Rosalyn Greene

Not recommended! This book has just enough information in it to avoid being a complete waste of time but much of it is misinterpreted through the author's own biases or downright dangerous. The author had a good opportunity to explore a fascinating subject and failed utterly at doing so.

Scholarship is poor; the book lists a bibliography but seldom contains footnotes. The few footnotes listed largely refer to one outdated publication. Her attempt to include in her writings "all werebeasts" is a complete failure. Most of the materials either refer to werewolves or make contemptuous and uneducated assumptions about other types of animal totems.

Organization of material is poor and the book needed serious editing before going into publications. Large sections of chapters repeat information already given nearly verbatim and at least two chapters are repeats of information given in earlier chapters.

Much of the information is downright dangerous. The author discourages any sort of therapy to deal with emotional problems and takes a hostile attitude toward anyone with psychiatric or physical problems, declaring them inferior and therefore unable to assimilate any of the information. At one point, she seems to be implying that a shapeshifter can avoid being shot simply because the bullet and the shapeshifter are not on the same plane. The last section of the book is most dangerous, as she recommends the use of several herbs known to be poisonous even if handled correctly. These are herbs which many experienced magic users will not touch and which experienced herbologists and holistic healers avoid. She also fails to identify what is obviously a description of the datura family of plants. A layperson could easily find the true information regarding the 'fabled' moonflower.… (mais)

Other reviewers have already pointed out that this book is full of misinformation, and that many of Ms. Greene's statements are not documented or backed up by research. I found that not only was the work comprised of many opinions and needless anthropomorphizing, some of it is outright dangerous.

At one point she states that a shifter can't be killed in their animal form because bullets are on a different vibrational plane. She further suggests using wolf's bane (aconite), foxglove, and the supposedly mythical moonflower. Her description of moonflower is clearly the datura plant which is not at all mythical and is very poisonous. Wolf's bane will also kill you, and you shouldn't take foxglove unless your physician has prescribed digitalis. I'm afraid someone will take these suggestions seriously despite her warnings that they "may" be dangerous and that they will wind up dead.

Anyone new to shapeshifting would do better to skip this book and look for the work of Lupa or Ted Andrews.… (mais)

A book that should be taken with not only a grain of salt but with a bucket load of salt. This book does have some interesting information and view-points on the nature of real-life ‘shifters’ (or therianthropes as they more commonly called), but much of it is surrounded by incorrect, inaccurate, unreliable, and misleading information. She does not site her sources and facts very well or at all through out the book. While some of the takes of shifting is quite interesting and in some ways eye-opening, other subjects and information given is quite incorrect from my experiences as a therianthrope myself.

Two of the mostly blindingly obvious inaccuracies for someone who knows about therianthropy with this book is when she states that being a 'fox shifter' is only a “phase” and that they will later “mature” into another species; and the authors statement that all therians have totem animals that are the same species as their animal within. All in all, taken with a lot of caution and some beforehand knowledge on therianthropy, this book can be an somewhat interesting read for some. Be warry though.… (mais)

I cannot begin to explain the problems with this book.
As a therianthrope who has been with the community for about 4 years, and a studying pagan for 2, I do not consider myself to be – by ANY means – an expert.
However, I can form a bulleted list of incorrect statements Greene has made within this book.
-Black animals (as well as animals with red eyes) are ‘evil’ and should not be used as familiars.
The issue here ought to be obvious. If I may note my own anecdotal information, my first animal ‘guide’(of sorts) was a black German shepherd/Labrador; she was not, by any definition, “evil”.

-One should look to the furry community for information about ‘shifters’.
While this could be a matter of opinion, it should be noted that ‘furries’ (people who draw or are interested in anthropomorphic art) do not at any point claim that their connection to animals is spiritual. Some therians are furries, and vice versa (like myself), however, drawing a connection is like saying that the gay community is a good place to get information about therians, since some therians are gay.

-Physical shifters are common. They are down-to-earth, mature people. Physical shifting is no stranger than many other beliefs.
People who claim to be able to ‘p-shift’ are few and far between (thankfully), and are generally loud, obnoxious, young people who have a problem not being ‘special’ enough. Remember, as another therian said once, ‘that’s short-bus special. You don’t want to be that kind of special’.

-Most therians go through a ‘fox stage’, in which their ‘shifting type’ is fox.
Fox therians would certainly object to this one, as would most other therians. The idea behind therianthropy is that it is a part of ourselves that remains constant- that is, no less constant than a ‘human self’. We change and mature, but our species do not change.

-Most therians belong to a ‘real life’ ‘pack’.
While I’m sure that some therians do belong to packs (and it’s something I’d love to be involved with myself), the reality is that therians are fairly few and far between. In addition, many are young, since that is the generation that’s on the internet most commonly. This makes it difficult-to-impossible to organize and maintain a family-type group.
As a side-note, not all therians are social people – or social animals, for that matter. Many have no interest in meeting and ‘grouping up’ with other therians.

-Foxes are immature and playful, and wolves are more mature and serious.
Not only is this a very anthropomorphic statement, it also shows Greene’s ignorance about her OWN theriotype. Wolves (like other animals, including humans) each have their own personality. However, being that wolves are very social animals, it’s not all that uncommon for them to have very playful, social personalities.
Foxes, on the other hand, are generally thought to be mostly ‘loners’, although they have been discovered to be more social than once thought, in recent years. Still, it stands that each fox has hir own personality.

-Werewolf legends are true and refer to therians who had not lost the ability to p-shift.
Since they are legends, it is possible for them to be based on fact, (seizures, diabetes, etc, observed and misunderstood) but – just like now – physical shifting is scientifically impossible.
Also, therianthropy as we know it today started in 1992, on alt.horror.werewolves. While it is likely that therians existed in some form before 1992, they were (most likely) never in any organized groups with any set definitions.

-There is a large offline group running parallel to the online ‘therianthropy’ called ‘shifters’.
Of course, there is no way of saying for certain that such a group does not exist. Nevertheless, this ‘group’ developed in such a profoundly similar way to therianthropy that it leads one to be a bit suspicious.

-You can become a therian.
It is generally agreed in the community that – with the exception of walk-ins – you cannot become a therian. You are or you’re not. This is not always clear in some areas, and has been the topic of discussion on occasion, however, for the most part, it is undisputed.

-Different types of therians have set types of personalities.
As I said before, everyone (human and non) has a distinct personality all their own, and cannot be boxed in based on the animal they identify with. Naturally, if someone considers themselves to have traits that are obviously contradictory to the nature of their theriotype, (such as ‘lone wolf’, as Greene has been called) then they should do some soul-searching and research and seriously consider the idea that they have ‘misidentified’.

-Hereditary is a good word for therians who are ‘born, not made’.
he⋅red⋅i⋅tar⋅y
–adjective
1. passing, or capable of passing, naturally from parent to offspring through the genes: Blue eyes are hereditary in our family.
2. of or pertaining to inheritance or heredity: a hereditary title.
3. existing by reason of feeling, opinions, or prejudices held by predecessors: a hereditary enemy.

There are a million little things in this book that I take offense to, and I have left most of them out. If you are new to the therian community, I highly recommend a jog around the internet community to learn some more, or if you’re interested in a book, take a look at Lupa’s ‘A Field Guide To Otherkin’. If you are a well-versed member of the therian community, feel free to take a look, but keep a truckload of salt nearby.… (mais)