What’s in a Name - Part 2

Since publishing my earlier blog about Names, I have been approached on the question of Spirit Names, a topic I realise now I should have included. I believe and in this I share the Spiritualist belief, that when we are born on Earth we should not only be given the name(s) chosen by our parents but also a spirit name. In the Spiritualist service of Naming, the medium performing the service is required to give a Spirit Name to the child and this is either heard directly from the spiritual world, if the medium is clairaudient, or the name is placed in the medium’s mind in another way, inspiration if you wish. Also, because Spiritualists are horrified by the concept of ‘original sin’, flowers, as symbols of purity are used in such services rather than water.

Let me set out for you exactly what takes place at a British Spiritualist Naming.

Address by Officiating Medium: It will be something along the following lines:
“We meet today in celebration of a new life who has joined us on Earth; a life with all the potential for spiritual growth which is part of our divine heritage. As Andrew Jackson Davis, the great American Seer and medium said, “A child is the repository of infinite possibilities.”
Being children of the Great Spirit, we are sharing in a ceremony which is both ancient and sacred. The ceremony recognises the sweet life which has come amongst us, acknowledges identity and also acknowledges one-ness with God. Men and women have always felt the need to be distinguished from one another and known by an individual name. This is as much the case today as it has ever been.
Our service of naming is therefore an act of thanksgiving for this new life and an opportunity for each of us, especially the parents and sponsors, to dedicate ourselves to -----‘s (name of child) well being. We seek God’s blessing on him/her for he/she may shed radiant light in a world where darkness so often seems to surround us, or it may be that he/she will lead mankind into greater knowledge and understanding.
It is the duty of Parents and Sponsors to train children in the ways of spiritual growth, therefore I ask you ----- (names). Will you undertake to do your best to ensure ----- (name) is given every opportunity to grow up in the knowledge that he/she is a spirit being, part of the Great Spirit of Light we call God, as are all human beings? (The sponsors respond in the affirmative)
No number of sponsors alone will be sufficient to support ---- (names of parents) in this task. We all have a duty to share in this responsibility. Do not therefore neglect your duty, since today’s children are the promise of a better world tomorrow.
Surely we desire for all children that they be surrounded by conditions which will ensure the complete and perfect blossoming of their lives, which are, as yet, so young and tender. God does not call upon us to cleanse this, or any other child, from inherent sin. Spiritualism acknowledges that children are blossoms of divine love, a blessing from God, born in accordance with natural law. They inherit no handicap, save that of inexperience.
Just pause for a moment and admire the beauty and purity of the human flowers with which God graces the Earth, of which ---- (name of baby) is a delightful example. Who are we to presume that we can cleanse a flower so unsullied? No, it is not a process of cleansing from sin which we are about to perform, instead we shall use these flowers as symbols of purity and grace and concentrate all our thoughts of love upon ---- (name) as we name him/her.”

Next the medium offers a prayer:

Naming Ceremony: Holding the baby, the medium says to the parents, “---- (names), what names do you give your daughter/son?”
Speaking to the baby: “Using these flowers – earth’s purest gems, as emblems of the beauty which God delights to see in the hearts of his children – I Name you -------. May God bless and shield you, may His spirit messengers guide you, help you in trouble, comfort you in sorrow, inspire you to search for truth and may His presence and blessing be with you throughout your life.”
Spirit Name: “As some of you will know, it is usual at our naming ceremonies to give a spirit name to the child; a name inspired by those in the world of the spirit, which has meaning for the child, something which may inspire him/her in times when he/she feels the need for inner strength and guidance. I am inspired to give the Spirit Name of ---- to this little one today.”
The medium returns the child to the parents and then reads a piece he/she has specially chosen for the occasion and dedicates to the baby on his/her Naming day.
Speaking to the congregation: “As you will have gathered, flowers have a very special significance in this ceremony and I should now like each of you to come forward and give your flower to -----(name). These gifts are an acknowledgement, by each of us, of the purity of all new life, of the spiritual link that exists between us and every form of life and of our individual responsibility to ensure ---- (baby’s name) is surrounded by love and understanding and given every opportunity for spiritual growth throughout his/her childhood.”

Blessing: “May the blessing of God, the Eternal Spirit, be upon ---- (baby’s name) and his/her parents, sponsors and upon each of us. May this blessing remain with us today and forever more; Amen”