What's in a NAME?

I and Am

Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet put it thusly 'That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet'. The quotation is a profound one that suggests that names themselves do not hold worth nor meaning, and they simply act as labels to distinguish one thing or person from another. In the case of these two starstruck lovers, I'd say yes, but from my own life experience I'd say yes and no. I once met a sailor who said that when one buys a boat that has already been named, it is bad luck to change the name. He said the soul of the boat was in the name, so it was important to keep the name to preserve its soul.

Yes, names are considered sacred and meaningful in some cultures for various situations. From my cultural background, names are considered to be programmatic, they carry meaning pertaining to what it is that you were born to do. We also have different types of names apart from the first, middle and last names. We have clan names. The names of our fore-bearers who came before us and these names carry a certain power and energy which one can invoke as and when needed. This helps a person to move in the world not only as an individual, but as a collective- an environment. As young children we are taught how to praise sing 'ukuzithutha', which essentially means we are taught to proudly and lovingly recite our lineage and trace our roots to as far back as one can remember. This knowledge of roots is considered crucial for a sense of identity. When women marry, they may be called by a new first name and even take the husband's surname, but their clan name is never changed. This is to keep connected to one's ancestry at all times.

In today's episode I was moved to speak a little on names and what they mean to me.

May we be supremely blessed as we embrace the truth of who we are, the truth of our being.

Peace and Blessings, always.

Camagu, Thokozani, Namaste, Jai Guru Dev.