Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

NAMES

Names are a form of concealment as well as an expression of identity. For example, in kabbalistic lore (see KABBALAH), the mighty angel Metatron has more than seventy other names. Some of them express particular aspects or functions, but others may simply be decoys. The true adept would know the false or ill-taught one by the incorrect use of names in such cases. Also, certain spirits were of such power that to use their names incautiously might be likened to touching a bare electric wire. Thus Demogorgon was a secret name for hundreds of years. Even today, there are a host of by-names for the Devil. A name was felt to be more than a la-bel; it was part of the person or being, and possession of it gave some power over its owner. Conversely, to have no name was to have no identity at all.

see also: NAMES OF POWER; CRAFT NAMES

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc