Otherhearted means different things to different people, but what does it mean to me? I talk a bit about it abstractly here, but explaining it helps me understand myself, so I’ll make it clearer.

European Pine Martens are always the creature “most like me” in a world of animals that I can learn about, respect, and find interesting. I fluctuate between identifying with them on a level where they’re just one of my main interests, verses when they are a patch on the quilt that is the essence of who I am. Sometimes they just feel like an animal I like, other times it’s like seeing a reflection of the face I’ve been missing, even though I already have a human face and body I’m connected to.

I experience species dysphoria in both directions.

As a human who’s connection to humanity is a core part of my identity (even more so than most non-alterhumans I meet), there are times when imagining myself as anything other than human is distressing and dysphoric. One way this manifests is the discomfort being mistaken for a therian (whose identity is often related to the absence of human identity, whereas mine is in addition to human identity). Another common experience is being post-expression of my marten aspects, still doing the things that affirm me or bring me joy in those moments (like wearing gear, imagining myself in my habitat, and visualizing moving in my marten form) when my marten-ness fluxuates back to being casual instead of encompassing, and those activities become uncomfortable when mere minutes before they were euphoric.

In the opposite direction, when I am feeling marten, I experience the feelings of missing a tail, correct leg shape, paws and claws, climbing, running and leaping, being smaller, my environment, and others of my species.

I get human euphoria all the time. Again, not something most humans would say, but true for me. Being a primate, being part of human history, learning about human culture, being in a human body, making art, being part of a community, and meeting other humans are all common sources of euphoria for me.

For European Pine Marten euphoria, I have a wide array to choose from. Physical euphoria from long hypermotion tail (not to wag but to swish), brown fur & hair with black tips (darker on paws/hands/arms/legs/tail and snout), sharp canine teeth, sharp clear-white claws/fingernails, standing with ‘trex arms’, standing upright. For emotional euphoria, being outside, being in or near shallow rivers and ponds, chasing small critters like fish or birds or mice, climbing trees, wedging myself into tight spaces, exploring hollow stumps, being in a bird nest, being around pine trees & pine cones & pine needles & pine needle detritus, being around other species native to my habitat (including alterhumans of those species), being recognized as a fellow mustelid by fellow mustelid alterhumans.

Otherhearted:

- European Pine Marten (Martes Martes)

Copingpaw & Otherpaw:

For fun, creatures I connect with, or animals I just enjoy

- Wild American Mink

- Fossa

- Nilgiri Marten

- Yellow-Throated Marten

- Pekan/Wejack/Fisher Cat

- Wolverine

- Eurasian Lynx

- Red Fox

- Eurasian Magpie

- Red Squirrel

- California Sea Lion

- Seal (Gray Seal? Harbor Seal?)

- Green Heron & Bittern

- Skunk

- Raccoon

- Chacma Baboon

- Ruffed Lemur

- Pacific Octopus

- Merfolk