The magic of veiling

I’m sure you’ve seen people veiling. It’s present in many cultures and in many different ways, like in Judaism and among Muslim women. Veiling was also present in ancient cultures like in Hellenism, and it’s present today among a lot of witches, but why do we veil? How can you approach this practice?

     First it’s very important to address that veiling has many shapes, and if you’re white with no specific cultural background regarding certain methods, you shouldn’t be doing it. By that I mean specific methods like the hijab or the tichel, that belong to specific religions and folk practices. Additionally, if you’re choosing to veil or not, it’s imperative that you respect those cultures by not stealing or mocking them, but also understanding that you will have privileges that other people won’t and that makes your job to stand up when you see discrimination happening.

      With that being said, let’s understand veiling in witchcraft and paganism. Veiling usually comes from a place of protection, devotion, a way to practice magic, or simply tuning into our inner world without interference. Protection is easier to understand, it can work either as a shield or maybe to cover your energy so others won’t perceive it, like in invisibility spells. It also works as a boundary, by covering your head or hair it’s a reminder that not everyone has full access to you. Devotion is more complex to discuss, it can be as a way to show modesty to a deity (like Hestia), or maybe a deity asked you to veil for other reasons. Freyja is the one that asks me to veil because it’s a symbol of self-preservation, of caring for myself, even though she isn’t known for asking her devotees to veil nor is she a veiled deity. It may also work as a filter, as a form to silence the rest so you will only listen to that deity, which brings me to the other reason for veiling which is connecting to your own power. If you veil you may have noticed that when you cover your head you seem more absorbed into your inner chatting, it’s easier to hear your thoughts, so it can be used as a way to listen to your voice. This is useful in spellwork so your energy doesn’t go everywhere and to focus on the spell, or for shadow work where you need to listen to yourself deeply. Veils can also be enchanted to grant you certain properties, like bringing abundance, banish certain energies, working it as part of a glamour spell and so on.

     The way we veil is also a bit different, and unless you’re abiding to your culture on veiling, pretty much anything can become a veil if you work it as such. You may choose to wear hats, or even beanies. You may feel like it’s enough to just cover your head, or maybe you may want to cover your whole hair. Usually we wear bandanas in various shapes and forms that we choose carefully the fabric, patterns, color and lengths. Personally I like 4x4 scarves, which I fold like a triangle and tie it like a regular bandana. You can also use color magic for this, or stitch sigils on it to inflict certain properties to the veil. There’s also spiritual veils, where you don’t use a physical barrier but rather an energetic one, and this can be made by using sprays with plant allies or even a simple prayer.

     Although it may seem simple, there is a whole process in veiling. It’s not just putting a scarf over your head and the job is done, we work with it as spirits. In my practice, I first consecrate the veil and understand its energy. When is wearing this veil more suitable? Does it feel like it’s bringing something or banishing something? Does it trap my energy or open my energy to receive certain things? And then, when I’m ready to use it, I prepare both the veil and myself to cover my head, usually by cleansing it with a tincture with plant allies, a small prayer and I finish it with some oil, all of this to set my intentions. Your practice might seem different according to what culture you’re following, but either way, there is a process to it.

      Finally, choosing to veil or not is your choice to make. It’s not mandatory in paganism or witchcraft, but it might be a way of connecting to your own energy, protecting yourself or a way of working a spell by itself. Each culture has its own beliefs around it, and even if you don’t understand, it’s important to be respectful to it. Happy witching!

(image: Pinterest)