BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality New Age What's in a name?

Hi Folks

Observant readers will notice that I've just changed my name! I'm trying it out for size on Bellaonline first. If it's a good fit I'll use it all over.

Why change? Well Lathbury is my married name & as I'm seperated from my husband it doesn't feel right any more- it's his name- I need my own. I could go back to my maiden name- but that was half a lifetime ago & I'm a different person now.

Why Ravenstar? It's been popping into my head for a few months & I like the sound of it. I work with Raven energy, so it feels personal to me. Let's see if it feels right...

Lauren,

I like it, it has a nice ring <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" /> It is a great name for a new age editor. May it bring many good things.

Thanks Vannie.

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

In the night sky is a foursome of stars the ancients called the Crow or the Raven. We now call it Corvus. Apollo sent Corvus to bring him a cup of water. Corvus sat around waiting for a fig to ripen and was late with the water. He arrived with a cup of water and a serpent in his claw. Apollo put them in the sky. So if you are looking for the Crow or the Raven, you will see Corvus, with Crater (the cup) next to Corvus, and Hydra, the serpent, preventing Corvus from drinking the water. I know you are across the pond, these constellations are not far from the ecliptic (path of sun and moon across sky) and you should be able to find them. I will ask our Brit in the astro. club, I am only acclimated to my night sky here in NW Fla.

Wow Firefly, great story!

Do like this one as I used to go storytelling & particularly enjoyed the creation stories surrounding Crow.

I didn't know there was any link between Ravens and the stars at all- I just kept getting the name. I will have a look in my reference books to see if I can spot these stars from home.
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The Raven is also a symbol of the god Odhinn, the Norse Allfather. The Norse see him a the source of all wisdom and insight, as he is the one who was given the runes and their power.

I love the name! I've gone by several. Parthena Black is my great-great grandmother. I found her in the process of a geneaology search and she began speaking to me as a spirit guide. I plan to have my name legally changed as soon as I have a spare $150 <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

That's right- I'd forgotten- didn't he have two ravens called Thought and Memory? Actually it is even more appropriate as I use Runes for my company logo.

I've had very positive feedback from all of my friends so far, but it will probably take a little while for my energies to adjust to the new name.


I wondered where it was from- it's a lovely name.

My great-nan was called Baboushka, apparently I look very like her, but I'm not quite ready to carry that one off!

I think its a lovely name <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

When I was in the Valley of Fire, just NE of Las Vegas, there were many ravens. The different between Ravens and Crows is the size, for those of you who didn't know, with Ravens being really huge by comparison. When they glided by overhead, you could hear their wingtips fluttering and sort of making a whooshing sound as they adjusted their flight angle. It was amazing.

Glad you like the name Fiona- Blackwolf is pretty cool too!

Ravens are amazing birds, there is so much folklore attached to them. Must have been impressive to have so many of them around Rae.

They are still kept at the Tower of London, as there is an ancient belief that when the ravens go, Britain will fall. Apparently they did leave during the bombing of London in the second world war & Churchill quickly got replacements from the Welsh hills.

Sounds like excellent reasons 2 i!

I have 2 points or questions about this "What's in a name" business, but first I really like this forum, and these replies! Yay!

• People that use made-up-names in forums:
  I have found, in my little experience, that people who use their real names - or something close - or half real and half made up - well I have found that the more close to home their posting names are, the more 'genuine' type of person they turn out to be. It's just an observation I've made over time. There were times I used made-up-names, and that was sort of because various parts of my personality wanted to be heard... but I find people who post under their real names are often more real, hum?
• Song names:
  I write songs, music and words sometimes too. I find that sometimes it will be the concept that comes first. Then I'll let it gell in my head for a while - maybe even months - and eventually I'll find "musical accompaniment" that embellishes and "fleshes out" the idea.
  
  But now I'm studying classical music, and I love the "romantic" pianists like Chopin and Liszt. Amazingly, many of their songs are just called "Waltz #5" or something! I wonder if leaving the name - and concept - out means that the art can be more universal, like no "I love you" that someone won't agree with? I'm really perplexed by this question actually, and if I write songs of a classical nature should I stop naming and just call them "exercise #2" and so on? Open to suggestions. Beethoven's 9th we all love, maybe if it was called "Music critic's beware!" it might not be so popular? he he.. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Just my 2 cents. Great topic!

Love and light being, Teo Do (Re, Mi, Fa, Soul...) <img src="/images/graemlins/tut.gif" alt="" />

I think you may be right Teo about using names that have some grounding in reality for people, even if they aren't birth names. I'm quite happy with Ravenstar now as my nom de plume(age), it feels good- but I haven't started wearing it out & about yet <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

As for the music- well as someone with no memory for numbers I think it is a real shame the great composers didn't name their works. I can never remember which is which <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Aw shucks, just spotted the changed title <img src="/images/graemlins/queen.gif" alt="" />

Hi Teo! I was musicalmom before I got the Asthma editor position (I tried keeping the two separate, but I kept getting confused, it was like a split personality).

I chose musicalmom, because, well, I'm a mom, but I write music, sing, play the piano, direct children's choir at church (used to), and generally love all types of music. My name fits.

As for the classical composers; many of their songs did have names (Claire d'Lune by Beethoven) so what I think is, the songs that they were commissioned to write, that had not as much heart value to them, they numbered. But the ones they chose to write on their own (Fur Eleise) - that meant something to them, had names.

So if all of your songs mean something to you, you should name them. If you are only writing them for the money, then its fine just to number them. <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" />

Just got an email from the Cygnus Review, which is a wonderful new age book company based here in Wales. It interested me because they'd been raven watching at their place & had looked up the meaning of ravens- again a mix of knowledge I knew well & some fresh insight:

THAT is a great quote! Aaaahhh.. lightness...

Well ex-MusicalMom, I would have been (over)drawn to that name if you still used it, I would be showing you my songs and saying "lookie musicalmom what song I made!" so maybe it's better you aren't using that handle!

This whole topic, "What's in a name" is fascinating to me. Great topic and great replies you all! <img src="/images/graemlins/queen.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/queen.gif" alt="" /> Oftentimes a name gives you such a good idea of what something is, like for a TV show. Often it is amazingly misused, I remember a show called Millennium about some guy who got terribly violent visions of murders and such... has nothing to do with Millennium as I see it! And there was a movie and I think show called Raven about a dead guy - the show said Raven's have to do with ghosts and stuff.. But then those are MARKETING NAMES so we have to know what that means, whatever sensationalist nonsense they can come up with that we'll remember...

On the chart for Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata itself it just says "Adagio!" Maybe they named it after? Maybe he did? See... I might have an idea, then holding that thought, or phrase, or name in mind, as I go through life's ups, downs and sidewayses I'll "hear" things that embellish the thought/name/phrase. The chorus will often come out of a way to sing about the thought.

Then there is the other approach, a music practice or motif (motive or short phrase) will sound nice to me, I'll "work it up" and it becomes a song, then I'll think of what it means to me and name it, and maybe THEN put in lyrics and "message" or whatever. I'm sure some of Bach's songs were simply practices and/or exercises, and I do write some pieces like that.

I used to really love some Flamenco music - until I learned what it was singing about! The same with many operas... probably just as well I don't know what the names are and what they're singing about! <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Strangely I was doing some multimedia, one of my loves, a TV/Film producer said "write some FEAUX music, music that you won't be attached to, just ambiant soundtrack stuff..." well I did, but I found that for some reason I reeeeally loved those songs! Maybe it was the idea that they were to be feaux or just sound-scape... one I later called "Orbits Per Second" and is really far-out, the visuals included going through air locks in a space-ship, exiting to space, computers orbiting the planet, a giant monolith with the company logo landing as in 2001 movie.. another I call "Evolution" and it starts in a mystical African/Flamenco phrygean scale complete with mystical drumming and such then becomes disco-techno dance music... so I defeated my own goal - I love those songs! This is a reason it fascinates me, this NAMING business.

Still on the topic of "What's In A Name..." I investigate mystical mythicals sometimes... and it is interesting to me that Tahuti or Thoth holds the magic wand that is the caduces, the chakra system or whatever you want to call it. I was thinking about how if you pronounce the letters thoth t-h-o-t-h you almost get tahuti! Later a person told me it is correctly Djehuty, that blows that idea of mine, and as you may have guessed, I was thinking that thoth isn't far from THOUGHT!

One of the Egyptian things told to the corpse to help it "cross over" is the exact name of the deities so that it can say "I know your name Sekhmet, let me pass." So in ancient myths there is a lot in names. Supposedly Amerigo Vespuchi changed his name to Americus, we know Notradam latinized his name to Notradamus. I'm ALWAYS making word-plays with my name, more recently Teo-Do as in Teodore but the do is for do-re-me-fa...

I've heard mystical mumbo jumboists say: "If you can name it you can claim it." But nowadays I prefer to focus on positive thinks, and like "A rose with any name would smell as sweet" is more what I "vibe" with. RavenStar is an awesome name Lauren! The title of this reply has to do with as a musician I love your first name, you know why? Can you guess? It starts with "La!" la la la la laaaa! he he.. <img src="/images/graemlins/heart.gif" alt="" />

IN THE NAME OF FUN AWAKENING DISCUSSION TYPING AND REPLYING!

he he.. Thanks for letting me ramble and blab.. what fun!

May we all call eath other by nice names and enjoy it.

Love and light being, TeOM <img src="/images/graemlins/tut.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/tut.gif" alt="" />

Ok, lets see how well I remember my music history from college...

I know Fur Elise was written for a woman he love (whether it was wife, or love I'm not sure)

Claire D' Lune (Moonlight Sonata) was written as a dirge for another woman in his life, but I was thinking it was a family member or childhhod friend, not lover. The beginning of the song (minor) is the lament, wheras the livelier parts are where he is remembering times past that were enjoyed together.

So I am pretty sure both titles are his.

And I was on here as musicalmom for a loooooooong time, and even posted over in the music section and I never heard from you {sniff}.

My songs always start out with words, so I guess they'll always have a name. It's the tune that sometime goes missing. LOL!

How strange, I've just started reading the first novel by crystal healer & regressionist Judy Hall for review & it centres around Sekhmet. Looks like being a great read too- very intelligent & spiritual stuff- which you'd expect from Judy.

You are welcome to ramble on here to your heart's content Teo. Shame we can't listen to your ambient tunes on the forum, they'd be just the ticket.

Oh Michelle, I do miss you posting as Musicalmom too- BellaAsthmaHost just doesn't have the same ring...

I know, "musicalmom" described ME, but Bella Asthma describes what I do, and for right now, at least until I get my site running well, I think I need to be that.

Maybe I'kk go back to doing my personal posts under MM, just as long as nobody gets too confused by my "split personality"! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Ravenstar is a beautiful name! Here in Australia our ravens have blue eyes, I find them fascinating. (Our crows have black eyes, magpies have red eyes, and currawongs have yellow eyes.)

I think names are very important in determining how you see yourself. I keep going through numerous variations of my first name because I have never been comfortable with it. Maybe one day, like you, I'll find a permutation that fits.

And I agree, "Blackwolf" and "Parthena Black" are cool names too.

Hello Elle, welcome to the New Age forum <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the comments. I'm still feeling my way into the name. It feels great to write under, but a bit fancy to wear out & about! Having said that my old name doesn't fit me now, so I think I may just have to be fancy! (I'm the sort of person that has to have a twinkly sequin somewhere on her clothing anyway, so I might as well have a twinkly name too!)

Let us know where your name permutations have got to <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />Elle is a great name- hope you're keeping it!

Thanks Lauren!

Yeah, I like "Elle" - that's my latest, I've had it for less than a month, so I'm also definitely still growing into it. It doesn't go very well with my surname though, too many L's, so I like it just on its own.

http://inersha.com/PlayMidiPeace.htm
That should play in the background!!!
<img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" />
Love and light being, Teo Do (Re, Mi, Fa, Soul....) <img src="/images/graemlins/tut.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/viking.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/king.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/angel.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/beamedup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/lovers.gif" alt="" />

Hi Teo

Good to literally hear back from you! <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" /><img src="/images/graemlins/rolling.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" />

The thanks is all mine! <img src="/images/graemlins/heart.gif" alt="" />

So strange, Lauren, in the topic of NAMES...

Now I practice Chopin, Shuman, Schubert, Liszt, Ludwig, Satie....

And I'm embarassed of all the funky(junky) sequencing I used to do, click repeat on the last 256 bars.... lets loooooop that pattern ad nauseum....

It's really strange, but now that I have some cool (?) pages of my sequences and "arrangements," all I want out of life is to make REAL music on REAL instruments (I'm starting to play violin too! <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> my funky friends'd have a fit! <img src="/images/graemlins/computer.gif" alt="" />) well,

The only constant is change, so now I just play REAL classical, and hope people don't call me by my PREVIOUS names... SIR FUNKALOT, FRICANO, BEBEFUMO

Anyway... the MIDI files played hum? Yay! I still love to share...

PEACE (OF MUSIC)
he he..
Teo
<img src="/images/graemlins/king.gif" alt="" />
<img src="/images/graemlins/queen.gif" alt="" />
<img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like you are undergoing a major transformation there Teo. I think we do naturally change our musical tastes as we get older & it's amazing how much of our persona can be bound up with it.

LOL I used to love goth punk when I was a teenager, did all the crimped backcombed hair, black clothes & loads of make-up, I thought it was the *only* way to look & the only music worth listening to. I wouldn't play any of that stuff any more- way too miserable. These days I choose music to chill to, or cheer me up. Not onto the classical music yet though...give it another decade.

We look forward to a violin clip here when you've done your practice <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The music I create for my Staria Melodies from the stars and planets is such fun. (So far as I know and have Googled, I'm the only one in the world who does this!) Without really knowing the person it's intended for, invariably, the music suits them and they love it. I have examples on my website of Starias I've done for babies, brides, and memorials -- and they all come out differently.

Names can make or break you. And, I have a slow boiling pot of water going, at all times, for parents who give their children names without dignity. Life is hard enough without burdening a child with a name they have to fight for (psychologically and, sometimes, physically) on a daily basis. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/devil.gif" alt="" />

Hi Sharlene

Pop a link up to your music for us to have a listen <img src="/images/graemlins/music.gif" alt="" /> You can create a link as part of your signature & that way the curious can click on it whichever forum you are posting on.

Names are intensely personal. Seems a bit strange when you think of it that we get given our name at birth when we have no say in it & tend to keep it for life whether we like it or not. Maybe we should have an option on a renaming ceremony as a rite of passage?

Does what? I'm very interested! Sounds neato! Lemme no.. tanx!