Everything Under the Moon

Hey all,

I was wondering if anyone had any information about this lore. I'm fairly interested in learning as much as I can about it. I have done some online research and have been looking around for a few years. If anyone has insight to the mythology, lore, or any information at all about it I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks,

Linx

I can't think of any specifics at the moment, but I believe that shapeshifters are fairly ubiquitous around the world. That, in itself, makes me think that the concept is not entirely imaginary.

Snow

Well thanks for at least taking the time to think about it, I appreciate it. I have been looking for any lore about it and any research and was wondering if you guys personally had come across any. The internet is very inaccurate and this topic has caught my curiosity for some time.

If anyone else has any information just feel free to let me know. =)

Thanks,

Linx

If you're from the states I would suggest looking into the Native American histories and myths. I wouldn't say such a thing couldn't exist, but you have to remember that such things have always been viewed as evil and if they did exist, they probably would have been hunted down centuries ago.

I can tell you that more than once, I have looked in the mirror and found a feline aspect superimposed over my human aspect.

Snow

Strange you posted this thread just when I started reading about Eastern European shamanism. There is a lot written about men turning into wolves and even a king being a shapeshifter too.
I agree, every culture's got lore about skinwalkers and shapeshifters and therefore it can't all be fictional.
I would suggest you read through some of the Slavic myths and lore, you may find something interesting there.
Also, I like Twilight's suggestion.

Yeah I think looking into Native Americans and Slavic lore is a place to start looking further. I have read up on some of the lore of Skinwalkers and the Volkolak from Slavic lore. My mothers side of the family is Tejano/ Cherokee indian and have always had interest in studying as much as I can about Skin-Walkers.

I've heard stories about them ever since I was a little kid and was fascinated with the idea of transforming into an animal. Now I realize that isn't something that I can physically do but I do align myself with a wolf. What I mean by that is I just feel a wolf "spirit" or "guide" at some times during my life. It's almost like it helps in making certain decisions or decide on crossroads in my life.

I know this might seem a bit crazy but I've always been on the more spiritual side and thought it would be worth sharing. The reason I'm also interested in all of this is I want to know if there is some truth to the werewolf phenomenon because of how much it has been advertised throughout the ages. It's most definitely possible that they could have been hunted down but from my research I think that there might just be very few that hide themselves in the public. I think now that attention has died down on actually hunting them they might finally have settled and or started repopulating.

Again, this is all speculation but just something I wanted to share an interest on. If anyone comes across any good books or material that isn't easily available on the internet that would be awesome. I think that the internet has a way in manipulating the facts to fiction.

Thanks,

Linx

I have identified as feline for a long time. One night though, I danced on the roof tops as a fox, with my friend Raymond. He was known as TrickFox. That experience happened in the astral two days before he passed.

Snow

I'm very sorry to hear about your friend's passing... didn't mean to bring up any sad memories. I am curious about this experience though and I assume when you say Astral you mean Astral Projection? Do you mind elaborating on how you were able to accomplish this and the experience? I've heard of being able to do this by yourself but haven't heard of someone being able to do this together.

If that not a subject your wanting to discuss giving your friend's passing I completely understand.

I spend a lot of my sleep time in the astral plane. In the case of my dance on the roof tops, I think Raymond initiated it. We never physically met in person, but we talked on the phone, and knew each other online. I think that closeness made it possible for us to meet in the astral. That wasn't the first time it had happened.

I don't know exactly how I access the astral. I just do. It may have been something I started doing as an escape route. Or it may be something I learned, but don't remember learning. I think many of our abilities are carried over from previous lifetimes.

Snow

Well thanks for sharing that information SnowCat, this means a lot. If you ever have some time for me to pick your brain about it just let me know. I'd like to see if it's something I can pick your brain a bit more on since I think you have a very unique gift that I'd like to understand more about.

I might look into other ways to access the Astral. I think this would be a good start for a spiritual journey.

You can pm me, or we can continue the discussion here.

Snow

I happen to own a book, The Magic of Shapeshifting by Rosalyn Greene, all about this subject and learning to shift (mentally, emotionally, astrally, and/or physically) yourself. I don't agree with everything she says, but she gave me a lot of good advice on contacting my own inner animal (which is pretty prominent in me), at least. (Even if I have no idea what my inner animal actually is...)

As far as lore goes... shapeshifting seems to be a pretty universal belief, as has been said. It's also a pretty universal mythos that there have existed humans who could shift into an animal form. Canines are arguably the most well-known, but avians are also fairly common. There are the selkies, who could change into seals, as well. Some shapeshifters, according to legend, needed assistance to shift (like selkies and skinwalkers), while others could shift at will, and still others were bound to the changes of the moon or seasons (I'm looking at you, weres). It all depends on which category of mythos you're looking at.

Some attribute the first "werewolf" to the Roman myth of King Lycaon, a once-human king who tested Zeus by feeding him the roasted flesh of one of his sons, to see if the king of the gods was really omniscient (yay for serving children up for dinner. Take it from Tantalus. Because it worked out so well for him). Zeus, naturally, was incensed. He turned Lycaon into a wolf and killed his other fifty sons with lightning bolts, returning the son Lycaon had killed himself back to life.

Just a couple of cents from the other end of the world. ;3