Flip Side Coin

When i was a kid i was really into Grow Wings Subliminals maxcruise73 be damned, and theres something about that community that ive been thinking about lately .....

So there were flocks you could join that were mostly just groups of kids on KIK and google+ convinced they were growing wings, But i remember there were also some flocks where the goal was to like schedule meet ups to "grow wings and fly away forever" and things along those lines

I never joined any because by the time i got there they mostly were abandoned or deleted, and i was so bummed because i totally would of tried to go to one of those meetups to grow wings and fly away with my Found Family Flock

Today, June 19th 2025, is the 258th anniversary of the day that Jean Chastel killed La Bête du Gévaudan. The death of this animal marked the end of La Bête’s attacks in Gévaudan. Despite this, other beasts rampaged around France in the time after. None gained as much notoriety of La Bête.

Most shifters are going to be speaking from their own, personal experiences without evidence or proof of "it" happening - not because they don't have any, but because the claim of pshifting "Hollywood" style is kinda over-exaggerated. I have not met a shifter IRL who has fully other-side shifted, but I know shifters online who claim they have. This should be all that matters, right? Their word for it? For most skeptics, it is not enough, so I will explain..

I am not someone who says that shifters who have no proof + other-side shift are all fakers. I don't think that is my argument, I think my concern is the oversimplification of other-side shifting as a "Hollywood" style shift. I think when people think of other-side shifting, they immediately think of a carbon copy of an animal. But that's impossible. The shifter is not an animal, the shifter is a shifter. And for the standards of shifters, we are not becoming biologically an exact copy of a wolf or cat, we are not animals, we are shapeshifters.

We are supernatural, we are children of the odd practices of shapeshifting and so, the short answer to the question would be "No."

No, I have not met a shifter who can "Hollywood" style shift, because in order for that to happen, the shifter must be fully, biologically, not human in any way possible. That means no human DNA, no human organ transplants, that means no human socialization, no human culture, nothing of humanity. For humanity to have left zero traces in a shifter, the shifter must look like a single-cell blob of pure aethos light. But we don't. We are shifters, we were born with human DNA that got exposed to supernaturality, and now we experience literal, physical alteration of our species.

Originally posted in 2024, remastered for 2025.

Privacy __

Not only is this way of life private, intimate, and personal - our language, identity, and beliefs are often looked at with scorn and disgust. Do not make shifting a spectacle by "proving" it to others, a form of power, or an emotional leverage. Mates who aren’t shifters have little business telling our stories, myths, and lives just as much as a shifter with false information.

Diversity __

Shifter life should be full of color, diversity, and inclusive narratives. We may not all be fully human or animal, but we can understand protecting diversity and the individual safety, care, and respect for all and everyone. Most shifters have diverse roots from all over, many are queer, so our identity has always been filled with color and acceptance.

Preservation __

Understand that these methods and theories play a larger role in the belief of shapeshifting and the long-term transformation practices of previous and future cultures. Strive to archive everything and anything, whether in public or private, strive to share, publish, and create future communities with others.

Lifestyle __

For shifters and mythicals of all kinds, live your life the way you are intended by your own soul. You are the only one in charge of your mind and emotions, take care of yourself and never pit your emotions against others. Our shifter lifestyle and nature exist purely by luck, you must then use it wisely and use it to aid you, other shifters, and your family.

Restraint __

Never deny who you are as a shifter. Never allow it to dictate your actions. Never allow shifting to become a burden, so that it infests you or creates trouble. Do not become obsessed with being a shifter, do not lose yourself within the supernatural nature. Do not forget what raised you and what world you entered - an anthropocentric world. Shifters are not monsters or liars, practice self-control and compassion.

Protection __

Common knowledge in bushcraft, survival skills, cooking, and baking, and technology will save your life. Use common sense when you shift and record results. Understand your current surroundings and strive for the future you dream of. Stand for innocent shifters in busy crowds, create art and restrict access to private matters. Curate your spaces, make sure you feel comfortable and you know your own rules. Weed out the bad apples and actors. Your mythology and information should be yours only.

Community __

Packs, groups, pods, covens, flocks, etc, have purposes: Safety, Family, Responsibility, Freedom

Without said purposes, it tarnishes not only our spaces as shifters, but destroys our chances at diplomacy, friendship, community, and respect. As a leader or active member, you have to assert peace and compassion. In our communities, these groups have been poorly used as a means of power. Never let selfishness run our communities. Never let fear of the unknown rule valuable connections. If there is one in the group making a mess, eliminate them.

Territory __

Establish official shifter groups and territory as a means of deepening our cultural impact and safe spaces. Shift from online to offline, engage in physical joy. Respect and obey the shifters of the land you approach, connect and be wary of the owners when needed. Never enforce yourself as authority of a land you don’t know the history of.

Accountability __

Take criticism, honesty, and comments with understanding to their core message. Disregarding your fellow shifters as “haters” for pointing out bad behavior is childish and silly. Become responsible for your issues, and the people you introduce into your circles. Fixate on gaining stress-free maturity, and curating your spaces when troubled. Becoming argumentative towards non-shifters and fools turns you into a clown, a jester who dances for the audience who already see you as the joke.

Theories __

Give space and respect to anyone who could and would believe in any shifting theory for any reason. Our ideas need preservation and development, archival is our only hope. Theories do not need to be fought over.

this is from a post on angel numbers & while i am not great fan of a lot of new age stuff and it's high propensity for conspiracism and harmful spiritual practices, as someone who is going into sociology with a focus on spirituality, i absolutely cannot stand this attitude.

like. this statement is a belief statement. you don't know the universe has no meaning, because we all have the same amount of objective knowledge about the meaning of the universe, and that is zero. there's nothing out there that obligates anyone to believe the universe has any meaning, it's not something we should ever have any hope of proving objectively one way or the other. & i don't have any problems with people believing the universe is meaningless, but how is stating it like this any different from antitheism? and i don't think it's actually beneficial to challenging conspiracism to say that having any spiritual beliefs is basically equivalent with conspiracism and the only way to not fall victim to it is to have no spiritual beliefs about the universe, or ONLY this one specific version. that'd I've decided is allowable. like what is the end goal here? antitheism is bad first and foremost because it's goal is, ultimately, people are forced or coerced to abandon deeply held beliefs and practices, alienated if they refuse, and society flourishes because we've finally got rid of those crazy freaks weighing us down with their stupid incorrect thoughts.

& so many people in the notes going "the universe does have a meaning if you want it to!" and the thing is i literally do believe that exactly. my entire belief system and spirituality is based around existentialism and agnosticism. i personally 100% subscribe to this. i am a devout agnostic. i am "we are the universe, existential meaning is meaningless" 's #1 biggest fan.

but there is a difference between saying "there is no way for anybody to know, for certain, factually, that there is any meaning or purpose or greater spiritual existence to the universe" and "there is no meaning to the universe." in on of those, you are including yourself in the cosmic ignorance. you and people with those beliefs know the same amount about the existential nature of the universe, and you are making a point that we should be self-aware about this and as people we must balance available facts with our belief systems. in the other, you are saying that your beliefs are objectively true and their beliefs are objectively false but they can believe this other thing if they want to, because you approve that. the "it's entirely subjective" part is undercut when you yourself are asserting your beliefs as objective.

if you can't help people with spiritual beliefs detangle themselves from conspiracism without just insisting that it is objectively incorrect to have the extremely basic spiritual belief that existence has meaning, i think that's your problem. especially because nothing about that is exclusive to new age people or leftists or conspiracy theorists.

^ In 2022 Pew Research found that 81% of USians across the board believed there is "something spiritual beyond the natural world." Here's data on spiritual beliefs & practices by age group from their 2025 Religious Landscape Study that show that 71% of Gen Z believes that:

And in another study from 2025, they found that across the globe, many people who identify as religiously unaffiliated (atheists, agnostics, nothing-in-particulars) have spiritual beliefs:

and look. i do not 100% believe everything the poor people's campaign believes (although i agree strongly with a lot, & their goals most of all). but what's so important to me is that the spirituality of the people who have begun this campaign is what drives it. its not arguing that "well, its good for the economy—" it's not based on allegiance to any specific political party or politician. its not trying to be neutral and unwoke and impassionate. its making a moral argument. its saying "i don't care about your excuses, i don't care that "the world isn't fair," this isn't right and i will not allow it." that's not even to say the economic benefits aren't important too, and even part of the ethics. but the entirely moral argument matters to me.

this is why "leftists need to accept that it's just factually incorrect that the universe has a will or meaning and if you believe that you are contributing to a culture of conspiracy theories!" is just like. untenable and out of touch with the role of spirituality in activism. when you draw this sharp divide between Good Leftist Thought and spirituality, a lot of people are cast out. importantly, a lot of marginalized people for whom religion/spirituality cannot be so easily let go of.

maybe i am reading too much into this. its an issue i am really emotionally attached to. but like. this dismissiveness towards such a basic widespread belief system astounds me. i see so many people on here complaining about the lack of real material social movements and engagement in community and local advocacy but only if its completely unrelated to religion. this is why F.D said some leftists (who would not be physically/emotionally endangered by doing so) actually do need to go to church. not to believe in the religion or the spirituality but to acknowledge that it, too, is part of your community, and there is a lot of good work done there, and when we talk about "organizing" that does in fact need to include organized religion. marginalized people have been using religion and spirituality and philosophy to rganize resistance and care networks for centuries. leftism that alienates working class grandmothers is never going to work and that's true of many areas, this included.

i didn't want to leave you all with nothing to read until mid-late March so I began writing this short story that will be fully published when I come back.

it's about a Native trans man who wants to fully transition into a bird in a world where nonhuman biohacking and beasthood are common, but ridiculed, lived experiences. this one's for the shifters, body modders, and the transhumanists.

Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta.

Orchidaceae: Angraecinae.

Stellar Waves - Lunaotic

I've made a survey to collect community data for my book that I plan to write on shapeshifting lore and current shifter topics. If you're a pshifter or other physical nonhuman and you want to participate, feel free to go to the link below, and don't be afraid to add feedback if you think something is missing or needs improvement!