Without a name who and what would you be? As we use words to define everything from ourselves and the keyboard upon which I type to the words that I type upon it, words and names establish our presence in the world. A name was such powerful evidence of one’s existence in ancient times that if a member of the Egyptian nobility were guilty of a severe enough crime, his or her name was systematically erased from all monuments in an effort to erase that person from the afterlife.
According to the Law of Names*, knowledge of a thing’s “true name” affords a magic user control over it. This works through the law of contagion. Your name is directly connected to who you are, just like a bit of hair, nail clippings, or the clothes you wear. With enough information (enough names), a spell is quite easy to cast. If you look at ancient invocations, they go about defining the thing they call or dismiss, rarely naming the thing(s) described directly. For instance:
I
Destructive storms and evil winds are they,
A storm of evil, presaging the baneful storm,
A storm of evil, forerunner of the baneful storm.
Mighty children, mightv sons are they,
Messengers of Namtar are they,
Throne-bearers of Ereshkigal. [1]
The flood driving through the land are they.
Seven gods of the wide heavens,
Seven gods of the broad earth,
Seven robber-gods are they.
Seven gods of universal sway,
Seven evil gods,
Seven evil demons,
Seven evil and violent demons,
Seven in heaven, seven on earth.II
Neither male nor female are they.
Destructive whirlwinds they,
Having neither wife nor offspring.
Compassion and mercy they do not know.
Prayer and supplication they do not hear.
Horses reared in the mountains, Hostile to Ea.
Throne-bearers of the gods are they.
Standing on the highway, befouling the street. Evil are they, evil are they,
Seven they are, seven they are, Twice seven they are.III
The high enclosures, the broad enclosures like a flood they pass through.
From house to house they dash along.
No door can shut them out,
No bolt can turn them back.
Through the door, like a snake, they glide,
Through the hinge, like the wind, they storm.
Tearing the wife from the embrace of the man,
Snatching the child from the knees of a man,
Driving the freedman from his family home.-R.C. Thompson, The Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia, London 1903**What we name must answer to us;
we can shape it if not control it.
- Starhawk, Dreaming of the Dark 1982In most dismissals as with most summons, it is necessary to invoke the being through detailed definitions as can be seen in the Thompson quote. Obviously you want to get it right. To be as sure as possible that the dismissal will work, it is important to be sure the thing you want gone is present before telling it to get lost. If you can’t accurately identify the thing you’re removing, whatever power you’re calling upon for assistance won’t know either.
A description of a being is a collection of “names” which apply to that being. They help to fine tune a spell to apply only to that being or group of beings. It is still a good idea to have one or more true names of the being you might be trying to spell, but any and all information you possess about the being is good information to have.
Your Most Private Name You have but to know an object by its proper name
for it to lose its dangerous magic.
- Elias CanettiApplication of a proper name to a being is a bit misleading. Any being can have numerous names. Most people are given at least two at birth (a first name and a surname), sometimes three if they’re given a middle name. But some of us have more names besides. What I refer to is a “Craftname.” This is a most private and personal name.
At one time, children had given names that everyone knew, but usually at a certain age, they were given another private name, a name which they might only reveal to family or never, a name which could give any magic user dangerous control over his or her life. Conversely, some cultures bestowed the private name upon a child at birth and used another public name outside of the family. Such practices are found on all the populated continents. Some Inuits take on a new name when they become old, hoping the name will give them renewed strength. The people of Indonesia may change their names after they have suffered some misfortune or have had a serious illness in order to confuse the evil spirits that brought them grief.
Gods and demons also have such names, knowledge of which magic users applied to cause physical phenomena or which the gods used on each other to coerce their peer’s cooperation. This is the basis for modern ceremonial and “high” magic. Knowledge of names is used to both control the world and protect against dangerous forces.
Throughout our lives we acquire more names... nicknames from friends and family, labels from school and work, our own names/words which we apply to ourselves. These are all part of your real name, but they are also part of your public name. If you choose or are given a Craft name, this is equivalent to the private names of ancient cultures. It is a powerful name that should be kept secret to all but those you trust the most, for unscrupulous persons can use it to control your actions or borrow your power. Sharing a name with someone is like giving a promise that you will be there if they are in need, physically or psychically. My public name is the name I was born with, but very few people know my private name nor is it likely anyone is aware of the special meanings I attach to it.
Taking on a new name implies a change of direction. Many magickal and shamanic cultures bestowed a new name upon a person when he or she reached a certain plateau (puberty rituals, marriages, spiritual awakenings). Entry into a religious society also usually implied a new name. In most magickal systems dating from the Middle Ages, names are created for the purpose of secrecy and safety. If your fellow coveners did not know your name, they could not betray you to the Inquisition or witch hunters.
Whether you believe in numerology or the specific vibrations caused by the sound of a word**, when a name is attached to you, certain forces are stimulated. These forces combine to influence who you are and who you may become. In ancient times, names were chosen for the distinction they carried. Many Chinese societies invented names for children, giving each a mixture of sounds and symbols of secret significance. Many African names are based on sound and meaning, blending the parents’ names or choosing a name that affixes a certain personality trait to the child.
You can possess more than one name for different circumstances, but keeping at least one secret is probably the best recourse. If you come under attack through one or more of your names, falling back on a name no one knows can protect you. Through isolation from other names and refusal to share it, it is by definition your one true name. If you define yourself by this unknown name, any spells cast on you via other names from which you have dissociated yourself should fall away.
There are many ways to create a private name for yourself. In some traditions, your teacher chooses a name for you. Many take a name from mythology or fiction, plant lore, gemstones, totem animals, nature, a mystical idea or tool, or a trait they would like to adopt. You can also make up a name, mixing the letters of your current name or another word until you find something you like. Meditation can also hold the key to a new name, allowing your higher self, spirit guides, or patron deities to help you with a word or vision. However, it should be noted that taking the actual name of your god/dess can be more trouble than it’s worth. The deity may either be offended or expect unshared devotion. It is better to utilize part of the name or even rearrange the letters as an anagram. Numerology is an effective way of exploring the changes that your new name will make in your life.
*The Law of Names
In magical systems, a name is the thing named. This is to say that in some way, there is an analogical correspondence between the name and the thing named. There is a connection created by shared structure. To know the true name of a person, place, or thing is to have complete control over it. Of course, you could never command something to do anything that was not in its nature. To know a thing’s true name is to know its nature. What most people consider to be a name is really (in magical sense) only a label. This works because a name is a definition as well as a contagion link, and an association (if you call something by the same name over and over, that name eventually becomes associated with the thing). This also works, because knowing the complete and true name of something or someone means that you have achieved a complete understanding of it's or their nature.**Charm against the seven evil spirits
Seven are they, seven are they!
In the channel of the deep seven are they!
In the radiance of heaven seven are they!
In the channel of the deep in a palace grew they up.
Male they are not, female they are not.
In the midst of the deep are their paths.
Wife they have not, son they have not.
Order and kindness know they not.
Prayer and supplication hear they not.
The cavern in the mountain they enter.
Unto Hea are they hostile.
The throne-bearers of the gods are they.
Disturbing the lily in the torrents are they set.
Baleful are they, baleful are they.
Seven are they, seven are they, seven twice again are they.
May the spirits of heaven remember, may the spirits of earth remember.***The Law of Words of Power
There are words (symbols) that are able to change the inner and/or other realities of those using/perceiving them. These words (symbols) do not necessarily need to be consciously understood by those using/perceiving them in order to have their effect. One view is that these words or symbols have accumulated power through use (attention) over thousands of years. Others would say that there is an intrinsic primordial connection (resonance) between these words (symbols) and the forces or concepts they represent that goes beyond human design. Many people believe this about Sanskrit, claiming that it is the original root language of humanity. Many of such words are names, though the meanings may have been lost or forgotten. Many magical tools require words to be inscribed upon them and/or said over them during their construction and/or use.