I don’t have ritual robes; at least not in the classic sense. No tau robe, no cowl, no dark hooded cape. No cloak. So when I was invited to attend a loose gathering of two area covens and a handful of solitary wiccans, the whole time en route my fingers were crossed that I wouldn’t feel out of place. I normally do not attend open circles or religious gatherings of any kind, but this was a social affair and I wished to meet an independent jeweler with a promising portfolio. Also I was told there would be chocolate chip cookies.
Upon entering the brownstone I was greeted by a friendly enough group, most of whom were curiously dressed out of time. The host had on a gypsy skirt and the jeweler and one other person was dressed casually in jeans and a tee-shirt, yet the remainder had on a mix of clothing from various areas and eras of medieval Europe. There was even a cape. Because ‘tis the season of the witch such clothing makes its way out of people’s closets, but after a while it dawned on me I was amongst a group who dressed this way year round. There was the photo album where I looked at snapshots taken at places like the grocery store, each no different than those taken at ceremonies, but what cinched it was the current time. Monday, November 3rd, 6:00pm.
And there I was, just out of the office, still dressed in a suit. Sans tie.
Okay, what actually cinched it was when I announced “if I had known this was a theme party I would have dressed up” which was followed by twenty-three seconds of nervous laughing amid blank stares. The thees and thous and miladys confused me.
I find this side of the pagan community perplexing. I understand the psychological need for change of attire for ritual but I don’t carry it outside of that space. For some time I believed dressing in garb from centuries past was a way for pagans to better identify with their beliefs, and that the clothes were also used in ceremonies to develop their magical personalities. Now I believe it is clever marking.
After picking up a specialty catalogue I was reminded of an industry which promotes a mix American colonial and Renaissance Faire clothing as being somehow traditional to the ‘craft’. Add a particular pattern or image and a piece becomes magical. By the way, if the $140 poet shirt I saw is any indication, magical clothing is expensive.
However, there is a distinction between ritual robes and magical clothing. Ritual robes have a function which is symbolic for a given tradition and/or is conducive to ceremonial use. The tau robes and nemysses of the Golden Dawn come to mind, as do the simple unornamented robes of a coven I visited some time back. Magical clothing on the other hand, while stylish is prone to accidental flare ups when lighting altar candles.
Considering I could visit the grocery store in the comfortable pants and shirts I do wear for rituals, inconspicuously though, I was more like this group than any other. That didn’t make me fit in the gathering by any means, but the cookies were tasty.
