Astraythealterhuman - Astray - Tumblr Blog

Dreamweaver

I have been questioning some things about my identity lately. I am not ready yet to talk about my kintype, but I have been thinking about my abilities regardless of kintype and I wanted to share that.

When it comes to my connection to stars, I have identified as one on and off, but I feel strongly like I have star magic powers. This includes different kinds of (star)light magic, such as conjuring light, healing with light and attacking with (star)light magic by for example raining down stars, and it includes magic from the constellations. I can draw power from different constellations, resulting in different attacks, defense, or making me stronger or more agile and other boosts and more that I have yet to figure out exactly.

Another thing I have been focusing on are my dream abilities. I believe that as my kintype, I am a dreamwalker and dreamweaver. As a dreamwalker I can enter people's dreams or the dreaming world that I usually call the Dream. As a dreamweaver, I have multiple dream manipulation abilities. Within the Dream, I have the following abilities as a dreamweaver; shapeshifting, intangibility (including flight and underwater breathing), control of the weather, control over all the elements, resurrection, invisibility, and more abilities depending on what I need. I can also know what is going to happen next in the Dream. These are all abilities I have in my dreams now, but as my kintype they are much more reliable. I have felt insecure about having dream abilities as my kintype before, worrying that I only have a connection to dreams but not actual powers connected to it. I realized though, that as I have these abilities in a lesser capacity even now, I don't have to question myself. In the past I have thought these abilities I have in dreams are the abilities I would have as my kintype. I miss having all these abilities in wake life very much. It is only recently when I thought about it and dissected it, that it makes more sense to me that I am a dreamweaver, and that as my kintype I still only have most of my abilities in the Dream only.

I feel very excited about this discovery and very content. It makes a lot of sense to me and I feel quite proud of my abilties. Dreams mean the world to me, they have helped me to keep going and as my life as a severely chronically ill and disabled person has become very small, my dreams expand my horizon. My connection to the stars makes me feel less alone, and drawing from the constellations as my kintype feels like reconnecting to old friends.

That is what I wanted to share, thank you for reading.

Menstruation Self-Care for Therians

Menstruating is an often painful, difficult to deal with part of the month for many people. It's not often discussed in the therian community, but given that quite a few critters in this community likely do experience one, I decided to pull together a guide specifically for therians on how to deal with it in a more alleviating way. This is more geared towards mammal therians so non-mammals, I highly encourage you to make one of these for your kin-kind. ^^

Note: I am not a medical professional. Please see a doctor if you are concerned about irregularities or if you want to take any medications or herbal supplements. Your health is important! Advocate for your needs as AFAB folks aren't taken seriously, and you deserve to be heard.

1: Create a den, burrow, nest, etc.

Naturally, make a space for yourself that feels comfy and can be restful. If you enjoy warmth on your period, it can be helpful to use a heat blanket as well as the "floor" of your area to rest your back or stomach on. Low light can also help with resting the body and encourage relaxation, so blankets, tapestries, and other fabrics hanging over the spot can work wonders. A designated area in general provides a feeling of relief and seclusion.

2: Gentle movement is important

Menstruation can feel debilitating in some people. While movement may feel impossible, small amounts can add up. I will not tell you to walk, lift weights, or go for a run like most sites seem to do. If you don't have the capacity to do those activities, you don't have to! That said, yoga and stretching can be great tools for improved pain quickly. The cobra pose, cow pose, and cat pose can be particularly beneficial given that they stretch the back and pelvis. Even laying on your back and moving a leg up and over a few times can be enough. If you can, swimming is also a great exercise as water itself can be soothing and provide relief on aching muscles.

3: Stay hydrated

While losing fluids, it's critical to replenish yourself! Have water as much as possible and if you have access, water-rich fruits like watermelon and cucumber can be both nutritious and hydrating. Ginger tea and mint tea can provide anti-inflammatory and nausea easing benefits too. Even better, mint has some history of helping with hormonal acne too if it's a concern of yours!

4: Eat like an animal

This unfortunately means avoid a lot of processed food. Salty, sweet, fried, and spicy things are always so awesome, but they can also worsen symptoms. This is a great excuse to somewhat mimic your theriotype! Chicken, beef, eggs, and fish are all amazing for you and can replenish some iron and omega-3. Leafy greens are GREAT in general for health. Fruits and berries can work wonders for the body and be so sweet. If possible, I'd also add turmeric (which is actually safe for most animals) as it has a pain relieving and anti inflammatory effect.

5: Menstrual products can be hazardous

I'm sure many of us have seen the unfortunate recent news about even organic pads and tampons containing heavy metals dangerous to the reproductive system. Not only that but some manufactured period products can worsen cramps, prolong bleeding, or even come with serious health risks such as toxic shock syndrome. I personally don't recommend using tampons for a number of reasons, so here is what I have success with as someone who used to have painful and heavy, long lasting periods:

Reusable cloth pads from a small business. Cloth pads can be washed repeatedly which makes it a far more sustainable option, and they don't come with the same heavy metals and shredding fabrics that other pads do.

Menstrual cup or menstrual disc. Another great option that allows blood to collect into a pool instead of being held by a cotton item. I've noticed it reduces the length of my periods, but can be uncomfortable for some.

Period underwear. Feels like free bleeding and can be easily cleaned. Most come in black and are made of pure cotton.

Free bleed waterproof blanket/towel. Sometimes, it's comfiest to have no product! Waterproof blankets can be purchased specifically to sleep on top of for this reason and can be easily cleaned off. This is practical for bed time or when you're home alone and have that choice.

Always keep your items clean, take them off when you can, and research the product you use for safety.

6: Keep track and prepare ahead of time

Write down when you get your period and if you experience spotting, pain, nausea, and so on. Keep track of your month for your own sake so you can tell if you're having regular periods, issues that concern you regularly, and to prepare for the next month. These journals can serve as valuable tools if you ever need to see a doctor and help you understand your own cycle!

7: Allow yourself to be "feral"

This is a slight misnomer, but allow yourself to be an adult animal! If you feel comfortable with mammalhood, let yourself grow your hair out on your body if you want to. Take off the bra if you always wear one or if you wear a binder, take more breaks! Your sore chest will appreciate it. Rest often, get fresh air, and use this as a time of rest and recovery. Think of it even as a reason to feel more animalistic and embrace those feelings given the monthly aspect of it (weres anyone?).

Another thing someone can do that may sound gross is return their blood back to the Earth. Menstrual blood has lots of benefits for the ground and mixing it with water can be great for plants outdoors and bring some life back to the soil. Periods are not disgusting or something to punish someone for having.

Love you all and I hope this helps someone! If you have more tips for others that you'd like to share, please add them. 🌱

Cameos, flickers and experience taking

Cameo shifts, is the term in our community when you shift into something you do not identify as. When you get a new phantom shift of wings, or a sudden urge to howl like a wolf, but you know you do not identify as something with wings or a wolf, this is a cameo shift. Journaling can help, to see if such shifts keep reoccurring and if perhaps you do identify as something that seemed a cameo shift at first. If you get a shift that doesn't feel like an existing identity of yours, consider the possibility that it is a cameo shift.

Identity flickers are similar to cameo shifts, but you do identify as it briefly. These flickers can often be reoccurring. This means that when you get a shift and it isn't of your 'type, it still doesn't necessarily mean it is a new undiscovered 'type, but possibly an identity that you feel temporarily.

Experience taking is when you consume media of something and it makes you have cameos or identity flickers. For me, I am normally a fantasy creature, but when I consume sci-fi media I will strongly feel like I am a cyborg or ai, often as a cyborg kitsune. This identity is an identity flicker, brought on by experience taking.

I often see people having a shift once and asking for help to find out what 'type it is. I hope this will remind people that not everything has to be a 'type, and that introspection and time will help tell if it is, but having cameo shifts, identity flickers or to experience take are all valid explanations.

Rachel Litchman in our FUTURE issue.

I'm trying to look up and reason out why tigers like water and lions don't, because I'm bored I guess. And I was curious because at the big cat sanctuary I met a lioness who had been living with and was rescued with a tiger who taught her to play in the rain and snow. The caretakers say it's interesting because all their other lions typically go inside their dens to avoid the rain unlike the tigers. But even then, this lioness didn't play in the pool of water provided. None of the lions do. So it's got to be biologically ingrained in them.

I think it's location. I'm pretty sure Africa is home to way more dangerous predators in the water than where tigers reside. Like, the tiger IS the scary thing in the waters rather than the hippos and crocodiles of Africa. So it makes sense that lions avoid even pools in sanctuary settings, it's just ingrained in them to be wary of water.

And secondly I think the fur coats might make a difference. Maybe the tiger's thick fur can shake off rain better than lions, where it seeps right to the skin. Just built different!

I don't hate water, I used to go swimming a lot when I had the chance. It's one of those things that has me like: well, I guess that's the human part of me showing? But there's always animals that don't fit their stereotype and do quirky things anyways, like a water-loving domestic cat or a dog that doesn't chase balls. Categories and labels are so weird because there will always be an exception, everything is too unique.

Aquatic arts from this and last year! 🌊✨🐋

I am a hare

I am a hare. I see all. I bring messages from the fae. I run fast and far out of sight. My entire body is made for speed. I bravely cross the open lands and thump through the thicket. I rest in the witch's cabin in the scent of her spells. My fur smells of the earth and I carry its magic in my blood. I bring the dawn in the east. I am too clever to be trapped, I will not spill my secrets. My madness might overtake me, but I will persevere. I will flash the signal with the white underneath my tail and you can reward me with a sea of grass. I take refuge in my form, snuggling my ears tightly to my body for warmth. Under the full moon me and my sisters will meet and with silent stares we will share our dreams. Then I will disappear to receive a new message from the fae.

Originally posted on an old tumblr on September 25, 2022

  ⭒ shout out to the nonhumans who have to hide their posts behind trigger warnings because their 'types are commonly feared or disliked.   ⭒ shout out the nonhumans who feel uncomfortable in their bodies because their 'types have completely different body types to them.   ⭒ shout out to the nonhumans who's disability gives them species dysphoria. to the hearing-impaired nonhumans with 'types known for their amazing hearing. to the vision-impaired nonhumans who's 'types have exceptional eye sight. to the movement-impaired nonhumans with super agile and energetic 'types.   ⭒ shout out to the nonhumans with 'types who's characteristics don't line up with their own. to those with domestic 'types who like to be alone. to those with carnivorous 'types who are vegetarian. to those with solitary 'types who still long for a pack or a group to belong with.   ⭒ shout out the the nonhumans with holy / divine 'types who feel no connection to religion. to the angels with religious trauma. to the demons with religious families. shout out to every creature in this wonderful world, and those from other worlds too. our differences are what brings us together, and even if we cannot relate to others' experiences, even if we despise our own experiences, we are all nonhuman. we need not justify our nonhumanity to anyone. it is us, and that is all it needs to be. i love you all, and i am right here with you.

reflection in a pond

2024/05/18

Overhead friend

Sunday June 30th 2024 6:55am

Golden like honey

Friday June 28th 2024 7:59-8:00pm

I have been identifying as a shapeshifter for years now, but I finally realized something. When it comes to taking forms, I don't have to look at my involuntary experiences only, I can also voluntarily take a shape or look a certain way, just because I want to. Maybe that sounds like common sense, and I don't know why I didn't realize this sooner. I haven't tried it out much yet, and I wonder if it will feel similar to trying to link something. I can choose to present myself a certain way, but how will it feel? Will it be comfortable, will it feel forced? It is quite easy for me to mirror someone's form if I read about someone's detailed experience. A good post, or something that catches my attention, and the form takes shape. Maybe that can be a place to start, look for people with 'types that I'd like to shapeshift into more often.

I haven't even thought of what I'd like to be though. This is new for me, and quite exciting.

Field of pink

Otherkin/non-human/etc can someone maybe help me decipher my identity by maybe answering some questions?

(I'm posting with an anonomous throwaway acocunt)

I must be honest I don't understand or know all the terminology, so please bear with me

Do people usually "feel" what species they are? Is being born from homo sapiens and looking and acting like a homo sapien enough for someone to be human? Does one also have to "feel" human?

Whats the difference between depersonalization and "not feeling human" in the otherkin way? Is there a difference at all?

I wouldn't say I feel human or feel like I am anything. I'd imagine gender to compare. What is my gender? I picture it, and it's colorless, hazy, and ugly. Well no, that's wrong, it's indescribable. Putting my gender in any category seems incorrect. When I try to give it an adjective, its slips away. All I can say for sure is that my gender is far away and nothing special.

Someone said being otherkin an unchosen identity. I can wrap my head around that. I didn't choose to "feel" not in the gender binary, but I chose to use the label of nonbinary. Someone might involuntarily feel like an animal or mythical creature and so they choose to use the label "otherkin".

---

I'm curious about the seriousness of being other kin. I've created a "scale" to illustrate some various answers I've imagined:

1. I like this species of animal/mythical creature/concept/etc

2. I'd like to be this species

3. I relate to this species

4. I am inheritly connected to this species

5. I am this species

Of course everyone will have a different experience, but where on this scale do most people fall, both otherkin and not? What's the range of this list that would make someone accepted in the otherkin community? And what about on the outside? Would it be "faking" being otherkin to want to be another species but not "feeling" like you are? I imagine "not feeling human" may or may not come with each category depending on the person. In what way does not feeling human affect someone's desire to be something else or a connection felt with another species? Is there anyone who doesn't feel human that wished they did?

It seems that being otherkin is spiritual to many people. Where is the line drawn between religous beliefs and non-religous identity? Where's the line drawn between believing as you believe the sky is blue and playing pretend?

I don't see how being otherkin could harm anyone, so I'll respect it as I respect any other belief system. Whether or not any spiritual belief is real or not doesn't matter to me, people believe in it and it affects their lives so it might as well be real

It's not my purpose to be offensive or vindictive when I say this, but I am unsure of the "reality" of someone being in a human body but not being human

I want so desperately to believe it's real because I need escapism but at the same time I'm very skeptical. It seems like fantasy scenario

Genuinely, how serious is otherkin? How real is being nonhuman/alterhuman/etc?

----

Some otherkin seem to have an air of "I'm better than humans" that I can only assume comes from a hatred of modern society and self-hatred for being born into it. It's reminds me of harry potter fans calling people they dont like "muggles"

As far as I can tell, there's nothing wrong with being proud of being otherkin. Alot of people are proud of it. I wish I was something to be proud of

I can't say for sure why, but it stresses me out to know about otherkin. Maybe it's the idea that a person really can truly believe to be an animal/mythical creature, like a fantasy come true, but I'm not one of them. The idea that other people out there are living an impossible dream that I'm not

Call me a hater but I'm jealous that I cannot believe I'm anything more than worthless and untetherable

And when it comes to the thing you identify as, is it more like understanding what you are and then picking the label that fits (like how it is being queer), or is it more like picking out a favorite animal, or is it more like having knowledge of what you intrinsically are?

Could I call myself otherkin/alterhuman? Could just anyone? Legitimately, is there a difference between alterhumans and someone who would like to not be human but will never hear of the labels?

☁️UPDATE: Personality and bonding with other species.

🌪️Sɱσƙҽ ϝυɾιҽʂ🌪️

☁️¡Hola de nuevo, amigos! This post is about something very close to me, because I will be talking about my Smoke Fury kintype.

☁️Just to clarify, Smoke Furies are a Night Fury subspecies that is not portrayed in any httyd media, but since I don't certainly know if it is an original subspecies, I won't label it as one for now.

☁️I haven't seen someone in the non/alterhuman community use the Smoke Fury term before, so I assume there isn't any information about this subspecies and that I might be the first one to write data about them.

☁️But, have in mind that I will talk from my experience as one, and not all that I say is the full and only truth that exists about this subspecies, since I know there might be other fellow Smoke Furies out there.

☁️If you are one and have any information that I didn't write here and can be useful to enrich the Smoke Furies knowledge, please contact me on private messages and I will be sure to add that information to this post.

☁️Now, let's get started!

☁️Information☁️

•Smoke Furies are a subspecies of Night Furies, these subspecies have almost the same powers and physical abilities as the Night Furies.

•Their body shape is the same as the Night Furies, but their size is slightly bigger. Their skin color can vary between different shades of grey, plus, the spines on their bodies are white colored, larger and more pointed.

Furthermore, what characterizes them most are the white spiral marks that are scattered throughout their body, along with other white colored markings, or patterns, and their white colored under body. Smoke Furies can have blue or yellow eyes and their plasma is always the same color as their eyes.

•Males and females don't have any aspect that differentiates them from each other beyond their sex.

So far there has been no indication that an alpha Smoke Fury exists or can exist.

•This subespecies is lonely and independent, but they are happy that way, they like minding their own business and they like to be left alone, they enjoy the peacefulness. Although, they can still bond with other dragons even if they are not from the same species, but they definitely can't be tamed by humans. They can be very territorial too, but not always, it depends on the individual.

•Although, Smoke Furies have almost the same powers and physical abilities as Night Furies, they lack of the retractable teeth ability and the lightning cloak power.

Instead of this last one, Smoke Furies have the power to partially turn their body into smoke, to be able to blend in with fog and gray clouds. This power can prevent any attack from causing them too much damage, but they can still be damaged since their body is still physical.

Smoke Furies have more strength, especially on their wings and therefore they have more speed. Because of this, they are capable of forming small wind tornados the size of a medium room, but it doesn't last much, since it is an artificial tornado

•They usually hunt during the day, preferably on cloudy days, as they cannot find a natural way to blend their colors in the night. However, depending on how bad the hunt went at day, they may also hunt at night, but this is very rare.

•Smoke Furies seem to love and enjoy rainy days, thunderstorms, hurricanes and anything related to having gray clouds and water.

•Lastly, their diet consists of fish and meat, just as Night Furies, but they have to eat more because of their bigger body, and the quantity they eat can be increased by the strength or powers used in the day.

☁️That's all the information I have gathered for now! But will update this post as soon as I discover something new about this subspecies.

☁️If you have any questions about something related to the topics I touched in this post, then I'm more than happy to answer them! You can leave your question in the comments section or in the question box.

🍓Disclaimer: The images used on this blog don't belong to me, they belong to their respective authors on Pinterest. (At least that's where I got the images from).

🌌Mყ ʂƚαɾ ɯσʅϝ ʂριɾιƚ ϝσɾɱ🌌

☄️¡Hola, buenas noches! It's been a while since I last posted, sorry for that bahaha.

☄️For today's post I decided to talk about all the noemata I have gathered about one of my spirit forms; the star/aura wolf. Since a lot of data about this kintype of mine is still a mystery, this is going to be a short post, but not least interesting hehe.

☄️When referring to this form, I will be writing in third person to better explain this information, because if I don't, I am afraid that it can be quite confusing to understand, and a lot harder for me to explain since my first language is not English.

☄️And finally, just in case you are wondering how my star wolf form looks like, I recommend reading my second appearances post. There, with the help of an AI image generator, I show you more or less what I look like.

☄️So, without anything else to say, let's get started!

☄️Information☄️

To begin with, I would like to say that my star wolf form is a spirit, which in addition to being made of stars and northern lights, is also made of aura. But what kind of aura? Well, so far I only know that it is calm, serious, perceptive and wise, but there could be more aspects that I have not been able to acknowledge.

This theriotype of mine is old, very old, but I can't tell exactly how old it is and I don't know if it could be younger or older than the other spirits in the same rank. Although, I have come to believe that it is not older than or as old as Earth, and later I will explain why.

Since I am a genderfluid person that fluctuates between boy and girl, my types can be males or females, in this case, this kintype is a female.

Now, I know she was created by some benevolent being that is way more powerful than her, and I know too that there are other spirits like her, with their own functions and their own forms. Sadly, I haven't been able to know who their creator is.

She has a rank very close to her creator, as do other spirits like her. However, there are also spirits that are below her rank. Those spirits that are below this rank, are the ones who must obey the upper ranks orders, and in consequence, her.

Her creator considers her the most powerful and reliable, since she's very loyal and responsible with her duty. But, what exactly is her duty? Well, her duty consists in protecting/guarding the space, but especially the galaxy where Earth is, since her main duty is to protect the people who sleeps under it's night cloak. That's why I consider that she is just as old as the human race.

And I bet you're wondering now, what is she protecting all those things from? Well, that still needs to be discovered, but I don't feel like she is worried or disturbed about it. My theory is that it is an old "enemy" that is no longer existing, active or interested in attacking these things, and that the spirits continue these duties just in case it comes back, but at the moment I can't confirm anything.

Lastly but not least, her powers consist in everything related to the space, but for now I still don't have it very clear, since I haven't had much noemata about them. For now I just know that she can float through the universe and use the stars energy to gain strength.

☄️Well, I think that will be all for now. I will make sure to reblog if I make an important update so you don't miss it.

☄️So, without anything else to say, goodbye for now fellow alterhumans! <3

☄️If you have any questions about something related to the topics I touched in this post, then I'm more than happy to answer them! You can leave your question in the comments section or in the question box.

🍓Disclaimer: The images used on this blog don't belong to me, they belong to their respective authors on Pinterest. (At least that's where I got the images from).

I think a lot of us have felt like this before! So, to all of you reading this beautiful experience post from Nim, you're not alone! 💙

This post is about what happened yesterday, but I felt too insecure to immediately write about it. I do want to though, because perhaps others have similar experiences and I want to show that it is okay.

At this point, at age 35 and 6 years into being in the community, I feel like I have a good general sense of my alterhumanity. I don't have a lot of new experiences, but some of them seem to come and go now and again. The thing that I have been focused most on, is to find the right labels to cover my experiences and feelings. I don't really know why I find that so important, but I can't (yet) seem to stop trying. This time around, I thought I had it. Instead of trying to push everything under one label, I have embraced multiple, with reasons behind each of them, so it seemed to me that I had all my bases covered. But then yesterday my genderfluidity hit me and my gender moved away from astrumgender to something like princessgender. I didn't mind that incredibly much. I had hoped to become stable in that as well, because I felt so happy with my pronouns. Now my pronouns are up in the air for a while (please use what you are comfortable using for me or use my name) and with that move away from stars I suddenly realized; my alterhuman feelings around stars were gone too. My Vulpecula identity is a combination of my foxself and starself, but the star part was gone. I don't know how to explain it, how does it even feel to identify or not, but there is either something there, or not. I thought that wouldn't happen anymore, because my current labels, I thought, were based on experiences and not on feelings anyway.. and I guess that is right for the other ones, just not for the feeling of "star". However, with my Vulpecula identity switching into a fox identity only, I looked at my other labels and found I didn't feel voidling at all yesterday either. It made me panick a little, but I told myself this could just be a temporary hiccup. Maybe I didn't need to feel like I was something, to be it, and I do agree with that to some extent for my dogself or hareself. With my kintypes though, I felt like I wanted to let them go. This doesn't mean I don't still experience the things that fall under these labels, I just don't want to label them in this same way currently. For voidling, every noema is still a dream I have had, I just don't know if it is fully part of my *identity*, and I don't think it really has to be. I have tried to label my dreamself and those experiences so many times, but when I try too hard I put pressure on my dreams, and they don't feel as free and full of possibilities as they do when I don't.

So for now, I use fae for how I see myself physically, golden retriever therian for my dog experiences and identity, and European hare folcintera. I am also a fox and shapeshifter, but those are non-specified labels for now, that I will probably look into to see how I can fit them in, but really maybe they should just be vaguetypes.

Perhaps I let myself be guided by feelings over experiences too much. Maybe I will reapply the labels of voidling and Vulpecula as soon as I feel them again. I don't know. This is just how fluid I am, how unbound I let myself be. I take it day by day and from an outside perspective I might seem unstable in identity or undecided, but really I am just over-focused on finding the perfect labels.

Early morning moon before sunrise

Tuesday June 25th 2024 5:33am