One blogger chose an alter ego so as to be free from what he saw as himself. I've rarely needed that; during my formative years I was scarcely around those who'd known me in my youth. Luckily it is more about becoming myself.
A girl at the climbing gym Saturday had a tatoo she described as a Zuni bear, which is a Native American symbol. I am born (according to Native American lore) in the month of the bear (found that out trying to look up the Zuni bear). I identify as the bear. (Or the three bears in one. Usernames can be a pain. Bearbearbear, at times, when one "bear" is taken, because two isn't enough! ) This is all very strange. My self-identifiers are very powerful in the stories that attach to them; the other name I've chosen is Gabriel; my confirmation name. Also at the gym, there was someone who seemed very familiar, and I to him, though we'd never met. Things like that have been happening a lot lately, but that's for another entry.
I know that names and naming can be very powerful, and can also be very limiting. What of taking on more names? Are those identities incorporated into mine? (All is one, anyway?) I've no worry or expectation, and figure that it'll work itself out over time, but it'll be floating in my mind until it finds its place or floats away.
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One thing that's very interesting to me is the name changes in the Bible...
Jacob/Israel, Abram/Abraham, Saul/Paul and so on. And in most religious communities an initiate is given a religious name, although in Catholic orders these tend to be more "in house" now than they used to.
I once mused that if I ever became a Discalced Carmelite, where the religious name is saint's name + spiritual mystery, I would be John of Creation.
Enlightenment teachers often go by the name given them by themselves or their teachers. My teacher was born Vernon Turner. He gave himself the name Kitabu (Arabic for "written") and was given the name Kitabu Keshvalya Sham by his guru.
I guess the names we are given at birth reflect our parents' expectations and hopes. The ones we take on later reflect our own story as it unfolds, as seen by ourselves and others.
Names are just labels, but a label is not you. How can any word describe the sacredness or beauty of your or anyone else's soul? The closest label one can come to is I AM (from the Bible). Being perhaps is another good pointer, but the word chocolate isn't the substance chocolate. Once you've tasted chocolate, the experience transcends the label. I AM or Being must be experienced.
Choosing an alter ego or handle is substituting one form or mask for another. It's just another role one might be playing.
Bliss!
Hmm... intriguing. Now I'm going to have to go find out what month I was born in according to Native American lore. I already know that in the Chinese zodiac I'm a horse, and in astrology I'm a Gemini. Give me a sec... going to go check it out....
Oh Oh! I'm a "deer person". :) Cool, it says I'm Quick, Alert, Talkative, Congenial, Moody. Hehehe.... here is a great page I found that lists lots of traits:
http://www.geocities.com/freespirits_kindredspirits/zodiac.html
Really cool blog, here, Julie. I've added you to my list and intend on stopping by often! Peace!
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