Last night on Discord, a dear Coven-mate asked those of ethnic Chinese descent within the group to share our Chinese names. Though this discussion is only beginning to bud, I’m cherishing these exchanges that will bloom more. It feels restorative to be witnessed by those of other cultures within the Homing Coven. Though I have always been bonded to my Taiwanese culture, growing up here in the 80s/90s, I haven’t always felt proud of my lineage. Safety and a sense of belonging wasn’t always there for me as a racialized woman, and I know this experience is shared by many.
My name is 林詩婕. I share here what I shared on Discord (with some additions).
林 - my surname, means forest
詩- poem or poetry
婕 - eye-filling, beautiful, good, feminine
What I love most about 林 is that I come from trees, and truly, when I’m in the forest, I feel at home and with kin.
詩 poetry in Chinese culture is often associated with spirituality, prophecy, divination. Poetry is also synonymous with Tea, which of course ties back to my surname— alluding to Daoist traditions. It was my Yeh Yeh (paternal grandfather) who wanted my name to contain the word 詩 poetry. Conscious or not, I think it had a lot to do with his desire to pursue a career as a creative though he couldn’t for survival reasons and instead held a corporate job his whole life. I’ve written on Substack how he was so thrilled and proud when I graduated from art school. He’s always felt meaning and meaning-making was so much part of me. I never felt pressure from him. Looking back, my name was a prayer that wound up becoming fulfilled in some way or another.
Chinese is a pictogram-based language; the glyphs hold sigillic power. Chinese names in this way are sigils. Living spells that unfold each moment, names hold multitudes and possibilities. There have been moments when I questioned my name and my path. Here, I share the nurturing words of another Coven-mate, “Take the doubt by the hand and walk together ✨”.
婕 Perhaps it’s not about producing good or beauty. Perhaps 婕 denotes the precious quality of being held by the eye-fullness of the village, of the Coven?
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