Pagans: Random spelling changes?

Other than magic(k).
I got forwarded a ritual where the author called a conjury a kennarie, I've seen the spelling ethamy for atham茅 and wylle for will. These instances had nothing to do with Old English and everything to do with new silliness.

Are there any words you have seen spelled in wacky ways in newer Pagan materials that you just had to sit there and decipher?

Any words you intentionally mispell?

Any "new spellings" we should retire?

In the case of wylle for will, it took me a good 2-3 minutes before I realized the author of the ritual was saying will...rofl.

What's interesting is that if you look at writings a mere 200-300 years old, you'll see various spellings for words that you mightn't find in a dictionary.

I think that Pagans who are writing for others should strive to write in an accepted fashion. When we misspell words or mis-use them in our literature, it really goes quite a way to discredit us as legitimate scholars or writers.

Mis-using words, or being wrong about entire concepts makes us look foolish. If, as a religion, we wish to be taken seriously, we need to act worthy of being taken seriously. This means that in our publications, we either need to use words properly, or to explain why we do not.

If we use random, pseudo-archaic English simply because we think it sounds cool, while not understanding early modern English, we sound just as foolish and worthy of intellectual trust as a third-grader saying "Pleaseth passeth the ketchupeth".

There may be reasons for misspelling words intentionally during spell-work. Some of these might be for written spells where numerological values of words are important; that's something different; using archaic spellings to evoke a particular mood is fine as well.

Still, if you are writing for others to read, and not simply notes to yourself, you should have a valid reason for using the words you choose, and their particular spellings. A capricious writer does not make Paganism seem at all legitimate to those who wish to attempt to take us seriously.

Blessings,

--Dee

They give the appearance of having come from an older oral tradition. It's another marketing ploy, like misspelling Kwik Kleen

When I see spellings like that......I RUN!! That shows they're more interested in looking "witchy" than actually practicing it!

I just hate it when people say "magickal" or even "magickian." Even if you use the spelling "magick," it should still be "magical" and "magician."

These are subjects that require a lot of scholarship, and let's face it - many "pagans" are dabblers with scant scholarly capacity. Not that it really makes any difference to the effectiveness of the rites themselves. In fact, merely believing that you're using "archaic" spellings may assist in establishing the right kind of energized enthusiasm. That's also why invocations in foreign tongues are so powerful.

Of course, when you see a published book by somebody who's putting him or herself forward as an authority, and it contains these sorts of misspellings, it's a natural conclusion on the part of people who know better that he or she is a dimwit.

Personally, I prefer the Medu Netr (Heiroglyph).There is a certain Magick to using a language only you can understand. ie, Crossing the River, Theban rune, Futhark, Enochian..etc.

I only intentionally misspell magick.

I'm a bit of a spelling and language nerd I'm afraid. *blushes* I don't altar or change the words I use in any way.
I've seen athame spelt athamay which drove me nuts.

Its intentional similar to the ebonics language that some of the black race tried to start years ago but Jesse Jackson said that wasn't a good idea because he could not make it rhyme in his poerty.It just looks more professional if they can make it look as if that the way.

Well, I've seen "wytch" and it raised my eyebrows...

I personally think there's no need to revert to spellings no longer in use, just for the sake of sounding "authentic." Authenticity is about much more than just etymology.

None that I had to sit there and figure out, but plenty I've sat there and laughed at.

You're right; it has nothing to do with Old English and everything to do with being silly. I guess some people think it'll make the ritual, tool, or whatever sound more authentic and archaic.

I've never misspelled a word to make it look more authetic/archaic--in fact, I think the notion is ridiculous. The ones that irritates me the most is when people spell magic like this: majik, majiek, majick, majyk, magik, etc. Or witch as "wytch." It gets on my nerves and I just want to scream when I see it.

I actually do intentionally mispell some things... Maybe it's just my own personal psychosis, but I like Invokation, Mystic, etc.

I can think of no "new spellings" or "intentional mispelling" that shouldn't be retired. (I don't count Crowley's use of "magick" as an intentional misspelling, although I wish people would stop using that spelling as a synonym for "magic" because it misses Crowley's point entirely.) When we make up words, we look like we're looking for attention and aren't being serious.

I usually see vaiations of "magic": magik, majik, majic, majick, majique, etc. They just get more absurd by the day.

I'll also put "womyn" and "gyrl" into that category of misspellings that need to go away, although those are specifically Pagan.

Fortunately in Asatru that isn't much of an issue at this point, although sometimes the Old Norse language of many of the terms does seem a bit odd at first.

The main "new spelling" that should be retired is that damnedable "k" at the end of magic that some people INSIST on using.

I am tempted to petition that the letter "K" be removed from the alphabet just to get rid of the stupid thing. I don't know why it irks me but it really does. Anyone with half a brain can figure out what you mean.