Let’s Talk Witch – Your Magickal Name

Let’s Talk Witch – Your Magickal Name

Names are important. Everybody knows this. Pregnant women spend hours poring over books of names to find the perfect moniker for their little Witch-to-be. Movie stars change their names to sound more, well, movie star-like. Some people even name their cars. (Merrie Grace, I miss you!)

Witches and other magickal workers have always known that names have power. In Egyptian mythology, the Witch goddess Isis is said to have used her magick to discover the secret name of the sun god Ra and thus gain power over him. In some cultures, children are given “use names” until they are old enough to find their real name for themselves, or their names are kept secret so that evil spirits can’t cause harm.

Witches have traditionally taken on a “Witch name.” In the good-old, bad-old days, that may have been done in part as a way to keep one’s identity a secret from non-Witches. These days, a Witch name may be taken as part of a Witch’s formal dedication or simply adopted along the way. Mine came to me as a gift from one of the members of the original group I practiced with: we were talking one evening about Witch names, and I was bemoaning the fact that I had never found one that seemed right to me, when one of the guys turned to me and said, “Of course you have a Witch name-it’s Onyx.” And so it was.

Ann Moura, in her book Green Witchcraft: Folk Magic, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft, points out that there are actually two different kinds of Witch names. One, which she calls the Craft name, is chosen by the Witch and used in public. My name Onyx is one of these-it appears in my books where everyone can see it and is in no way intended to be secret.

The other type of Witch name, which Moura calls the “working” name, is a gift which is bestowed upon the Witch by the god and goddess. This name has more power and should be used only when speaking to the gods (as in “I, , beseech you”) or when working with the magickal folks that you trust the most. Don’t worry if this one doesn’t come to you right away; I’ve been practicing for many years and just got my working name a few months ago. (No, I’m not going to tell you what it is!)

The important thing to keep in mind is that names do have power. So choose carefully when you pick a Witch name-make sure that it is one that means something to you and that it feels powerful and right. Witches can and do change their names over the course of their practice, as they themselves grow and change, but you are better off waiting for the right name to come to you-as I did-than picking just any old name in order to have one.