The Carved Stones
Symbols and Emblems
These communities have few symbols, and wear them lightly. Each was made by ordinary members for their own use, and none is owned or regulated by anybody.
The theta-delta
The emblem of therianthropy
The theta-delta joins two Greek capital letters. Theta, an oval crossed by a bar, is the first letter of therion, the Greek for a wild animal. Delta, a triangle, is the letter used throughout the sciences to stand for change. It was designed in 2003 by members of a therian forum.
It is drawn in several ways, with the theta over, inside, or interlaced with the delta. All are in use. It appears on pendants and rings, in the corners of drawings, and beside signatures. To those who do not know it, it is simply two letters, and that discretion is much of its appeal.
The seven-pointed star
The emblem of the otherkin
The star of seven points drawn in one continuous line, properly a heptagram, is the oldest symbol in these communities. It was used by self-described elves in the 1970s, who called it the elven star, and is also known as the faery star. As the otherkin community grew out of those circles it kept the star and widened its meaning to all kin.
The seven points have been given many interpretations: the four directions with above, below and within; seven kinds of being; seven stages of a path. None is official. The star is also used in several unrelated spiritual traditions, so its appearance does not always signify otherkin.
The paw print
An informal sign
The paw print has no formal standing, but it is everywhere: on bags, bracelets and profile pictures. It is a friendly, general sign of fellow feeling with animals, and it is used by a great many people who are not therians. A paw print on someone's jacket tells you only that they like animals, and should be read no further than that.
The crescent moon
A borrowing from legend
The moon belongs to werewolf legend, not to therianthropy. The moon has no effect on therians. Even so, the community began among lovers of werewolf stories and has kept an affection for the image. It is used as decoration and as a quiet nod to those origins, and it carries no claim.
Flags
In recent years many flags have been designed for therians, for otherkin, and for particular theriotypes and kintypes, usually in bands of earth and forest colors and often bearing the theta-delta or the star. They are made and shared by individual members. There is no single agreed flag for either community, and different designs are popular in different places. Any of them is best understood as one person's offering.
Things worn
Tails, ears, collars and painted masks are sometimes called symbols, but they are better thought of as gear: a means of expression and of comfort for the person wearing them. Mask-making in particular has become a craft of real skill. Gear is entirely optional. Many therians of long standing have never owned any, and wearing it does not make anyone a therian.
The emblem of the library
The small device at the head of every page of Werelibrary.com shows an arched gateway, and within it a tree with a crescent moon above. The arch is the garden gate, which stands open. The tree is the one at the middle of the garden, where the four paths meet. The moon is for the old stories. It is our own mark and stands for nothing but this place.
Wearing a symbol
Anyone may wear these signs, and nobody is obliged to. A few courtesies are generally observed. Do not assume that someone wearing a symbol wishes to discuss it. Do not use one to claim an authority you do not have. And remember that a symbol recognized by friends may be recognized by others too, so each person should decide for themselves how visible they wish to be.