Every time cold weather rolls around I seem to go through an energetic shift. Lots of people find themselves drawing inward at this time in different ways as the leaves fall and the snow approaches. One of the ways I personally embody this is by changing my outward appearance by wearing a head cover/hat pretty much daily.
Why?
1. Keeps me warm
Michigan weather is nothing to trifle with. I'm one of those people who is always cold, so as soon as the leaves start falling, I pull out my hats. I regularly ask my kids if they want to wear their hats inside too. Of course, Luna is always wearing a hat at her age. We just seem to be hat people. They are also my favorite things to knit.
2. Makes me feel safe and comforted.
Head covering is mentioned in the Bible and is practiced in other religions for reasons of modesty and showing respect for God. I've sought out articles on secular head covering as well and there are a small subset of people who do practice it! I am a member of the Catholic church, but I do not head cover in my daily life for legalistic reasons (because Paul commanded it, etc).
I feel that covering my head shifts my energy and sort of "dulls" my natural highly intuitive state, which allows me to be more rested and off of constant "high alert" so to speak (other empaths probably understand what I mean). The winter is a highly beneficial time to give myself respite in this way.
3. Allows for rest also = no styling and fussing with my unruly thick hair.
My hair and I have a tumultuous relationship. When it is longer, it is a heavy burden to handle & can be physically uncomfortable. When it is short, it requires extensive styling and frequent up-keeping. When it is under something, I can relax and not fuss over what is ultimately unimportant (does it look okay?)
4. I simply like how I look in them.
To me, it is a classy and natural extension of my personal style.
I find when I am out in public shopping or running errands that I am treated with more respect while wearing a head cover. If this is because I carry myself with more grace when my head is covered or if people assume I am doing it for whatever reasons that lead them to personally treat a woman with more respect, I have no idea (and honestly, they shouldn't treat me differently if that is why they would, but I cannot/will not change the ideology of every person I encounter)...
So, if you know me personally and ever wondered why I wear so many headbands or hats, especially in colder weather, this is your answer! :)
To "wrap it up" here are a few links on different aspects of head covering:
Head Covering Throughout History (Great artwork and pictures!)
So Many Reasons to Wrap! (Perspectives from many different women--if you read one link, make it this one...from the intro: "It is becoming well known that almost every religion has something to say about hair wrapping. It is also becoming well known that many women cover their hair for health reasons that cause hair loss (such as chemotherapy and alopecia). We are so happy about this progress and that awareness is spreading!!
But there is so much more. Did you know that there are a crazy amount of other reasons that women cover their hair? People are so surprised to hear how diverse the hair wrapping community is! From fashion to political feminism, allergy avoidance to historical connection! We asked the ladies of the Wrapunzel community that cover for ‘not so well known’ reasons to contribute and share their reasons for covering with us."
10 Reasons Some Women are Wearing Veils in Church Again and as a counterpoint, Head Covering is Thinly Veiled Patriarchy (which I don't agree with, but there it is. I include it because it is a criticism that comes up quite a bit. My own husband doesn't really understand why a woman would wear a veil in church or why Muslim women choose Hijab, but I think it is a beautiful practice).
Covering My Hair as a Spiritual Practice (from a Pagan perspective) - Her comments on "shielding" were very relevant to my own personal reasons for covering.
Your Hair and its Connection to Crystals and Intuition (the "crystal bun" part is silly to me, but a lot of this is interesting, even if you think it is mumbo-jumbo)!
Garlands of Grace - one of my favorite places to purchase headbands/covers.
