While many shapeshifters gain their ability to change from an external source there are those whose animal side is inherent. Stories of such people tend to be more common in cultures where having a connection with an animal was seen favorably, as opposed to more conservative societies where such a condition was viewed as a sure sign of evil.

Today's "born" shapeshifters often fall into the category of therianthropy (from the Greek therios, "beast" and anthropos, "man") (http://www.shifters.org - April/May 2005/Jakkal). A therianthrope is a person who has an incredibly strong bond with a particular species or, as in the case of a cladotherian, an entire genus or family of animal, to the point where s/he identifies as the animal in some manner beyond a regular totemic bond. A few therianthropes claim bonds with more than one divergent species of animal, such as wolf and panther.

Theories abound as to the source of this connection. Past lives as animals or being an animal soul in a human body are two of the more common ones, both of which require a bit of a leap of faith for those not entirely convinced of species-specific souls or reincarnation. Strong totemic bonds are also cited as possible causes of therianthropy and, of course, purely psychological explanations range from early childhood imprinting to animal personification of the more primitive sections of the brain.

It's not agreed-upon whether or not therianthropy is magical in nature. Some therians are also magicians, but a number don't work with any esoterica whatsoever. A lot depends on your definition of magic. For instance, if you believe it to be a supernatural thing, but you view therianthropy as natural, the two are in opposition. On the other hand there's always Aleister Crowley's definition, "Magic [sic] is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will" (Magic Without Tears - 1994/Crowley/p. 26). In that case therianthropic shapeshifting as an act of Will is as magical as any spell or ritual.

There is, of course, the option that every single one of us is stark raving mad, but I tend to keep that one on the back burner for just about everything I do. After all, humans worldwide have exhibited numerous behaviors that could be classified as insane-extreme hostility towards other humans, other species, and the self. Anyone who has passively observed Homo sapiens in a tightly packed living arrangement for any length of time will soon begin to question just why these animals are putting themselves through such torture. And the constriction placed upon anyone who works a regular job, if seen from the point of view of your everyday dog, is such an exercise in self-destruction that it's a wonder anyone willingly participates in it.

I personally identify as a therianthrope (wolf, of course), because it benefits me to do so on several levels. I tend towards a combination of the totemic, imprinting and personification theories because that is what explains my identification with Canis lupus most convincingly. The totemic aspect allows me to work with not only my primary totem, Wolf, much more easily, but the wild nature also allows me to work with other totems on a more sympathetic level. The imprinting gives me a clue in detangling my own internal wiring when I do metamorphic work for the purpose of exploring and reprogramming myself. And the personification works with both of these, because it allows me to understand the more bestial aspects of human nature, as well as identify when those aspects are ascendant in my behavior, and to claim them as my own instead of being a separate entity.

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