Naming Your Tools

Some have mentioned the idea of naming a ritual knife “so it won’t turn against you” a few times. And you might be thinking, “why should I name my ritual tools”? Well, you don’t have to. This isn't necessary, per se, but it is a fun, personal touch to add to them. And there are a couple of practical and traditional reasons for it anyways.

Firstly, if you practice witchcraft then you’re well aware of the fact that names have power, and that to name a thing is to hold dominion over it. This is true according to the most basic magical laws. Why, after all, are some names kept secret? Why, after all, does choosing a name hold such significance regardless of the circumstance of the naming?

The more you work with a tool, the longer the partnership, the deeper the connection to it. Over time, important tools develop their own spirit imbued with yours. You need to affirm this workable relationship to the point of seeing your tool as an extension of yourself, and naming bestows power and speaks things into existence. Naming your tools something only you know, then, not only adds power to them, but also deepens your connection to their power.

Secondly, a tool is a tool. As a tool they crave what they are meant to be used for. Ergo, something like a knife craves blood- and yours is as good as anyone’s for a new blade. Naming it adds a layer of protection. So pick the name wisely, to walk the thin line between independence and allegiance with cunning and command.

Before naming think about:

• The kind of magic you practice or want to practice
• If you practice magic from a certain culture, kinds of names they have given their tools in the past
• Your personal aesthetics
• What you want out of your tool, and the relationship you desire with it.

Some potential things to name your tools:

• After a constellation (‘cygnus’, ‘andromeda’, ‘scorpius’, ‘lacerta’, ‘auriga’, ‘pyxis’, ‘cepheus’, ‘circini’)
• Something from the greek alphabet (‘gamma’, ‘delta’, ‘rho’, ‘upsilon’, ‘omega’)
• Something magically traditional (like ‘moonshadow’, ‘starfall’, or ‘shadowbane’)
• The latin names of plants (‘pieris’, ‘stokesia’, ‘myrica’, ‘callicarpa’, ‘iberis’, ‘lobelia’, ‘sambucus’, ‘liriope’).