One who is a
Therianthrope.
Spiritual therianthropy is a term used to describe the animal inside. Spiritual therianthropes, or weres (as in werebeast) for short, are not completely human. No, we cannot physically shift in the light of the full moon, but we do undergo a sort of "shift" which some refer to as an eclipse. We can feel the soul or spirit of an animal inside of us. It is not a separate being, but rather another fragment of our essence, what makes us whole. Most weresides have a name of their own, and for the purposes of explaining things are often said as being a different being, using "her" or "him" instead of "me." In my case, my wereside's name is Aurora, which also serves as my online handle. She(me) is what I think of as my true form, as in what I would look like if I were my wereside, or could physically shift. She is always there; she's my better half. She's the instinct and the drive for things I probably wouldn't care as much for if I were not a therianthrope. Some think of it as like having one soul, but it's split in two halves. She IS me. Some also think of it as having two souls in one body. Therianthropy is very personal, and there is no set definition.
Were is the classic term to describe therianthropy, but it is misleading. In the word werewolf (or werebeast) the prefix "were" actually means human. So technically all of us weres are calling ourselves humans, contradicting ourselves...unless you view it how I do. The word were has simply evolved into a different meaning. Besides, it's easier to say "I'm a were" than "I'm a spiritual therianthrope," though I usually shorten it and say "therian." It works, and serves it's purpose.
See also