i just read something that made me think...

[vegdumpling]

i read a little thing on witchvox about taking magical names. i don't remember what it was called but she set it up like a conversation between animals. anyway, she mentioned was that christians use to unburden themselves and become anew. i read several different things (all sacraments in the catholic church) but then i realized she had left out

Comments

[animamea]

I think when pagans take a new name, they do it as a matter of course *and* put a lot of thought into it. Everyone seems to have a reason for their name, and it's usually not 'because it sounds cool

[vegdumpling]

i don't have anything against taking magical names, i've just read in too many 101 books that practically tell people they have to pick a new name.

i understand what you say about parents picking names that don't reflect the person you become. my middle name is Rakefet. it's supposed to be the hebrew name for the flower cyclamen but the pronounciation is a slightly off. until just a few years ago i hated that name. it was given to me in rememberance of a child who had died while my mom was pregnant with me. sure that's a nice sentiment but i didn't like the way it sounded or that no one had ever heard of it before. i thought it was ugly and wished i had a normal middle name like my brothers' and sisters'.

maybe in a way my recent acceptance of this name is my magical name. it did come about soon after i became wiccan. i guess i began to see the beauty of having such a unique name, one that belonged to a unique flower. i know that learning to love that name was part of learning to love myself and knowing that beauty is

[animamea]

Ooh, there's the problem. 101 books. It should be illegal to sell 101 books without a whole shaker of salt to take it with. ^_

[dealeonessa]

That's not an odd post at all. In fact, I understand where you are coming from. I have not adopted a pagan name either. Like you, it's hard for me to identify with a name other than my own.

On the other hand, maybe it's that neither of us have found a suitable name that we can identify with. Regardless of what your reason(s) may be, I wish you luck in your pursuits! ;)

[vegdumpling]

thanks! and the same back to you.

i've always felt that my name represents me well and part of the reason i think it represents me is because i understand why my parents picked it. i'm open to a new name, but i haven't found one that feels as right as my legal name.

[batshua]

Have you considered the possibility that Caitlin IS your magical name?

[vegdumpling]

actually, i never really did. earlier as i was reading someone's comment it occured to me that i recently have grown to love my middle name and perhaps that might be my magical name. i had actually hated my middle name so much that i had picked out a new one and planned to legally change it. i even used to initial things using my fake middle initial instead of the real one. shortly after i became wiccan i stopped hating the name (it is Rakefet, by the way) and it's been a journey to this point but i now love to count it as part of my identity. i do use the english version of the
Rakefet (Cyclamen) as a screen name on some sites.

i guess the way i see myself is as Caitlin first and Rafeket is a side note. something that gives more intimate info about how i view myself if you you have the knowledge to understand it.

[batshua]

*nods*

I have always felt my middle name had a degree of magicalness to it in the sense that I've guarded it and don't share it with most people.

Well, run with Rakefet and see what happens!

[mandyesque]

Most Catholic churches don't have the whole Confirmation name thing anymore. Pity, really. I was Confirmed with my best friend, Regina, who already had two middle names (Regina Maria Alejandra), but I wanted to take on her name (Maria Theresa Regina).

When I self-initiated I didn't even have to think about it; it's a pretentious name if you don't know about my history, but I chose Regina right away. Not plain Regina, but the rest is between me and the Gods. ;)

I haven't seen my Regina for ten years now, but this way she's always with me.

[vegdumpling]

really! they still did less than a decade ago... i guess it's gone like that slapping thing they used to do at confirmations.

that's a nice way to remember a friend :)

[mandyesque]

Our confirmation was in either 1995 or '96; I'd have to ask my mother to be sure; but my two brothers and two out of Regina's four brothers had theirs the same day (the youngest had his First Communion that day, too) and they wouldn't let any of us take a name.

Maybe it's one of those things they stopped doing gradually over time; I'm in Puerto Rico.

Slapping???

[vegdumpling]

i was '99 and in the states.

the slapping thing was from when my dad got his. there is a story in my family about when the youngest brother (he's only 15 years older than me and there's another 15 btw him and my dad) got his confirmation done and my dad was his sponsor so i heard it a lot. it was the privledge of the older brother to give the younger bro a slap as part of the confirmation ceremony. my dad and some other guy at the confirmation were so surprised that it wasn't done anymore they said something about it during the cermony. other people heard and decided to do it anyway. this was around 1980 so that's been gone a long time. i am sure they don't slap anymore because they want to be more pc.

[animamea]

Yeah, I meant all of that, too. I totally forgot to mention 'speshul seekrit' parts until I made my second reply and thought "holy crap, I can't tell her about any of the others. I wonder if I'll have enough to post about..."

Then I posted another freakin' novel. Go me. ^_~

P.S. I was going to mention the cut thing, too, but by the time I got to the end of Volume One of my epic reply, I had forgotten. Bad mod! :P

[vegdumpling]

no prob, i edit upon reminders so stardustnprison beat you to it. i really didn't mean for it to be very long at all.

very cool how you names developed over time, thank for sharing.

i know this is short but i've got to get to bed, night!