Here is more information given to me from Dragon sent to me in an email. Thank you Dragon! Happy reading! Namaste ^_^ Etiene.
The Least You Need to Know
Ritual Baths, and Consecration from Dragon
Your Magickal name is a reflection of who you are, what you stand for, and what you hope to become.
Your Magickal name is special to you. Only people in the craft and the pagan community need to know your magickal name.
Your dedication is a moving experience in which you take your magickal name and invite the Lord and Lady into your life.
A dedication ritual is best experienced, not just read about.
If you're serious about your interest in Wicca and witchcraft, dedication is your next step. Dedication is an exciting and serious commitment. It means that you have chosen to walk the Wiccan path. Your dedication is a personal issue. It is not something that you do because your friends are doing it. When you dedicate, you make a personal commitment to the Lord and Lady.
You can dedicate as a solitaire of as part of a coven. If you dedicate within a coven, that action does not necessarily make you a member of the coven. In many covens, you do not become a member until you have passed your First Degree Initiation. Whether you dedicate on your own or in a coven, dedication is a serious step. You'll want to meditate on this commitment and spend some real time thinking about it before you set off on the Wiccan path.
First, Take Your Magical Name
As you've probably noticed, a name says a lot about a person. In the past, names such as Miller, Cooper, or Smith indicated the professions of the people attached to them. These days, a name doesn't tell you that, but it can still divulge a lot about someone.
From just a name you can probably discern a person's gender, ethnic background, and sometimes even their religion. A name can give you a good impression or a bad one. It can remind you of someone you like or admire who shares that name--an old friend, an uncle, or a movie star -- or someone you loathe.
When you become dedicated to the craft, you get to choose your magickal name, the name other witches and members of the Pagan community will call you. Your magical name is also the name by which the Goddess will know you.
The Significance of a Magickal Name
First of all, your magical name is important because that is what all the people you meet in the Pagan community will call you. So, you want it to be a name the you like now and that you will continue to like int he future. You will also use your magickal name when you talk to the God and Goddess.
In addition, your name should have some real significance to you. You want it to reflect your goals, dreams, ideals, and aspirations. Your magical name should give others an idea of who you are and what you stand for. It can also serve to remind you of these things and serve as an inspiration to you on your path.
Facts:
A magickal name can be one word or two or more words
or names that you put together. Examples of this kind of name include those of two popular authors--Starhawk and SilverRavenWolf. Creating a name in this way actually has an ancient tradition. The modern English name "Roger" comes from the Anglo-Saxon Hrothgar,
which literally are the words "Fame" and "spear"combined.
Why Take a Magickal Name, and When?
Have you ever felt limited by your name? Some people do. Janes can be really plain or ordinary. And Micheals can feel like a dime-a-dozen because there are so very many of them. When you become a witch you open up a whole new universe of possibilities. You don't want your preconceived notions of who you are to hold you back from you limitless potential.
In addition, having a magickal name that you use only in the pagan community can help that community be special to you. It can also protect your privacy For some people, keeping their status as a witch secret is important. Others are more public and don't care who knows all about their beliefs and practices. But it is nice to know that you have the choice.
Usually you take your magickal name upon dedication. This is a signal that you are committing to the Wiccan path.
Choosing Your Magickal Name
You can choose a name because you like it or because it gives you a special feeling. You might pick the name of a God or Goddess whom you are particularly drawn to. Or you might like the name of a famous Druid, shush as Merlin. Your name could come to you in a dream, or it can be one that you have always dreamed of using!
One witch that we know took the name Summoner because she summons thing. Denise lived in the Middle East for a number of years, and because she was very moved by the life stories of the women she met there, she chose the name Shaherazad. You my remember Shaharazad (or Sheherazade) from the Tales of the Arabian Nights. In order to save her own life, Shaharazad told her new husband, who was in the habit of killing his brides, a story every night. Her husband was so mesmerized by her tales and her creativity that he kept putting off the hour of her death. By the time she told him a thousand and one stories, he had fallen in love with her and no longer wanted to kill her. Denise also particularly likes this heroine because her story emphasizes a woman's creativity and intelligence, he ability to take care of herself, and her ability to survive.
If you aren't drawn to a special character, you can choose a name from something in Nature for which you have a particular affinity--Tree, Forest, or Willow, are examples of such names.
Banish!
Resist the temptation to grab at the first "whichy" sounding name that pops into your head. Yes Samantha, Sabrina, and Tituba are cool names. And one of these names might be right for you. But don't just settle for the first name you think of. Maybe there is another, more significant name just waiting fro you to find it.
What Your Magickal Name Says About You
Some magickal names conjure up very strong images--Raven, Bear Heart, Grendel, Hawk. Others are softer and more gentle--Moon Feather, Ash, Gandalf, Snow Blossom. You want to consider what your name is going to say about you. You want your name to go with you--your body, your mind, and your spirit. This is not to say that if you are a small woman you can't take a strong-sounding name. And if you are a big muscle-bound guy you don't have to stick with rough, tough names like Thor.
Coming to Your Magickal Name: A Self-Exploration
You don't have any ideas for a magickal name? Answering these questions will help you in thinking about it. Get out your notebook and spend some time writing about each question. You may want to meditate on each answer. OR think about it just before you go to bed, and you might find an answer in your dreams. You can work on one question at a time. or scribble out answers for all of them, come back, and add more thoughts as they occur to you. Remember there are no wrong answers.
1.) Do you have an affinity with a particular God or Goddess whom you have read about?
2.) Do you have a favorite myth of legend? What is it? Who are the characters? Which one do you identify with most strongly?
3.) is there a species of animal that is special to you? What qualities does that animal have?
4.) Are you particularly drawn to one of the four elements -- Earth, Air, Water or Fire? What about other natural substances such as different types of wood or metals?
5.) What is your favorite plant? Favorite flower? Favorite tree?
We hope that these questions have stirred up some ideas. You magical name probably won't jump out and grab you, but if you're patient we believe it will come to you.
So mote It Be
Here's a fun way to look at some potential magickal
names. Write out each name that you are considering
on a slip of paper. Keep you pen and notebook handy,
and put the slips into a hat or a paper bad. Give the bag a good shake, Imagine that the name that you draw will be yours forever. draw out one slip. Then, without thinking too much about it, write down whatever feelings come up for you, even if they sound silly. Put that name back into the hat and draw again. If you keep getting the same name, consider that to be significant. Does seeing the name over and over annoy you? Or do you find some comfort in the repetition?
The Name of Rebirth
In a lot of ways, when you dedicate and take your magickal name, you are reborn. A whole new you is emerging and your magickal personality is born. In many faiths, now and throughout history. people take a new name to show that they have undergone this transformation. Their new name also indicates that they have made a commitment to their beliefs and to the laws that embody those beliefs.
Numerology: Your Destiny and Life Path Numbers
Many people use nermerology to help select their magickal names. Numerology? isn't that about numbers? Well, it is, but numerology is not jsut math. It's also concerned with letters, names, addresses, and other sigificant personal information.
The first step in using numerology to help select your magickal name is to determine your Destiny Number. your Destiny Number is derived from your birth name, the name tht is on your birth certificate. Yup, that means you have to include that hideous middle name that no one knows about except members of your immediat family. Among other things, you Destiny Numbers reveals you life purpose, your spiritual mission, and the target tht you are aiming for in life.
To calculate you Destiny Number, write down your full birth name and assign each letter a number based on the following chart. Add up the numbers for each name. Refuce the numbers for each name. then add all the reduced numbers together, and reduce the final number to a single digit number. Whew!
Book of Shadows
Numerology is the metaphysical science of numbers.
Numerologists study the significance fo names and numbers and relate them to each other to learn about the human condition. Numerology can help you discover who you are, where you're going, and who you will become.
Numbers and Letters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
We'll calculate Katherine Anne Gleason' s Destiny Number so you can get the hang of it.
KATHERINE ANNE GLEASON
212859955 1555 7351165
First , add all the digets of the first name together:
2 + 1 + 2 + 8 + 5 + 9 + 9 + 5 + 5 = 46
46 (4 + 6) = 10 (1 + 0) = 1
then second name:
5 + 5 + 5 =
Reduce 16 (1+6) = 7
Then add the numbers of the of the last name:
1 + 7 + 1 = 9
Katherine's Destiny Number is 9
facts:
Pythagoras, the sixth-cnetury B.C.E. mathematician who came up with that formula about the hypotenuse of a right triangle, is considered to be one of the fathers of numerology. He Believed that the numbers 1 through 9 were symbolic representations of the sages of human life.
Okay, but what do you do with this number? We're getting there. Let's say Katherine was thinking of taking the name Elphaba as her magickal name. Let's look at the name numerologically.
E L P H A B A
5 3 7 8 1 2 1
5+ 3 +7 +8 +1 +2 +1 = 27 (2 + 7) = 9!
The name Elphaba has the same Destiny Number as Katherine's Birth Name. THis indicates that Elphaba would be a good choice for Katherine. (Although Katherine likes the name a lot, she probably would not use it because she is very close to being who allready bears the name--her cat! But we think it is cool that they have the same Destiny Number, dont you?) If the magickal name youhave selected produces a number other than you Destiny Number, you can change the spelling of the name or alter the name by adding or taking away a letter. Or you can use your Life Path Number instead.
Your Life Path Number describes the path that you will take in life and the talents and abilities that will aid you on the way. You dind your Life Path Number by adding together the digits that represent the month, day, and the year you were born. Then you reduce that number to a single number by adding the digits together. Here's an example of how to do that.
birth date, September 11 1968 (9 / 11 / 1968)
september = 9
11 (1+1)=2
1968 (1+9+6+8)=24 (2+4)=6
9+2+6=17(1+7)=8
So if you were born on September 11,1968, your Life Path Number is 8. And you might want to choose a magickal name with a numerological value of 8.
Facts:
There are many books on numerology that can explain
the significance of your Destiny Number, Life Path number, and other numbers that are important in your numerological chart. We recomend the Complete Idiot's guide to Numerology, by kay Lagerquist and Lisa Lenard (alpha books,1999)
Your name in a Magickal Alphabet
Some witches use the Theban Script to write their name on talismans and amulets. It is sometimes called Honorian Script or the Honorian Alphabet. It can also be referred to as the Witch's Alphabet, but many people consider that term to be a misnomer. Using this special system of writing can help you to focus your energy and send it into the object that you are inscribing You can even try Theban Script for spells and ritual.
Book of Shadows
Theban Script is a form of writing that can help you focus your energy and send it into the object that you are inscribing. Some believe Theban Script arose during the Middle Ages: others believe it to be a more recent development. Witches of the Gardnerian tradition and many others frequently use it. Some ceremonial magickians-- individuals who practice magick in a ceremony that is devoid of religious content--use it as well.
Practice writing your magical name (or your mundane name, if you don't have a magical one yet) in Theban Script when you make entries in you diary. If you use the script a little every day, pretty soon you'll know it by heart.
Can You Change Your Magickal Name
In some traditions, a witch first takes his or her magickal name upon dedication. Then, a year and a day later, at the time of First Degree Initiation, he or she takes another name A witch may also rededicate under another name if the magickal name chosen no longer fits. When you first enter the craft, you'll learn and grow a lot Because of all the change that you will be experiencing as a person, it is not unusual to feel that you need to take a new name after some time. As a solitaire, you can change you name when you want. But it is probably not a good idea to do it frequently. You don't want to give yourself an identity crisis!
A New Path in an Old Way of Life In many ways your life will change when you dedicate yourself to the craft. And in many other ways it won't. You will still have the same family and friends. You will Probably live in the same place and hold the same job, or you will continue to go to school. For many people, their external lives do not look much different, But inside they feel change.
What It Means to Dedicate
Dedication means just that--dedication. When you dedicate yourself to the craft, it means that you have looked at the craft, studied, and made a decision to walk the path of the witch, and will observe the Wiccan law--"An it harm none, do what you will." You also are making a promise to respect the Lord and Lady.
So mote it Be
As a way of celebrating your dedication, why not do something nice for the Earth and her creatures? Feed the local wildlife, visit animal at a shelter, of dig in some compost around the base of a tree. Alternatively, you could send money to an organization that fights pollution or protects endangered animals. Or join a cleanup crew at a local park or stream. Or form your won cleaning brigade. When you're done, take yourself out for a coffee and a slice of cake.
When you dedicate you don't just take your magickal name, you take an oath that you will live by the Wiccan Rede. In a coven, you usually also promise not to reveal to nonmembers any of the information that you learn about from the coven.
Taking You New Name in Dedication
At your dedication ceremony, you'll take your magical name. In a coven ritual, the High Priest or the High Priestess will ask you by what name you will be known in the circle. From then on, that will be the name the coverers call you.
As a solitaire, you can self-Dedicate..During your self-dedication ritual, you can tell the God and Goddess what name you are taking.
How to Do Your Own Self-Dedication
You can write your own self-dedication ceremony or use the one that follows. Look at a few other books for ideas, and don't forget the Internet. There's loads of information about Wicca and witchcraft out there. Whatever you do, make your dedication ritual a special time for you.
Dedication ritual
1. First decide if this is truly what you want to do. Look deep within yourself and meditate on the question. Ask yourself, "Is this the path I want to walk?" If you decide that Wicca is truly your calling, you can proceed with you ritual.
2. Set up your altar. To do this, place the following objects out the surface you have chosen to work on:
> A pentagram for protection
> One silver candle for the Goddess
> One gold candle for the God
> One illuminator candle (you will light all the other candles from this one).
>One bowl of salt
> Your athame
> A censer
> A candle snuffer
> A chalice
> A bottle of wine or juice and some cakes
> A libation bowl
> the words of the dedication that follows (unless you want to improvise what you want to say to the God and Goddess)
> You will also need a lighter or book of matches to light your illuminator candle and incense.
3. Lay out your ritual robe (if you plan to wear one) and your magickal jewelry.
4. Draw you bath. To the water add ...
> One table spoon of Sea Salt.
> A couple of drops of jasmine essential oil.
Light your bath candles. Play meditative music. Get in the tub and relax. Breath in the essence of the jasmine. Think about the ritual you will be performing and what it means to you. Meditate on the changes you will be making within yourself and your life. Are you ready to face the challenge? Think about your relationship with the Lord and Lady. Cleanse your mind as well as your body.
5. After bathing, drying, and dressing for the journey you are about to take, go to the altar and prepare you sacred space.
6. First consecrate your elements. (I will post that next post sorry lol)
7. Now take your water and walk the circle deosil (clockwise) and say:
"As I walk this circle around I cleanse and consecrate this ground."
8. Next sprinkle your salt around the circle and say: "First with Water then with Earth With negativity banished there's joyous rebirth."
9. Take the incense censer and walk the circle saying: "Next with Fire, then with Air Leaving us only with purity Fair."
10. Take your athame and mark the boundaries of the circle, pulling up the circle as you go. (that will not be explained till three more posts if you want me to continue posting these)
11. Stand in front of your altar and light the illuminator candle with a match or lighter Welcome the God and Goddess and thank them fro coming.
12. Begin you Dedication to the God and Goddess by saying the following: "Goddess, I stand before you in this sacred place of power. I Open my heart to your spirit. I open my mind to your wisdom I dedicate myself to the learning of your mysteries. I dedicate my life to following the Wiccan path. O. Great Mother, take me into your fold. Protect me, teach me, heal me, and empower me. Breathe your spirit in my body and make me complete. Teach me to see through eyes that are wise. Teach me to feel through a heart that is compassionate. Teach me to drink through lips that speak of kindness. Teach em to hear through ears without prejudice. Teach me to live in oneness with the Earth. Great Goddess, Queen of the Craft of the Wise, I come to you as Your {son or daughter} [magickal name] From this day forward I will follow your light and strive to learn the mysteries."
13. Light the silver candle with the flame of the illuminator candle.
14. Begin your Dedication to the God by saying the following: "God, I stand before you in the sacred place of power. I open my heart to your spirit. I open my mind to your wisdom. I open myself to the learning of your mysteries. I open my life to following the Wiccan path. O. Great Father, take me into your fold. Protect me, teach me, heal me, and empower me. Breathe your spirit in my body and make me complete. Teach me to see through eyes that are wise. Teach me to feel through a heart that is compassionate. Teach me to drink through lips that speak of kindness. Teach em to hear through ears without prejudice. Teach me to live in oneness with the Earth. All powerful Lord, consort and protector of the Lady, I come to you as your {son or daughter} [magickal name] From this moment forward I will follow your light and strive to learn the mysteries."
15. light the gold candle from the illuminator candle.
16. Pour the wine in a chalice and get your cakes.
17. Before you eat and drink, pour some of the wine and break off some of you cake into the libation bowl for the Lord and Lady.
18. Now drink wine, eat the cakes, and reflect on this ritual and how you have taken the first big step in changing your life.
19. When you are finished eating and drinking, thank the Lord and Lady for attending your dedication and snuff out the gold candle and the silver candles.
20. Take your athame and walk widdershins (counterclockwise) around the circle and to take it down (again bear with me lol)
21. Snuff out your illuminator candle and clean up. Make sure you take the contents of the liberation bowl, the Lord and Lady's portion of the feast, and give it back to the Earth. Go outdoors and pour it on the ground.
congratulations! You have dedicated yourself to the WIccan way of life.
You may have enjoyed reading this dedication ritual, but keep in mind that ritual is primarily designed to be experienced, not read about. In other words, Try it out!
