The Illuminating Spark: Pagan Veiling

A personal discussion on the practice of spiritual covering of the head.

(Image description: A light-skinned person with long, dark hair in a red dress and a sheer, white veil draped around their head and shoulders. They are holding up a string of black beads while looking at the viewer.) Credit: Photo by Houcine Ncib on Unsplash

The subject of Pagan veiling can be something of a hot button issue with people in general. Without much knowledge of it, it brings to mind ideas of repression and submissiveness, qualities that are considered inappropriate by many. However, this viewpoint is only one among several and a severely limiting one at that. Pagan veiling is done by choice, not by a human mandate.

I was introduced to the concept of Pagan veiling in a Polytheistic Monasticism group, so I quietly joined a veiling group to learn more about it. After that, I began veiling with scarves on and off since late 2018 and later on joined another veiling group open to all genders.

I was somewhat nervous to wear a scarf, as there isn’t a large number of people who cover for religious reasons in the region. Despite that, the occasional times I would wear one gave me a sense of comfort. When I didn’t wear one, I felt like I was missing something.

My veiling practice has become more frequent. I’ve found that I like to experiment with themes with the scarf or hat I’m wearing. This inspiration can be related to the seasons, mood, or even a theme I want to represent. Sometimes, these qualities overlap in the decision making for a particular veil.

As time passed, I grew curious about the historical background of veiling. I wondered if there was any precedent for my practice, and I found that there was with regard to Brighid and in a more general sense.

While I have never been directly asked to veil, I see veiling as a devotional act for Brighid. In the Carmina Gadelica, there is a prayer called the The Descent of Brigit, which gives lists off various epithets that describe some facet about Her. One of those is “Brigit of the mantles”.

There’s also the tradition of leaving a piece of cloth or ribbon outside for St. Brighid to bless as She returns to this world on the eve before Imbolc/St. Brighid’s Day and travels the land to bring about spring. The Brighid’s mantle would be used for healing or protection by those who put it there.

A mantle is simply a cape-like garment (or shawl) to protect against the elements, as it could be draped over the head and shoulders. In countries like Ireland and Scotland, it would be quite warm in wet or chilly conditions. Given the epithet, this probably would’ve been the veil St. Brigid wore, instead of the common image of a nun’s habit.

Veiling has well-known ties to monasticism, even in the term cailleach. Its main meaning is veiled woman, but there’s similar definitions of nun, abbess, and elderly woman, but it can also refer to supernatural figures, unfortunately described in an uncomplimentary way. This tone could have been merely ageism and misogyny in action; there’s also the likely theme of the scribe attempting to discount such figures as ungodly. Personally, I disagree with this viewpoint.

These multiple meanings paint a complex depiction of veiling. It gives the external viewpoints of how others viewed veiled people and deities. (Most notably, the Cailleach is associated with the term, but there are surprisingly references to the Morrígan with a variation of the word.) The definitions don't provide much insight into how the wearer personally felt about the veil. There may have been a variety of emotions linked with veiling, but they would also be private and not necessarily required to be known to others.

I see veiling as part of my spiritual journey. It’s enabled me to care less about how others view me; it’s also given some insight into my own privilege of being able to wear a scarf or hat more easily, while a person of color wouldn’t be able to do so without being more concerned about their safety. It’s also been insightful into the subtle and overt biases in different communities.

I wear coverings for medical purposes and spiritual ones. Dual applications of veiling can indicate practical uses that eventually evolved to have religious intent as well. However, that’s also conjecture, as we don’t know if humans began doing spiritual activities that had useful purposes as well.

Regardless of cultural or individual opinions on the subject, veiling should be a personal choice. It is an act that can be done for various reasons beyond what I’ve mentioned here. People shouldn’t have to explain why they veil (veiling can be done by people of any gender), but people tend to assume or be nosy or merely curious, as human nature goes. If you’re asking with good intentions, do so respectfully. You’ll likely get a simple response, and that should suffice unless the person wishes to discuss the topic more. Veiling is simply another method through which people can express themselves in a variety of ways and reasons.