Exploring spirituality somewhere between the Emerald Isle and the Black Land....

Monday, August 20, 2012

Covered In Light

Once upon a time, there was a group called Covered In Light, who described themselves as "...a Sisterhood of Pagan/Polytheist self-identified women who have chosen, or are called, to cover their hair as part of their religious observance." They started a Facebook event called Covered In Light International Day, the purpose of which was to encourage women to wear a covering of their choice to stand in solidarity with women who choose to veil. Though their group was disbanded and the original FB event canceled, their website is still up (which you really should check out, because they have awesome posts like this one), as is their Facebook page. There's also a new event page for others to join and show their support.

Pagans have been writing about the personal choice to veil for a while now, such as Qefathethert on her blog Fire of the Serpent. But the topic of head covering goes beyond Paganism. Obviously there's Islam, from which a lot of fear and ignorance about veiling comes. And Tess Dawson, a leader of Natib Qadish, has an enlightening blog post about how she views the topic of covering one's head in her religion.

I bring this up because religious tolerance is something that is very important to me. Being Pagan, I feel that it is important to be respectful of others' religious views and practices. With as often Pagans are misunderstood and marginalized as we are, I'm surprised that we as a whole aren't more sensitive to the rights people of other religions have. You see, I have this silly idea that whenever you stand up for the beliefs of another, you are by extension standing up for your own religious freedom.

So the purpose of my blog post today is to encourage you to join me in Covered In Light Day Renewed on September 21st, even if you are a woman who has never veiled before. Please join me in this act of solidarity, and take one small action to make a stand against religious bigotry.


I don't think it's a bad look for me....

Personally, I don't veil. I've never felt a spiritual pull to do so, and from a more secular position, I'm simply not accustomed to wearing anything on my head. I always think I look stupid in hats, so I never wear them, except in winter. Being that veiling would be a new experience, I decided to try a test run so I wouldn't feel completely out of my element on the 21st. I experimented with a couple of scarves in a couple of styles until I came up with something I liked. I can't say it suits me, as I'm not used to seeing myself wear anything like this, but it doesn't not suit me, either. And either way, it's a pretty scarf!

6 comments:

  1. You look lovely in the veil! I'll be joining in!

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    1. Thank you! I'm glad you'll be showing your support. :)

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  2. Thanks for the shout out! And that scarf is adorable. :D

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    1. Anytime, Qefat. ;) And thanks. I love that scarf!

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  3. I personally don't veil or don a turban (even in a Flapper fashion capacity), but I have considered it heavily. It is something I am interested in doing, especially to show support for women who choose to veil, religiously and otherwise.

    It is a sad, sad thing that so much outrage and vitriol arises over a piece of cloth. Namely, from so-called Feminists who can't manage to demonstrate any sense of consistency by supporting other women's right to freely make decisions that don't coincide with their own. I find that horrendously antithetical to all that Feminism stands for.

    So, as a Feminist, and as an autonomous human being who makes her own decisions, I will definitely be donning the veil. Prevalence is the first step on the road to societal acceptance.

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    1. Yes. Exactly. I don't understand the thought process that says that wearing a veil is oppression, therefore forbidding a woman to wear one must be freedom. Such a way of thinking removes choice from the equation, and I firmly believe that choice is a cornerstone to feminist thought.

      I'm glad to hear that you've chosen to wear a veil to show your support!

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