ulfrvif: Stylized, Nordic wolf head. (Default)

On Saturday, May 20, 2017 my mate and I found ourselves lost in North Dakota. We were in the right city, and close to our destination, but we couldn't find the correct apartment. We do not carry a cell phone for various reasons, but we did have a laptop. We found wifi and sent our contact a message. Soon, we were located and rescued by Wolfmage who led us to his home.

A Feast and Games

Shortly afterwards, we met up with Russian and his partner at their place. They had an extraordinary amount of food prepare for us. Pork tenderloin, and a whole chicken cooked to perfection in Russian's smoker. There was also biscuits and baked potatoes. Bax and I were weary and hungry from our 8 hour drive. I didn't have the mind to take photos of all of this delicious food, but it still won't be forgotten.

We played “Exploding Kittens” and “Cards Against Humanity”. I'd never played “Exploding Kittens” before, but I had beginner's luck. I actually won. I was so distracted by the games and my new surroundings that I almost missed out on my first tasting of the famous drink that Wolfmage had been telling us about. But I stole my mate's glass. More about that in a moment.

Wolf Therians Hunt for Breakfast

On Sunday morning, Wolfmage, Bax, and I went to both an IHOP and a Perkins, but the wait was very long at both. Rather than deal with the crowds, I volunteered to cook breakfast. So, next was a trip to a grocery store where Wolfmage bought bacon, biscuits, eggs, and sausage. I enjoyed cooking, and we we all had an awesome breakfast. The bacon was thick-cut! We just chilled for a while until Russian was available to meet us at our next location.

Mead Tasting

The sweet golden liquid flowed genially from the prairie rose and in many tantalizing flavours. Mead is older than beer. It's an ancient drink made of honey, water, and yeast. Other fruits and spices can be added for flavor during the fermentation process.

There is often discussion about how Therianthropy and alcohol do not mix. I used to think that when younger, but I'm wiser now. Like everything else about Therianthropy, that depends on the individual. Sometimes, I feel more shifted or shift easier when intoxicated, but other times it has no affect.

After purchasing a few samples of flavors and a tour around the facility, the owner of the meadery decided to keep handing us sample of flavors that we had not tried. The first samples had been small shot-glasses - ginger, star anise, pineapple chipolte, mint, and more. The free samples were full-sized wine glasses - plum, cherry, and raspberry. I left there drunk for sure. But mead is a good kind of drunk. It's warm and relaxing. Mead is friendly and inviting. It's also the drink of the Gods. Bax and I purchased a bottle of Traditional, Vanilla Cinnamon, and Chocolate Orange. I think most alcoholic drinks that are chocolate flavoured are disgusting. This mead was perfection.

Interview

Now that we'd all had some alcohol to loosen the nerves and stifle the inhibitions, we recorded the video for the Therian Nation interview. That's available on Youtube.

Food, Dessert, and More Drinks!

It was into the afternoon now, and time for dinner. We chose a Mongolian buffet to eat at. It was interesting to watch my food be grilled, though I did not add enough sauce to my noodles. It was still tasty though.

Russian and his partner insisted that we go to a nearby Irish Pub for the dessert. I'm so glad they did. I won't forget that bread pudding with whisky sauce or the Irish Cream Cake for some time yet. Both were absolutely amazing! There was more Therianthropy chat. The atmosphere of the pub was nice, and I couldn't resist trying their pear cider. It was nice and refreshing.

Sadly, we needed to part ways with Russian and his partner. We enjoyed Wolfmage's company another night before leaving early in the morning. It was a good Howl. I've accomplished a couple goals on this trip. I've met other Therianthropes in person and I was also allowed to interview them. Thanks for all of the wonderful memories, Wolfmage and Russian!

ulfrvif: Stylized, Nordic wolf head. (Default)
This was shared as part of Therian Nation.

The related video is available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19UCVej1Wu8

Hi. I’m Shannon Jackson. I’m also known as Wolf Daughter in the Therian community. Recently, I took on the name Ulfrvif (Wolf Woman).

I’m 30 years old. I attended 5 years of university to earn a BFA in graphic design and painting. I’m currently  working full time in that field as a graphic designer and printer assistant. My hobbies include hiking, camping, and canoeing. I enjoy being out in the remote wilderness. I enjoy archery. I also practice HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts), with the main focus currently being on the German longsword.

I am a Wolf Therianthrope. My life is not entirely human. I consider myself to be both spiritually and psychologically a wolf. I think spirit works through and with the physical body, including the brain. I interpret aspects of my mentality and behavior as wolf. I have identified as a Wolf Therianthrope for 17-18 years, since I was 12-13 years old. I’ve never felt like I quite fit in with humans. But I can’t deny that I’m also human. That’s very obvious.

Therianthropy is about existing in two different worlds at the same time. It’s about having two different perspectives on life. I’m human and I’m something else. I actually think it’s really important. The world needs multiple perspectives and diversity. It’d be a really boring place if everybody thought the same, and experienced the same things.

For me, personally, Therianthropy is not about wearing ears, and tails, and looking cute. For me, being a Wolf Therianthrope is about personal power and inner strength. It’s about perseverance in difficult times. For example, wolves can go a long time without eating. It’s about survival. Being wolf is just about raw existence. It is a connection to nature, and a deeper, integral, and instinctual part of myself, the animal within. For me, it means to be tough and rugged. My life hasn’t been kind or easy, and I wouldn’t be alive today, if it wasn’t for tapping into that instinctual part of myself.

Therianthropy does makes navigating and interacting within the human world a bit harder for me. I think Katmandu said it really well in the A.H.W.W FAQ from 1994. 

“We exist in the human world, but long to seek connections with the animal one. We cannot completely leave the human world, nor completely enter the animal one. We are in-between, half animal and half human in psyche…mental or spiritual, shapechangers.”

Wolves are elusive creatures who are wary of humans. This causes me to have some anxiety. Although, wolves are also curious creatures. Being fearful of and inquisitive about people at the same time is a strange dichotomy. It’s a challenge in and of itself that I must deal with every day, but Therianthropy is not about shying away from responsibility. Being a Therianthrope is about taking on life’s challenges head-on with determination.

How do I know that I’m wolf? I seem to be more alert and aware of my surroundings. I’m more attentive to the information that my senses are bringing in. I watch, listen, and smell is also important. The calls and body language of other animals and humans are important.

Think of it this way–humans use phones to constantly be connected to the internet and that web of information. A wolf’s senses and awareness keep it plugged into the environment and all of that information that is available. A tremendous amount of communication takes place in nature between the plants, animals, and the environment.

When I say that Therianthropy is about personal power and raw instinct, it’s also about learning to control and balance that with being human. We can’t escape being human. We have to accept that part of ourselves too. It’s really hard to sum up all of this in a few minutes. It’s really impossible, and everyone has a slightly different experience. But I hope that gives you an idea of what my life is like as a Wolf Therianthrope. Thanks for reading.

Wolf Daughter/Ulfrvif

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