Does it matter?

[RubyRose]

Okay, normally when I've done a spell, I haven't really been wearing anything "special" (meaning, any jewellery or the like, that's been kept for ritual purposes only [I do own, a pentacle necklace and ring - though I wear them practically everyday]) I was just wondering (as I don't exactly have a great deal of money, to go out and purchase clothing, jewellery and the like) if it really matters, what you wear while performing rituals and spells.

I realise that I can make my own jewellery peices, and have been, that said, I'm mainly concerned about the ritual clothing. Is is necessary or not?

Any help will be much appreciated.

[DebLipp]

It's not necessary but it's nice. There are two things to consider. The first is, how easy is it for you to get into a ritual mindset, and do external cues help? If it's not very easy, and/or if external cues (seeing the altar, smelling the incense) help to alter your consciousness, then chances are that robing or donning other special ritual clothing will help you acheive the desired mindset.

The other factor is, if you don't use special clothing, how do you feel about wearing the clothing that you've worn in ritual afterwards? Does it feel funny or even profane to be wearing an outfit and think "I wore this in sacred space"? If it feels wrong, then it's wrong for you.

Ritual clothing (assuming you don't want to go skyclad) is easy to buy or make. Simple patterns are easy to acquire. Men and women wear caftans or robes. Women wear beach cover-ups, dresses, nightgowns, or sarongs. Men wear lava-lavas or kilts. There are lots of options.

[RubyRose]

The other factor is, if you don't use special clothing, how do you feel about wearing the clothing that you've worn in ritual afterwards? Does it feel funny or even profane to be wearing an outfit and think "I wore this in sacred space"? If it feels wrong, then it's wrong for you.

I'd never thought of it like that, but now that you've mentioned it. It did feel kinda weird, when I was preparing, just wearing everyday clothes ...

[/quote]
Ritual clothing (assuming you don't want to go skyclad) is easy to buy or make. Simple patterns are easy to acquire. Men and women wear caftans or robes. Women wear beach cover-ups, dresses, nightgowns, or sarongs. Men wear lava-lavas or kilts. There are lots of options.[/quote]

Thanks, just what I need. I'm no good at sewing. I know how to use a sewing machine, but I think if I actually got down to it, I'd be likely to screw it up. Curtains, I can make, clothing to me is a different matter altogether, when faced with a sewing machine.

Hhhmmm. I'll have to check out a few shops, and see whats around.

One, thing. I heard somewhere, that red is significant in regards a to handfasting, when chosing a particular outfit, but I take it, during any other sort of ritual it's up to the induvidual as to what colours etc.

Thanks for the help

[Flar's Freyja]

It's not necessary but it's nice. There are two things to consider. The first is, how easy is it for you to get into a ritual mindset, and do external cues help? If it's not very easy, and/or if external cues (seeing the altar, smelling the incense) help to alter your consciousness, then chances are that robing or donning other special ritual clothing will help you acheive the desired mindset.

The other factor is, if you don't use special clothing, how do you feel about wearing the clothing that you've worn in ritual afterwards? Does it feel funny or even profane to be wearing an outfit and think "I wore this in sacred space"? If it feels wrong, then it's wrong for you.

Ritual clothing (assuming you don't want to go skyclad) is easy to buy or make. Simple patterns are easy to acquire. Men and women wear caftans or robes. Women wear beach cover-ups, dresses, nightgowns, or sarongs. Men wear lava-lavas or kilts. There are lots of options.

I agree, and I believe that this was the original idea behind wearing ritual clothing. Wearing something special that is reserved just for ritual, even if it's just a piece of jewelry, is an important tool for transitioning between the mundane and the sacred.

I had difficulty with this just this past weekend. I wanted to attend a Samhain ritual where ritual garb was strongly suggested, and I also wanted to attend a party in costume afterward. I have to travel a long way and didn't want to have to bother with changing - but I also was not comfortable wearing a costume to ritual or vice-versa. I ended up not going to this one, but I was going to go through the inconvenience of bringing my costume to change into.

[RubyRose]

I agree, and I believe that this was the original idea behind wearing ritual clothing. Wearing something special that is reserved just for ritual, even if it's just a piece of jewelry, is an important tool for transitioning between the mundane and the sacred.

When I did a ritual on October 31, I was wearing a peice of jewellery, that I keep for ritual & magickal workings ...

[Mindflayer]

I don't do rituals, per se (though I guess they're darn close sometimes), but I do like to Meditate with my altar, and candles/incense lit...



I usually just wear whatever pants I have on at the time (I feel kinda weird with my shirt on...don't know why :p)

basically, I'm just trying to be comfortable, as long as I'm comfortable, I feel like I'm ok (if it's uncomfortable to sit on the floor, Ill sit on my pillow, if I get cold [my floor fan is right next to my altar], I'll wrap my sheet around me)

[Aidron]

Wear whatever you wish and are content with.

Comfort is an issue, yes, so never sacrifice it for something that you feel is more aesthetically pleasing. It's religion, not a catwalk.

I'm sure many people are drawn to various 'old' clothes such as robes and cloaks. I myself am, but if you think about it people back then who wore them did so because that was what they had, not because it was associated necessarily with magic, because all clothes can be magical.

[Jenett]

You've already had some good answers. Myself, I find that having clothing reserved for ritual work is a good thing (though I don't always wear the same set of stuff.)

My group ritual work these days is almost always done in a very simple black robe, and I have been collecting a set of shawls to put over it, depending on the type of ritual/my mood/etc. (blue, green, multi-colored, black with silver moons and stars...)

I made the robe by taking about 3 yards/meters of 60" wide fabric (one of the two standard fabric widths here), folding it in half (so it's about a meter and a half by the width of the fabric) and sewing up the open side. I cut down on the folded side enough to make an armhole there (18" or so...) and then tied it across the top with four ribbon ties on each side (rather than just sewing across the top, where it would rest on my shoulders). It looks surprisingly good (and this is a type of robe that looks good on most body types, especially if you get a fabric that drapes fairly well: mine is an opaque cotton gauze) and it's easy to put on or change into. I belt it with the cord I got at my initiation, but you can use a metal belt, cloth, or cord. (the one caution I'd make about cord belts is that it doesn't matter for your personal practice, but if you ever go to a public or semi-public ritual, the color of cord often indicates degree/level of training/other stuff (depending on the people involved), so people might assume things about you that weren't accurate or that might get a little awkward to explain.

[RubyRose]

I made the robe by taking about 3 yards/meters of 60" wide fabric (one of the two standard fabric widths here), folding it in half (so it's about a meter and a half by the width of the fabric) and sewing up the open side. I cut down on the folded side enough to make an armhole there (18" or so...) and then tied it across the top with four ribbon ties on each side (rather than just sewing across the top, where it would rest on my shoulders). It looks surprisingly good (and this is a type of robe that looks good on most body types, especially if you get a fabric that drapes fairly well: mine is an opaque cotton gauze) and it's easy to put on or change into. I belt it with the cord I got at my initiation, but you can use a metal belt, cloth, or cord. (the one caution I'd make about cord belts is that it doesn't matter for your personal practice, but if you ever go to a public or semi-public ritual, the color of cord often indicates degree/level of training/other stuff (depending on the people involved), so people might assume things about you that weren't accurate or that might get a little awkward to explain.


Hhmmm. Here's me wishing I was better at using a sewing machine ... lol

[Laurelei]

Yup, most of the advice has been said :p.
But as for jewelery, I'd say if you like it by all means wear it/buy it. Jewelery with stones that correspond to the ritual could add power to it, and jewelery could also be charged to help empower you during a ritual. That said, normal jewelery can get very charged just by your wearing it regularly.

[Flar's Freyja]

Yup, most of the advice has been said :p.
But as for jewelery, I'd say if you like it by all means wear it/buy it. Jewelery with stones that correspond to the ritual could add power to it, and jewelery could also be charged to help empower you during a ritual. That said, normal jewelery can get very charged just by your wearing it regularly.

*nods* And you could choose one certain piece that you wear only for ritual and for nothing else, which is kept in its own sacred place when not in use. I have a beaded necklace that I made during a ritual in Women's Circle that I wear. I keep it in a red protective bag.

I made my robe from a simple t-shirt pattern, but I don't have instructions to post. It only has two side seams.

[Jenett]

Mine's all hand sewn. No, really, it didn't take very long (I admit I like hand sewing) but in this case, the one actual seam doesn't need to take any real weight or pull on it (since it'll be hanging loosely at your side, to keep the cloth together), so as long as you can put the needle up and down through the thread in a more or less straight line, and knot it off at both ends so the thread stays there, you're pretty much good to go. I think mine took me a total of about 2-3 hours, all told, but I did it in several chunks, and while doing other things like reading online or watching a movie, so it was probably less than that.

If you use 60" fabric, and you're not terribly tall (I'm 5' or 60" myself...) you just poof it up around your waist and the belt, and don't need to hem either end (since you're using what's called the selvege edge: the stuff that's bound together by the weaving process). If you're taller, you either do less poofing, or end up with a shorter robe.

Sewing on the ties was really easy: pick a thread color that matches the cloth, not the ribbon (I have white ribbon and black cloth and black thread), and sew two pieces (maybe 4-5" long?) it to the inside of the top line of the robe. Then just tie it so the tied ribbon between the two bits of cloth is about 1" or so long (err on the longer side) and trim the ends. Test the placement with safety pins first, probably (mine are about 5-6" apart, slightly closer would have been better.)

Since the ribbon ties are sewn on in the inside, no one's going to see them: all you care about is that they're going to hold. (And you could probably do that with fabric glue, honestly...)

[RubyRose]

Thanks guys! Very helpful, but now you've got me wanting to make a robe of some kind (preferably with a hood, cause I think they look neat) but I've got no money to do it with ... lol ... oh well maybe sometime in the near future ...

As for Jewellery, I'm slowly building up a nice little collection. Some peices I've bought and put away, because I don't really know if I want to keep them, for rituals and magickal workings or wear all the time ... I have two peices I wear all the time, and right now that's enough

[MystickalShadowCat]

lol I was a witch last year for halloween and heck, that was a CUTE costume!! lol and its just a black robelike dress so i just wear that for rituals!

[MystickalShadowCat]

a grim reaper costume works real good cuz it has a nice hood.... lol as stupid as it sounds, it works!! LOL :floating:

[RubyRose]

Okay thanks guys, nice ideas

[Annyka]

Hhmmm. Here's me wishing I was better at using a sewing machine ... lol

If you are interested sometime (when we both have enough money for materials) you can come to my place and we can sew ourselves some stuff on my machine... I am not a sewing wizard, but can do simple stuff (and having someone with me, may actually encourage me to do it!)

[RubyRose]

If you are interested sometime (when we both have enough money for materials) you can come to my place and we can sew ourselves some stuff on my machine... I am not a sewing wizard, but can do simple stuff (and having someone with me, may actually encourage me to do it!)

Sounds like a plan. lol. I actually have a sewing machine, it's sitting the spare room, gathering dust. Much to my Nanna's dismay, I'm sure. Though I have made a set of curtains for my room, and am planning of making an alter clothe from some spare material I covered my BOS with, but it's finding the time, to drag the machine out, set it up, thread it and then sit down and sew ... I still can't get over how quickly the years flown by ... lol

[alexx]

just seconding what others say about what you feel comfortable with - I don't wear anything special, but I bathe to cleanse myself and prepare then put on a clean set of clothes as it seems to help me attune to what I am doing. Good luck with the sewing :)

[RubyRose]

Thanks ...