Mephit Fur Meet 2008 Labor Day Weekend, Memphis, TN

Pshaw and I are pleased to announce that we will be offering two new panels:

Welcome to the Ark!

Find out about lions, lambs, doves and a host of other critters from the Bible, and some of the hidden meanings given to them.   What great empire was represented by the winged leopard, and why was it chosen?  What are the only two animals in the Bible who talked?  How many of each kind of animal entered the ark? (Hint- it wasn't just two of each!)

Once Upon a Furry Time

Go into the woods and discover more than just the big bad wolf, three little pigs or a well dressed cat.  This is a panel about the many animals and animal guides found in both fairy and folk tales, the symbolism behind them, including the political, psychological and spiritual reasons for including them in stories and why they have lasted so long.  Stories from around the globe and thier animals will be compared.

Both will be offered by JoAnn "Calliope" Abbott We're so thrilled that she has stepped forward to offer these expansions to our spirituality track.  Thanks a bunch!   

Yup, it's that time again.  Pshaw and I are already busy plotting and planning this year's panels.

We can't do this all alone, however, so we'd like to ask your help.  If you have a background in any of the following, please contact us and we'll talk to you about lending your expertise to our panels.

Here's this year's panels:

Anthropomorphics Through the Ages: Pan-Asian Cultures (please note, we're leaving the tenuki and kitsune out of this, as their mythology has been extensively covered elsewhere, and focusing on lesser known beings and animals)
Mythological Species - Dragon
Life of the Horse (this is our non-mythological totem offering)
Shapeshifting from the Shamanic Perspective

We're looking for folks who back their beliefs with solid research in anthropology, archeology, and mythology so that we can put everything in a useful context for as much of the audience as possible.  If you like doing research and want to share your resources, we can really use the help (please don't ask about my book budget, you really don't want to know :D)

The Christian furries have asked for a Christian Furry round table discussion and for a panel on the symbology of animals in the Bible.  Neither Pshaw nor I feel qualified to lead or research these panels as we're not Christian. If you know someone who would be willing to help out, contact us.

Thanks for listening!