I have been practicing the Craft for over 13 years and I have become very knowledgable about alot of things. But I have had a problem with one thing for about a year now and I hope that someone might be able to help.
I am having some difficulties with my Wiccan name. I have thought of a few ways such as using the numerology, my tarot cards, my pendulum, and even just plain old sitting outside and breathing in the night air. I have even tried looking to my dreams for an answer but I just do not seem to get much of a response or at least one that would be of help in my choice. Does anyone have any suggestions on how they chose their names? The few that I thought about sounded to me like something from a video game, comic book character or something off of the X-Men movies. Any suggestions appreciated.
Honestly, for mine my temple used numerology but the only requirement was that in the end it added up to my "number". To pick the name itself I just played around with letters until I found something that sounded pretty. It's unique. Completely me, and I didn't have to worry about living up the the expectations of being called "Raven Silver Night Flowing Water Flower Peace..." (you know what I mean...)
-- Annie
Do you wanna come with me? 'Cause if you do then I should warn you, you're gonna see all sorts of things. It won't be quiet, it won't be safe, and it won't be calm. But I'll tell you what it will be: the trip of a lifetime. -- The Doctor
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I actually took one of my nicknames and mis-spelled the crap out of it until I liked what i saw, and the numbers added up... whether or not thats a GOOD idea has yet to be seen, but nobody would have expected me to use the name I chose. Hell, most of my family doesn't even know I'm pagan.
Since I'm practicting Wicca with the Irish Celtic panthenon, I chose to look to Irish names for my magickal name - what I did was sit down to the baby name sites that let you choose names by origin (I liked Parents.com's baby name finder for its ease and ability to choose criteria), then look at the meanings of the names - noble, strong, horsemaster, etc. - and chose traits I felt I was, then took those names and played with them with numerolgy to try to match them. I also played with various spellings.
Also, instead of choosing just one or two, I have a name of five separate names (just like some people have two middle names or two last names, I have a first name, two middle names, a "maiden" name, and a surname to my magickal name). Each gives a synopsis of why I'm Wiccan and how I feel worthy (like if I had chosen something like Caitlin, it would mean "pure" - personally, I don't feel pure, but if I did.... You get the idea, though).
I plan to use a nickname or shortened version when being informal within a group of pagans, when they want to address me by my magickal name, because to adress me by my full name would be a mouthful, and I feel that probably the only times to use it would be for formal introductions and actual rituals. I'm not sure yet on what I believe for taboo in the name region (to the aspect of who do you share it with, or do you not except for the God/ Goddess, etc.), otherwise I'd share my name and show you how and why I chose it.
Good luck on choosing something that seems to fit your path well, and blessed be!!
The only thing I can offer on this is the notion that a name doesn't need to be "given" to you by the Divine. It certainly can be, and you can get it in a number of ways, most of which you've covered already, but what about just thinking of a name you like and using it? Why must it be such a drawn out process? It could be that any name you like, was meant by the Divine. That's why it popped into your head and you liked it.
This is how I got my Craft names. Plural. I have about 6 of them. They've followed me throughout several years and activities, and I feel that those were meant for me. I don't feel we need to be limited to one, or that it must be appointed.
Well, in my Family Tradition, when we turned 11 we started to look for names we liked. Our Tradition is called The Pa'avani (Pah-ah-vah-nee) Family Tradition, so all of our names have Pa'avani as a last name. I do remember my sisters and brothers searching for their names. My name came to me in a dream, and I was going to name my first daughter that, but then at age 11 (and about a week from 12th birthday and my "naming ceremony") I thought that I could always come up with another name for my daughter later. My name is Cyra (See-rah) Pa'avani. Now my sisters came up with their names in various ways.
Sayge Pa'avani came up with hers because a sage bush was the first thing she could keep alive in our gardening lessons. Soverign Pa'avani came up with hers because she went through a dictionary to look up something of her personality. Chisai (Chee-sigh) Pa'avani came up with hers because she heard that in Japanese it means "Little One" and she's the youngest girl in our generation. My brother is Guero Pa'avani and it's because his Mexican friends called him "White Boy." Sabre Pa'avani, my older brother, was learning how to fight with swords and daggers when he had his naming ceremony. That is just a few of my siblings and how they came up with their names. My cousins also have their names and they all have meaning to them. We looked through books, we slept and dreamed, and we had to find meaning in our names for us. Don't rush it, because it should be from the heart.
In our Tradition we have no taboo on who can call us by our Names, because they are our real names as good as any birth name. All of my good friends call me Cyra and anyone who embraces an open mind may call me it too.
This is a literal example of "if the shoe fits..." Don't sweat it and take your time, unless you have to come up with one for a specific purpose. From whence I come, one can pick any alternate name one wishes, the only caution is not to take the actual name of a deity. Pick a name of someone who serves a specific deity if you wish. The reationale there is "hubris is despised of the gods" A second rationale is that any name you work with can be changed later if it isn't working out for you.
IMHO, use what fits you and works for you. If you find it doesn't fit later, change it for another.
Good luck and BB
Left Brainy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9IkEoce3xY
wrong or right I chose my name based on a dog I had when I was 13, he was my first real HeartDog, and I shorten his name changed the spelling a little and have used it since. I have a strange tie with animals (exspecially dogs) and I am Native American, so I guess it made sense to me.
If you feel the want/need to have a magickal name, then you go with what FEELS right to you.
My friend and I were talking one day about this and it struck me all the names some folks have...none of the ones I picked for my self ever truly felt like ME. So she mentioned lady K, (because a friend called her aim lady pagan) and it felt good! it stuck for the last 4 years now and it's ME!
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- Wizord105
on Aug. 31, 2008 at 1:15 AM