Spirituality: Form Without Substance
Currently, the egregore of Indian spirituality—Hindu, yoga, and tantra—has taken over a significant portion of the global esoteric scene. People identify with Indian gods and goddesses, wear malas, and chant Sanskrit mantras—often without a deep and authentic understanding of what these practices truly mean. Without a rich and real cultural foundation for what you are assimilating, you risk playing a role without understanding the script.
Nowadays, many women who have just discovered the world of yoga quickly proclaim: “I am Kaliii!”—without truly knowing what force they are channeling. Kali is not just a goddess of feminine power—she is also death, time, destruction.
Last night, a friend told me a story that made me reflect.
“I think a woman should be more cautious before calling herself Kali!” she said, visibly shaken.
Our discussion had started with the nature of the goddess Kali and the essence of the other Mahavidya goddesses. At some point, I noticed that certain Romanian names resonate similarly to the name Kali. For example, Călina, when pronounced without diacritics, contains the goddess’s name.
“I have a friend, Karina, who renamed herself Kali-Ma after entering the spiritual world. Since then, she’s had nothing but misfortune!” my friend told me with a voice full of concern.
“In what way? Can you give me more details?” I asked, intrigued.
“Well, ever since she took on this name, troubles started flooding her life. Major problems, including health issues. She even developed a brain tumor!”
I paused, deep in thought. “Hmmm… she channeled the goddess’s energy into her being,” I said, watching my friend closely.
She stared back at me, wide-eyed, clearly disturbed by what is happening in today’s spiritual world.
“These people have no idea what they’re doing… I understand calling yourself Shiva or Kali, but do you truly have the power to channel that force? Do you understand the consequences?”
On another note, changing one’s name can be seen as an act of rebirth, a realignment with a higher (or not-so-higher) identity, or a symbol of a new stage in one’s spiritual journey. However, in many cases, it can be an egotistical choice.
The Change of Name in Different Socio-Cultural-Spiritual Contexts.
Many spiritual traditions believe that names carry a specific vibration that influences a person’s destiny and consciousness. By changing their name, an individual sheds past influences and assumes a new identity, supposedly more aligned with their divine essence.
- In Hinduism and Buddhism, spiritual masters give disciples an initiatic name when they embark on a new spiritual path.
- In Christianity, monks change their names when entering monastic life to symbolize the death of the ego and rebirth in God.
- In Kabbalah, it is believed that changing one’s name can rewrite destiny, impacting the person’s energy and spiritual evolution.
Each name carries a unique set of sounds and vibrations that resonate with specific archetypes, energies, and frequencies. For example:
- A name composed of hard sounds can suggest strength and determination.
- A name with soft sounds may indicate a sensitive and contemplative nature.
In numerology, every letter has a numerical value that can influence a person’s life path. For instance, Chaldean numerology—one of the world’s oldest—considers a person’s name to determine their energetic imprint.
Many esoteric schools and mystical traditions give disciples a sacred or secret name used only in spiritual contexts. This name is seen as a key to a higher identity, often revealed only after a period of preparation and purification.
In other traditions, it is believed that the name given at birth carries the imprint of karma accumulated from past lives. Changing one’s name can be a method of breaking certain karmic patterns and initiating a new life direction.
Let’s say your name in a past life was John, and you struggled with alcoholism. In this life, you are called Ion (romanian version of ”John”) and feel an inexplicable attraction to alcohol. The energetic value of a name can subconsciously influence your existence, leading you to repeat addictive behaviors or experience a chain of misfortunes.
However, this doesn’t mean that if you have problems in life, you should simply change your name. It doesn’t work that way. These matters are also tied to destiny and require the insight of people with clairvoyance who can reach such conclusions.
For example, I once worked with a woman who had kept her married surname even after her divorce. In a private session, I discovered that her current relationship was repeating the exact same pattern as her marriage. I suggested that it might be beneficial for her to let go of the name she had taken through marriage, but even her maiden name did not carry a favorable energetic imprint. So, she chose a completely new name. We went through several options and “measured” their energetic vibrations. Soon, she will officially change her name!
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