Pagan Appearance
Posted by: Tanoro
- January 05, 2007
Introduction
There are many unfortunate rumors flying around
about what Wiccans and Pagans look like and how they dress. I will provide
some information here that'll demonstrate the proper casual dress for Pagans
and Wiccans as well as ritual appearance. It is suprisingly loose and personal,
most likely of little difference than the way you probably dress now. Many
Christians, especially the Christian family of newly Paganized children,
believe that Pagans and Wiccans always desire to dress all in black and
condition their skin in a pale-white shade with excessive dark makeup.
This is referred to as "Gothic." To the delight of parents, I will tell
you right now that this is NOT the case. Gothic dress is part of a new
fashion trend in our day and age and has NOTHING to do with Paganism or
Wicca in the least bit. There are some Pagans, I'm sure, who consider themselves
trendy and like dressing Gothic, but it has nothing to do with their religious
or spiritual preference.
Casual Dress
Contrary to popular belief, Pagans dress much like
anyone else during their leisure time. Below, I've included photos of a
few well-known occult practitioners from recent and later decades. Many
would probably look at these photos and be confounded at how "normal" these
people look. As I mentioned, it's quite personal how Pagans and Wiccans
choose to dress. We don't always choose to wear dark clothing. We love
bright colors as much as anyone else. We like feeling happy, content, and
loved and we allow this to manifest in our choice of clothing just like
anyone else would. I, myself, wore blue jeans for most of my life and I
wear white t-shirts and my favorite leather jacket with them. The others
in my coven wear Hawaiian shorts and t-shirts with sandals to casual gatherings,
especially those held outside. Although our roles as Pagans may be different
when we are in ritual, our leisure wardrobe is no different than anyone
else's.
Ritual Dress
Proper dress while within a coven or gathering of
any kind varies widely from one group to another. Some covens require ritual
robes and cloaks during all ceremonial gatherings. Some covens have policies
regarding what color your clothing should be based on what type of ritual
will be performed. For example, a coven might request the group to wear
blue for healing rituals or green for luck or money rituals. Some covens
even have policies regarding hair length. These policies vary from coven
to coven, but some request that all members maintain fairly long hair unless
naturally bald. This is a tradition that stems from a very old concept
that occult practitioners in ancient times usually had long hair because
they put so much time and effort into their spiritual enlightenment and
almost no time into personal hygiene. Over time, lengthy hair and lengthy
fingernails (on women) became a symbol of spiritual drive and dedication
to some covens and solitary practitioners. It symbolized spirit over self.
Consult the counsel of your local coven for more information on dress policies
before joining.
Coven Policies
Each coven is different in their rules and regulations.
There is no right or wrong way to be a Pagan and there is no way to look
like one outside of ritual. I've often come under the question about how
one recognizes a Pagan or Wiccan in public. This question usually comes
from people intending on joining a coven or asking coven members questions
about Paganism or Wicca. Unfortunately, covens are not as open-housed as
churches are. It is often very difficult to find a coven in local areas.
Because covens are so secretive, recognizing their members in public or
recognizing solitary practitioners can be a hair-pulling experience. Unless
you, yourself, are skilled in the ways of spirituality, it'll take a sharp
eye to spot a Pagan in the crowd. They are most often recognized by jewelry
and tattoos. Just as it is a popular routine for the faithful of any religion
to wear a religious symbol around the neck, so is it popular among Pagans
and Wiccans. Most of the time, it's a pentacle necklace of some sort or
other commonly used Pagan symbol. Unless you've done your homework, you
won't recognize most of them. For tattoos, it'll take even more homework.
Pagans aren't likely to bear a tattoo of skulls or barbed wire unless it's
just a personal preference. Pagans tend to wear tattoos of religious symbols,
deities, the moon or stars, etc.
Conclusion
The appearance of Pagans and Wiccans is very personal.
There's no efficient way of knowing who they are unless you're fortunate
enough to either see their pentacle or if they openly admit it. It's not
often they openly admit it because Pagans and Wiccans have been the subject
of persecution and prejudice for centuries and even today. Sadly, many
Pagans keep their practice secret from others, thus coining the phrase
"to practice in the broom closet." If you spot a Pagan, don't be afraid
to ask a few questions. You'll be suprised by the fascinating conversation
they can offer.
Raymond Buckland (1934-???) |
Aleister Crowley (1875-1947) |
Dion Fortune (1890-1946) |
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Article Posted by: Tanoro
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Tanoro
Mar 17, 2008 10:46:07 AM
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| Thanks. My appearance doesn't indicate I'm a Pagan either. I often wear jeans, a t-shirt, and sturdy work boots. I'm a professional programmer by trade. The only clear indication of what I am is the pentacle necklace I wear. |
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freddieh
Jan 20, 2008 2:29:21 PM
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| I have been a pagan practitioner for several years now and most everyone refers to me as just a country boy.Those that do know i am pagan say i don't look like no pagan.So when you see anyone you never know they to could be a pagan.This is a good blog. |
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