From: altheimm@nextnet.csus.edu (Murray Altheim)
Subject: Re: names
Organization: California State University Sacramento
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 00:40:24 GMT

In article <2AB10788.20455@news.service.uci.edu> cortese@skid.ps.uci.edu (Janis Maria Cortese) writes:
>This subject is interesting to me; I suppose ny own name has pretty much
>snuck up and attached itself to me, even though I don't "use" it in any
>real sense.  I'm a Solitary, so no one else knows what it is, although
>people I'm close to can probably guess if they think about it.

[...]

>If I were to "take" a coven name (if I were to join a coven), this would
>be it, but I would still feel strange about telling people what it was.
>The depth of the process by which this name found me is simply too much
>to describe.  I could only shrug my shoulders.
>
>Oh, well.  I just thought I add my own sqt4 cents to this thing.
>
>Blessings,
>Janis

Janis,

Just to add _my_ own squirt-4 cents to this, I've noticed the number of those
who post on this and other groups who go by an alias. Now, theoretically,
you and I and bill and others could ALL be going by an alias, but a few
things occur to me I thought I'd bring up.

First of all, going by an alias seems to be to imply a fear of retribution
in some cases, in others the desire to take on a persona other than one's
own. There are certainly other reasons, and some may be justified. As a few
people have stated, they have been victims of discrimination or worse, based
on their pagan views. Just being associated with a newsgroup named alt.pagan
could be dangerous to some people under certain circumstances. I can respect
that.

In other cases, it seems to be a whim; a desire to be treated differently 
than one's true person is treated. I know a FEW people who "defined" them-
selves through involvement in the SCA, the military, the church, etc. and
then went on to incorporate elements from their defined selves into their
own life as time went on. They became to some measure the person they were
trying to embody. Is this legitimate? I'm not the one to decide.

I will say, that as a fierce individualist, I respect those willing to step
outside the norm and live on that razor's edge between insanity and 
enlightenment. Few people set their goals that high (unfortunately), and 
I find it difficult to take somebody seriously who calls themself "Zeus"
or "Cleopatra". It's sometimes hard not to snigger, even given my above
stated understanding of the possible reasons for taking on such a moniker.

(Any Cleopatras or Zeuses out there, this wasn't meant to refer to you, but
the Cleopatras and Zeuses in general. Standard disclaimers apply.)

It's a lot easier to picture someone on the other end named Bill, than 
Zeus. How about making a name up from scratch? Skudboll? Wylie Worm? I 
dunno, it just seems there is a real difference between aiming high by
emulating someone or something containing an essential, desirable quality,
and attaching the name of a god. I'm not talking blasphemy or anything so
extreme, just the same common sense you'd find meeting somebody at a party.

If I was introduced at at party to some Woody Allen lookalike named Zeus,
I'd have to stifle myself.

So I suppose all I'm saying is that if you choose a name for use on this 
network, I for one may not take you as seriously as one willing to state a
name I could take seriously.

And BTW, this wasn't meant as an attack on anybody, just some random thoughts
on a Friday afternoon...

Murray with the Ungodlike Name*

* BTW, anyone knowing of any gods named Murray, please let me know so I
can strut around. Of course, with my luck, it will be "Murray, God of 
Polyester Suits, Flavored Doritos, and Used Car Salesmen". :P
 
-- 
Murray M. Altheim      "Ils ont l'orteil de Bouc, & d'un Chevreil l'oreille,
Instructional Consultant    La corne d'un Chamois, & la face vermeille
CSU, Sacramento          Comme un rouge Croissant: & dancent toute nuict
altheimm@csus.edu       Dedans un carrefour, ou pres d'une eau qui bruict."
Newsgroups: alt.pagan