Building Shadows: What's in a Name?

This is something of a soft spot with me. By birth my name is Piper Laurie Robertson. I have a story behind my name that I was told multiple times as I was growing up. As a kid and teen, I was the only Piper a lot of people had ever met, I heard "That's such a cute name" more times than I can count. Since I was a young adult my name slowly started becoming more vogue, the movie Robots hit the theater "My name is Piper it rhymes with Vyper! Hsss!" Greeted me from friends and strangers alike for almost a year, then Charmed hit the airwaves and I got "Like that girl from Charmed?" or "You're a Charmed One then." Power of three jokes followed and only got worse after people found out that I'm a Witch. People started naming dogs Piper and felt the need to tell me all about it.

I laughed politely, but it set my teeth on edge. I had always been like Tigger; the only one. Let me tell you: Its not flattering to name a dog after someone. Don't expect a complete stranger to be flattered by it. My Mom named her Jack-Russel/Miniature Pinscher Roxie, mom's sister's name is Roxanne. Do you think my Aunt was flattered? A year ago I found out that my uncle Timm had a miniature australian shepherd named Pipper (pronounced Piper) and my disgust must have been palpable,

At work I had a coworker tell me that she had always associated my name with sluts, then tell me that she didn't think I was slut like at all.

Some people aren't as possessive about their names as I am. My older brother Ian has a four year old daughter that he talked his wife into naming Pepper, because she would have been named Piper. My brother gets it. But that's because my parents made sure that we all knew where we came from and why our names were chosen. And they have become a part of how we identify with the world, even if the rest of the world has a type casted into other roles.

This identity also lends to the Power that a true name can hold over a person. This power lends to why those in the Craft often take Magickal names. To protect themselves and their families not just from persecution, but from Magick.

Silver writes that the new name represents the rebirth into a new life, the no limits, no preconceived notions world of magick. And it may be just that, but it is so much more.

The name I have used publically since I dedicated originally is Echo, since I have used that same name in Coven Initiations. I have another name that is only known to me and my Guides in the Otherworld.