We are about a month out from September 21st again and I am hoping that Covered In Light Day will happen this year as well. Which is why, a year after all the covering butt hurt, I am addressing this subject. Below are a series of questions I have been asked by people in the past few years. If you cover and you want to answer these questions on your blog, please do.
How long have you been covering and why do you do it?
I have been covering my hair for about three years. It all started when I took up the mantle of tending Brigid's flame. I had my first cill for Her on July 4th 2010. About mid September 2010 I started feeling a push to cover my hair when I was tending Her flame or when I was doing anything at my altar. I talked it over with my husband to explain what I was doing and started covering every once in a while, usually with a pashmina scarf draped around my head. At the beginning of December 2010 I decided to cover full time starting January 1st, 2011. My mother, who is amazingly supportive, got me a few pashmina scarves for Yule and I bought a few tichels online.
I don't only cover because of Brigid, though tending her flame was what kick started it, I had been debating covering my hair for a while before that. I am married and while my husband didn't ask me to cover (and REALLY didn't want me to cover when I first started) I felt it was appropriate given the fact that my spiritual path has a lot of Jewish influence. There is a long history of religious people, not to mention married women, covering their hair for one reason or another.
How does it affect your life/how people interact with you?
I don't think it has really changed much. My husband says that people look at me differently but I have never noticed. My relationship with my father was affected by my hair covering, but that is because I have more than a passing interest in Judaism and he saw my head covering as a rejection of my Heathen roots (I am ancestrally Norwegian on his side) for the traditions of a "genetically inferior" race of people(his words, not mine). His comments caused a rift in my family and my sisters all refuse to deal with him, as do a few of my cousins, based on his comments and behavior in regards to my head scarves. Granted, the head covering was not the only issue between my father and me but it was the beginning of the end. Literally everyone else in my life has been incredibly supportive and amazing, even going so far as to defend me to people who ask why I do it.
Are you always covered? If not, when/where do you cover and why?
I tend to only cover if I am outside my house or the house of one of my coven mates. If I am home but have non-coven guests, or if someone is at my door, I cover my hair as well. I don't usually cover at home because it is my private area where I can be relaxed and comfortable. The same goes for the houses of my coven mates.
As a Pagan, how do you feel your covering reflects on the community at large?
I don't know that it really reflects on the Pagan community at all. If it does, feel free to let me know because I am not aware of it.
What is your take on the view that covering is anti-feminist?
My take on it is that, first and foremost, it isn't anti-feminist because it is my choice. No one is forcing me to cover my hair. Secondly, my body belongs to me. I own my body. My body doesn't belong to anyone else and I don't owe the viewing of my body to a single person. Not even my husband. The sight of my naked skin or hair doesn't belong to anyone but me, and if I chose to hide it and keep it out of view of the world, that is my right. My covering is actually me taking a stand against the bull shit way our society treats women. It is my way of saying that my body belongs to me and that I decide who is worthy of seeing it. My body isn't for the world at large. It is private.
People like to say that covering is a sign of oppression as well. Yes, in parts of the world, it is. However, I live in Brooklyn, New York in the United States of America. In New York City it is legal for a woman to walk around in just a pair of underwear on as long as she isn't making money off of it. That means I can legally walk down the street with my tits hanging out for everyone to see and there is nothing that the government can do about it. It's one of the things I love about my city. I can walk around topless if I want, just like I can walk around fully covered with a veil over my face if I want to. I get to choose what I wear. I get to be who I am. No one is telling me what I have to do. Also, as I mentioned before, there is a long history of people covering their hair for religious reasons and no I am not just talking about women. Men cover their hair as well depending on their faith. Male Sikhs are religiously obligated to keep their hair long and keep a golden comb in their hair. In order to protect the comb (which they are also obligated to do) they tend to cover their hair in a turban style. Abrahamic faiths (Judaism and Islam) also have head covering traditions for men. This is usually seen in the form of a yarmulke or kufi. We all know that Catholic Nuns cover their hair but bishops, cardinals and The Pope are occasionally required to cover during service as well.
Covering is not anti-feminist, however, telling a woman how she can dress is. Take note y'all because I have no problem telling someone off for giving me shit over my head scarf.
Do you ever get grief from cops or airport security because of your covering?
Nope. For the most part people leave me alone. The only thing that is different now is the fact that airport security asks to pat my head to make sure I am not carrying bombs in my tichel.
What is your favorite covering style?
I prefer a tichel style but if I am pressed for time (or being lazy) I wear my manky green army cap. Here are a few videos that show how to tie a tichel.
Both videos are great, but there are a ton of videos out there so go to Youtube and search for "how to tie a tichel", "how to tie a headscarf", and/or "hijab tutorial".
Personally, I tend to do a layered crown style of tying. Here are two pictures of what I mean:
Where do you buy your scarves?
Kmart, Target and Old Navy have great rectangular scarves that are made of light/thin materials in the spring and summer. If you want to go online take a look at Cover Your Hair and Covered With Style. They are great for square scarves (tichels). If you want more of a hijab style I can recommend Hijab Girl. I haven't looked anywhere else for hijabs but I know that you can find pashmina scarves all over the place and they are a typical scarf used for hijabs. I recommend getting a few hijab caps regardless of they style you are looking at. They come in all sorts of materials but the stretchy cotton tube caps are the best in my opinion.
That is pretty much all I can think of... if you have any questions feel free to comment and ask.
If you are interested in covering, I say go for it. Don't let the opinions of others stop you from doing something that might be right for you. If you don't try you will never know...
Also, mark your calenders for September 21st and join those of us who DO cover, regardless of faith/religion, for Covered In Light Day!
