Otherkin

 This may or may not be a familiar term for you. It is certainly not a topic that is talked about much, and is written about even less. I can count on one hand the number of authors I have found that mention it, and their definition of which is something that may vary depending on the author. This topic ties in with animism as well as totem animals and animal guides, all of which I have covered in a previous post. Many cultures have spiritual practices that involve animals that guide followers in life or refer to key parts of the persons personality. Even non-spiritual people use animal references to describe people, their personalities and habits, or physical features. Many cultures see the connection between modern humans and our more primal animalistic ancestors. A time when where we were not so disconnected from nature, and we knew our place within the natural cycles.
My first purchase on this topic was a traditional tarot by Siolo Thompson called The Otherkin Tarot. Siolo basically defined otherkin as those creatures that were part human part animal or animals that acted like humans/had human characteristics. So, the first part of the definition would include creatures of myth and legend like mermaids, centaurs, and satyrs. These creatures, described in many myths, also fall into the more commonly used category of cryptid. The second category in that definition would include some our beloved childhood characters like Peter Rabbit, or Winnie the Pooh and friends, or the lovable characters from movies such as Zootopia. That particular tarot deck comes with a large companion book that covers the basics of otherkin from this perspective. It has some nice artwork as well.
The second definition for otherkin has a more magical purpose. It has been used to define those that feel they have a special connection to the animal kingdom, or a certain animal in particular. Under this definition, the connection made with the animal counterpart is done through trance work. This is a shamanistic-type magical working. The practitioner connects with the spirit or essence of the animal in question on the spiritual plane or by channeling them so as to make a personal connection with them. They may do this for a number of reasons. They may be trying to channel certain prominent characteristics they feel they lack that they would like to apply to their own lives, enhance personal qualities they already have, channel that energy/essence for healing, ask for guidance, or even just connect better with nature or the spiritual plane. The practitioner could have a specific animal they connect with, or the animal could vary depending on the needs of the practitioner. I have read of some practitioners using bones, skins, or other animal parts in their ceremonies, some use certain herbs or other tools, and others use no tools at all. The way the animal spirit/essence is invoked/evoked is personal to the practitioner. I have had this definition of otherkin described under another term; therianthropy. This term was used more acutely as the person believing they are, in spirit/essence, that animal. It was described in conjunction with shapeshifting, but both of these terms used in this magical context, share many similarities. Regardless of the term used, both describe workings that use trance work, connection with spirit animal/essence, and a deep connection with our own animal nature.
One difference I have only found one author write about, puts vampires in the same category as otherkin. In this case they are referring to the vampire as something non-human with human characteristics. Which, I guess, could technically be true, but I don’t agree with this categorization myself. I will not go into vampires in this post, though I will likely make one in the future.
Have you ever heard the term otherkin before? How would you define it? Have you channeled or reached out to animal spirit for guidance? Would you?
 
 
*If you would like to read more on this topic, I would highly recommend anything written by Lupa, and if you want to know more about the specific magical workings of otherkin practitioners, I would recommend the book called The Book of Satyr Magick by LotusWulf Satryrhorn.