Taking a magickal name means choosing a name other than your birth name to use during ritual and other craft practices. Magickal names are not required but they do add dimension and mysticism to your work. I took on a magickal name as part of my spiritual dedication to the craft and my deities. When part of a coven, it is often traditional to study for a year and a day before deciding on ones magickal name. Being a solitary practitioner, I had no limits or guidelines to how or when I chose my name. It was a long time before I discovered my name, and I do mean discovered because I never made the conscious decision to take on a magickal name.