What’s in a name? I asked this question of my Guides many times. Especially when I wanted to know the names of mine. That question has come up for me again. In a slightly different way.

When I asked my Guides took me back to the line from Shakespeare. “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” It’s from Romeo and Juliet explaining the idea that what we are called shouldn’t actually matter. Or does it? I love numerology. Checking my numbers is a pleasant pastime I enjoy when I see any number sequence pop up in front of me. Of course I’ve also checked out the numbers represented by my name. And that certainly made sense quite a few years ago when I decide to rename myself. I felt that the energy of my name needed to change. Because my given name felt like it belonged to someone else. Plus the numbers seemed off somehow. Yet my numerology has always seemed to describe me really well.

I did change my name slightly. It felt like a relief to be Annie. The energy was better. The numbers added up. I also recognised that I could change my name back or to something else any time I wanted to. Because it’s me who now gets to choose. Interestingly, my daughter has now asked to change her name. I love the names she was given at birth. I feel that they reflect who she is. But the important point is that she doesn’t feel the same. So like my Mum had to adjust to my name change I know I have to adjust to my daughter’s change. As well as being an interesting point in numerology our names are the way we choose to define who we are.

What I call myself is a signal of the respect I have for myself. Not just Annie. Also the internal words I use to discuss myself. Intelligent Annie? Creative Annie? Lazy Annie?

Describing myself positively is helped because I like the name Annie. It fits for me with more positive attributes. So I can respect myself more. When my daughter discussed what to call herself we also talked about the issue of respect. Some people will remember and use her new choice. Others will still refer to her as she is now. Then there will be people who only know her in her new identity. What will be important is that she chooses something she can respect herself as. Her true qualities will always be there. In essence she will still smell as sweet. But I’m sure, like I did, that she will feel more her ‘self’ with a given name she has hand picked. I actually feel she and I have moved closer to our Spirit names. The way in which we are recognised by our Spirit and Soul families. And I like that idea. It connects me with the community and love of the Spirit World. That can’t be bad ?

Day 464 of my blogging challenge.