Magickal Names and Mottos

Book of Shadows

In Paganism, a magickal name is a name that represents your magickal being. It is usually a name you choose for yourself, though I have heard of a few groups choosing names for their new initiates. A magickal name should either describe your present strengths or interests, reflect qualities you would like to grow into, or embody what you perceive to be your magickal persona.

In ceremonial magick, a magickal motto is a phrase that describes your spiritual goal. It is usually in either Latin or Hebrew, but can be in any language besides your native tongue or everyday language. The motto is typically abbreviated so others will not know what the actual motto is, so you would refer to yourself as, for example, "Frater AMAG" or "Soror SA".

Magickal names and magickal mottos both serve the purpose of separating your magickal work from the so-called mundane world.

Some Wiccans take two magickal names, a public name and a private name. The public name is the name you go by among fellow practitioners. The private name is a name known only to you and the Divine, only used in sacred space.

The process of choosing a magickal name varies from person to person (like so many things in magick). Some choose names related to their patron deities (please don't name yourself directly after a deity). Some choose names from old legends, folklore, or history. Other possibilities include animals, herbs, flowers, the elements, or gemstones. Magickal mottos are often chosen from Biblical passages, Kabbalistic texts, or Gematria dictionaries, such as Sepher Sephiroth by Aleister Crowley or Godwin's Cabalistic Encyclopedia by David Godwin.

Research thoroughly the names or phrases that have caught your eye. Learn as much as you can about their origins and symbolism. This will help you decide if the name is right for you. Be mindful of how the name or motto sounds, what negative connotations it may possess, and whether it lends strength to you or whether it detracts from who you want to be. Some feel that adding numerology into the mix helps to "attune" the name to you, by using Gematria for a magickal motto, and using the Pythagorean numerology system for a Pagan magickal name.

To decide on a Pagan name based on numerology, add up all the numbers in your date of birth, and continue to add until it is reduced to a single digit. For example, say you were born January 1, 1970: 1 + 1 + 1 + 9 + 7 + 0 = 19. Then 1 + 9 = 10. Then 1 + 0 = 1. This final single number is called your Birth number. Your goal would then be to find a name that numerologically matches your Birth number. This is done using the Pythagorean system of equating the letters of the English alphabet with the first nine numbers:

Say you researched and like the name Amber. Under the Pythagorean system, A = 1, M = 4, B = 2, E = 5, R = 9. Therefore "Amber" would be 1 + 4 + 2 + 5 + 9 = 21 = 3. Sorry, it doesn't match your Birth number. Using this example (Birth number 1, name number 3), you would need to add a "7" to the name to make it match your Birth number. So you could experiment with modifications to the name such as adding a "G", "P", or "Y" to it. This, though, usually ends up mangling the name beyond all recognition, in which case it would be best to just try another name.

Oh, and please read this before you start selecting a name: Lady Pixie Moondrip's Guide to Craft Names. A funny guide on avoiding the pretentious clichés that are rife among Wiccan magickal names.