Friday, October 25, 2013

Prompt: Magical Names

Do you have a magickal name? Do you share it with others? Maybe only with your coven sisters/brothers? With the God and Goddess only? How did you choose it? Did it "choose you"?

At this point in time, I do not really have a magical/spiritual name, although I've had several in the past.

The first spiritual name I remember choosing for myself was when I was an Egyptian Wiccan, and it was MeketHeru - which means something like 'protected by Horus.' At the time I wanted to take on the name as a dedication of sorts, as Horus was the first deity I'd ever felt pulled to develop a close relationship with. I chose it by looking at many ancient Egyptian names and their meanings, and carefully chose something which I felt reflected part of my relationship with Horus.

Names were considered very important in ancient Egypt, and this is shown in a few myths and customs they had. So, as I moved from Egyptian Wicca into reconstructionism, the significance of names and their role in my work grew quite a bit. I was initiated into a reconstructionist tradition and given another name, which I spent a lot of time meditating on. I took an interest in doing "true name" work, put simply, that is finding your soul's name, so to speak (which I did not have much success in - but learned a lot from at the same time). I also looked into taking on temporary names, working with them as talismans in a way, to develop a particular trait in myself, and that sort of thing.

I actually really enjoyed much of the name work I did as an Egyptian reconstructionist. I realize not everyone finds significance in spiritual names, but it was something that really spoke to me in the context I was working in at that time.

Now though? I don't really have a spiritual name. The name I took, and the name I was given, will both always have a special place with me - but they no longer reflect who I am now. Where I came from, yes, and that's important, but I don't go by either name now. It just doesn't feel right. Name work seems to be something I left behind with reconstruction, with the Egyptian deities who stepped back when my path took a dramatic change. The deities and spirits I find myself honoring and working with now don't seem to care one way or the other what name I call myself... It might be something that I might find myself exploring again some day, but right now? It just doesn't have a place within my current practice.

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