Cerridwen Fallingstar photo by Susanna Frohman

A craft name, also referred to as a magical name, is a secondary religious name often adopted by practitioners of Wicca and other forms of

Neopagan Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Afric ...

witchcraft or magic. Craft names may be adopted as a means of protecting one's privacy (especially for those who are "in the

broom closet A broom (also known in some forms as a broomstick) is a cleaning tool consisting of usually stiff fibers (often made of materials such as plastic, hair, or corn husks) attached to, and roughly parallel to, a cylindrical handle, the broomstick. I ...

"), as an expression of religious devotion, or as a part of an

initiation Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...

ritual. It may also be used as a protective method, as it is believed by some that one's "true name" can be used to identify that person for the purpose of magical activities (predominantly curses).

Pseudonym

The idea of using an alternate name as an attempt to develop a different persona is not restricted to Neopagans: Samuel Clemens' adoption of the name

Mark Twain Samuel Langhorne Clemens (November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910), known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American writer, humorist, entrepreneur, publisher, and lecturer. He was praised as the "greatest humorist the United States has p ...

has been described as the adoption of a magical name. Before the emergence of Neopaganism similar pseudonyms appear to have been used by writers of grimoires such as '' The Book of Abramelin'', attributed to the

Rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as '' semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form o ...

Yaakov Moelin.

Uses

In traditional forms of Wicca, such as

Gardnerian Gardnerian Wicca, or Gardnerian witchcraft, is a tradition in the neopagan religion of Wicca, whose members can trace initiatory descent from Gerald Gardner. The tradition is itself named after Gardner (1884–1964), a British civil servant ...

or Alexandrian, Craft names are typically adopted primarily out of regard for their symbolism. Craft names may be carefully guarded and used only with members of one's own

coven A coven () is a group or gathering of witches. The word "coven" (from Anglo-Norman ''covent, cuvent'', from Old French ''covent'', from Latin ''conventum'' = convention) remained largely unused in English until 1921 when Margaret Murray promote ...

. Some Wiccans will use two different Craft names, one with the general public (or the Neopagan community) and one with their covenmates. Wiccans who choose to conceal their religion to avoid religious discrimination may use a craft name when speaking to the press. The use of Craft names as online handles for Neopaganism- or Wicca-related groups and discussions has become increasingly common. The use (or over-use) of "outer court" Craft names (to be used outside of initiates-only or "inner-court" settings) is the subject of some debate. Some treat the choosing of a name as a solemn and significant event while others regard the practice as an affectation to be ridiculed.

Craft names of well-known individuals

Craft names of some famous Wiccans and other

witches include: * Dafo – the initiator of Gerald Gardner, thought to be Edith Woodford-Grimes. *Scire – a.k.a. Gerald Gardner. *Ameth – a.k.a. Doreen Valiente, Gardner's first High Priestess. *Dayonis – a.k.a. Thelma Capel who replaced Ameth as Gardner's High Priestess. *Thelema – a.k.a. Patricia Crowther. *Artemis – a.k.a. Eleanor Bone. *Tanith – a.k.a. Lois Bourne. *Robert – a.k.a.

Fred Lamond Frederic Lamond (5 July 1931 – 24 May 2020) (also known by the craft name Robert) was a prominent English Wiccan. He was an early member of the Gardnerian tradition having been initiated into the Bricket Wood coven in 1957. He became involv ...

. *Olwen and Loic – a.k.a. Monique and Campbell 'Scotty' Wilson. *Robat – a.k.a. Raymond Buckland, initiated by Olwen and responsible for providing a bridge for Wicca between the UK and USA. *Rowen – a.k.a. Rosemary Buckland, high priestess descended from Olwen, and Raymond Buckland's ex-wife *Verbius – a.k.a. Alex Sanders. *Aradia – a.k.a.

Phyllis Curott Phyllis Curott (born February 8, 1954) who goes under the craft name Aradia, is a Wiccan priestess, attorney, and author. Early life and education Curott grew up in Lynbrook, Long Island. Her parents were agnostic- atheist, socially liberal int ...

, the story of the adoption of her craft name is told in her autobiographical '' Book of Shadows'' (1998) * Silver RavenWolf – a.k.a. Jenine E. Trayer. * Zsuzsanna Budapest – a.k.a. ZsuZsanna Ernese Moukesay. * Starhawk – a.k.a. Miriam Simos. * Cerridwen Fallingstar – a.k.a. Cheri Lesh. * Lady Gwen Thompson – a.k.a. Phyllis Thompson (née Healy)

Pseudonym

Uses

Craft names of well-known individuals

See also

References

Further reading