|
|||||||
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||||
BEHIND OUR MAGICKAL NAMES
A name, what is in a name? Why do we need or use magickal or Craft names and not simply identify ourselves and address each other by our given birth names such as John, Debbie, Bob or Terri? Why do we call ourselves Raven, Merlin, Starwise or Epona? Generally speaking our birth names were provided by our parents and usually reflect parental religious upbringing, cultural or family heritage, or possibly biological family relationships such as affixing a Jr. or Roman numeral after the full name of a child to indicate succeeding children of the family line. Unless you had parents who were practitioners of the Craft it is highly unlikely that your given or birth name would carry with it the relationship or link to the Old Religion we all desire. It is important to us that we establish that special relationship early in our Craft training and at least part of that establishment is the selection and use of our Craft or magickal name.
At our initiation we are reborn as children of the God and Goddess and it is appropriate we then have a new name which carries that connotation, that relationship, that identity. Our magickal name will be the identity that marks us now and forever more as a follower of the Craft of the Wise, a practitioner of the Old Religion, symbolizing our rebirth as a witch. It is our identity that enables us to communicate with the deities we serve. It ties us to the religion of our ancestors, uniting us with those ancestors and links us in an unbroken spiritual chain to a religion practiced in the dawning mists of pre-history.
Our Craft name represents our new and very real magickal self that emerges at our initiation when we kneel in front of our altar as a solitary, raising our arms to the Lord and Lady as we speak the words of self-dedication. Or it is part of that almost physical jolt that surges through us at the final step of our initiation when our High Priest or High Priestess leads us into the center of the circle and introduces us to the assembled coven by our new magickal name, as "witch and priest/ess." Now having made these statements, let me hasten to add that the selection of a Craft name need not necessarily be cast in concrete. I know many who have, for one reason or another, chosen to change their name even after many years of use. This is perfectly permissible since we are all expected to grow in our Craft - spiritually, magickally and emotionally - and that growth may bring with it a new self awareness which may eventually render the name chosen at initiation less meaningful. In such a case, it may be necessary to take a new Craft name or, possibly, just a second name more appropriate to the new person one has become.
Craft names can also give a measure of anonymity and protection. I know of practitioners who use one Craft name as a pen name when authoring books or articles and a second, more spiritually meaningful magickal name for Craft workings. Some also use a Craft name for all Craft-related correspondence or communications be they inside or outside of the Craft environment because of the anonymity issue, simply preferring the legal name remain detached from Craft activities. However, I need to point out, in some Traditions the name elected for use in ritual work is typically not revealed to the uninitiated, nor is it used outside of coven or ritual circle. It is truly a magickal name to identify with the deities, the name used in all magickal workings and only in those magickal workings.
The selection of that very special name is obviously of profound importance and can be extremely significant, thus a Craft name should be chosen with care and serious thought. But how does one go about making that selection? Generally speaking, there are several techniques or methods one can use to select a Craft name. It is not uncommon to adopt the name of a patron God or Goddess, or a significant totem animal - one that seems to speak directly to you or to something special in your life. The name may also reflect some personal talents, skills or hobbies, or it may be derived from a historical or ancestral relationship. Numerology is used by many practitioners to develop Craft names, reducing the numeric equivalent of the given name to it's simplest form, then selecting a magickal name fitting that character count. Regardless of the method used, it is generally followed by a period of meditation in order to be satisfied the new name is indeed suitable and appropriate.
When all is said and done, the name chosen must be one that speaks or even sings to you, connects you with the deities and with Craft heritage, or connects you with your own ancestral lineage. No one can choose a Craft name for you, it is part of the initiation or dedication process. It is a highly personal action that you and you alone must take. By whatever name you elect to identify yourself, it will become your personal link to the Craft and to the deities. Your name will, to a great extent, define you as a witch and as a practitioner of our Craft of the Wise.
- Gary Cantrell