Names

[Guest guest]

Dharma wrote:

>> A name is a useful thing... and NOT being Ann was very helpful to me.

I haven't tried to change it legally yet... it's going to be a terrific

hassle. I asked my bank to let me also use the name Dharma Fisher on my

accounts. Well, think they would take my word for what name to use? <<

First...to the group...helloooo...I have just gotten back from my

extended journey through the southwest. Nice to be back, since I

didn't have as many opportunities to check and write email while on

the road as I thought I would. Okay...names...

Well, first there is the obvious, "...and the Word was made Flesh."

Then there is Reality Creation Theory, which has to do with precise

affirming. Then there is the recent penchant, academically and

culturally, to correctly "name" things (abuse is abuse; oppression is

oppression, and make no bones about it). There is also a side or maybe

pre-penchant, which came out of the revived women's movement in the

70's to reclaim words/names and turn them to empowerment uses (I

won't get specific, but one of the words rhymes with witch). It is

really all part of the Mother's Dance, I believe, and once having

gotten beyond identification with the dualisms involved (which, sad

to say, I have not), it is part of the lila, a way in which we

lightly and lightheartedly "play" with our reality, ourselves, and

one another. (Of course, despite my still getting stuck in the mud of

duality, I play anyhow.) Having said all that (and please excuse my

brief foray into history), I too have considered legally (or

outlawishly) changing my name... By the way, so far as I know,

anyone can change his/her name, so long as it is not done for the

purpose of defrauding anyone. But I do know banks and other

institutions are apt to be a bit luggish about these things.

Of course, taking a new name, or a different, or another, name is

nothing new. Aspirants are given spiritual names by their gurus;

writers often have pen names; movie stars names are rarely the ones

they were given at birth. And, during the same 70's resurgance of the

women's (and goddess) movement, I mentioned before, many women changed

their names, partly to reflect their identities and partly to

disidentify with the fact that last names are passed via the male. I

had a friend who took the name, Lynn Oakenwoman. This is just one

example. (Good grief! Okay, now I am writing a treatise on names.)

My only relation to all of this, back in the 70's, was to keep my

maiden name when I got married (I am no longer with this particular

fellow), and I was very surprised to find that I had to go to a

lawyer and get papers in order to do this. So far, since then, I

still have been using my maiden last name ~ Talbott.

The world of cyberspace, however, presented new possibilities for

naming and playing, and I love to play. I took Nierika right away,

because of my love for the word and what it means. I also took a few

other names that expressed different sides of myself: ShiningDeer,

HozhoRae (Hozho is a Navaho word meaning balance, and Rae is my

middle name), and Nieri Wingfeather. Since I am an artist, though, I

have lately been seriously considering taking a "stage" name. For a

long time, I have not signed my art work because it is the type of

work that a signature would get in the way of. Now, however, I am

bowing to the demands of the market, and I realize that an unsigned

work is commercially unviable (this is still an ongoing discourse I

am having with myself ~ whether I care about commercial viability,

however, I would not mind selling something from time to time, as it

would help with the groceries and such).

I have pretty much decided that if I take an artname, I will use

Nierika as the first name. I just haven't settled on the rest of it

yet...perhaps Nierika Rae, and just drop the last name. It is all in

play, of course. : )

Shanti

[Guest guest]

Hi Nierika,

>>> A name is a useful thing... and NOT being Ann was very helpful to me.

>>> I haven't tried to change it legally yet... it's going to be a

>>>terrific hassle. I asked my bank to let me also use the name Dharma

>>>Fisher on my accounts. Well, think they would take my word for what

>>>name to use? <<

> First...to the group...helloooo...I have just gotten back from my

>extended journey through the southwest. Nice to be back,

 

Glad to see you back!

>By the way, so far as I know, anyone can change his/her name, so long as

>it is not done for the purpose of defrauding anyone.

 

Yes, that's true. You can just start using the name, and it's yours. But

you need to change the name on _everything_ ... licenses, cards, accounts,

everything you can think of. And that's the hassle!

 

Having moved a few times in recent years, I've discovered it can be hard

enough just to get new documents with the same old name on them. In Texas

I went to get a driver's license, and they told me I had no legal proof of

who I was! My Mass. license had expired, so even though it had my picture,

it wasn't proof of my identity. I was carrying my birth certificate, but

they told me it was no good! Seems it was issued by the county hospital,

and nowadays they accept only documents issued by the state. So I had to

get a birth certificate - or whatever they call it now - from Indiana.

Now I'm in California, overdue on getting licenses, and dreading it.

 

I think that for changing the name, the big step will be to get the FIRST

agency to issue a license or card. After that, that first one can be used

to get the next ones. But the first agency is going to want to see some

proof. ))

 

It's like with money... you can get a loan easily if you don't need it. )

>Of course, taking a new name, or a different, or another, name is nothing

>new. Aspirants are given spiritual names by their gurus;

 

And don't shamans sometimes acquire new names after a death/rebirth?

>writers often have pen names; movie stars names are rarely the ones they

>were given at birth. And, during the same 70's resurgance of the women's

>(and goddess) movement, I mentioned before, many women changed their

>names, partly to reflect their identities and partly to disidentify with

>the fact that last names are passed via the male. I had a friend who took

>the name, Lynn Oakenwoman. This is just one example. (Good grief! Okay,

>now I am writing a treatise on names.) My only relation to all of this,

>back in the 70's, was to keep my maiden name when I got married (I am no

>longer with this particular fellow), and I was very surprised to find

>that I had to go to a lawyer and get papers in order to do this. So far,

>since then, I still have been using my maiden last name ~ Talbott.

 

I took back my maiden name... I figured 30 years in the future I was gonna

wonder what I was doing with someone else's name. ) And since my kids

didn't mind...

> The world of cyberspace, however, presented new possibilities for naming

>and playing, and I love to play. I took Nierika right away, because of my

>love for the word and what it means. I also took a few other names that

>expressed different sides of myself: ShiningDeer, HozhoRae (Hozho is a

>Navaho word meaning balance, and Rae is my middle name), and Nieri

>Wingfeather.

 

Beautiful names! I like my email address name, though I didn't choose it.

Before I moved out here, I asked my friend here to get me an email address

with a local ISP... "Fisher" or anything he liked. He called me up and

said, "It's 'deva.'"

>Since I am an artist, though, I have lately been seriously considering

>taking a "stage" name. For a long time, I have not signed my art work

>because it is the type of work that a signature would get in the way of.

>Now, however, I am bowing to the demands of the market, and I realize

>that an unsigned work is commercially unviable (this is still an ongoing

>discourse I am having with myself ~ whether I care about commercial

>viability, however, I would not mind selling something from time to time,

>as it would help with the groceries and such). I have pretty much

>decided that if I take an artname, I will use Nierika as the first name.

>I just haven't settled on the rest of it yet...perhaps Nierika Rae, and

>just drop the last name. It is all in play, of course. : )

 

Why not just Nierika? One name would be fine on art work, wouldn't it?

 

Love,

Dharma