The Otherkin Avatar Project

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By Michelle Belanger.

It's basically a very detailed account of a ritual that's supposed to be marinated in "Otherkin energy", rather than being religious in nature. She works with the otherkin star as a visual base, and then calls upon various watchtower-like spirits for each star point that is supposed to symbolically represent the otherkin races (yes yes, I know that the star symbol itself is debatable, this is just how she uses and describes it). Symbols have popped up for her, and each symbol corresponds to a star point and the beings covered in that particular point.

But then it ends up being a full-out channeling session, with each star point spirit (or Avatar as she calls them) speaking to and through her.

My opinion? It sounds interesting, but I'm neutral so far. There's a few things I don't understand (like having felines with one spirit, but general therians placed with another), but it's all relative I guess. Besides, I never liked the idea of the star as an otherkin symbol in the first place, because I was used to it being the symbol of Ishtar before. Seeing the star in this way is just weird to me. But I can appreciate using it as a ritual base, seeing as I like to form a ritual around a symbol in a similar way. I think it helps with the focus, instead of just doing something big like this spontaneously. I also like her as an occult writer ("Walking the Twilight Path" is one of my favorites from her), but not sure of her as an otherkin writer. I'm not familiar with vampires and haven't read her vampire-themed works so I cannot say one way or another.

So, what do you guys think about this article? Figured peeps here would find this interesting at least.

Does nothing for me at all.

This comment here was the heart of the trip-up, as far as I'm concerned:

Quote:What I needed to do was design a ritual that was completely Otherkin in energy

I don't believe there is any such thing as otherkin energy. I don't think that otherkin fit into some kind of over-arching system; my personal situation and energy are similar to other shadows in human form, but not to dragons, elves, fae, or whatever.

I think the problem I have with that article is the seemingly inbuilt assumption that "otherkin" is actually a natural category. It's not. It's not a category like "quadrelaterals" . . . it's more like "anything that's not a triangle".

Archer Wrote:Does nothing for me at all.

This comment here was the heart of the trip-up, as far as I'm concerned:

Quote:What I needed to do was design a ritual that was completely Otherkin in energy

I don't believe there is any such thing as otherkin energy. I don't think that otherkin fit into some kind of over-arching system; my personal situation and energy are similar to other shadows in human form, but not to dragons, elves, fae, or whatever.

I think the problem I have with that article is the seemingly inbuilt assumption that "otherkin" is actually a natural category. It's not. It's not a category like "quadrelaterals" . . . it's more like "anything that's not a triangle".

Triangle energy was so last century. Let's use trapezoid with a pinch of dodecahedron for some really juicy results.

I totally call the watchtower of stellated icosikatrihedrons!!

*shows teeth* I hate it when people try stuff like this. Whether or not she's successful, she's still attempting to use the energies of others without permission.

Deros Wrote:*shows teeth* I hate it when people try stuff like this. Whether or not she's successful, she's still attempting to use the energies of others without permission.

She says she is a Vampire. <!-- s --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_biggrin.gif" alt=":D" title="Very Happy" /><!-- s -->

Deros Wrote:*shows teeth* I hate it when people try stuff like this. Whether or not she's successful, she's still attempting to use the energies of others without permission.

??

She's channeling the energy of these so-called spirits...she's not forcing them to. I don't get what the issue is here.

Actually, I read this on Rending the Veil the night before you posted it.

I think, that, while it *could* be effective, it's simply too... stereotypical?

Perhaps a revised version of it would be wonderful.

Honestly, my main criticism, though, is that I just couldn't find a spot on there for myself at all. XD

I have to admit that I found the whole thing rather strange to read.

Firstly, like Archer, I don't really believe in an 'otherkin energy'. Similarly, I think a list of 'problems facing the otherkin community' would be pretty short simply because the sorts of problems shared by all kin are not numerous. We are individuals, after all. I don't see the big point to this ritual (besides Belanger's wanting to offer something at a gathering). If one wanted to work through any problems facing otherkin, would a ritual be necessary? Would such a general ritual be appropriate even?

I'm sort of dubious about these spirits as well. They are interesting, but I would not say that they really represent the entirety of the races they are meant to stand for. Shiri would be elven, but I would place my caste between two archetypes spirits, and not firmly with the elven one.

Then again, I don't do rituals and never have (am rubbish with too much outside structure). There is maybe something to all of this that I don't understand because of that.

simim23 Wrote:I totally call the watchtower of stellated icosikatrihedrons!!

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