MFF Furry Spirit: Hoof and Horn folk

[altivo]

(cross posted, please forgive duplicates if you receive them)

When God created the horse, He said to the magnificent creature: I have made
thee as no other. All the treasures of the earth lie between thy eyes. Thou shalt
carry my friends upon thy back. Thy saddle shall be the seat of prayers to me. And
thou fly without wings, and conquer without any sword, O Horse. --Koran

Plan to join us at the Hoof and Horn session at this year's MFF to discuss our feelings
and affinities, and especially our own herbivore and herd spiritualities. Topics
from therianthropy to shamanic totems to otherkin and reincarnation are welcome.
(We will also discuss fursuiting and fandom-related issues provided there is time,
but I'd like to put the spiritual areas at the top of the agenda.)

I have agreed to lead a panel for our interests, and I need additional panelists.
Whether your connections are equine, cervine, bovine, ovine, porcine, or fantasy
mythological, please consider helping out. I'll be doing the hard work, all I need
is your agreement to be there and introduce yourself briefly. Discussions at last
year's Furry Spirit sessions were lively and interesting, so it's time for us to
have our own herd.

Both the spiritual communities and the fandom often seem to be dominated by the
carnivores and more fierce of the mystical entities. Yet we are a strong minority,
and our characteristic is to find our strength in our numbers as well as in our
own herd philosophy. We have much to share and discuss.

If you plan to be at MFF and can join me for this session, please respond directly
by e-mail or comment here with your e-mail information. I will keep you informed
as I build a list of discussion questions, and of course, I welcome your suggestions.

-- 'Tivo (altivo at livejournal.com)

Comments

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

Indeed, the horse has flown without wings around the globe
and conquered without any sword. I doubt any society
could be called "civilized" that did not embrace the
horse.

[ruwhei.livejournal.com]

Poor Inca.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Should read "that did not embrace the horse once the opportunity arose." :)

Note that at least in myth, the Greeks rejected the horse when it first appeared. Poseidon and Athena vied for the opportunity to be chief god and protector of Athens. It was decided that each would present a gift, and the gift judged best by the city's residents would determine which god would be their patron. Athena created the olive tree, Poseidon the horse. The Athenians chose the olive tree, finding the horse frighteningly fierce and threatening. The horse was left to run loose and he traveled off through Persia and into the Steppes of Asia, where he found his willing masters. (Or so the story goes.)

Of course, the Greeks did eventually welcome the horse and became great horsemen; but they were ever after forced to beg Poseidon's indulgence when they traveled the oceans in their ships.