Rays of Light
The White Stone & Your Secret Name
Nancy Rae
January 8, 2021
How would it feel to have a secret name bestowed upon you that would inspire and guide you to live your life in alignment with your goals, hopes and dreams for the year ahead? This name would be chosen specifically and only for you in the circumstances of life in which you currently find yourself. Indeed, there is a secret name for you this year. Are you curious what it is? I can’t tell you what name is meant just for you, but I can tell you about a sweet and meaningful ritual called the White Stone Ceremony that you can do to find out your secret name for yourself. But first, let me share a little history with you about white stones.
In ancient Roman times, each citizen had a white stone. It was a symbol of freedom and innocence. If a citizen was accused of a crime or wrong-doing, the stone was taken away from them. If they were acquitted of the crime, they were given a white stone with a new name on it as a symbol of a clean slate for their life moving forward. Reference to a white stone is also mentioned in biblical text. In Revelations 2:17 it is said, “To him who overcomes…I will give him a white stone with a new name written on it, which no one knows except he who receives it.” The symbology of using a white stone to signify new beginnings is just as relevant today as in ancient history.
I first learned about the White Stone Ceremony about 20 years ago when I was living in Kansas City, and I have enjoyed doing it every year since with my family. We typically do it in January, soon after New Year’s Day. It is a beautiful ritual which symbolizes the unlocking of new possibilities and unlimited potential for us and our lives each new year. It is also a tangible reminder that we are free from the prison of fear, self-doubt, and old limiting beliefs. It is a way to celebrate overcoming adversity and stepping into a new understanding of who we really are and what we came here to be.
Creating your own White Stone Ceremony is very simple and something you will look forward to doing every new year. It can be a special tradition to do with friends and family. All you need is a white stone—you might find one outside while hiking or at the beach, or you can obtain one at a hardware store or landscaping store. You can even use a small white tile if you want. Once you have your stone, follow these steps to find out your secret name.
White Stone Ceremony
- Sit comfortably in a quiet place holding your white stone in your hands, and close your eyes.
- Take several deep breaths and allow yourself to relax into your chair.
- When trying to become still, it is common to experience lots of “monkey chatter” in your mind. Suddenly your to-do list comes to the forefront, or a conversation you had at work or with family is front and center. Allow all of this chatter to simply pass on by.
- Take your attention away from thoughts in your head and focus instead on your heart. With your imagination, connect through your heart to the inner light within you. You may see your light in your mind’s eye if you are a visual person. If not, just think about the word or concept of “light” and know that it is present within you.
- Get very quiet and simply listen for several minutes. Your inner wisdom knows a name, a word, a phrase, or a quality that represents a new consciousness that is yours to claim for yourself this year. It is meant just for you. Trust that the name, word, phrase or quality will come to you in the perfect time. Try to stay out of your head. Just allow your inner light to speak to you.
- After a few minutes of stillness or when you feel ready, open your eyes. You may know your secret name/word/phrase/quality at this point, but you may not. It may come to you later in the day, later in the week or in the month or two to come. The important thing is to trust that you will know what it is when the time is just right. (Worrying that you won’t know what is meant to go on your white stone is the perfect sabotage for this ritual. Simply trust.)
- Once you know your secret name, write it on your white stone. Keep your stone in a place where you will see it often. Sometimes I like to also write it on a small stone to keep in my pocket as a reminder wherever I am.
That’s it! You have completed the White Stone Ceremony.
As you go forward through the year, the significance of your secret name will become more and more apparent to you and will guide you in all areas of your life. It will be a tool to help you live your life more fully and as the best version of yourself that you can imagine. Enjoy the feeling of empowerment that comes with living your life in alignment with a new, higher consciousness.
“Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks.
Listen to your heart, it knows."
~Native American Proverb
