Hair

[niamhybeag]

I read an article about a British girl who was recently told by courts she was allowed to wear her kara as a symbol of her Sikh faith, and I know that not cutting ones hair is important to the Sikh faith too. So I was wondering. Does hair play a part in your beliefs or practices at all?  

[Morgandria]

There's only one thing about hair, I've found, in Wicca - having your hair loose and unbound in ritual. The idea behind loose hair is to avoid having energy remaining bound up in the hair...

..except I've done rituals with my hair up, and find there's no difference, for me, other than my own comfort level.

But, there it is. I've known a lot of Wiccans who never cut their hair. I know others who have next to none. I'm inbetween, with a shaved undercut and long top. There's nothing that says how anyone has to wear their hair - long, short, bald, dreads, mullets, whatever. Just as long as it's not tied up or braided in ritual.  

[Deoridhe]

Hair in old Norse belief corresponded with family luck - hamingja. I've been growing my hair out for years, now. It's a little below waist length. I won't ever be the holder of hamingja in my family - that is currently my Grandmother and will be my mother when she passes and my brother thereafter - but I like long hair and I certainly am rewarded for the family luck, so I wish to do my small part to help it grow.  

[Maze]

Does that whole 'untie all knots (and let hair down/untie all knots in hair too) in a birthing mother's presence' thing count?  

[TeaDidikai]

When I am not with my husband, my hair is up as a sign of modesty and devotion- which is a spiritual thing for me.
Within my family, before marriage, hair can be worn by a woman any way she pleases. After marriage, it is grown long.

I have pictures of me with pixie cuts- hardly anyone can remember me with short hair anymore.

If I were ever to get a divorce- my hair would be cut extremely short- if not shaved.

It's also tied to bok- so when I need good luck, I don't cut it.  

[niamhybeag]

Maze

Does that whole 'untie all knots (and let hair down/untie all knots in hair too) in a birthing mother's presence' thing count?

Where does that come from? I'd be interested in hearing the source, if you know it.


I decided not to cut my hair until I finish my education. Considering the grow-chop-grow-chop relationship I've had with my hair all my life, I see it as a sign of my commitment to going back to uni and sticking it out this time around.  

[TeaDidikai]

Maze

Does that whole 'untie all knots (and let hair down/untie all knots in hair too) in a birthing mother's presence' thing count?

I know my Baba expected my mother to do so- and when my mother wouldn't, she blamed a host of early medical of my youth on my mom not doing as she told her.  

[Maze]

niamhybeag

Maze

Does that whole 'untie all knots (and let hair down/untie all knots in hair too) in a birthing mother's presence' thing count?

Where does that come from? I'd be interested in hearing the source, if you know it.


I decided not to cut my hair until I finish my education. Considering the grow-chop-grow-chop relationship I've had with my hair all my life, I see it as a sign of my commitment to going back to uni and sticking it out this time around.

I read it ages ago. *ponders* It either came from a really feminist 'Yay!Goddess!' booklet about witchcraft or it came from a Llew.. L.. I can't write that name. XD;

I might still have it, actually. Some of my books got relocated in the move, but I'll check my meagre book-collection in the morning as the room I keep those books in is currently occupied by someone already asleep. (It's 2:11 in the morning here XD; )  

[niamhybeag]

I don't fully understand. Did your Baba think that leaving knots knotted etc, would bring harm to mother and child?  

[TeaDidikai]

niamhybeag

I don't fully understand. Did your Baba think that leaving knots knotted etc, would bring harm to mother and child?

My Baba was convinced a number of things were wrong with my delivery. My mother kept her hair up, she refused to let my Baba see me, she refused to let my Baba pray in the delivery room. There was a set of cultural traditions that had to be put off for the better part of two months when they were supposed to take place the night of my birth.

Granted- some of it involved fire and I was in an incubation chamber.... so there was good reason for it- above and beyond my mother just being spiteful.  

[Conan The Barbie Doll]

I find that long hair is very beautiful and feminine on a woman, but for me personally, long hair is SO hard to manage and can get uncomfortable. I am growing it out in spite of that, though. It's currently shoulder length, but there will come a time where it will get simply too long for me to handle, and I'll trim it down to a reasonable length.

As for hair in ritual, I can't see how energies bound up within the hair alone can hinder a ritual in any way. I think it's the energies that yourheart & body give out that matter more than just the hair.  

[Boadicia]

@Teadidikai: You said prevously when a woman gets married, she grows her hair long. What significance does that hold?  

[TeaDidikai]

Boadicia

@Teadidikai: You said prevously when a woman gets married, she grows her hair long. What significance does that hold?

A woman can wear her hair as she pleases before marriage. While I cannot speak for anyone outside of my family, there are things done to one's hair at a wedding- and thus cutting it short would be removing that.  

[patch99329]

I actually keep my hair well pinned back in ritual.

Just so I'm modest, well presentable and clean for an audience with the gods.  

[niamhybeag]

TeaDidikai

Boadicia

@Teadidikai: You said prevously when a woman gets married, she grows her hair long. What significance does that hold?

A woman can wear her hair as she pleases before marriage. While I cannot speak for anyone outside of my family, there are things done to one's hair at a wedding- and thus cutting it short would be removing that.

That makes sense. I think.