Most, but not all, witches have a magical name – one that they use when they are in ritual, meditation or when working spells. So how do you get one? Well there are many ways. You could meditate and see if one is given to you. You could look through the internet and your books to see if anything jumps out at you. You could ask a friend or mentor to name you. Whatever way it happens, a magical name is very special. Some pagans don’t like to share their magical names with others, choosing to keep it between themselves and the divine, after all a magical name carries power with it. My own name came to me from various avenues. A while after I had found this path I visited a local Roman museum as they were holding a Celtic re-enactment day. There was lots going on, sword fights, dressing in Celtic outfits, making of pottery and spinning and also several stalls showing everyone how and what ancient Celts would have cooked. As I am a great lover of cooking and food it was to these stalls that I was drawn. It seemed to me that a lot of the recipes contained the herb Tansy, the one that especially drew my eye was Tansy cake. As I had already formed a connection with working with herbs I knew that Tansy was the right choice for a name, it fit and it has stayed with me. As for the Firedragon part of my name, that came from knowing that fire is my favourite element and that a love of dragons has been with me since I was a child. The names came to me and I meditated to check that they were right and the rest is history. If you are looking for a magical name have a think about the following things: Do you have a favourite name that you have liked for a very long time or have always wished it was your real name? If you follow a particular tradition or path, what are some of the names of the God/desses associated with that tradition that you are drawn to, honour, or enjoy speaking with? What are your favourite colours and what do those colours make you think of? What kind of plants do you like? What kind of magical things do you like - Faerys, mermaids, dragons? Where are your favourite places to be in Nature? What is your favourite element (Earth, Air, Fire, and Water)? What is your favourite animal or creature? What is your favourite season? What is your favourite month? For each of the four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter) what is your favourite plant, place to be, and animal? What favourite interests and hobbies do you have? What areas of the craft are your favourite? (Runes, candles etc) What is your favourite place/country/town in the world? Your answers to these questions may at least give you a short list with which to work from.
Taken from Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch by Rachel Patterson
