Choosing a Magickal Name

Choosing your magickal name is not always easy. Some people will tell you that theirs just came to them, and they didn't have to do much work at all for it. Others will tell you that they searched for ages before finding the one that fit them best.



How did I come by my name?
Well, I always loved horses. From the time I was a little girl, I remember my mother would take me to see the policemen on horses in the parade. And later, when I grew older and we moved more to the edges of the city then in the thick of it, I was fortunate enough to have a neighbor who loved children, and owned horses. Every weekend she would take me, and my new best friend, Nicole, to the stables. We would spend all morning mucking stalls, and brushing the horses, feeding and watering them, and cleaning the tack. For our hard work we were rewarded with riding lessons in the afternoon.



As I began to get into fantasy, and magic, my love of horses evolved and grew into a love of unicorns. I would read any fantasy book I could get my hands on about unicorns. When I grew up, and got into Wicca, I knew my magickal name should have something to do with horses or unicorns. I even considered taking the name "Unicorn." but it didn't feal right.



That is one important factor - whether the name feels right to you. Some people may tell you that your name needs to match your number - and involes adding up the letters in the name to see if the number of the name equals your number. In my opinion - that isn't really important. I found a lot of names that matched my number (which is 4) and none of them really resonated with me. But Epona does not equal 4, but still fit. (However, Epona Waterlily does equal 4. But according to the people who use numbers in choosing their magickal name, your first name should equal your number, and your first + last name should equal your number.)



It took me quite a while to find my magickal name. It finally came to me shortly after I joined the Sacred Mists. One of the assignments in my very first lesson was to research some gods and goddesses. In my search for ones to write about, I stumbled upon Epona. She was a goddess of horses, mules and donkeys in the Gallo-Roman religion in Gaul. Symbolized in stone carvings as a woman riding a horse, sometimes with a foal, or a woman standing between two foals. She was also a goddess of fertility, and was often symbolized as a white mare. Something lit up in my mind like someone turning on the light!

At first I had reservations. If you went out and asked random people who Epona was, many would say "The horse from Zelda." I knew that if I chose Epona as my name, most people would think I had gotten it from the nintendo video game Zelda. But in the end, the name just fit me so well, I shrugged off the unease of people equating me with some video game, and chose Epona as my name.

My last name was easy. Water is my element, and lilies, especially waterlilies are my favorite flower. That one came to me the same day I settled on Epona. So in one day I had my magickal name.


Will it work out the same for you?
Not nessissarily. It may come to you in a dream, it may be a name you have always liked, it may be given to you by an elder, or it may tumble into your lap one day. Or, just as possible, it may take your months of searching to find one that fits you.


What is the purpose of a magickal name?
It comes from an old belief that your real name can be a powerful tool, and can be used against you. If someone knows your real name, they may be able to use it against you. As such, many occultists choose names to use in rituals, so negative entities won't know your birth name and use it to gain power over you. And so your magickal name is a form of protection. You use it in ritual, or with fellow pagans.

Some witches, wiccans, and pagans choose to have two magickal names. One that you go by in the magickal community, and one that only you know and use in ritual. I myself just have the one magickal name. Though my friends and family know it - they don't use it. They use my real name, Carrie. However, among fellow witches at Sacred Mists, I go by Epona - and in other places as well. Though I have no problems sharing my real name with those that ask.

Most Wiccans will take on and shed many magickal names over their careers. For example, I may choose a new one when I graduate from the Sacred Mists, to symbolize a new rebirth in this life, just as my current magickal name symbolizes my rebirth into Wicca. Though I am fond of Epona Waterlily... and may choose to keep it, I have yet to decide.

And of course, you do not have to choose a magickal name. Many witches and wiccans just use their own names. Some aren't comfortable having multiple names. Perhaps because they believe that only your birth name has power, or perhaps they just like their real names. Either way, choosing a magickal name is a personal choice.

Good luck to you in your search.
Blessed Be
Epona Waterlily.