Oh, what is in a name...?

Saturness has been my "divination alias" on the internet since I first decided to keep this blog, back in 2010. I was 22 years old, barely initiated in the ways of adulthood, with a somehow naïve but honest and hopeful spirituality which I sought to share with others through writing.

I loved Saturn, the planet, and I also felt its astrological influence very strongly in my life, as it sits right on my ascendant in a tight conjunction. My Saturn has always been a lot more accessible to me than my drowning 12th House Sun, which barely makes any aspect to other parts of my natal chart. I'm a Sagittarius Sun, yeah, but a rather heavy one, for good or ill. So I chose "Saturness" – it had a nice ring to it and, back then, no one else was using it.

Years passed, lots of Saturnesses sprang up in the many social networks we have nowadays. Me? I abandoned this blog for many years (though not my divination practice). Meanwhile, lots of things happened to me, which I will not list here... but, as expected, I changed. I was forced again and again to see and accept the reality of my life (oh, hello there, Saturn!) and to face my limitations without falling prey to an abyssal melancholy. It hasn't been an easy ride, though I am sure I still have it much better than many others in this wild, wild world.

Last year, I stated my decision to return to this blog and start writing again. I haven't been really successful, mostly due to my exhausting schedule... but also because inspiration has been harder and harder to come by these days. If I am to be honest, it feels like "abyssal melancholy" has been getting the upper hand since the pandemics started.

One of my recent movements towards self-love and mental health was to honour again the Pagan practices which had been so important to me in the past. The truth is that I had forfeited an essential part of myself because I thought being "atheist", "rational" "materialistic" and "scientific" would grant me some sort of intellectual approbation from others.

But no, I am not a happy atheist. Heeding the cries of my thirsty soul and embracing the fact that I am a person with a strong need for spirituality have been an essential part of "reclaiming" myself. And with this, came the matter of the name. While seeking to rescue these scattered – often denied – parts of myself, I decided that I needed a new name, more attuned to my own inner processes. Hence, the change in the name of this blog.

Regarding the new name, Soror Serpentis, it means "the sister of the snake". Symbolically, the serpent is very important to me, and I consider the animal to be a spiritual guardian and teacher. As for the idea of 'sister', it comes from the expression Soror Mystica, which is the name given to the female alchemists. Perhaps someday I will delve into what this name really means to me, but for now it's just a new "virtual identity" through which, I hope, I can continue to share the crazy ups and downs of my very peculiar journey.