#selchies

I occasionally log in and play (actually bought myself a membership last year but didn’t end up playing the full time tho cuz of irl stuff) so I could play as a seal again and get the nostalgia + species dysphoria ease

I have these really giant benign spots on my chest, some small ones on my nose and jaw, and the rest aren’t really that noticeable because they are small, but the large ones on my chest make me feels super uncomfortable wearing semi-revealing clothes - v-neck shirts, camisoles, tank tops, swimsuits, etc.

But then when I look in the mirror not wearing anything, I’m like yeah those are just my seal spots. Literally all the art I see of selkies typically depict them with spots, freckles, some hyperpigmentation, etc, and seeing these images make me feel better about myself.

The one on my chest that bothers me the most that shows the most when I’m wearing anything slightly low cut I’m about ready to call a plastic surgeon to have it removed (same for the ones on my nose and jaw), but for the lesser visible ones, idk… the only person who sees em is me, but I hate that I’m so self conscious about myself, and I don’t think I’d miss em if they were gone.

Three main sources come immediately to mind:

Online - OrkneyJar. Of course OrkneyJar is Orkney specific, but that’s not such a bad thing given that Northern Scotland (and Orkney is just North of Scotland) is where the majority of all selkie/selchie tales originated. (For the record the rest of the authentic ones came from the Faroe islands which are way north of Orkney. Ireland too. :)

Here is OrkneyJar’s tip of the iceberg on Selkies.

Film - Song of the Sea. This film is a feature film, produced with a great deal of respect and homage to ancient myths and traditions of the Druids and to multiple forms of Celtic folklore (since there’s not one kind - this focuses on Irish, predominantly). But most importantly, the entire movie is about a selkie! Actually to be more accurate, the entire movie is about two selkies. Add to that some of the most beautiful animation you’ll ever see, one of the most incredible soundtracks, as well as voice acting and more, it really gives you the feel of a selkie story. What I like about this film is that it both pays homage to one of the traditional selkie folktales (of a fisherman marrying a selkie), along with a modernised version that integrates well into contemporary times.

Book - The Folklore of Orkney and Shetland by Ernest Marwick --> this one is important because it looks at seal men, seal women, and a whole lot of seal related folklore (along with a lot of other folklore). Note: Selkie will be spelled selchie, and in Google searches, ‘selchie folklore’ will sometimes be more helpful than selkie folklore.

I’ve actually been researching selkies pretty intensively for two years now, because I have a story idea (called Sealstorm) which is about a selkie prince (son of Oura) and a storm spirit who fall in love in the human world, on Orkney. But I need to go to Orkney to iron out my research (mainly the dialect and turn of phrase and the feel of the place, and I can’t do that until 2018, so the book probably can’t be written until then, lol). 

I recommended a film because I think one of the main things about these stories is to not only learn the actual folklore (which is often recorded in a dry way that is spare of magic, because these tales were meant to be orally shared, and therefore what was written down in the past tended to be sparing, to allow a storyteller, Bard or weaver to add details - which is why there’s actually hundreds of selkie stories, depending on where you are), and because I think Song of the Sea absolutely nails that feeling you’re supposed to get, especially about selkies. (It is appropriately bittersweet but playful).

How to make your space selkiecore: add seashells 🐚

Hung this antique abalone shell on a wall over my sink to hold some of my beauty products

For me, a selkie, it’s fish tanks. I don’t live close to accessible water, so having fish tanks helps me feel more in my environment.

Top tank is my 20 gallon, and bottom tank is my new 40 gallon

Also no, the 40 gallon tank isn’t salt water, it’s a fresh water illusion! I work with store bought acidic water (6.0 PH) and use seashells to bring up the PH naturally to 6.5-7.5 - the preferred PH range for many tropical freshwater fish species

I live in the country with well water that’s has a PH of 9.0 which is too high for many freshwater fish, so that’s why I do what I do and have happily been fish keeping for nearly a decade and a half!

Why?

Because my belief is that an “identity” can change. I cannot change who I am.

Today I went a doctor to possibly get some things with my health sorted out, and when it came time to explain how the posterior auricular lymph node that’s been swollen behind my ear for years now, I mentioned how it will only drain a bit when I free dive in cold water to depths of 10+ ft and after that she kept mentioning that I’m just a mermaid who needs to go home to the water

Part 2: Lightning Point - aka Alien Surf Girls 👽🛸

I want to believe there’s more shows out there like this Aussie one season hidden gem from the 2000s.

This show really hangs 10 when it comes to teen drama, sprinkled with alien mystery, and of course surfing 🏄

This show was produced by Jonathan M. Shiff - same guy who produced H2O Just Add Water, Mako Mermaids, and Ocean Girl, so if your a fan of these shows like me, this show is meant for you!

Why this Show Appeals to Therians and Otherkin?

As a selkie, the beach theme and surfing is why appealed to me most. So my fellow sea/beach creatures both therian and otherkin may enjoy this for the sand and waves!

For otherkin specifically, anyone who falls under the alienkin umbrella I imagine would probably dig this show for its otherworldly themes ✨