I'm not generally trying to be open about it as it is only something I'm trying out for now.
Today is my fourth day wearing a wrap on my head and so far I am liking it but still I hesitate to commit to it.
I first was introduced to the idea of veiling (covering the hair or head with fabric spoken of here for religious purposes) by Ulfdis who covers in honor of Angrboda. We discussed this briefly when I spoke about how Frigga was making cutting my hair and chemically dying it taboo. I felt overwhelmed as someone who routinely cut, shaved, and dyed my hair. While Frigga wasn't demanding this from me or else (I dunno what the or else might be - lightning striking, hail, crops whithering, my hair suddenly falling out). It was more a matter of "if you want me to continue to come to you and help you, there is a give and take. If you are going to be my earthly handmaiden, you must represent me properly, so no more cutting or dying." And so I no longer cut or dye my hair (I haven't yet tested the waters of herbal rinses that change the tone of my hair or the topic of henna...).
However, despite my overwhelm, I was intrigued by veiling. It kept coming up for me. I saw more and more women wearing their hair covered, albeit they were various followers of Abrahamic beliefs. I came across articles on pagan veiling in unrelated searches and reading.
Finally I began to search in earnest, what was this all about. I went down the rabbit hole and wanted to learn more.
Actually...I wanted to talk myself out of it. Surely wearing a cover every day would be complicated? Wouldn't I be too hot? Wouldn't it cost a lot to buy a bunch of scarves? I doubted I could tie a scarf on adn look decent anyways. I sought confirmation to my doubts.
I didn't get the confirmation. Instead I found women from all walks of life veiling and loving it. Tips, tutorials, and more were available not only to make veils and tie them but also ways to prevent slippage and add volume to look like you have a head full of hair underneath (two things I wondered about as I have very thin hair anyways).
Seeking to be talked out of it instead, I turned to Lover. He told me to give it a try. "Give it a month and see how you feel." Not only that but he bought me fabric to make my first wrap and watched out baby while I sewed. He later confessed that he was a little enticed by the idea that my hair would become something secret, something only he could see and feel and that flattered him.
So I made a velvet headband out of an old sweater to prevent slippage and a velvet scrunchy to add volume and hold my hair without damaging it.
I made a wrap and also pulled out a scarf from my accessories.
Its day four and hings are going well. Not many people have said anything so far but the ones who have had only compliments. Mostly they asked why I was so dressed up, to which I said that I wasn't really (which I wasn't, it was just the addition of the wrap that seems to bring my whole look together).
I haven't had any headache issues or problems with my cover being tied too tight, which I've read other people have had. I did wake up with a stiff neck yesterday morning from sleeping at a wrong angle and it was an issue with the extra weight but it would have been painful even without the cover so I bore through it.
My son, who hates for me to wear hats and will cry every time I wear one, has had no problems with my wraps. He has touched the wrap a couple of times with a grin but otherwise seems to ignore it now.
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| covered and nursing |
Resources:
V is for Veiling by Galina Krasskova
Veiling: A Different Take on Pagan Womanhood on Patheos
Covered: The Pagan Veiling Controversy
Pagan Pashminas..."Cultural Appropriation" on The Barbed Pentacle (Adult Content)
Occulta Femina Facebook Group for Veiled Pagans
