Name Round Up: Inspired by Taurus

Hopefully you all had a lovely Mother's Day! This post is not mother related, but it is bull related...which is not even remotely similar but go with it.

We are now in the sun sign of Taurus, so it's time to round up some Taurus inspired names. Once again, if I stick with bulls I will only have boys names, so I expanded to include general cow names as well.

1. Jove. Taurus is actually Zeus in the form of a magnificent white bull. Jove is another name for Jupiter, who is the Roman equivalent of Zeus.

2. Europa. Zeus transformed himself into a bull so that he could abduct Europa, a Phoenician princess. Her name means "wide face."

3. Byron. An English surname meaning "place of the cow sheds." There is also a literary association.

4. Fintan. Could mean either "white bull" or "white fire" in Irish. It's the name of several Irish saints.

5. Gopal. Meaning "cow protector" in Sanskrit, this is another name for the Hindu god Shiva. A more modern variant of Gopala.

6. Inanna. In Mesopotamian mythology, Taurus was known as the Bull of Heaven and was associated with Inanna, the goddess of fertility, sexual love, and war.

7. Siddartha. In Buddhism, it is believed that the Buddha was born on the full moon when the suns was in Taurus. Siddhartha was Buddha's name at birth, but Siddarth would probably seem less foreign to Westerners.

8. Hathor. An Ancient Egyptian goddess who often takes the form of a cow.

9. Placid/Placido/Placida. A quality associated with those who have this sun sign.

10. Venus. The ruling planet of Taurus.

11. Rose. I was surprised to discover that pink is the color most associated with Taurus. Rose is considered to be a shade of pink, so it works well here.

12. Io. An alternative version of the Taurus myth states that the bull is Io, transformed by Zeus so that Hera would not find her.

13. Sapphire. Other gemstones associated with Taurus include Amber, Emerald, Coral, and Turquoise.

Sources:
http://www.behindthename.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurus_(constellation)
http://www.astrology-online.com/taurus.htm
http://www.bernardine.com/birthstone/zodiac-birthstones.htm

Image Credit:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Taurus2.jpg

Yarrow

Blessed Beltane, everyone! And a Blessed Samhain to everyone in the Southern Hemisphere! Since flowers are very important in this festival let's talk about Yarrow.

Yarrow (pronounced "YEH-row") is an English word derived from the Proto-Germanic garwo. It has never meant anything other that "yarrow." It is possibly related to the word "yellow" but no one is certain of that. The scientific name for this plant is Achillea millefolium, but people also call this plant Milfoil, Seven Days Love, Woundwort, Plumajillo ("little feather") and Devil's Nettle (the later comes from it's association with Witches).

Yarrow is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere specifically in Europe, Asia, and North America. The plant is known for it's strong, sweet smell and it's featherlike leaves. It's flowers come in many different colors. It is considered a great plant to have in a garden because it repels insect pest and attracts predatory insects that eat insect pests.

But that's not the only benefit yarrow gives us. This plant has a long tradition of being used for medicinal purposes, and most of its healing properties have been proven. Yarrow was often used in battle during ancient and medieval times because it encouraged clots and stopped the flow of blood. It's naturally dark blue essential oil can be used as an anti-inflammatory and is classically used to treat colds and the flu. Yarrow is traditionally used in Native American medicine by tribes all across the country. Yarrow is also edible, and was a very popular dietary staple in Europe during the middle ages (although pregnant women should not eat yarrow). It was also occasionally used as a flavoring for beer. Even birds know that this plant is useful. The common starling uses yarrow to line their nests because it keeps parasites away.

It should be no surprise that yarrow shows up a lot in mythology. Yarrow features heavily in Chinese culture where it is considered lucky. For example, they say that they grow around the grave of Confucius. In Greek mythology, the centaur Chiron taught Achilles how to use yarrow on the battle field, knowledge that he later used in Troy. In Britain, they were commonly placed in Saxon amulets for protection.

Yarrow is especially connected to Beltane because of it's use in love and fertility spells. This plant is associated with Aphrodite, one of the goddesses of this holiday. In nursery rhymes, placing a satchel of yarrow under your pillow will make you dream of your true love. Using it as wedding decorations and placing it over the marriage bed will guarantee at least seven years of love and passion. An old British tradition dictates that shaking a yarrow leaf inside ones nostril determines the devotion of a lover. If it bleeds, his love is true (this is not particularly reliable, yarrow is a nasal irritant so if you stick it up your nose it's going to bleed no matter what). Yarrow is also used to boost courage and self esteem, things you also need in order to have a healthy relationship with someone. If a large patch of yarrow grows in a field it is believed that there's a lot of energy grounded in that space. They are good places to relax and meditate. Yarrow can also be used to drive away negativity.

Yarrow has never been a common name in the United States. I don't even see any indication that it was used during the Victorian flower craze. But the popularity of Willow makes me think that it's not so crazy. In Neo-Pagan tradition the plant is considered feminine, but lots of baby name resources that I've seen will list this as a boys name. This is most likely due to it's history as a surname. I think it works just fine for either.

Yarrow is interesting to me. I don't think I would ever use it, but the plant's history only shows good things. It's a great unusual botanical name for a little Witchlet.

Sources:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=yarrow
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/bookofshadows/ig/Magical-Herbs/Yarrow.htm
http://www.magicspells.in/magical_herbal_enclyclopedia_y.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achillea_millefolium
http://www.ancestry.com/name-origin?surname=yarrow
http://www.babynamewizard.com/baby-name/boy/yarrow

Image Credit:
Found via http://pinterest.com

Name Round-Up: Natural Wonders of the World

Happy Earth Day, everybody! Let's celebrate by cataloguing some names inspired by our earth's many treasures.

There technically isn't an official "Seven Wonders of the Natural World" list that everyone agrees on. There's just so many beautiful places. But I managed to pick a few interesting names:

1. Paria. America has the famous Grand Canyon, but it's little sister the Paria Canyon has equally beautiful rock formations.

2. Verdon. Verdon Gorge in France is considered to be the most beautiful river canyon in Europe. The formation of this gorge can be traced to the Jurassic era, when it was covered by a warm shallow sea and covered in coral. Because it is so close to the French Riviera it is a popular destination for tourists.

3. Nakuru. If you watch a lot of wildlife documentaries you've probably seen Lake Nakuru, Kenya. It's the one with all the flamingos, amongst many other animals. Nakuru is Maasai for "dusty place."

4. Siwa. The Siwa Oasis in Egypt's main claim to fame is that it was the home of an oracle temple to the Ancient Egyptian god Amun.  Alexander the Great once reached that temple and the oracles confirmed that he was divine and a rightful Pharaoh of Egypt. The Oasis is a vast and extremely isolated settlement. The name Siwa is of unknown origin.

5. Reef. The Great Barrier Reef located off the coast of Queensland, Australia. It is the world's largest structure made out of living organisms and supports many endangered species.

6. Shilin. The Shilin Stone Forest of China is very striking, with tall rock formations that stand straight up as if they were trees themselves. There is a local legend saying that the forest was created when a young lady was forbidden to marry her love and turned into stone.

7. Everest. Thought I would never get to this one, did you? Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain and it's located in the Himalayas. Named after Sir George Everest by the English, the Tibetans have called it Chomolungma ("Holy Mother") for centuries.

8. Victoria. Victoria Falls, named after Queen Victoria, is at the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. While it's not the tallest or the longest waterfall, it does have the largest sheet of falling water. It's known in Africa by the name Mosi-oa-Tunya, meaning "the smoke that thunders."

9. Aurora. An Aurora is a featureless, colorful glow in the skies of the Artic and Antarctic regions. They are caused by a collision of charged particles. The Cree Native Americans called this the "Dance of the Spirits" and Medieval Europeans thought it to be a sign of god. The ones in the northern hemisphere are called aurora borealis, and in the south they're called aurora australis. Aurora is the Roman goddess of the dawn.

10. Komodo. Komodo Island is unique for it's beaches with pink sand and the unusual animals that roam it. And yes, this is the same island with the komodo dragons.

11. Amazon. As in the Amazon Rainforest which contains more than half of the remaining rainforest in the world. It was named after the mythical female warriors due to a war that a conquistador fought with the Native tribes. He noticed that the women fought alongside the men, which was common practice amongst the tribe but unusual for an invading Spaniard.

12. Baikal. Thought to be the world's oldest lake, Lake Baikal in Siberia contains roughly 20% of the world's unfrozen fresh water. There are even reports of a "Baikal Monster" much like the Lock Ness Monster, but it is more likely that it is a large sturgeon. It's name is derived from the Mongolian baygal nuur, meaning "nature lake."

13. Jieta. Jieta Grotto in Lebanon has vivid painterly colors, an underground river, and chambers stretching for miles. It's other claim to fame is that it has the largest stalactite in the world. This underground cave was inhabited by prehistoric humans. Jieta means "roaring water" in Aramaic.

Sources:
http://travel.cnn.com/explorations/play/natural-wonder-bucket-list-50-spectacular-places-see-639593
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonders_of_the_World#Seven_Natural_Wonders_of_the_World

Image Credit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jeitag3.jpg

Sophia

Sophia is currently the most popular girl's name in America, and it's easy to see why.

Sophia (pronounced "soh-FEE-ah," although some say that prior to the 1800s it was pronounced "soh-FIY-ah") is a Greek name meaning "wisdom," but there is a lot more to the story than that. In Ancient Greece, Sophia was a central virtue in Hellenistic religion. You can see this in the word "philosophy." Philosophy is derived from the Greek word philosophia, meaning "love of wisdom."

Ironically, it was the Christians that turned Sophia into a goddess. Some Eastern Orthodox religious thinkers champion something called Sophiology. They believe that the Sophia is the wise, feminine aspect of God coexisting with the masculine Holy Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the Roman Catholic Church, Sophia is the wisdom of God and is therefore eternal. Roman Catholic mysticism has a famous celebrant of Sophiology named Saint Hildegard of Bingen, who is so interesting she deserves her own post here. Within the Protestant tradition there was a mystic named Jane Leade who had visions of the "Virgin Sophia," who revealed the spiritual workings of the universe. Some Christians might be horrified that I referred to her as a goddess. I apologize, but I'm not sure what else you would call a "female aspect of God."

Even if you don't know any of that you've probably heard of the Hagia Sophia, a former church which was dedicated to this concept. It was turned into a mosque but is now a museum and a landmark of architectural achievement. There is also a Saint Sophia who was said to be martyred during the reign of Hadrian. Some Neo-Pagans have adopted Sophia as a goddess. Outside of religion, Sophia is a name tied to lots of people and things from popular culture from Sophia Loren to Sophie's Choice.

All of that makes Sophia a sound choice. But I would suggest that you didn't use it unless you really like the sound of your last initial. The name has always been on the American charts but use has risen dramatically in the past few years. It's now the #1 girl's name in America. So that's a lot of Sophias. Variations are also very popular: Sofia is #19, and Sophie is #51. Most people don't think of Sonia as another form of Sophia, but it is. It rests at #770. Variants Soficita and Sofka are almost unheard of.

I admit that Sophia would be amongst my contenders if it weren't for the popularity factor. If you don't mind that, this is a beautiful name. Sometimes names are used a lot for good reasons.

Sources:
http://www.behindthename.com/name/Sophia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_(name)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophia_(wisdom)
http://www.babynamewizard.com/baby-name/girl/sophia

Image Credit:
Found via http://pinterest.com

Name Round Up: Inspired by Aries

I know we've been a little round-up crazy here, but don't worry. I'll get back into doing profiles. I've just been stuck in a rut. In any case, I still think that Aries would make a great name, but if that's not your style here's some other names that would work for someone born during this sun sign. If I stuck with the rams it would only be boy's names, so I also included sheep names as well.

1. Helle. Aries is a mythical ram well known for rescuing siblings Helle and Phrixus from being sacrificed. Or at least tried to, Helle fell and drowned. Her name's meaning is unknown.

2. Phrixus. The sibling that survived. His name comes from the Greek phrixos and it means "thrilling" or "causing shivers."

3. Ram. This is a real name aside from being an animal name. It is a more modern variant of Rama, the name of the Hindu god. His name means "pleasing." It is also a Hebrew name meaning "exalted." Might be a bit too on the nose, but it could work.

4. Ovid. If we're going to broaden our scope from rams to sheep in general, than we should include Ovid. It's a variant of the Roman family name Ovidius and it means "sheep." It is connected to a famous poet from antiquity.

5. Amon. In Ancient Egypt this constellation was associated with Amon-Ra, a fertility god with the head of a ram.

6. Jason. Eventually, Aries became well known for being the ram that provided the golden fleece, and therefore Jason fits in nicely.

7. Merona. An Aramaic name meaning "sheep."

8. Rachel. A Hebrew name meaning "ewe."

9. Sheppard. Hey, it's sheep related.

10. Scarlett. Aries is often symbolized by the color red, so any red name would work great with this sign.

11. Mars. Aries is ruled by the planet Mars. If that's a bit too spacey, you could also use March.

12. Courage. One characteristic of people with this sign is that they tend to be courageous. Brave or Bravery could also work.

13. Diamond. Bloodstones are associated with Aries too, but that doesn't really work well as a name.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aries_(constellation)
http://www.cafeastrology.com/zodiacaries.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep#Cultural_impact
http://www.astrology-online.com/aries.htm
http://www.behindthename.com/

Image Credit:
http://lunaf.com/images/zodiacal-signs/zodiacal-sign-aries.jpg

My Style: Ethereal Bohemian

It's my birthday. Let's celebrate by revisiting an old topic: my favorite names.

Over at Nameberry, a poster tried to characterize her name style and came up with Eccentric Aristocrat. Looking at the list of her favorites, I would have to agree with that assessment. In terms of whether my taste matched hers...it was close, but not quite right. It made me wonder what I would call my own style.

Also, someone might see me dissing their favorite names and start thinking, "Okay wise ass, what names would you give your kids then?" and I would like to have an answer for them.

You might remember that I originally described by style as "Worldly Strega." But now I see that Ethereal Bohemian makes a lot more sense, even though the individual names in my favorites haven't changed that much.

So what makes a name Ethereal Bohemian? First it must be rooted in literature, mythology, and nature. It can't be something traditional, common, or trendy. Distinct gender identification is not that big of a deal. Basically if it fits my idealized image of an artsy child wearing a crown of flowers I love it.

So here are just a few of my favorite names. I know I made profiles of most of these, but I'm too lazy to link to them all:

My Maidens:

Aradia
Artemis
Augusta
Avalon
Bastet
Bryony
Calico
Calypso
Capulet
Ceres
Clove
Coralie
Cosima
Delphine
Demeter
Echo
Endellion
Eponine
Esperance
Eurydice
Evadne
Evelake
Fable
Faline
Fawn
Fortuna
Foxbelle
Glimmer
Gypsy
Hyacinth
India
Isabeau
Italia
Juno
Kahlo
Kairos
Kaya
Kismet
Kitsune
Lavender
Leocadia
Lilac
Lotus
Lupine
Magdalene
Mehitabel
Midori
Monserrate
Musidora
Mythily
Nephele
Nightingale
Novella
Opal
Ophelia
Ophelie
Ostara
Paloma
Pandora
Peridot
Phoenix
Placida
Pomeline
Primeveire
Quiterie
Remedy
Reverie
River
Roma
Romilly
Rosaline
Rosmerta
Saffron
Sistine
Sita
Solstice
Sophronia
Tallulah
Tigerlily
Ultima
Undine
Vashti
Verity
Viola
Virelai
Viva
Voz

My Princes:

Albion
Apollo
Aries
Artemas
Augusto
Betony
Briar
Caspian
Castle
Cedar
Celestino
Copper
Cyprain
Delfino
Draco
Elphias
Evander
Falco
Fox
Galileo
Gilderoy
Gladiolus
Gonzalo
Haven
Hawthorn
Hermes
Hickory
Horus
Hurtago
Iliad
Isadore
Jove
Lazarus
Leopold
Llewellyn
Lorimer
Lutherum
Lysander
Mandrake
March
Nemo
Nicabar
Nimbus
Noble
Nox
Oberon
Octavian
Onyx
Osiris
Peregrine
Placido
Prosper
Ptolemy
Raven
Revere
Rhodes
Rhymer
Romulus
Sage
Sabin
Seattle
Sirius
Swift
Wolfgang
Vox
Yule

My Shape-Shifters:

Antimony
Baudelaire
Bravery
Cloud
Crescent
Fiore
Forest
Golden
Juniper
Kestrel
Lark
Madrigal
Madrone
North
Ocean
October
Pallas
Rune
Salem
Saturn
Seraphim
Shadow
Silver
Sirocco
Valentine
Vesper
Wren
Zephyr

How about you? What would you call your naming style?

Image Credit:
Painting by Remedios Varo

Spirit Animal Round Up: Horse

Maybe it's because I saw Warhorse recently (the play, not the movie), but I'm in the mood for some horse names.

Unlike snakes and owls, horses have always been universally well liked. Originally only indigenous to Europe and Asia, horse worship has been around since the Bronze Age. White horses were particularly prized due to how rare they were and they were used for divination. In Asian culture, the horse is one of the animals represented in the Chinese zodiac. When White men brought this animal into the America's they were almost instantly embraced by Native American culture. The horse has long been associated with stamina, power, and freedom.

I tried to stay away from unicorns and winged horses for this one because that's a whole other post. I'm sure there's a lot more options than what is listed here:

1. Philip/Phillipa/Felipe/etc. Probably the most classic option on this list. It comes from the Greek name Phillippos meaning "friend of horses."

2. Rosalind. People think that this one has something to do with roses. No, no, no. It comes from the Germanic elements hros ("horse") and linde ("soft" or "tender").

3. Epona/Eponine/Eponina. The name of the Roman/Gaulish goddess of horses, ponies, mules, and donkeys. There is also a Les Miserable connection.

4. Lorimer. An Old French word that used to refer to someone who made stirrups and other metal tools used for harnesses. Hey, it's horse related.

5. Vanner. A breed also known as the Gypsy horse because the Romanichal people of the British Isles developed it. They have a very distinctive look and they were meant to pull vardos (the wagons that Gypsies traditionally live in).

6. Arion. An immortal, talking horse from Greek mythology.

7. Colt. It took me an embarrassingly long time for me to remember this one, but Colt is a popular option nowadays. It's the term used for a young, male horse. There's also a gun connection.

8. Balius. Possibly means "dappled." An immortal horse from Greek mythology who's parents were Zephyr and a harpy named Podarge.

9. Xanthus. Balius' twin brother. His name means "blond." The feminine form Xanthe has been getting more attention.

10. Canter. A type of gait faster than a trot but slower than a gallop.

11. Stallion. The term used for a male horse that has not been castrated. Brings Sylvester Stallone to mind.

12. Rhiannon. A mythic figure very much associated with horses.

13. Demeter. The Greek goddess of the harvest originally took the form of a mare, along with Poseidon.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse_worship
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/horse-symbol-meanings.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Mythological_horses
http://www.behindthename.com/

Image Credit:
http://horseheaven.tumblr.com/