Magickal Name/Motto

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Magickal Name/Motto

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Original post: scarred_seraph

So, it's as simple as that: how did you choose/create your magickal name/motto? where did you gather inspiration form?

If someone's willing to share theirs, well, we're all ears.

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Magickal Name/Motto

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Original post: paaa

Well, a motto is what you strive for. A way of saying, I will not rest until I have overcome these limitations.
It is also usually connected to the great work somehow and your personal views of it. My previous motto was: â??Per Ardua ad Altaâ?Â

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Magickal Name/Motto

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Original post: scarred_seraph

Which tradition were you bound to, if i may ask?

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Original post: paaa

You may ask, but I am not at liberty to tell.

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Magickal Name/Motto

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Original post: scarred_seraph

[QUOTE=paaa;303241]You may ask, but I am not at liberty to tell.[/QUOTE]

Shhh, they're watching you :o


Uhm, and what about"With a grain of salt"? Is it personal, or can you explain that?

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Original post: Rokkyu

I have always thought that "there are no ordinary moments" would be my motto. I want to see know and appreciate the truth and power in all things and to use my life to the fullest.

Now I need to do the translation. :)

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Original post: Corvid

I've always been partial to "Memento Mori."

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Original post: Aset-Ka

There is a mantra/prayer I meditate on each day. It is powerful for me and that is what matters. The words and the thoughts and the experience of it gives me strength, a sense of security and wellbeing.

I suppose it is my motto as well, but I am confident it would mean little to anyone else here, and so I don't want to share it. Not only for that reason, but because it wasn't something I read in a book, viewed on television, or witnessed anyone express, and I doubt any person in the world other than myself meditates on those particular words, perhaps the ideas, yes, but not those words...and that is what I'd be sharing here.

It is very special to me.

I know some get frustrated by the lack of sharing, but over the years it has become apparent that many people really aren't respectful of what may be held dear to another...and why share something dear with disrespectful people?

I suppose my point is that to ask this question on an occult forum and expect to get true insightful answers is probably somewhat naive.

Anyone can write something that has already be written somewhere else. I tend to think that those with their heart in what is dear to them make it personal to themselves and thus would not share such things with strangers, especially regarding occult subjects. Even if it was shared, do you think you'd get much out of it? I doubt it.

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Original post: Angelus Degenero

Angelus (angel) Degenero (fallen or degenerate)

I chose this name to reflect my past and the biggest turning point in my life. For my 1st 27 years I was raised and truly believed in a pseudo christian sect. Then I woke up and saw the world around me. From their perspective I "fell from grace" or apostasized, so I gave myself this name to relish my clean break from my past.

AD

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Original post: Hanged_in_Glory

I've had so many and I keep my real magickal name pretty close to my heart. But a couple of my favorite witches becamed concerned because the Hanged Man comes up in every reading they do for me, every time. Another good friend pointed out it's not such a bad thing. Anyway, I've been doing some hanging....not for nine days....more like nine years. But it's a growth and learning experience and to me, these two things are glorious indeed.

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Original post: Scarlett_156

"Pledged to pleasure, booze, and treasure!"

Oh wait... that's my PIRATE motto, not my magical one... *rifles through tattered notebook* Hm... magical motto, magical motto.... Here we go: "Accelerate going INTO the curve!"

Um, that's not it either. Oh, here it is! Duh! "Acceptance and living without restraint I will call the highest virtue." Sort of. I mean, it's sort of a motto. I had to look it up, so I guess you can't really call it a "motto" per se. I did dog ear the page of the book that it's in.

That's one of em, anyway. "I will endure forever" is one of my old ones, I used to chant that under my breath all the time when I was little, especially when I was in church.

As far as a magical name is concerned: My very first magical name that I ever chose, a WAY LONG TIME ago, is the old Norse word for "otter". I chose it by asking my best friend if I was an animal, what kind of animal would I be? and that was his answer. (He took that very seriously, and thought it over for approximately half a day before telling me.) I transformed the letters into Ogham and put them on a pentagram, and it seemed to make a lot of sense. I used that name for quite awhile and still sign my correspondence with the sigil that I made out of it. It's not by any means a secret, so I don't have a problem telling anyone. I have other magical names and those ARE secret. much love, Scarlett

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Original post: 1911

1911 obviously!

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Original post: Caliban

When I am wearing my adept hat, I go by Fra. O.'.M'.'M.'., which stands for the Latin phrase, omnia munda mundis, "to the pure, all things are pure," from the Epistle of Paul to Titus, I:15. I adopted it when my Daemon (H.G.A. or what have you) prompted me to turn my attention to parts of myself and the Work I had previously neglected.

Mottoes are used to distinguish the magical persona from the mundane. My net handle, "Caliban" is kind of an intermediate persona - openly a magician, not publically my mundane legal name, but not my motto, either. Fra. O.'.M'.'M.'. does not post to public forums on the internet. ;)

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Original post: LucianAccendus

Ave

Are you asking about how one goes about choosing a motto or are you asking how we each personally found our mottos?

Finding your motto is a very important step, the stone around which you will build your temple. I personally have run the gamut in my early days trying to figure out my first motto (L.A. as you can read) but since then have found others. The best way I have found is simply to pray to your Higher Self to help you find your motto.

As I am saying this, I feel that when finding a motto early on, it is best to not try to label yourself as what you wish to be but who you are and what you need to fulfill your work (and to also avoid pretension as much as possible). But, as is integral to the work, you will soon out grow a motto that has pretension anyways.

Konx Om Pax

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Original post: Arresta

Someone said that your moto is something that you have over come (think it was paaa)
I disagree. A motto is much more of a work in progress. It is an energetic thing, sometimes a tripwire, sometimes a safety net, but certainly, never a diploma of ownership.
I stand up to my moto, everyday. And often I don't make the grade, but it is branded on me. If i ever attain my moto, I think I'll be dead!!

A magickal name is a different thing!

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Re: Magickal Name/Motto

Post by Caliban »

Is thread necromancy a no-no here? In any case, I'll risk it.

I have a bit more I can say - thanks to a teacher who administered an Oath of Initiation that allows me a lot of discretionary leeway in determining for myself just precisely how to honor my obligation to "keep secret that which must not be revealed."

And this concerns initiation, so it will be vague, but there is a lot published already on the topic, so I can say this much without spilling any particular magical beans:

My lineage has an "outer court"/"inner court" system in place - that is, some observances and gatherings are open to guests, while some (and really, far fewer) are reserved to initiates only. And we have two Craft Names, that we use depending on context. The outer-court name is simply an evocative handle - so that I can post here about something I learned from my friend, Dove, or something I taught to my student, Nightshade, in college, without outing their mundane identities. It's simply a matter of picking something one likes - just like a forum handle, here.

But the Inner Court name is something we have, and keep as a secret, shared only within initiatory space. A separate, special name helps distinguish that level of operation, that particular degree of mutual trust and confidentiality. In our practice, this name is sought, inwardly, during a particular phase of the initiation ritual. The actual process is really just "pick something you like", but in this case under specific, controlled, energized, ritual circumstances.

One is then introduced to one's fellow initiated by their secret names, and shares one's secret name with them. This is all about group-building, cooperative magic, synergy, and so on. It's a practical tool, for determining "now we are operating in this manner.

On another note, entirely, there are magical orders where participation is intentionally anonymous, to try to curb ego-inflation (with mixed results - people will be people). In those, were I a member, not only would I be encouraged neither to admit nor discuss membership outside it, inside it I would be using an assigned, random designation, solely - generally, a generic title distinguished by number. No one, other than myself and likewise anonymous administrators, would know I was "Neophyte 123", but others would see my contributions to order journals, projects, publications etc. under that rubric. It's a different take on the magical name, but it works.
"Who cannot draw upon three thousand years is living from hand to mouth." - Goethe

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