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Original Post:
by: KhaosQueen on Jul 06, 2011

Now, before I begin, I will ask forgiveness if this isn't in the right place. I'm not entirely sure where the best place for this would be since it contains a double purpose; one to instruct, and one that asks for instruction.

Within history, names have been of great importance. A name tells who you are, what your future is, what your destiny is, what god or goddess or angel protects and watches over you, etc, etc.

Within Egyptian mythos the name is an important part of the individual. One's name is one of the nine parts of being alive, and if your name was erased from existence, then you were thought to be erased from existence as well. Think of floating through a living hell with no end to monsters and demons who could and would harm you as harshly as possible.

Egyptian names also contained power, as they were the essence of the individual and by knowing someone's true name you could gain control over them. True names are names which are not those given at birth, but rather names that describe us only as ourselves, nothing more, nothing less. Because of this, many people (and gods and goddesses) kept hidden their true names from others and from each other to prevent this control from being exerted upon them.

Because of this, names (true and otherwise) were used in magic both to harm and to heal. By taking a wax doll and craving it in the shape of the ill person, craving upon it words meant to heal the individual (including their name in this), then saying the spells and names over the figure to heal them. The same can be said of spells meant to harm. Once such spell is used to destroy Apep (a serpent demon who attempts to swallow Ra each night through his nightly journeys through the underworld). An image of one of his forms is created out of wax, spells and his name placed upon the wax, then spells are said over this figure while it is roasting over a fire.

The purpose of this post is to reveal two things. The first is for those who know their true names or the true names of others, and that is to keep them between you and the one who told you (and the entity if they aren't the one who told you). The second is for the sharing of SoM names. You chose your name, and for good reason. Why not share that reason with all of us here as a way to get closer to one another?