My animal sides are the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard, descending order according to size. I cannot change into any of these cats physically (though at one time my ancestors could!). These animals are facets of my spirit, and at any time they are always present in my psyche. Their spiritual prescence is also apparent, for example ; I'm 5'8" but I weigh 160 lbs., and I don't appear overweight because my metabolism is always high. I can growl and roar just like a large feline. Heh, and I have a small white whisker that always grows right above my left eybrow. My teeth get sharper, and my voice deepens when I get excited or enraged. The cats are me, and I am the cats. The animals serve as guides, protectors and teachers. With all weres, the animal is a reminder that we need to get back to basics, to get back to what is means to be alive. Humans are animals, not above, not below. We can't change that.
However, there are many myths and legends in virtually every culture, ancient and modern, about the mysterious link between man and beast. In South America, there are myths of Guarani shaman who can turn themselves into jaguars at will. In the Southwestern United States, medicine men can turn themselves into eagles, or bears. In turn-of-the-century Africa, two lions killed 98 workmen working on a railroad in Tsavo. The lions were believed to be Masaai chiefs who turned into lions to stop the railroad from being built (the basis of this story was used for the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness"). Turning into an animal, or P-shifting (P for Physical), is almost always associated with werecreature lore. This cat believes (and has seen in his visions) that his spiritual ancestors could turn into cats.
The most common and most seen evidence of shifting is called Mshifting (M for Mental). The person takes on the personality, habits, and psyche of the animal side. Now, there is some form of physical change that goes along with an Mshift. The person's senses may radically improve, especially the sense of smell and sight. It feels like the sinuses suddenly clear and every whisp of air carries a scent. Additionally, the senses improve based on the phenotype; for example, a wolf has a far better sense of smell then a leopard, but a leopard has a better sense of sight and visual acuity than a wolf. The persons voice may deepen or change, and they may vocalize in their animal language freely, or they may not say anything at all. They become very attentive to movement. The entire mindset of the person is the animal. Mshifts can be induced during situations of extreme stress, or anger. While many weres can control these shifts and Mshift at will, it is understood that a rapid "recession" to the animal side is instinctual and often happens without conscious effort...if one is aware of their animal side, that is. Using one's animal side to it's fullest takes time, patience, and most importantly, an open mind.
Simply put, being a werecreature is ALWAYS a matter of ones SPIRIT! It's not a game, it's not a joke, it's not a crazy notion...IT IS REAL!!
"Man is what he is, a wild animal with the will to survive, not what do-gooders and meaningful old Aunt Nellies want him to be"_ Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers.
THAT is what our animal spirits are trying to teach us. The world is a delicate balance, and we MUST restore that balance, if in only in our own lives, or that balance is LOST...