Avianthropy Thoughts

On Livejournal I run a community called Avianthropes, for the discussion of avian-based therianthropy. I’ve noticed that most discussions centered around this topic primarily involve mammalian ‘theriotypes’ (I’m not sure I particularly like this word), so I wanted to create a forum where this specific aspect can be discussed. Copied below is a snippet from a recent post I had made, detailing some more thoughts on the matter.

For the most part, I tend to subscribe to the psychological model of therianthropy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t consider or entertain other models too. I think spirituality plays a part in my therianthropy (or avianthropy, as it where), though its something I’m still attempting to reconcile. I was never a very spiritual person before, so talking about this sort of thing doesn’t come easy to me.

In the past, I had felt a closeness to accipiters, particularly accipiter gentilis, the goshawk. It wasn’t until I had gotten the chance to do some more reading, and compared these notes to how I thought and acted. I began to draw comparisons to how I saw myself as a raptor, and what I had read and observed close-up. The falcon in particular seemed to fit the bill a lot closer than the goshawk, given its flight patterns and hunting style, and comparing it to my own–be it in my own headspace, or how I might otherwise function in the world around me. The peregrine falcon specifically, though I also feel a closeness to the lanner falcon (both of which tend to overlap in territory and genetics). To me this felt much more natural than before, like finding a piece of clothing that fits you perfectly (although this might be considered a weak comparison by some). So, although I am in a constant state of ’soulsearching’, I have felt a profound sense of…homecoming? in the peregrine falcon.

Speaking of which, this is a good essay written by one of our own members, which could easily be applied to the nonhuman experience as well as a solely spiritual/pagan format.