Regarding Magickal and Crapht Names

Greetings, my pretties,

So sorry that I've been away from the keyboard, its been a busy time over here in the Corner. Spring has sprung, the grass has risen, and has needed cutting regularly. The MidSummer Sun has made my Magickal Herb garden run rampant, and require a healthy dose of Tender Loving Care. The Comfrey's as high as an elephant's eye... so I've been out of doors with my hands in the earth reconnecting to Mother Earth mostly by getting her under my fingernails. I'd forgotten how messy the Olde Girle really is, when left to her own devices.

In betwixt and between, I've been doing my Spring cleaning - which is now renamed Summer cleaning, and will likely extend into the early autumn - such is life. But I've found many treasures that I thought lost (never ask the cats to put things away) and made some space for more WitchKitch - because you know that there will be another influx of nifty knick knacks with the approaching Samhain Season, courtesy of Michaels Crafte Supply.

It has been A Productive Time - and I've bought a new Sunhat.

In going through numerous tomes, folders, shoe boxes full of paper bits, scrolls and cuniform tablets, I did manage to find that lovely letter from that sweet young Witchlette about magickal names. She has been gracious enough to allow me to share it with you .... providing of course that names (including hers) are changed to protect the innocent, and save the guilty from the Wrath of the Blogger Gods. May it bring a smile to your face, and a boot to your butt, should you ever feel the need to descend into the Extreme Silliness described below.

Its Thyme to water the Aconite, and check the Purple Sage for New Riders. I will make every attempt to write again soon - so please, drop back in again to see what's new.



Greetings, my dearest Cranky Crone,
I hope you are well, and that your new broom continues to sweep clean. I am sending you an essay I wrote for a group of friends, and thought you might enjoy it just a bit. Those who know us both say that I am a nut that has not fallen far from the Oak Tree, so thank you for infusing me with the courage of my convictions and the bravery to write it down for the enjoyment of others. Now, if you can tell me how to keep the squirrels off my roof..... and the bats out of my belfry...

best Lithas Sabbat regards to you and the Overly Familiar Familiars,
Witchlette "Acorn" - my new name, at least for this email and edited/lightly rewritten essay.


Acorn writes:

I want to talk about magickal names as the biggest broom closet of all. Hope this brings a smile to your face, and a moment of "hmmmmmmmmmm" (sprays self with flame retardent foam and prepares to cower under her desk once she hits send).


I completely understand taking a public chosen name that clearly defines an identifiable aspect/quality of "who you are" either inside or out - I'm going to pick on an old friend - Mike using the nick "Digger" makes PERFECT sense to me as he is a geologist - but I note that his email address is himself in real time. But if we meet in real time, I get to call him "Mike" or maybe "Michael" or at least I would unless he asked me to call him Digger. I don't think his diploma reads "Digger" - which would be exceedingly cool as he is a geologist. I am not being critical of his email nick in any way. It is descriptive and seems to be a good fit. Dig on, my friend. Dig on.

My esteemed Mentor is a wonderful old Witch who goes by the name of Cranky Crone. Her name is like a fence around her energy body. It keeps the rainbow bunnies away, and denotes her years of experience as a woman inthe Craft of the Wyse and accounts for the grey hairs. She is younger than you'd think - and less Cranky than she could be - but we know her, we love her, we can't live without her - and she is consistenly herself in all that she does in the online and real world as the one, the only, the Cranky Crone.

Similarly, I know a few others who use their one or two word magickal names consistently in person and on email - all good. Its a name. It means something. I get that part. I'm also not talking about people who have taken a CONSISTENT alternate name for their email identity. There are lots of those kinds of names. All good. I'd love to know the story behind their selection. Likely none of my business. Not really asking. Whatever people want to call themselves in real life/on email makes no nevermind. BUT...

I'm talking about "Crapht Names" here. Have you read through the Witchvox listings ? Pick a Province/State. It's the same everywhere. And we wonder why people don't take us seriously. All those Moon - Raven - Wolves - Eagle - Star - Dolphin - Merlin - Morgannas, and their best friends, those of the Goddess/God names of Power and Might.

Hi, I'm Calliope.

Yes, no need to yell, you most certainly are. What possessed your parents to call you Calliope? Zeus, apparently ....
Nice to meet you, I'm Bacchus - rhyme with Raucous. At least, I'd like to be. Wanna party? no, me neither. Rather read a good book - got the new silveravenwhatever insta-witch kit and advanced beginners 3rd degree manual in a box, complete with dinner plate sized pentacle?

Don't even get me started on the whole Lord and Lady thing. Its supposed to be a BESTOWED honorific, not a chosen title of no merit, if your group is into that kind of American Standard Wicca. Auntie Doreen says that there are no new Witch Queens under the Sun - but that's another story. This topic will get me as wound up as meeting a 16 year old 3rd Degree Eclectic Gardnerarialexandrian Highest of all Wiccan High Priestesses, whose great grandmother passed down the family handwritten photocopied book of shadows from the burning times, which is the only book Lady HoaWHP (pronounced WHAP!) has ever read, except for silverwhatzername.

Starhawk has written about how she received her magickal name. It is a magickal story. She didn't open The Big Golden Book of Divine Names and Celestial Descriptives and jab a finger at two different pages to come up with something "divinely inspired". And then tried again cause she didn't like the first combo.

I know one Witch who changes her magickal name every year (if not more often.) What's the point if you send an email from "PixieTinkle PeroghyMoontide@whatever" and you have to start the email -

"hi, its me, Hermione (Darlene), so you know. Last year, when we met at the Lammas Fair, I was Maroon Star Unicornhorn White-Leaf. I know my email reply-to is still Kali-Cuddles Odinsdottir, cause I haven't gotten around to changing that yet - so how are things? When's the next open event? yummiest blessings of the Goddess of Sugar Coated Nuts and Flakes..."

(pinches self) (OUCH) Real Person. Real Life. This is one of the reasons that I have always used my real name on lists, in emails, etc... as my religion is part of who I am everyday in the real world. This doesn't mean I introduce myself at PTA meetings by saying

"Hi, I'm Mary, mother of one son, and I'm a WITCH!!!!!!!! MOOOHAHAHAHAHAH Please pass the cookies and the agenda for today's meeting" Thanks, Principal Smith. Can I call you Willie ?".

IMNSHO, my religion has no bearing the hard skills needed to do my job, volunteer wherever I feel needed, buy groceries, go to a wedding or funeral, babysit the neighbors kid/cat/gerbil/mailbox, knit, or play competitive sports (HAH - unless bowling counts). I don't need to live ONLY through my self-identification as Wiccan (or any of its
sub-labels - for some, its not just being Pagan / Wiccan - they have to tell you that they are 3rd Degree Whatevers blah blah blah). Dinner plate sized pentacle ? no thanks, trying to cut down. hard on the neck muscles.

Soft Skills - If I'm not walking my talk, and trying my damndest to live my principles everyday I'm in bigger trouble than looking or sounding like a fool. My favourite Crapht name is a dianic lesbian performance artist in California named "Dolphin-Free Tuna Woman" (real name, by the way, legally changed. Poseiden & Flipper bless her
pointed little heart. Not in any way implying that DFTW is a fool, but her name seems a bit silly to me, although extremely politically correct.)

My faith is part of all that I am - so much so that I don't mention it most of the time unless someone asks directly, or it comes up in conversation about "what I do in my spare time and I talk about community events", or if someone admires a significantly witchy piece of jewelry. Or at work, back in the old days when I was running the New Age Shoppe and Celestial Emporium and people were looking for books, and wanted to know if there was anyone who knew anything about (whisper) real witchcraft. That was then. Now I could show them the poster that advertised my recent lecture at the local Community Centre - I should frame it like a diploma cause it proves I AM a real Witch. RIght up there with Glinda, and Sabrina, and all those other names on the poster. :)

My Craft name (and I do have one) is what my Gods call me (especially when they need to get my attention). Not even my Coven knows it. I don't even think my partner does. I certainly do not know hers, or if she has one, even. But that's me. :)

If I was to have a magickal name on another planet, it would be something like this:

Lady Sunray Stingray WhipperwillTwitterbeak EagleWoman, Cosmic 3rd Degree Currymaker and Esteemed Teacher of the Mysteries of Dark Beer, Afficianado 21st Order of Mature Single Malt, KnitTwitchQueen of the Prairie Region (self-proclaimed), Charter Member of the Most Magnificent Order of the Silly Wand Wavers in Wondrous Robes (The
MMOSWWWR) and Powerful Elder PooBah of the Cracked Cast Iron Cauldron Coven of Real Witches (we eat fluffy bunnies for breakfast, with toast and tea). W.O.R.N Past President, and lifetime member emiritas vino veritas.

This says something about who I am. (maybe just some of it. Some of it just sounded good.)

but on this planet, and in this lifetime, you can call me

Acorn