The Garden Plan
Catalog of the Library
Every page in the library, arranged as the garden is arranged. If you would rather be shown than look, try the search.
Therianthropy
The experience of identifying as a non-human animal, set out from first principles.
- TherianthropyTherianthropy is the experience of identifying as a non-human animal on a deep, lasting level. A clear, respectful guide to what it means and what it is not.
- ShiftingShifting is a temporary change in how a therian experiences their animal side. A calm guide to mental, phantom, sensory and dream shifts. None is physical.
- TheriotypesA theriotype is the animal a therian identifies as. Learn what counts as a theriotype, which are most common, and a slow, honest way to find your own.
- Awakening and QuestioningAwakening is the gradual recognition of a therian or otherkin identity. A gentle guide for anyone asking whether they are a therian, with honest first steps.
- Kinds of TherianA plain guide to the words therians use for different patterns of experience: contherian, suntherian, vacillant, polytherian, cladotherian and holothere.
- Common MisconceptionsTherians do not believe they physically transform, are not the same as furries, and are not mentally ill. Calm corrections to common misunderstandings.
Otherkin
Identities that reach toward the mythic and the more-than-animal.
- OtherkinOtherkin identify as beings other than human, often dragons, elves or fae. Learn what otherkin means, where the word began in 1990, and how therians relate.
- KintypesA kintype is the being an otherkin identifies as. A respectful guide to dragons, elves, fae, celestial beings and mythic beasts, and how a kintype is found.
- The Alterhuman UmbrellaAlterhuman is the umbrella term for therians, otherkin, fictionkin and the otherhearted. See how the terms differ: as versus with, and found versus chosen.
Werewolf mythology
The wolf-shaped human in legend, from the oldest tablets to the modern moonlit tale.
- Werewolf MythologyA calm guide to werewolf mythology: where the legend comes from, how people were said to become wolves, and how the full moon and silver bullet were added.
- Ancient and Medieval Origins of the WerewolfTrace the werewolf legend from Mesopotamian epic and the Greek myth of Lycaon through Norse wolfskins and medieval romance to the werewolf trials.
- The Werewolf and the Full MoonWhy do werewolves change at the full moon? The link is younger than most people think. Follow the moon through werewolf folklore and see the phase tonight.
- Signs, Causes and Cures in Werewolf FolkloreHow did folklore say a person became a werewolf, how was one recognized, and how was the curse lifted? Wolf belts, salves, silver and wolfsbane, as folklore.
Shapeshifter mythology
Foxes, seals, swans, bears and great cats who wear more than one skin.
- Shapeshifter MythologyShapeshifters appear in folklore on every continent. An overview of fox spirits, selkies, swan maidens, bear warriors, weretigers and animal-headed gods.
- Fox Spirits of East AsiaThe shapeshifting fox of East Asia: Japanese kitsune, Chinese huli jing and Korean kumiho. Nine tails, fox wives, fox fire, and how a fox is found out.
- Selkies and Swan MaidensSelkies shed their sealskins to walk on land; swan maidens lay aside robes of feathers. The folklore of the stolen skin, from the northern isles to Japan.
- The Bear and the BerserkerNorse sagas tell of berserkers, wolf-coated ulfhednar and men whose spirit fought as a bear. Around the north, the bear is honored as kin and ancestor.
- The Great Cats: Tiger, Leopard, Lion and JaguarWhere the tiger, leopard, lion or jaguar rules, shapeshifter lore follows: weretigers in Asia, big cat and hyena lore in Africa, the jaguar of the Americas.
- Animal-Headed Gods and the Oldest ImagesFrom the ivory lion-man of the Ice Age and painted cave figures to the animal-headed gods of Egypt and the shape-changing gods of Greece, India and the north.
Reference shelves
History, vocabulary and symbols, for looking things up.
- A History of the Therian and Otherkin CommunitiesA plain history of the therian and otherkin communities, from elven circles of the 1970s and the word otherkin in 1990 to the first howl in 1994 and today.
- Glossary of Therian, Otherkin and Shapeshifter TermsA plain-language glossary of therian, otherkin and shapeshifter terms: theriotype, kintype, shift, contherian, alterhuman, lycanthropy, selkie and more.
- Symbols and EmblemsThe symbols of therians and otherkin, drawn and explained: the theta-delta of therianthropy, the seven-pointed star of the otherkin, and the paw print.
- Frequent QuestionsStraight answers to common questions about therians, otherkin and werewolf lore. What is a therian? Is it an illness? Is it furry? Can people shapeshift?
- Wellbeing and CareBeing a therian or otherkin is not an illness, but everyone deserves care: telling identity from distress, when to seek help, and staying safe online.
Glossary entries
Longer entries for the words asked about most often.
- AlterhumanAlterhuman is an umbrella term for identities that stand apart from the ordinary idea of being human. What it covers, where it came from, how it is used.
- CladotherianA cladotherian identifies as a whole related group of animals, such as all canines or all great cats. What the word means and how it differs from polytherian.
- Clinical lycanthropyClinical lycanthropy is a rare psychiatric syndrome involving a delusion of animal transformation. How it differs from therianthropy, which is an identity.
- ContherianA contherian is a therian whose human and animal sides are constantly blended, with no distinct shifts. What the word means and how it compares with suntherian.
- FictionkinFictionkin are people who identify as a character or species from fiction. What the term means, how it differs from fandom, and where it sits beside otherkin.
- HowlA howl is a gathering of therians, usually outdoors. Learn where the custom began in 1994, what happens at one, and how to approach meeting others with care.
- KintypeA kintype is the being an otherkin identifies as, such as a dragon, elf or fae. What the word means, how kintypes are found, and how it relates to theriotype.
- LycanthropyLycanthropy means the transformation of a human into a wolf. The origin of the word, its place in folklore, and how it differs from therianthropy.
- Mental shiftA mental shift is a temporary change in mindset toward the instincts and outlook of the theriotype. What it feels like, what brings it on, and what it is not.
- OtherheartedTo be otherhearted is to feel a deep kinship with a creature without identifying as it. What the word means and how it differs from being a therian.
- Phantom shiftA phantom shift is the felt presence of a tail, ears, wings or other features of the theriotype. What it feels like and why it is no cause for alarm.
- Species dysphoriaSpecies dysphoria is the discomfort some therians and otherkin feel at the mismatch between body and identity. What it is and gentle ways to live with it.
- TherianA therian is a person who identifies as a non-human animal on a deep, lasting level while knowing their body is human. A clear, respectful explanation.
- TheriotypeA theriotype is the animal a therian identifies as. What the word means, how a theriotype is recognized over time, and why it is not a favorite animal.
- Theta-deltaThe theta-delta is the emblem of therianthropy, formed from the Greek letters theta and delta. Learn what it stands for, when it was made, and how it is worn.
The stacks
Essays, stories and poems kept by the library.
- The StacksThe stacks of Werelibrary.com hold original essays on therian and otherkin life, retold shapeshifter tales, short fiction and poetry, arranged on three shelves.
- EssaysOriginal essays from Werelibrary.com on questioning, keeping a shift journal, finding a theriotype, living quietly as a therian, and advice for families.
- Before You Name ItAn essay for anyone newly asking 'am I a therian?' On patience, on keeping notes, on studying real animals, and on why your first answer is allowed to be wrong.
- Keeping a Shift JournalA practical essay on keeping a shift journal: what to record, what to leave out, how to read it back after three months, and what a notebook cannot tell you.
- The Animal That StaysAn essay on searching for a theriotype and finding something plainer than expected: not a wolf but a dog. On vanity, patience and the relief of a true answer.
- Wolves Are Not MetaphorsA wolf therian on the wolf of legend and the wolf of the field, why the alpha is a myth, and what therians owe to the real animals whose shape they share.
- Living QuietlyAn essay on being a therian through decades of ordinary adult life: work, marriage, privacy, whom to tell and whom not to, and how the identity settles.
- For Parents and FriendsA calm, practical guide for parents, carers and friends of someone who says they are a therian or otherkin: what it means, what to say and what to watch for.
- Folklore Is Not IdentityAn essay on the difference between werewolf folklore and therian identity: what they share, why they are confused, and why they sit on separate shelves.
- StoriesStories from Werelibrary.com: the selkie tale of the seal wife and the medieval tale of the werewolf knight, retold in plain prose, with one original story.
- The Seal Wife of the Outer SkerryThe old northern selkie tale, retold: a fisherman takes a sealskin from the rocks, a woman of the sea keeps his house, and a child finds what was hidden.
- The Knight in the Wolf's CoatThe medieval tale of the werewolf knight, retold: a baron who becomes a wolf, a wife who steals his clothes, and a king who knows a gentleman in any coat.
- The Gate at DuskAn original short story: a tired traveler comes at dusk to a walled garden where the gate is never shut, and is asked a question that can wait until morning.
- Five Poems for the GardenFive short original poems from Werelibrary.com on phantom tails, a heron at the water's edge, moonrise, the seal wife's skin, and a gate left open at dusk.
The gatehouse
About the library itself, and the quiet places within it.
- About the LibraryWerelibrary.com is an independent reading garden for therianthropy, otherkin and shapeshifter lore. Learn what it is for, how it is arranged and who keeps it.
- Editorial PrinciplesHow Werelibrary.com is written and checked: identity, folklore and fiction kept on separate shelves, uncertainty stated honestly, living traditions respected.
- The Contemplation GardenA quiet page for sitting and thinking: a slow breathing circle and thirty gentle reflections for therians, otherkin and anyone considering who they are.
- Search the LibrarySearch every page of Werelibrary.com: guides to therianthropy and otherkin, werewolf and shapeshifter folklore, the glossary, essays, stories and poems.
- PrivacyWerelibrary.com uses no cookies, no analytics and no tracking, and collects no personal information. One small preference is stored in your own browser.
- Terms of UseThe terms on which Werelibrary.com is offered: free to read, for general information only, not medical advice, with folklore presented strictly as folklore.