Post by ladyjay on Dec 23, 2007 8:53:31 GMT -5
Origin of Magical Names
In many ancient cultures around the world, parents gave infants secret names shortly after their birth. To protect the infant from anyone who wants to harm him or her through name magic, parents would whisper these secret names to their infants and not tell the name to anyone outside of the immediate family.
Magicians, witches, and mages also had secret, or magical, names. Only people in their inner circle knew their magical name. Common belief held that if someone from outside the sacred circle discovered a practitioner¢ s magical name, he could hold that person under his power. In addition, magic names were a form of protection. People who practiced the ancient arts of magic would use a public magical name to protect their true, everyday life identity. This protected the individuals from discrimination.
Names and the Soul
Ancient Britons, ancient Romans, and many other Pagan cultures, believed that a person¢s name and a person¢s soul were the same thing. This is why it was so important for the rulers of ancient Egypt to have their names carved in as many places as possible: if you were to destroy the ruler¢s name by removing it from all of the places where he or she had ordered it carved, you would destroy the ruler¢s soul.
Today, names on tombstones are a reminder of the belief in names and souls being the same thing. Whenever someone reads out the name on a tombstone, they breathe life into the soul of the deceased. Similarly, some cultures have taboos against speaking the names of the dead. The belief here is that by saying the name of the deceased, its soul will rise up and haunt the person who spoke its name.
Today¢s Main Purpose of Using a Magical Name
Many witches and Pagans choose to take on a magical name. Some choose to take on more than one magical name to separate their lives online and their personal or coven magical lives. The reasons for choosing a magical name remain the same as the reasons of the past: to protect oneself from discrimination and to separate magic from everyday life.
To protect themselves from the possibility of losing their jobs or facing harassment from neighbors, people often take on a different name as a disguise. They do this online, in covens, and when publishing articles and books on witchcraft, Paganism, or Wicca. As long as people don¢t know their birth name, they feel safe and can go about their normal lives.
For others, taking on a magical name helps them separate their everyday lives from their magical arts. This helps them focus. For example, when Sally is in her everyday life mode, she focuses on her job, her education, her children, and her home life. When she takes on her magical name, she shifts her focus and concentrates on her religion, her craft, meditation, and visualization exercises. The magical name helps prepare her for what she is about to do.
Should You Choose a Magical Name?
There is much debate among witches and Pagans about taking on a magical name. While many feel taking on a new name is an important aspect of the craft, others feel that the separation between magical and everyday life is a hindrance. For those who want to make magic a permanent and active part of their everyday lives, choosing a magical name makes little sense. Their belief is that their and magical selves must intermingle until there is no distinction between the two.
In many ancient cultures around the world, parents gave infants secret names shortly after their birth. To protect the infant from anyone who wants to harm him or her through name magic, parents would whisper these secret names to their infants and not tell the name to anyone outside of the immediate family.
Magicians, witches, and mages also had secret, or magical, names. Only people in their inner circle knew their magical name. Common belief held that if someone from outside the sacred circle discovered a practitioner¢ s magical name, he could hold that person under his power. In addition, magic names were a form of protection. People who practiced the ancient arts of magic would use a public magical name to protect their true, everyday life identity. This protected the individuals from discrimination.
Names and the Soul
Ancient Britons, ancient Romans, and many other Pagan cultures, believed that a person¢s name and a person¢s soul were the same thing. This is why it was so important for the rulers of ancient Egypt to have their names carved in as many places as possible: if you were to destroy the ruler¢s name by removing it from all of the places where he or she had ordered it carved, you would destroy the ruler¢s soul.
Today, names on tombstones are a reminder of the belief in names and souls being the same thing. Whenever someone reads out the name on a tombstone, they breathe life into the soul of the deceased. Similarly, some cultures have taboos against speaking the names of the dead. The belief here is that by saying the name of the deceased, its soul will rise up and haunt the person who spoke its name.
Today¢s Main Purpose of Using a Magical Name
Many witches and Pagans choose to take on a magical name. Some choose to take on more than one magical name to separate their lives online and their personal or coven magical lives. The reasons for choosing a magical name remain the same as the reasons of the past: to protect oneself from discrimination and to separate magic from everyday life.
To protect themselves from the possibility of losing their jobs or facing harassment from neighbors, people often take on a different name as a disguise. They do this online, in covens, and when publishing articles and books on witchcraft, Paganism, or Wicca. As long as people don¢t know their birth name, they feel safe and can go about their normal lives.
For others, taking on a magical name helps them separate their everyday lives from their magical arts. This helps them focus. For example, when Sally is in her everyday life mode, she focuses on her job, her education, her children, and her home life. When she takes on her magical name, she shifts her focus and concentrates on her religion, her craft, meditation, and visualization exercises. The magical name helps prepare her for what she is about to do.
Should You Choose a Magical Name?
There is much debate among witches and Pagans about taking on a magical name. While many feel taking on a new name is an important aspect of the craft, others feel that the separation between magical and everyday life is a hindrance. For those who want to make magic a permanent and active part of their everyday lives, choosing a magical name makes little sense. Their belief is that their and magical selves must intermingle until there is no distinction between the two.
