Miyazaki-san (Part 1)

 

When I was growing up in the 90s, Disney animation ruled the world. My parents and both sets of grandparents had every movie on video cassette. Parents were naming their daughters Ariel and Jasmine. The Disney Store was in almost every mall I visited. So when I see parents of my generation go overboard on trying to recapture the whole Disney thing for their kids, I sort of get it. But (and this might alienate half of my readership) I don't think Disney animation is that great. Or at least, it's not as great as we've built it up to be. I think a handful of their films are great, but that is a topic for another post. Instead, my child will probably get a steady diet of Studio Ghibli.

For those who don't know, Studio Ghibli was created by master animator Hayao Miyazaki who directed most, but not all of, the movies. These films are a favorite amongst both animation fans and the modern Pagan crowd, and how could they not be? The great stories! The Pagan friendly morals! The complex characters! The creatively designed monsters! The wonderful aerial action scenes! And most of the time it's all hand drawn! That's what you're missing by myopically sticking with Disney.

Hayao Miyazaki retired last year, and a lot of people are sad about that. The reason why I'm writing this post is because I've heard something even more upsetting: that Studio Ghibli might be closing their doors forever. I'm getting emotional just typing that. The Studio says that they're just taking a hiatus, so I'm hoping that's true. But just in case it's not, I wanted indulge my nerdiness and go through all of the Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki movies and give a short review. And, just to tie it in with names, I've included some intriguing ones with each movie.

The Castle of Cagliostro. Before there even was a Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki made his directorial debut with this film. The hero of this movie is a charming gentleman thief named Arsene Lupin III. He manages to successfully rob a casino only to find that the money is counterfeit. So the whole movie is about him foiling this counterfeit operation while saving a pretty damsel in the process.

This movie is based on a manga series, and I could tell that. It feels like an episode in the middle of a television show. The story just expects you to know who these characters are and their history together. It didn't make it too confusing, I just would have liked to know what his samurai friend was doing in Italy. But that's really the only negative thing I have to say. While I wouldn't say that it touched me emotionally, this is a fun adventure movie and it's great to see Miyazaki's style in its infancy.

Arsene
Lupin
Clarisse
Lazare

 

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic future in which a war destroyed most of mankind and created a toxic jungle filled with giant insects called the ohm. One of the few towns to survive is the Valley of the Wind, because the spores from the forest get blown away. The princess of this land is Nausicaa, and she is the only person who believes that they could all live peacefully with the forest. One day, a cargo plane from a neighboring kingdom crash-lands into the valley. The cargo has the embryo of a Giant Warrior, one of the genetically engineered weapons that caused the destruction of the war. Naturally, there are people who want this thing and they come to the valley to claim it. Princess Kushana, who is more general than princess, intends to use it to destroy the toxic jungle and all of it's creatures. Nausicaa agrees to be her hostage in order to spare the lives of her people and to find a way to stop Kushana's scheme.

This is the movie that made Japan take notice of Miyazaki, and he had to fight hard to get this made because no one wanted to finance it initially. All that work paid off. This was the only work of science fiction he created, which is a shame because this world is so intriguing and I could actually believe that something like this could happen. The only problem I have with this movie is that it makes it painfully obvious that Nausicaa is going to be the savoir. In the beginning they show a tapestry of this prophetic story and the heroine looks exactly like Nausicaa. Really? You couldn't even try to make her look different? Again, not a big deal because overall Nausicaa is an amazing character. None of the Disney princesses have a quarter of her awesomeness.

Nausicaa
Asbel
Kushana
Yupa

Castle in the Sky. Studio Ghibli began with this film. The story begins with a mysterious girl gently falling from the sky with the help of a glowing amulet. A boy named Pazu catches her. He has a dream to continue the work of his father, and explorer who believed in the existence of an ancient city floating in the clouds called Laputa. The girl, who's name is Sheeta, is the last descendant of Laputa royalty, and there are bad people after them who want to use her and her necklace in order to find the castle in the sky.

This is my favorite of Miyazaki's early movies. I'm afraid of heights, and the animation is so great that there were scenes where I was genuinely frightened for their safety. There are air pirates in this movie who also want to find Laputa and they are led by a woman named Captain Dola. All of her henchmen are her adult sons, which led to a lot of funny moments. My favorite scene is probably when Sheeta and Pazu finally find Laputa. Their joy and awe is moving. My one complaint is that I have no idea how old the two main characters are supposed to be, but whatever. This is a fantastic adventure movie that will appeal to everybody.

Sheeta
Pazu
Dola
Muska
Charles
Louis
Henri

 

Grave of the Fireflies. This is the first Ghibli film directed by Isao Takahata, and I would say that this is the heaviest story to every come out of their studio. It begins with a starving teenage boy dying in a train station. The spirit of the boy, named Seita, is reunited with the spirit of his little sister Setsuko. The rest of the film is a flashback into their lives during the later months of World War II.

Some parents have this weird idea that they need to protect their kids from sadness, so they would shy away from this. That does them a disservice. Stories help you explore difficult emotions safely. On top of that, this is a realistic portrayal of what happens to kids in wartime, and they need to know what that's like. I wouldn't say, "buy it," because it's not a film I would watch more than once, but your kids need to see this movie. I don't care if you wait until they're teenagers, they need to see this movie. When the time comes, that's what I'll be doing.

Seita
Setsuko

 

My Neighbor Totoro. Although this movie takes place in the same time period as Grave of the Fireflies it's a lot less heavy and a lot more whimsical. Two sisters and their father move to the country with their dad (their mother's in the hospital). The two girls come into contact with forest spirits including Totoro, a giant cat-like monster that is now Studio Ghibli's logo and easily it's most recognizable character.

There's not a lot that "happens" in this movie (with the exception of the climax, which I won't give away). It's really about the girls relationship with the forest and with each other. Of course I love Totoro and the Catbus, but I also love the realistic and touching sibling dynamic (particularly if you watch the version where they're voiced by Dakota and Elle Fanning). I first saw this movie in a world religion course I took in college when we studied Shinto. That's another great thing about this movie: it delves into Japanese culture in a way that Miyazaki's previous movies didn't. Adorable and educational? I'm sold!

Satsuki
Mei

 

Kiki's Delivery Service. The story begins when a thirteen-year-old witch named Kiki who leaves her parents home in order to train as a witch and make her own way in the world. With her talking black cat Jiji by her side, she finds a quaint little town and decides to open a delivery service. While she's there she makes new friends, but also has to wrestle with her insecurities.

This one is a favorite for a lot of Witches, for the obvious reason. I'm going to be honest, this movie is almost too "girl power" for it's own good. It gets really corny in places. Which isn't to say that I don't like it. I love this movie. Kiki is a spunky and fun heroine, but she has baggage that make her very interesting. It says a lot that she has an easy time making friends with adults but her confidence is easily shaken when she meets other kids. Do you know a kid like that? Were you a kid like that? You'll emphasize with this story. But, in my mind, Miyazaki's best was yet to come.

Kiki
Jiji
Ursula
Tombo

 

Only Yesterday. Directed by Isao Takahata, this film was a bit of a trailblazer. It's an animated drama for adults and, since it was a surprise success, it proved that those could actually make money. The story is about a 27 year old woman named Taeko. While visiting home she thinks about her life as a child and wonders if she has remained true to herself as an adult. I laughed, I cried, I...never saw it. Although this movie was a critical hit in Japan, it's not well known in America so it's kind of hard to find a copy of this in the library. Obviously I have to pick this one up somehow. Until then, I'm just going to move on...

Taeko
Toshio

 

Porco Rosso. Porco Rosso is a WWI veteran pilot who is cursed to have the face of a pig. The movie is about him working as a freelance bounty hunter catching air pirates while wrestling with his past. There is also a love triangle here with Porco, a woman named Gina, and an arrogant American pilot named Curtis.

While I do like this movie, I would be lying if I said that I watch it a lot. There are some nice comedic moments and it has great aerial action. But I don't know anyone who would say that this is their favorite Miyazaki movie. I wouldn't say that the characters were bad necessarily, but they weren't that interesting either. And where I thought Kiki's Delivery Service was slightly too "girl power," the girl mechanic named Fio is obnoxiously "girl power." Unless you're a completist and you want to say that you've watched all the Miyazaki films, this one might be okay to skip.

Marco
Gina
Curtis
Fio

 

Ocean Waves. To be honest, when I was researching Studio Ghibli films and came across this title, I had never even heard of it. In fact, a lot of people have never heard of it. Directed by Tomomi Mochizuki, it was made for Japanese television and concerns a high school love triangle. It is available on DVD in the United States, so it looks like I'll have to check this one out.

Taku
Yutaka
Rikako

 

Pom Poko. Directed by Isao Takahata, this movie follows a group of raccoons (who can shape shift, apparently) as they try to save their forest home from developers. I tried to watch this one. I don't know if it was because I found the English language voice acting obnoxious or the dialogue was just that bad, but I could not get into it. All the screenshots look cool, so I might give it another try one day.

Oroku
Gonta

Whisper of the Heart. Directed by Yoshifumi Kondo (the only film he ever directed before he died), this story is essentially a romance set in junior high. That might sound trite, but it's not what you do it's how you do it. Shizuko is a realistic teen that reminded me of myself quite a bit, in that she's an aspiring writer and very bookish. Her romance begins when she notices that someone is checking out all the same library books that she likes to read. Come on, how could she not fall for him? Eventually she does write a story that is inspired by a cat figurine she finds at an antique shop, which leads to some very cool fantastical scenes.

I'm a little embarrassed that I like this so much. It is essentially a "chick flick" and I usually hate those. Granted, I knew that she was going to wind up with Seiji immediately because on their first meeting she hates him. That is such a chick flick cliché. And every time that "Take Me Home, Country Roads" song plays I start groaning and rolling my eyes. But this film gets everything else completely right. Shizuko feels like she's not good enough for Seiji because she's not pursuing her passion with the same investment that he's pursuing his. Her family, especially her bossy older sister, doesn't really understand this and would prefer that she just concentrate on school and go through all the "correct" hurdles to get the "correct" jobs like she's "supposed" to. That's not superficial nonsense. That's hard stuff. It's sad that the director died after this. It's clear he was on to great things.

Shizuku
Seiji
Yuko
Baron
Hubert
Nishi

 

Princess Mononoke. This epic fantasy story begins when a boar god cursed with hate attacks the village of Prince Ashitaka. He saves the village and the boar god dies, but not without transferring his curse to Ashitaka's arm. The prince leaves his home in order to find a cure and find out how the boar got cursed in the first place. Eventually he finds Irontown, led by Lady Eboshi. She wants to destroy the magic forest by killing the Forest Spirit, believing that doing so would help her people. But her nemesis Princess Mononoke, a.k.a. San, stands in her way, along with the wolf gods who raised her. Ashitaka has respect for both sides, and soon finds himself in the middle of a war between the man-made and natural worlds.

This movie is a favorite for a lot of people and it deserves every bit of praise it has gotten. The characters are great. The forest and everything in it is both beautiful and creepy. The climax is intense. The only problematic character is Jiko-bo, another guy who wants to kill the Forest Spirit. His motivation is gaining status and immortality, so immediately I just didn't care as much. The story could have done just fine without him. Also, the cursed arm plot device wasn't utilized as much as it could have been. I kept waiting for that to be more of a problem, but aside from able to decapitate people with a single arrow, he really doesn't seem that effected. But it's still one of Miyazaki's best. It's also his most violent, so this is probably not for really little kids.

Ashitaka
San
Eboshi
Moro
Kaya
Jiko-bo

 

My Neighbors the Yamadas. Directed by Isao Takahata, this is another one that I haven't seen. It's basically a series of vignettes looking into the everyday life of the Yamada family. The most interesting thing about this movie is the animation style. It's done in an unusual comic strip style. Pencil sketches, really. I don't know if there's much to check out here. Perhaps I will pick it up one day.

Takashi
Matsuko
Noboru
Nonoko
Shige

There's so much to say about these films that I need to split this into two parts. Part 2 will probably be longer because I actually have watched all of the later movies. Kudos to you if you've read this far Miyazaki fans!

Name Profile: Echo

Everyone knows what an echo is. You have probably been to a cave and shouted dirty words so you could laugh when you heard them repeated, or listened to an orchestra and heard to the last note linger throughout the concert hall. There is something very pleasant about them. Echo (pronounced "EH-koh") is a Greek name meaning "sound" and you might also recognize it as belonging to a nymph from Greek and Roman mythology.

Echo is known for having terrible luck with men. She, along with a lot of other nymphs, liked to consort with Zeus/Jupiter. His wife Hera/Juno became suspicious and decided to go to earth to investigate. But whenever she was about to catch Zeus/Jupiter being unfaithful, Echo would distract her with a lengthy conversation. Eventually, Hera/Juno caught on to what she was doing and cursed Echo with the ability to only speak the last few words that were spoken to her.

Then, Echo met Narcissus. She immediately became infatuated with him but, alas, Narcissus spurned her affections because she was a weirdo who couldn't speak properly. Instead he saw his own reflection and fell in love with himself. Echo could only watch as he wasted away. Her body eventually wasted away too, leaving only her voice.

So given a story like that, why should anyone be attracted to this name? Why would anyone use it if it has a negative mythical story attached to it? Well, there is what I said in the beginning, echoes are a pleasant natural phenomenon that everyone has a memory of. But lets look at it from a Wiccan spiritual level.

Wiccans believe in something called the Rule of Three (a.k.a. the Three-fold Law or the Law of Return). Basically, if you do something good, good things come to you three times or three times as strong. It works with negative things as well. You put negativity into the world, you get negativity back. In other words, what you do in this life echoes back to you. So, if I named a daughter Echo that's what I would be referencing. The hope that all the good things she does comes back to her.

Echo had a brief stint on the American top 1000 during the early 1980s, but it has never been a popular name. It is a favorite to many name enthusiasts, myself included. Could Echo also be used as a boy's name? Sure, but it wouldn't have the same historical weight. Whether it's worn by a boy or a girl, Echo gives off a cool bohemian vibe.

Some Name Combos:

Echo Vivienne

Echo North

Echo Harper

Echo Isabella

Echo Rowan

Related Names:

Ekko

A Midsummer Dream

"The Quarrel of Titania and Oberon" by Sir Joseph Noel Paton

Blessed Litha, everyone! Although I do prefer the term Midsummer for this holiday, probably because of the Shakespeare play. It's just more poetic.

Litha marks the day of the Summer Solstice. Many cultures in Ancient Europe had a solstice celebration, but they were particularly important in northern countries like Sweden, Norway, and Latvia. It's still celebrated with great enthusiasm in that region (most likely under the name of St. John's Day). Wiccans believe that during this day the Horned God, as represented by the sun, is at the height of his power.

There is no one god or goddess that is especially important on this day. But you might remember the Holly King/Oak King mythology of the Winter Solstice, which says that the old Holly King is slain by the youthful Oak King. Well on the Summer Solstice, the opposite happens. The kings do battle again and this time the Holly King wins. This day is also a good time to honor any kind of sun god, obviously.

In many ways, Midsummer celebrations look quite similar to Beltane. You still make and wear flower crowns, build a bonfire, and dance around a maypole. But there are a few differences:

• A good way to celebrate the power of the sun and take advantage of all the daytime hours is by spending lots of time outside. This holiday coincides with Renaissance Fair season, which is like catnip to Modern Pagans. If you live in an area that has them, try to find some fireflies at night.
• Another way to celebrate the solstice is by inviting friends for an cookout. Common foods for this holiday include watermelon, strawberries, peaches, lemons, oranges, pineapple, broccoli, leafy greens, carrots, tomatoes, peppers, summer squash, grilled meats, smoked fish, milk, cheese, pastries, and ice cream.
• This holiday is very much associated with faerie folk, probably more than any other Wiccan holiday. It's very common to dress up as a fairy, make fairy houses, and perform rituals based on A Midsummer Night's Dream.
• Sun related crafts are popular this time of year. You could make sun wheels with colored yarn, ribbons, or paper. They're good for decorating an altar.
• In some countries they release floating lanterns on the night of the Summer Solstice. Yes, like the ones from Tangled.
• Midsummer is a good time to make spells relating to fertility, marriage, protection, communication with the faerie realm, and manifesting goals.

Enough talk, onto the names!

Mythical beings associated with the season:

Oak King (Celtic)

Holly King (Celtic)

Greenman (English folkloric)

Juno (Roman)

Lugh (Celtic)

Aphrodite (Greek)

Venus (Roman)

Apollo (Greek/Roman)

Freya (Norse)

Ra (Egyptian)

Bastet/Bast (Egyptian)

Horus (Egyptian)

Sunna/Sol (Norse)

Helios (Greek)

Hyperion (Greek)

Kali (Hindu)

Pele (Hawaiian)

Vesta (Roman)

Amaterasu (Japanese)

Other ideas:

Midsummer

Lithe

Solstice

Soleil

Sunny

Somerled

Sunrise

Sunshine

Sunday

Suvi

Anatole ("sunrise")

Marisol

Ravi

Faye

Mab

Oberon

Titania

Lysander

Lysandra

Demetrius

Hermia

Theseus

Hippolyta

Puck

Robin

Wren

Emerald

Jade

John

Dandelion

Heliodore ("gift of the sun")

Heliodora

Avery

Alfred ("elf council")

Aubrey ("elf ruler")

Auberon

Elvin ("elf friend")

Siofra ("elf, sprite")

Parisa ("fairy")

Momo ("peach")

Thyme

Rose

Gardenia

Draco

Revel

Revelry

Golden

Phoenix

Pazia ("golden")

Eve

Wisteria

Firefly

Dragonfly

Natsumi ("sunny beauty")

Clemency

Fallow

Lux ("light")

Haru ("sun, sunlight")

Samson ("sun")

Super fun combo time:

John Demetrius

Hermia Sunrise

Faye Firefly

Anatole Phoenix

Natsumi Lux

Samson Lysander

Cancer the Compassionate

"Crab Canon" by M.C. Escher

 

"...Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up."

--Pearl S. Buck, novelist and Cancer

Many modern Pagans prefer to pick names based on astrological signs. Yes, I know I just finished doing a series of posts very similar to this on the old blog, but this time I'm not limiting myself to thirteen names. Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names by K. M. Sheard is an excellent resource for finding names to go with specific astrological signs, so if you want even more options than the ones I list here go find that book.

Today, the sun sign of Cancer begins. This sign lasts from June 21 to July 22, depending on the year. Cancers have one of the more compassionate and mothering signs in the zodiac, but that doesn't mean that they're are pushovers. Like their symbol, the crab, Cancers have a strong survival instinct and are very protective of themselves and those they love. Cancers like security and alone time. They are private, sensitive people who only open up to trusted friends. They can also be sentimental about objects with a history attached to them. One negative character trait of Cancers is that they don't handle conflict very well. When their feelings are hurt (which will happen often as Cancers are very sensitive) they tend to react by withdrawing. They also have a reputation for being moody. But if you manage to stay on their good sides, Cancers are caring and dependable friends.

Cancer might be the hardest zodiac sign to make a list for because there really aren't any "crab" names in existence. Fortunately, Cancer is ruled by the moon, and there are a lot of "moon" names:

Moon Names:

Luna
Amaluna
Altaluna
Artemis
Diana
Chandra
Selene
Koray
Esmeray
Cresent
Monday
Moonbeam
Moonlight
Moonrise
Moonlily
Moonstone

Water Names:

River
India
Indio
Ocean
Oceanus
Rain
Pearl
Delphine
Delfino
Cascade
Rumi
Otter
Mortimer
Undine
Riverlily
Margaret ("pearl")
Coral
Coraline
Coralie
Tallulah
Lotus
Haven
Havelock
Rosmerta

Time Names:

June
Juno
July
Julius
Jules
Summer
Somerled
Solstice

Yellow, Orange, Purple, and Silver Names:

Xanthe ("blond, yellow")
Xanthus
Saffron
Amber
Electra ("amber")
Orange
Marigold
Lavender
Violet
Viola
Silver
Argent ("silver")
Grey
Grayson
Arianrhod ("silver wheel")

Attribute Names:

Temperance
Clemency
Clement
Prudence
Ophelia ("help")
Edmund ("wealth protection")
Liv ("protection")
Amparo ("protection, shelter")
Faramond ("journey protection")
William ("will protection")
Sigmund ("victory protection")
Rosamund ("horse protection")
Chester ("fortified place")
Alma ("nourishing" or "soul")
Admetus ("untamed")
Frida ("peace")
Remedy
Remedios
Wilder
Wilde

Other ideas:

Opal
Henry
Leveret
Ceres
Ballad
Madrigal
Graham
Esmeralda
Reuben
Cloud
Sylvan
Lorelei
Dove
Notus
Paloma
Anais
Lupine
Genevieve
Magdalene
Franco
Reverie
Billie
Liam
Porter

Name Magpie: One Thing After Another

You might have noticed that this blog has been more quiet than usual. I am working hard at finding a job overseas, and that means lots of paperwork and a lot of research. That has been my priority for the past few months. Where am I going, you ask? You'll see. In the meantime, I am still occasionally poking around the blogosphere for new names.

Most of my discoveries have been from the Dictionary of Medieval Names. It's a relatively new website and I encourage you to look through it. I was surprised to find that Indigo, Bono, and Paxe were used during that time. Some new (for me) monikers that stood out to me are:

Cherubina ("cherub, angel")
Unica ("unique, sole")
Sapience ("wisdom")
Tedesco/Tedesca ("of the people, popular")
Fabrissa ("craftswoman, female artisan")
Consolat ("consoled, comforted")
Solomona (feminine form of Solomon)
Bellavita ("beautiful life")
Transmundus ("on the other side of the world")
Omnebon ("all good" or "every good")
Zoete ("sweet")
Bonamice ("good friend")
Guardia ("guard")
Recuperate
Basile (feminine form of Basil)
Calomaria ("beautiful Mary")
Olivera (feminine form of Oliver)
Savage
Ursilda
Thorkill ("thunder kettle")

Now for some others:

Theory. Found this one when First and Middle Baby Names answered a reader question. The commenter was actually thinking about Thyri, but Theory is an interesting idea too.

Ojas. If you had asked me what language this name comes from I would not have guessed that it was Sanskrit, but there it is. It means either "vigor" or "appearance."

Poema. Spanish for "poem." I might have just made this up, but it's wonderful isn't it?

Kaguya. I recently saw The Tale of Princess Kaguya. I'm working on a post about Studio Ghibli movies, so I'll talk more about it there. But I believe the heroine's name means "bamboo."

Gemini the Twins

 

"Pink Twin, Purple Twin" by Walasse Ting

"I do not know whether we can be saved through the intellect, but I do know that I can be saved by nothing else."

--Dorothy Sayers, writer and Gemini

Many modern Pagans prefer to pick names based on astrological signs. Yes, I know I just finished doing a series of posts very similar to this on the old blog, but this time I'm not limiting myself to thirteen names. Llewellyn's Complete Book of Names by K. M. Sheard is an excellent resource for finding names to go with specific astrological signs, so if you want even more options than the ones I list here go find that book.

Today the sun sign enters Gemini. Gemini lasts through May 21 to June 20 and it's symbol is the heavenly twins Pollux and Castor.  This is fitting because it sometimes seems as if Geminis have two different personalities. They are highly adaptable and can fit themselves into almost any social group or situation. They like to keep busy and are generally pleasant people. Gemini is an air sign, so intellect and communication is important to them. People with this sign are very curious and love to learn, but they're not great at specialized information because of their short attention span. Geminis usually have many friends and social contacts but, at the same time, it can be hard to connect with them on an intimate level. Because they change themselves to fit any situation, it can be difficult to know what a Gemini is really thinking or feeling. They're easily swayed to the opinions of others. They cannot always be trusted to keep secrets or maintain loyalty. Also, people with this sign don't always care about the deeper issues in life, preferring to keep everything light and fluffy. Whether you love them or hate them, Geminis are never boring.

Twin/sibling/friend names:

Pollux
Castor
Thomas
Tavish
Tamsin
Amy
Bellamy
Bonamy
Adelphi
Adelphie
Amity
Beningo
Darwin
Tomoko
Ruth

Air names:

Aria
Anemone
Bird
Birdie
Kestrel
Zephyr
Caraway
Breeze
Sirocco
Paloma
Lark
Vox
Feather
Boreas
Notus
Whisper

Time names:

May
Maya
June
Juno
Spring
Primavera
Summer
Somerled
Suvi
Trinity (It's the third sign)

Orange names:

Orange
Mandarin (a type of orange)
Valencia (see above)
Cam
Saffron
Marigold
Clementine
Sienna
Cinnabar
Ginger
Tigerlily
Amber

Attribute names:

Grace
Charm
Blythe ("cheerful")
Fantin ("charming, seducing")
Mohandas ("charming, enchanting")
Mohan
Sophia ("wise")
Cato ("wise")
Sage
Keen
Revel
Revelry
Lively
Merry
Kavi ("wise man, sage, poet")
Allegra ("happy, cheerful")
Sunny
Erato ("lovely")
Rei ("lovely")
Mercy
Rama ("pleasing")
Gioconda ("pleasant, delightful, happy")
Niomi ("pleasantness")
Pleasance
Cosmo ("order, decency")
Cosima
Cosimo
Cosmina
Isaac ("he laughs")
Wilder
Wilde

Other ideas:

Clover
Griffin
Minerva
Pearl
Nestor
Margaret
Margot
Rhett
Hazel
Conrad
Alfred
Daisy
Lotus
Dexter
Orchid
Jasmine
Eve
Rainer
Myrtle
Linnea
Green
Tallulah
Arcadia
Raphael
Gypsy
Mabon
Romulus
Romilly

The Festival of Fire

"Maibaum" by Kristi Malakoff

Hope you're having a blessed and happy Beltane!

Beltane, also known as May Day, is based on an old Celtic holiday. This celebration was mentioned numerous times in Irish mythology and early Irish literature. Some people see this day as the beginning of summer, others as the height of spring. As late as the 1800s, people in Ireland and Scotland would take their cattle and walk around, or jump over, a bonfire as a way to herald the coming summer on this day. At it's core, Beltane is a day that honors life. This is the time of year in which the earth's energy is at it's most fertile.

In Wicca, Beltane is the time of year in which the Horned God and the Great Goddess have their sacred wedding. And with the wedding comes the wedding night. Therefore, this holiday has a huge emphasis on (hetero)sexuality. It's what makes Beltane so great, but it's also what makes Beltane so potentially alienating. What if you want to celebrate with children? What if you're gay? What if you're not dating? Some people can feel completely left out during this holiday. However, there is actually a whole breadth of fun activities that you can use to celebrate Beltane.

• Like most modern Pagan holidays, Beltane is celebrated with a feast. Traditional foods for Beltane include oatmeal, strawberries, dairy, mushrooms, oysters, honey, red wine, fruit punch, herbal greens, venison, mead, and any food traditionally believed to be an aphrodisiac. Sometimes food and drink are offered to the faeries.
• One very well recognized tradition is the Maypole. The pole has a ring of flowers on the top and colored ribbons streaming down. In the Maypole dance, everyone grabs onto the end of a ribbon and then they dance in a circle, weaving in and out of each other so that the ribbons will braid around the pole. In the modern Pagan world this tradition has sexual symbolism, but you don't have to tell the little kids that.
• Flowers are a big part of Beltane. Making and wearing flower crowns is a fun activity. There is also the tradition of leaving flowers on neighbors doors. The May Bush is an old Irish custom that involves decorating a small tree with flowers and ribbon, which may or may not come from an ancient tree rite. Altar decorations can be simple flower arrangements.
• Beltane means "bright fire," so obviously there has to be a bonfire. The flames, smoke, and ashes of a Beltane bonfire are believed to be especially magical. Modern Pagans still jump over the bonfire as a way to purify themselves and increase fertility (use caution when doing this).
• If you are fortunate enough to attend a Beltane festival you'll see many other activities including morris dancing, sword dancing, music, archery competitions, and hobby-horse riding.
• A large part of this holiday is the Great Rite, or going "A-Maying." The Great Rite is a sacred Pagan ritual in which a man and a woman choose to, or are selected to, perform sex magic in the guise of the Horned God and the Great Goddess. This may or may not be performed outside. This may or may not be performed in front of an audience of other Pagans. They are sometimes referred as the May King and Queen. A-Maying is less formal but basically has the same idea: a couple spends the night in the woods together and comes back home with hawthorn branches (hawthorn is very sacred to this holiday). This day can be seen as a sort of Pagan Valentine's Day that honors romantic love.
• But many Pagans use this day to honor any type of love and any type of passion, not just physical love and passion. They celebrate mother-child and friend relationships and encourage new hobbies and goals.
• There is some debate over whether or not this is an appropriate time to get married. Some modern Pagans say that a wedding during the month of May is inauspicious because only a fool would upstage the God and Goddess. But just take a look through Offbeat Bride and you'll see that Beltane weddings are rather popular.
• I feel like I can't talk about this holiday without mentioning the Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. Judging from the photographs of the event, it's absolutely stunning. They have also started festivals for Imbolc, Lughnasadh, and Samhain, but their Beltane festival remains the biggest. If you're a Pagan who loves to travel and this isn't on your bucket list, then what are you doing with your life?

Enough talk, onto the names:

Mythical beings associated with the season:

Artemis (Greek)

Diana (Roman)

Bacchus (Greek)

Dionysus (Roman)

Cernunnos (Celtic)

Flora (Roman)

Hera (Greek)

Juno (Roman)

Kokopelli (Hopi)

Pan (Greek)

Priapus (Roman)

Greenman (English folkloric)

Maia (Greek)

Aphrodite (Greek)

Venus (Roman)

Freya (Norse)

Balor (Irish)

Other ideas:

Beltane

May

Primavera ("spring")

Mayday

Ember

Phoenix

Hawthorn

Maythorn

Quickthorn

Whitethorn

Birch

Rowan

Lilac

Walburga

Jack (as in Jack-of-the-Green)

Robin (as in Robin Hood)

Primrose

Primeveire ("primrose")

Morris

Vivian ("alive")

Vivienne

Rose

Fiammetta ("little fire")

Spark

Hazel

Bright

Finn ("white")

Galatea ("milky white")

Myrtle

Aiden ("fire")

Cinder

Garland

Roux ("red")

Silver

Crimson

Queen

Regina ("queen")

Reign

Basil ("king")

Rex ("king")

Faye

Parisa ("like a fairy")

Siofra ("elf, sprite")

Alfred ("elf counsel")

Orchid

Euphoria

Joy

Soleil

Sol

Nymphia

Nymphadora

Wilder

Wilde

Fun combo-time:

Jack Maythorn

Rex Wilder

Faye Primavera

Hazel Reign

Artemis Wilde

Finn Silver

Juno Vivienne