Over the years of being a public individual who covers, I've received a lot of questions around veiling and wearing head coverings - how do you keep it on? Do you wash it? How do you stop it from slipping? What's the best material?
Before we begin, a lot of these questions have been answered - not by me, but by individuals who have been covering for decades for religious reasons. The Jewish tichel or mitpachat, the Islamic hijab, all of these methods of covering have been long established longer than I've been alive, and I often point folks to research and resources from these groups of people to learn how to keep a veil on, what covering can be about, and more. I actually recommend a trick that I learned not only from the Jewish veilers I follow, but the Hijabis as well - to wear something cotton or velvet, like a velvet headband or a cotton undercap, underneath veils when nothing else has worked for keeping them on or how to choose your fabric.
For history on tichels and their modern resurgence, I recommend Jewitches' blog. Here's an Allure story of hijabis sharing their experience with what it means to them. On top of this, here are some articles on pagan veiling; https://vocal.media/futurism/veiling-in-the-pagan-world, https://www.tumblr.com/thepriestessofhigh/122093702400/why-should-pagans-consider-veiling-you-have-seen.
On top of this, I implore you to look into the discrimination that occurs when women of color or men of color, especially Black men and women and Muslim men and women, choose to cover. This isn't just present in America, but with the French hijab ban, and nuance is needed to understand how in some countries like France or America, someone can face discrimination for covering, yet in other countries like Iran, there are rules and laws around NEEDING to cover or facing penalties and prison for not doing so. Throughout 2024, Iranian women faced difficulty through severe crackdowns of hijab law. Mahsa Amini, a young Kurdish woman, is a name we all should remember - a woman who died in the custody of Iran's "morality police", leading to protests and widespread news coverage.
Here is my stance as a white, Western individual who wears veils/head coverings - it is a privilege to be able to choose. It is a privilege to not be concerned about the possibility of facing discrimination due to wearing a cover. It is a privilege to have the choice of being able to cover or not cover. It is a privilege that everyone should be afforded, and everyone should have access to.
Part of the reason I start off my veiling blog with this is because it is necessary. We can not ethically engage in a practice of veiling without standing up for those who do not have the choice or are discriminated against because of it. We can not ethically understand veiling and head covering without educating ourselves on the history of it, and the ways in which it has functioned as a social, cultural, and religious aspect of history.
I hold an immense amount of privilege in being able to cover and to have the choice of being able to cover - and this is never lost on me. It's also why I tend to model my veiling styles after particular Italian styles, but find that oftentimes the modern-day fabrics that we have available don't create ease in trying to emulate styles from Ancient Rome. Not for a lack of trying, though. In the words of my friend, Jewitches, "Deciding not to cover is an entirely new phenomena".
A Brief History of Veiling
Cultural veiling, where it is a part of the culture of the individual to maintain a covering over the head - we can often see this overlapping with other methods of veiling, such as religious, when one religion holds dominance over the socio-economic sphere in a specific area. Africa, in particular, has many different head coverings that are part of the culture, including variances in Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and South Africa. This article discusses a changing landscape and the batik from Romania.
Religious head covering, where it is required by a particular religion to wear something on the head. Examples can be a turban, worn by Sikh men, the hijab, a tichel, or even a yarmulke.
Fashion-based head coverings are those that often overlap with the dominant culture and social standards, such as an expectation that women should cover hair, and tend to be interlinked with a variety of other factors in the culture. Sometimes, in this case, a scarf is donned simply because an individual likes the way it looks.
Spiritual head coverings, which can often be overlapped with religious head covering, can refer to wearing a head covering for a spiritual reason - whether that is for protection, as part of an initiation, or as part of the religion the individual is participating in. Historically, I would define the wearing of a head covering for certain individuals in Ancient Rome to be spiritual, but it was also religious. Many, many spiritual practitioners of varying backgrounds, religions, and traditions, tend to wear coverings.
Pagan veiling is a term referring to wearing a headcovering or veiling in the context of being a pagan - it can refer to someone who is a polytheist or of a particular pagan religion wearing a head covering, but a lot of what I've found in terms of pagan veiling often refers to the more energetic or spiritual side of things.
The Priestess of High on Tumblr
Amanda Jeffrey writes, "The magickal reasoning for using a veil is usually either to work with a deity or to protect one’s self from negativity or other harmful energies. Some pagans have claimed that it has reduced the number of headaches they get because they are using it as part of their shielding process" (Futurism, 2021).
Many deities of different cultural backgrounds and religions, such as The Virgin Mary, Hestia, Demeter, and Frigga have been pictured in art wearing veils or head coverings. This is up to the artist's rendition of the goddess, as there may be some cultural context and societal context we don't see in why these entities were pictured wearing veils.
Historically, veiling or head covering could be done for religious reasons, for modesty, or to show socio-political status. Veiling or head covering has a rich, vibrant history not just in cultures and societies that no longer exist, but in living cultures all over the world. Head coverings are incredibly common in folk dressage, like some of these coverings in Calabria.
Or, answering the question: Why do I preface my article about caring for an article of cloth with all this?
Perhaps because to me, the vibrant and multicultural history of veiling is important to acknowledge. It's important to recognize who has been covering much longer than I have, and even more so it's important to recognize that there are nuances in how we cover. To take up head covering as a practice is not just to begin doing so - but to know the history of it, listen to the voices of folks who don't have the privilege to choose or who face discrimination because of it, and to be willing to accept criticism when given.
Head covering, for the most part, is not a part of mainstream culture or fashion in the Western World (Turtle Island) due to Christian religious dominance. There are some Christians who do choose to head cover and the Catholic Church, for a long time, requested that women cover their heads while in Church. However, I find these examples few and far between. Christian hegemony also leads to discrimination against Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and other minoritized coverers, especially with the consistent antisemitic and Islamophobic narratives that continue to persist in our society.
I write all of this because it's part of being someone who wears head coverings and who is white. I write this because I'm not one of the individuals who faces discrimination for wearing their coverings because of my whiteness. When we acknowledge the privilege we hold, it allows us to not only understand our relationship to veiling, but our relationship to other coverers and the role we play in a larger, living practice.
Why I Veil
I took up covering my head first as an act of protection, then as an act of spiritual devotion. I am often asked to cover my head to meet some of my spirits, and while I do have instances where I am not wearing a veil, most of the time when I am creating content, engaged with my practice, or things I post show me wearing a head covering.
There's a comfortability for me in my hair not being seen, as hair is considered a powerful tool in Italian American folk magic. We have certain rituals around it during pregnancy and during birth. Children's hair must be treated a certain way, and it is a common tag-lock or personal affect used in a variety of spells - both benefic and malefic.
I grew up as an incredibly sensitive child for many reasons - sensory issues and neurodiversity being one, but I found that that sensitivity also transferred to spirits. Covering allowed a physical barrier between me and the world that assisted me in not only holding onto the reins of my interactions with spirits, but proved to be incredibly calming in times of distress or overstimulation.
Veiling, as an act of protection and devotion, offered a way to not only serve my spirits and their needs, but to keep myself safe as I began to practice more, be in more metaphysical spaces, and serve clients. It began as a wall for me to lock the world and my spirits out, and over time has become more of a semi-permeable barrier - I know how to open my doors when needed to my guides and ancestors, despite wearing a covering.
There's lots of historical and cultural ideas around the head, but for me it's a body part and piece of myself that always needed more protecting. The world was so loud, things were too bright, and veiling allowed me a bit of a reprieve from it.
Later, veiling became a devotion for particular spirits. My ancestors tend to ask me to cover my head and body more when visiting with them. I tend to veil as an act of reverence when honoring Diana, the Roman/Italic goddess of the hunt. It assists me in not only devotion to these spirits and path that I walk, but as a spiritual barrier that provides protection.
Why you may veil could be similar to my reasons - or you could be an individual with a religious background different to mine. The veils in my shop can be used not only for covering the head, but wearing around the shoulders, as head wraps for different hair types, as wraps for tarot cards, as offerings to spirits and entities, or as veils used in particular ritual contexts for deities or other beings. If you prefer to not have your veil cleansed or blessed before sending, you can make a note to me in check out and it will be sent as is!
I have a special affinity with vintage or magically charmed veils. My first veils that I used were bandanas which I embroidered with sigils for different purposes, which later inspired my seasonally made embroidered intention veils. Each veil that I work with, especially the vintage veils, have a spirit. This spirit may be asleep, needing to be woken up before being sent to you, or needing a little extra love, time, and care in order to work with you. I often find that where the veil came from, who had it beforehand, how it was used, the color/pattern, and more contribute to the spirit of the veils I sell and carry with me. Some veils are beautiful, ornate, and gentle. Others feel fierce, allowing a more baneful protective energy to be carried with you. Some feel slightly pessimistic and petty, unloved, or misunderstood. Their energy is like any other spirit - it must be fed, tended to, and shown up for to truly start working for you.
Some spirits of my veils I tend to wear when I need a little more protection. Others feel a bit empty, aloof, and need to be centered in their energy. Other veils feel open or confident or charismatic - the energies and possibilities for the type of energy a veil has is endless.
Choosing the right veil for you is an important process - it's not just a physical one, but a spiritual one.
Choosing the Right Veil
Choosing the right veil can be as simple as choosing a color and length you like and moving from there - however, there are a few things to keep in mind!
Your comfortability with wearing larger head coverings. Some folks prefer smaller bandanas or medium-length veils rather than what I refer to as "Big F*cking Veils" for a variety of reasons, and that's valid! Make sure you choose a veil that you're comfortable with if you are planning on wearing it.
What colors and patterns you like. Lots of times I ordered veils online and didn't end up wearing them because I didn't really vibe with the color/fabric. This, for me, can be about wanting more neutral tones that I can fit with multiple outfits/colors I wear or can be that I don't really like the pattern. I tend to gravitate towards floral, paisley, and ornate veils, and this is heavily reflected in my shop! I also tend to choose my veils' colors based off what energy I associated with that color and its magical associations. I consider black veils to be incredibly protective and more of a boundary - meaning that sometimes wearing black is too much, especially if I'm working that day as a tarot reader! White, cream, or ivory veils I very often associate with purification, but I also find them to be more permeable to spirits and entities. Patterned veils are, in my opinion, incredibly based in personality. They all have very distinct energies and vibes. Brown, green, and dark red are very often grounding colors for me - which is very beneficial if I plan to do a lot of readings, spell work, or spirit communication that day. Both blue and red are protective colors to me, but I also associate these with attraction, passion, and energy. Any veil can be consecrated for a specific purpose, and you don't always have to utilize color magic to choose your veil, however this is what I do!
Fabric & hair type. One of the biggest things I learned when I started veiling was that fabric had SO much to do with which veils worked best for me. If your veil is constantly sliding off, you can not get it to stay, this part of the section is for you! Different hair types - including curly, straight, oily, dry, long, short - all influence what kind of veil will work best for you. I often find that my thicker, more oily hair does not like silk very much, so I need to prepare for more methods of fastening the head covering. Silk is amazing for folks with curlier hair, as it reduces frizz and may not slip as much during wear. For smoother hair types, cotton is a bit rougher and will more easily stay on the head. If you are struggling with your veil staying on no matter what, Jewitches often recommends a velvet headband like this one from Etsy.
Caring for your Veil
Veil care can be both a spiritual and physical endeavor. Head coverings, like any other piece of clothing, may have unique ways of being cared for. This is dependent on the spirit of the veil and what it asks for, but also on the fabric and how it needs to be properly taken care of. Here's a small list of different fabric types and mundane ways to care for them.
Silk or silk blend veils. These are the most common veils that we have in stock, especially of the vintage variety. Silk is an incredibly delicate fabric, sometimes requiring dry-clean-only. If it's not dry-clean-only, silk, like wool, can be washed by hand in cool water with a silk detergent (avoid all-purpose!) to avoid wrinkling and rumpling. Lay flat to dry, then steam or iron carefully to remove wrinkles. I tend to spot clean most of my veils or hand wash them.
Cotton or cotton blend veils. These veils are relatively easy to care for! Like any other cotton piece of clothing, you can wash these in a machine in a lingerie-style bag. I try to do these on delicate to preserve the fabric longer! This will soften the fabric, but may also cause wrinkling! You can iron or steam to release those wrinkles and receive a fresher look. You can technically put these in the dryer, but I don't prefer to. I like to hang them outside to air dry.
Polyester veils. These veils can also be machine washed in a lingerie-style bag on the delicate cycle. Lay flat to dry.
Blend veils. If you're not sure what type of material your veil is made of, check for any tags (which I usually leave intact), then stick to hand washing with a soft detergent or soap and laying flat to dry.
Embroidered intention veils & il Regali Collection. These two collections contain two types of veils - gauze/crinkle fabrics (the Regali) and flaxen veils. Both veil types are incredibly delicate and the embroidery itself, while stabilized by interfacing, will last longer with gentle hand washing and a gentle soap - leaving flat or hanging to dry. These threads will not survive in the wash, so it's imperative that you tend to them in this way to preserve not only the fabric, but the embroidery!
Spiritual Cleansing of Veils. I tend to smoke cleanse or use the Pulizia spray on my veils after every wear, particularly if I was in a situation with a lot more emotional intensity.
Our silk vintage veils and embroidered intention veils will be restocking tomorrow at 5:30pm MST! Choose wisely and make sure you care for your veil in a way that supports a long life for it.
Works Cited
Historical examples of head covering: https://www.reddit.com/r/femalefashionadvice/comments/90gg6m/a_brief_history_of_european_headcoverings_with/
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