(no subject)

[arethinn]

It's time for a revamp of my various filters, since they have been created in a confusion of "I think this person would be interested" with "I feel OK discussing this in front of this person" at various times. Thus, who's on what (and I don't know's on where?) is somewhat haphazard. I've decided to make my "topic" filters interest-based opt-in; it's more straightforward that way. (However, I reserve the right not to add you to a filter if I don't feel comfortable with it.) There are two such filters, and the number of the filters shall be two:

1. The otherkin filter, where I talk about stuff relevant to the idea that I (and other people) might in some way not be entirely human. If this very idea makes you go "WTFLOL CRAZYSAUCE!", this probably isn't the filter for you. I really don't like debating in my own journal. (In fact, if this very idea makes you go "WTFLOL CRAZYSAUCE" and also immediately changes your opinion of me to a negative one, even if up until now you agreed with or appreciated things I say, then I probably am not the friend for you.) I imagine most of you who are not interested are merely that, though, or are willing to tolerate the loony.

2. The paganism filter, for my more mystically-inclined posts having to do with my path through the witchy wilderness (as opposed to casual mentions of going to PantheaCon or what have you). A while back I created a separate journal, treeofstars, for these posts, because LJ had (has) no way to filter display of a specific journal, so that you could see only the posts made to a certain filter. The tagging system isn't ideal, because I have to remember to
tag the posts, but it's a lot less cumbersome than adding them to a memories section, plus I don't have the hassle of having to log in to a different journal to change things or unscreen comments, etc. I may crosspost to treeofstars but I think it feels more natural to have everything in my own personal journal. (Plus, I get more feedback that way.) Warning, however, that there may also be some level of otherkin content in this filter as well, since there is some relation between that and my spirituality. If this will get on your nerves, I suggest skipping it.

[Poll #861264]

For the curious: Most of my filters are reading-based and sort my unwieldy friends list into chunks.

• "Friends" is most of the individual people I've friended (although not aboslutely all - there's a few people I don't mind reading my locked posts, but just don't find myself interested in their journals. One of these days LJ will get around to separating these two functions...).
• "Highpri" is a subset of this, the journals I want to make sure to keep up on if I don't have time for the full list for some reason.
• "Communities" and "Feeds" are self-explanatory.
• "Images" is those journals and comms which are image-heavy, such as art or photo comms; I like to have these all in one place so they don't slow down loading of what would otherwise be mostly text (remember I am in the dial-up dark ages here).
• "Marketplace" is various selling journals and comms.
• There is one filter that is everyone but enotsola, should I ever wish to do something but keep it a secret from him (so far I've used this once, to ask for help finding a set of pint glasses for a Christmas present), and one that is the inverse, enotsola alone (although really, I should just email him - don't think I've ever used this).
• Lastly is the "close" filter, which is just that - people I consider close to me, or at least that I feel comfortable discussing more sensitive topics and information in front of (invitation only, heh).

Comments

[istari.livejournal.com]

I have no issues with the "Otherkin" idea because in heathen mythology/spiritual belief from much of Europe and even Slavic lands, people (and animals) after death don't always remain the same. The can be reborn into this world as a human, animal or anything, or into the Otherworld as something else.
There are tales of ancestors becoming or shapeshifting into dragon forms after death to be a guardian of their household and family line for a time. That concept is found in both Scandinavian and Baltic lore and there are many other such things.
The idea that you may not be entirely human is actually more "normal" sounding than thinking "human" is all you are when one is familiar with these heathen ways of old...
:)

[starlightforest.livejournal.com]

Thanks, that actually means a lot to me. I was kind of afraid of what responses I might get to this mention. It's never been hard to discover by reading my interests or website, but I don't think I've come out and said "OK, dig this..." in a (relatively) public post (this one is friends locked, since it deals with filters, which is only meaningful to people I have friended anyway).

I agree with what I think you are saying in your last sentence, that many/most people have non-human "components" or experiences of which they may be unaware, and that a "pure" human who had never been anything else would be the exception. To me it is mainly a question of focus of identity - does it seem to be important for my life, wisdom and wholeness that I call this "me", or "part of me"? (an "otherkin") Or is this information comfortable remaining in the category of "something I have been/done"? (a "regular human").