2017-11-04, 14:23
A guide on how to set up a therian/otherkin journal to help find your theriotype/kintype or to just log your non-human experiences. I made this for another site but thought it may also be of interest here. The formatting for this could easily work for the journal threads on here as well.
●List Your Animal Characteristics●
Start off your therian journal with a list of animal characteristics you show. This is a good exercise for therians new and old, it promotes introspection and let's you realize things you didn't notice about yourself. Try to differentiate between traits shared by both human and animals and purely animal traits. For example anxiety is a trait shared by both humans and animals, while sniffing the air to pick up scents isn't something humans normally do. Still write down traits that are shared by animals and humans but put a mark by them, those traits shouldn't be the main ones you look at. Leave one or two pages blank for new entrees.
●List Environments That You Feel Comfortable In●
Look up documentaries about these places, it will help you discover new animals you've never heard of and you could find your theriotype through it. This may not match up with your theriotype but it may help you discover new animals that may lead you to your theriotype. Leave one or two pages blank for new entrees.
●List Animals To Research●
Write down animals that fit the traits you put in the list try to think of all the ones you can, even if you don't like the animal. Also put down relatives to any animals in question, if you think wolves match your trait list also put down dogs(and look at those different breeds!), coyotes, dingos, jackals, ect. There may also be animals that aren't similar in biology but are from their behavioral traits. For example, if you have the traits, -social or the want to live in a group, -the want to dig, and - communication calls, those traits fit both wolves and prairie dogs. If you also have a tendency to bark, prairie dogs would be more likely(also of course domestic dogs too). Leave one or two pages blank for new entrees.
●List Books To Read●
Researching your theriotype is extremely important, if you don't research it you can't truly know it that animal fits you. A book list can help keep you organized, crossing off books you've read and adding new ones to look at. Your local library is a great resource! While you don't necessarily need to put this in your journal it's still helpful. Leave one or two pages blank for new entrees.
●Logging Your Shifts And Thoughts●
Whether they're phantom or mental shifts, just the feeling of being non-human, or even interesting facts you've learned about animals, write down your experiences. You've been noticing that you tend to be higher pitched when happy or sometimes have a phantom shift on your back, write this down and write it in detail. Try to get in a routine of logging down thoughts and experiences, if you don't add to it, it won't help. Make sure to log things with an open mind and be honest, this is a journal for you after all.
●Reflections●
Every month or two look back, read all that you wrote and see if you still have those same feeling. Make a reflection page saying what has changed and what has stayed. If you're someone who has known their theriotype for years this is still a good thing to do, you could look at pass problems and log on ways to fix them.
●Keep Logging And Reflecting●
Once you get a few logs or reflections in don't just stop, keep going. Even in your logs slow down try to just write something. You'd be amazed how many things you've written down but didn't given any thought years later.
I hope this is of some help to someone
●List Your Animal Characteristics●
Start off your therian journal with a list of animal characteristics you show. This is a good exercise for therians new and old, it promotes introspection and let's you realize things you didn't notice about yourself. Try to differentiate between traits shared by both human and animals and purely animal traits. For example anxiety is a trait shared by both humans and animals, while sniffing the air to pick up scents isn't something humans normally do. Still write down traits that are shared by animals and humans but put a mark by them, those traits shouldn't be the main ones you look at. Leave one or two pages blank for new entrees.
●List Environments That You Feel Comfortable In●
Look up documentaries about these places, it will help you discover new animals you've never heard of and you could find your theriotype through it. This may not match up with your theriotype but it may help you discover new animals that may lead you to your theriotype. Leave one or two pages blank for new entrees.
●List Animals To Research●
Write down animals that fit the traits you put in the list try to think of all the ones you can, even if you don't like the animal. Also put down relatives to any animals in question, if you think wolves match your trait list also put down dogs(and look at those different breeds!), coyotes, dingos, jackals, ect. There may also be animals that aren't similar in biology but are from their behavioral traits. For example, if you have the traits, -social or the want to live in a group, -the want to dig, and - communication calls, those traits fit both wolves and prairie dogs. If you also have a tendency to bark, prairie dogs would be more likely(also of course domestic dogs too). Leave one or two pages blank for new entrees.
●List Books To Read●
Researching your theriotype is extremely important, if you don't research it you can't truly know it that animal fits you. A book list can help keep you organized, crossing off books you've read and adding new ones to look at. Your local library is a great resource! While you don't necessarily need to put this in your journal it's still helpful. Leave one or two pages blank for new entrees.
●Logging Your Shifts And Thoughts●
Whether they're phantom or mental shifts, just the feeling of being non-human, or even interesting facts you've learned about animals, write down your experiences. You've been noticing that you tend to be higher pitched when happy or sometimes have a phantom shift on your back, write this down and write it in detail. Try to get in a routine of logging down thoughts and experiences, if you don't add to it, it won't help. Make sure to log things with an open mind and be honest, this is a journal for you after all.
●Reflections●
Every month or two look back, read all that you wrote and see if you still have those same feeling. Make a reflection page saying what has changed and what has stayed. If you're someone who has known their theriotype for years this is still a good thing to do, you could look at pass problems and log on ways to fix them.
●Keep Logging And Reflecting●
Once you get a few logs or reflections in don't just stop, keep going. Even in your logs slow down try to just write something. You'd be amazed how many things you've written down but didn't given any thought years later.
I hope this is of some help to someone
