Cynanthropy

Cynanthropy.com received a mild update, mainly just a reposting of my most recent essay there. The bibliography still needs an update. I've read several new good books lately on the topic (mainly Stanley Coren's works), as well as dug up some old books from my library I had forgotten to add (Mary Elizabeth Thurston's work in particular).

For anyone wanting to monitor updates via LJ, there's always cynanthropyfeed.

X-posted to primaldog.

Cynanthropy.com is now alive and operational. More content will be added in the coming week. For easy LJ viewing, there is cynanthropyfeed, though you'll also benefit from actually visiting back to the site for archiving and other things that won't show up on the feed. I also added it to our userinfo.

I am also considering accepting submissions of writings and various things from other cynanthropes. I'm still working out possible guidelines and logistics, but interested parties are welcome to email me.

Enjoy.

There is now Cynanthropy.com-- A work in progress and compendium of historic and modern cynanthropy. Will feature bibliographical information, book reviews, resources sites and links, personal accounts, essays, rants, the whole nine yards. I've now featured it in the userinfo for this community.

I encourage people to read and pass it along. Linking this site and spreading the word around is more than weclome, and I'm currently thinking about accepting submissions of personal writings by other dog-folk. In any case, this site will be constantly growing, so check back often, and feel free to poke me for any questions or comments that you might have.

~Solo

In my mind, there at some point comes a serious disconnect between a totem animal and a therioside. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to best differentiate between the two. What I identify as my therioside comes and goes; sometimes it is hidden, sometimes it is trapped, or asleep, sometimes I won't feel it for days at a time. Sometimes I get images and visions that are not typical of how my therioside usually appears. All this is very understandable: human life, with all it's diversions, distractions, and agitations, is very good at derailing personal connections. I'm fine with all that. To me, it just means that I need to spend more time cultivating that primal aspect. What I do not know how to interprate is that I see this entity or aspect as residing in myself, but as a separate part of myself. I shall try to explain.

When I dream, it is common for me to view myself from the third person. Sometimes when I meditate, I see myself from the third person. This is understandable: I have a mental impression of what I look like and how I act, dress, respond, etc. Sometimes when I meditate, I have images of my body as a physical shell, and in this shell (specifically in the "belly" region) resides this other aspect. Occasionally, I cannot reach this aspect; sometimes it breaks free readily, but still, to interact with it, it has to become removed from this inside space. Then, it either acts as a comforter, a guide, or a companion. Mostly, I'm confused when I hear other therians giving impressions of thought-shifting, astral-shifting, etc. and being in the first person. This leads me to wonder if I am experiencing a close bond with an animal spirit, or if that spirit is part of me.

In the end, I don't think this issue has too much deep importance; it seems to be a problem of semantics. However, I'm curious to see what others of you think, or if you could help me discuss this dilemma.

Anyway, I hope to hear from some of you. I think I cross post this to my personal journal, or maybe Therianthropy if I get enough response (or, conversely, if I get too little response).

Hey, everyone. The name's Kryptic, and I'm new 'round here. Obviously. So, I discovered this little place through Solo; I guess. I'm a Corgi Therian. That's right. Corgi.

So, I guess I'm introducing myself. Butt sniffs and tail wags all around. Yeah. I'm just a really laid back and relaxed person-dog, which basically translates to "I'm a slacker". I probably won't post a lot, but I'll try.

Anyhow, I'm not really quite positive on what being a therian means to me entirely, which is part of the reason I write, to sort out my thoughts. I tend to get a bit ahead of myself sometimes (It's a Corgi thinking-ahead thing...) and so I use paper to organize. I hope you find me interesting, or at least entertaining. If you want to know more about me, feel free to ask. I don't bite, I'm a Corgi. I nip. Gently.

Anyhow - Kryptic, Cardigan Welsh Corgi, at your service.

The Primitive Shiba and the Japanese Wolf
A detailed article of the evolution of asiatic spitz breeds, and their connections with the now-extinct Japanese wolf.

Also, I just recieved from Amazon my copy of Raymond and Lorna Coppinger's Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution. I would strongly recommend this book for any cynanthrope--this book has even been lauded by Wolf Park as the foremost in literature on dog psychology and evolution.

In the mythology department: Dog Gods of the Ko'olau Mountains

In the natural history department, originally posted by paleo: Dog Attack Styles

Might be of some interest to some folk here.

First of all, I switched this community to moderated membership to keep out spammers and other nutballs, however I only just now switched the userinfo to reflect this. My bad.

Secondly, those of you who are lurking, feel free to introduce yourselves. Don't hesitate to post either. Posts can be about anything cynanthropy or canine-related, from personal experiences to essays and rants to current events in the news. Book recommendations and articles on canine biology and behavior are also recommended and encouraged. I plan on giving this community more attention, and I encourage everyone else to pitch in if interested. I try to keep things laid back and open for various forms of discussion, as long as people use common sense.

Thirdly, pimping a new community for those of us in the GLBT crowd: glbttherians.

More later.

~Solo

*sigh*

death makes me feel like a dog. There are so few emotions, and I really only want to act on an instinctual level. I don't want to do anything structured. I don't want to exercise, I want to run. I don't want to talk to anyone. People did too much talking today and it didn't do any good. Why don't people know how to let the dead be dead without marring their memory by saying so much about it?

My faith in humanity went down a few notches. I mean, I've been to funerals before, but it never struck me as so sacrilegious or blasphemous as today. What can anyone say to sum up a life?

What would anyone say about me when I was dead? I'm sure nothing I'd want. The parts of myself that I love are the parts that are wild and in my head, and the feelings that I feel, and the lessons that I learned. I don't want people to say, "Oh, he was a good person, he was strong, he died too soon." Nobody really does justice.

I'm really trying to think how I can apply this to cynanthropy, but this was the first place I thought to post it. I'm trying to think of something to ask, or some way to make it pertinent to this community. How should cynanthropes look at death?

I guess I really don't think about death. It's better to be concerned with life.