Seattle-based Naia Ōkami recently appeared on ITV’s This Morning to discuss the fact that she identifies as a wolf instead of a human. While discussing how she expresses this way of seeing herself in her everyday life with hosts Phillip Schofield and Rochelle Humes, Ōkami clarified that she’s aware she’s not an actual living and breathing wolf stuck in a human body.
“I don’t physically believe I am a wolf. It’s more a spiritual and psychological identification as a wolf—like I’m totally aware I’m human… But by the same token, spiritually I am a wolf,” she told the TV show. “I have a serious job, I pay my bills and taxes, this is just how I spiritually express myself,” Ōkami continued.
During the interview, she revealed that her interest in wolves started at an early age, “It started with dream shifting. That is when I had a dream of myself as a wolf and I could view myself in some of these dreams. I could see myself as an observer, while in some of these dreams I was acting as a wolf. I went from that to looking more like actual, real-life wolves. The more I looked [like a wolf], the more and more I began to identify in that way,” Ōkami shared.
She also told This Morning that she now has been able to work out the specific breed that she thinks exists in her spirit. “I am a British Columbian wolf,” she said. Reminiscing on her teenage years, Ōkami added that it was around that time she first embodied her inner wolf. “When I was in high school, I was a lot more shamelessly expressive,” she explained.
“I would vocalise, I would howl, that is how I expressed myself. Nowadays, it’s a little different… If I’m at work or in the grocery store, I’m not going to bark or howl,” Ōkami continued. While the transgender 27-year-old recognises that she is a human, the New York Post reported that she also identifies as being “otherkin,” meaning that she identifies as not entirely human—whether that be through reincarnation, trans-species dysphoria of the soul, ancestry, or metaphor.
Although similar to the more mainstream subculture of furries, the otherkin community is often more rooted in fantasy or mythology. They believe they are awakened to their otherkin identities, sometimes via dreams. Judging from what she told This Morning, her vision of otherkin fits closer with the latter form of expression. She also joked about how she uses her spirit animal in one of her jobs (investigating trafficking and child predators) and tries to stalk her prey.
Sometimes, when she’s alone or doing media appearances, Ōkami allows her full wolf identity to shine and will “wolf out in the woods,” she shared.
Michella Meier-Morsi, a Danish influencer and mum of five, has recently gone viral after she showed off her unusually-shaped baby bump on Instagram, stunning her followers in the process. She had been documenting her progress while carrying triplets when people started to notice that her baby belly was particularly long. And being proud of her pregnant body paid off, as Meier-Morsi now has over 278,000 followers on the social media platform.
Before giving birth to her triplets Charles, Theodore and Gabriel, the influencer confessed that she was struggling with “extreme pain” as a result of the baby bump that grew “straight out” rather than “up and down.”
Throughout her journey, Meier-Morsi’s followers have had nothing but praise and admiration for her. “You are the actual definition of a goddess,” one commented. “You’re so strong,” wrote another.
Eventually, the mum had no choice but to undergo a C-section just 35 weeks into her pregnancy (five weeks earlier than the standard pregnancy)—a process for which she was understandably terrified. Prior to her operation, she updated her loyal followers, “The day before the day. Tomorrow morning we’ll be a family of seven.”
She went on to say, “I started crying like crazy when the hospital phoned earlier today to give us practical info on where to go, what to take before etc. Having three babies feels so unreal and it’s like my head can’t handle it.”
After the “wildest 36 hours,” Meier-Morsi was proud to announce the birth of her three sons on 15 January 2022.
Though she revealed the fact that the birth went better than she expected, she shared that her postpartum recovery was less forgiving, “I’m in grotesque pain. And right now I cannot see myself out of that nightmare… Fortunately, it helps lying with three adorable boys on your chest. Yep, I’ve already had the pleasure of having them all up at once. And it was completely magical!”
Meier-Morsi is currently in the process of recovery, and although it sounds like it won’t be an easy ride, she knows she can count on her followers to cheer her on.
