting both Werewolves in Suburbia and Werewolves.org. I wish we could nail it down a little tighter.

So, it was STriker Price that originated the Werelist (thanks to BearX for digging that up!) It has been appropriately nailed.

Like some of you said, the full moon mainly caters to canine therians due to the whole werewolf thing. So the full moon thing may be appropriate for canine therians, but personally I am sticking with 18th November. I don't mind what system other people use, that's up to you to decide for yourselves.

To avoid confusion I will call 18th November Species Identity and Dysphoria Day.

Wolves do not own the full moon. The notion is laughable.

LP,
Dusty

(2018-11-06 3:17)Anonymouqs Wrote:  https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/wolfenoot-holiday/

Good news, the conflict will not be as severe as initially perceived. It is based off the Gregorian Calendar and NOT Lunar Cycles:
"As for the date, though there will be a full moon on November 23 this year, the holiday doesn’t always fall on a full moon. It’s always on November 23 because, according to Jax’s son, the date celebrates the anniversary of “The Great Wolf’s Death.”

Oh? I just saw this. Who's The Great Wolf? And without meaning any disrespect, why should the day be based around one individual rather than the first official meeting?

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(2018-11-21 22:39)DustWolf Wrote:  Wolves do not own the full moon. The notion is laughable.

LP,
Dusty

hehe yeah. Don't worry, no one is claiming they do.

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(2018-11-06 12:04)PinkDolphin Wrote:  

(2018-11-05 18:14)WolfVanZandt Wrote:  Somebody suggested to Therian Nation that their videos were too dry and they needed to post some "fun" videos to draw in young people. Evidently, to many online therians, therianthropy is about fun. There are fun videos running out our ears. The powerful thing about Therian Nation is that it's respectable. It's like a news cast (well, it's like news casts used to be.) It presents therianthropy with integrity. I surely do hope that they don't take the posters advice.

I agree with this. As a youtuber myself I know I'm one that rather is at the 'fun' side. I try to make short videos and while I'm able to give a lot more detailed info like dates etc just as Therian Nation does, I rather keep it simple and easy explained as I know many newer (regardless of age) therians watch me and they do not always enjoy seeing a Lot of detailed info in once. I heard many times how that's discouraging and how they didn't want to actively study the history, terms etc afterwards anymore or couldn't understand it. As it was too much/difficult at once, overwelming. I try to be both as correct as possible, short, easy and fun. Aka trying to make a few jokes, play with images or interpretentions or laughing, setting where I film etc.

but while I myself am a bit more at the 'fun' side. I very often advice Therian Nation in both my videos as my describtion. This as they're the perfect youtube that is detailed, concrete, correct and as you say, a bit like the news. This is what many need and I heavily advice others to watch. I'm scared that if they'd throw in 'fun' they'd lose a bit of that serious-level they have now. That clear, correct info that we need so much in this info. If people don't like how they're so serious, then there are still plenty enough fun youtube channels to watch. But otherway around, Therian Nation is the only serious informative channel that I know (that is correct). We need them, and I wouldn't want to see them change!

I might be their opposite in a way, but that's exactly why I need their side too. And advice it to others.

WOOF!
PD

I agree with this. Having different people with different ways of advocating for therianthropy is important. I think PD and TN should keep doing what they're doing.

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(2018-11-06 15:34)WolfVanZandt Wrote:  It's good when holidays are fun but I despise the secularization of holidays because it's a good indication of the moral laziness of modern humanity. They can't be bothered to take anything seriously. They've drained the blood out of what makes us people.

Please could you clarify what you mean when you say "the secularization of holidays"? It looks to me like you might be confusing secularisation and commercialisation so I just wanted you to clarify your position.

The secularisation of holidays would simply mean separating the religious context from a particular holiday. For example, a secular Christmas would celebrate the winter solstice, family, friendship, spending time together, and giving to others with the connection with Christianity as a separate aspect of Christmas that may or may not be celebrated, something individuals would decide for themselves. How seriously this event is then taken is an issue that does not directly link to secularisation as a process. Moral laziness has little to do with secularism, if not contradicting it. And how people identify as a people and how their culture manifests changes over time.

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(2018-11-18 0:22)Wolf Daughter Wrote:  

(2018-10-01 18:10)BearX Wrote:  Additionally, there's a holiday which falls on the same day, made up by a 7-year old who is interested in wolves called "Wolfenoot", which has a whole mythology with gifts and roast meat and wolf spirits. It's cute, but I'd suggest keeping it separated from the therian community. Many folks in the Tumblr community are gravitating to it, and I suspect aren't considering that it's a 7-year old and his mother having fun with an idea and are trying to appropriate it. It's unfortunate because it falls on the same day as "Therianthropy Day" this year.

This is actually causing problems. Wolfenoot has gone viral. I think people are confusing the two. I've posted an image about Therianthropy Day in a few Facebook groups and have been met with "Wolfenoot!" and "What about Wolfenoot?" and "This day is too specific to wolfkin". Another person replied, "What do you mean the "first howl"? Not all Therians are wolves." I think some of these were said because those individuals were thinking of Wolfenoot. I have replied with history, trying to explain that the days are not the same thing. More people have known about this kid's made up celebration than they do about Therian history. Not enough people are concerned with building up our community. And have responded negatively to Therianthropy Day. One person said they won't celebrate because it just encourages more kids to wear tails and howl at the moon.

Many people on Facebook responded in a way that suggests they know nothing about our online community history. One person wrote,"I don't think I can put value in this day because the movement started further back in the 70's at least in a public setting." To which I replied that Therianthropes feel that we should be able to acknowledge our independent history and not have it completely subsumed by Otherkin.

I also did inform a few that Otherkin Day is considered by many to be on July 9. https://frameacloud.tumblr.com/post/147145533459/otherkin-day

There's actually not a "Therianthropy Day" page on the wiki yet. One of us should add it and all of this history about the different names the day has gone through.

On a more positive note, I'm working on a cinematic poem that I will be releasing on November 23. I'll post a link to it in this thread.

This is worrying. Are you making a video explaining it or would this be outside the domain of what you want to focus on with your channel?

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(2018-11-18 16:15)WolfVanZandt Wrote:  Traditionally, young people don't care about yesterday or tomorrow. They live for the present. "Young" has extended much longer, even within my life time. As people get older, they start considering their roots and where they and their people are going. Some of the offline community was the online community of yesterday. (I'm very surprised at how many were never online.) I'm hoping that, as the online community grows up, they'll begin appreciating their roots.

I hope so too. Understanding our heritage and history is important. People and channels like Therian Nation are doing an amazing job informing people on important topics relating to therianthropy. I hope to help contribute to this effort in the future.

I mean "secularization" in a broader sense of "worldly". Most holidays originally had the intent of something serious. Refocusing on something outside of self. Now days, they seem to be primarily about having a day off and doing something fun - not much more than an extra weekend - with violent shopping, of course.

(2018-11-22 1:11)WolfVanZandt Wrote:  I mean "secularization" in a broader sense of "worldly". Most holidays originally had the intent of something serious. Refocusing on something outside of self. Now days, they seem to be primarily about having a day off and doing something fun - not much more than an extra weekend - with violent shopping, of course.

Ah okay. Yeah, this is something different from secularism. I share your concerns about it. I too have noticed that Christmas feels more and more like just another day rather than something that represents the importance of spending time together and sharing/giving.