Monday, April 2, 2012

Veiling isn't Just for Fanatics.

For those friends who have wondered "Whats up with the scarf?", please be assured i am not sick (other than in the head bhahahaha), i'm not changing religions, I really haven't joined a cult, and Zach is not forcing me to cover my hair--*snort* like he could make me do anything! (Ok he made me quit smoking...)  I realized that i need to be more intentional in my daily spiritual life, and decided to actually attempt 'Lent' this year.  Facebook diet was a fail, internet diet--total fail.  It dawned on me to choose to give up my hair, but rather than shaving it all off i explored the idea of just covering it--veiling, if you will.  I slowly have worked up from wide-headbands and hats to the Tichel  (Israeli style Scarf, properly pronounced 'tickle' or ti-khel).  I have learned a lot about myself and the perceptions of others since i began to wear a Tichel daily the last few weeks.  If anything i am feeling more feminine and liberated because i am free to CHOOSE to cover my hair (no worries, i look silly in a Hijaab so you won't see me in one of those anytime soon), and i am free to CHOOSE who sees me un-veiled...and this realization has exponentially grown me spiritually. The Divine Feminine is a wonderful and powerful thing to explore.  I am more aware of how i present myself to the world, and how they perceive me.



I'm not saying "everyone HAS to run out and cover their hair!!!".  This kind of exploration is not for everyone, and can be a little scary.  You never know how people will react when you make drastic changes to your habits or appearance, and i'm very lucky to be the  Independent Honeybadger i am because it wasn't really that difficult of a decision for me to make, i just needed the information.  Will i keep Covering my hair when Lent is over?  Probably.  Will i send us to the poor house with my new addiction to scarves?  Hopefully not.  The scarves are luckily fairly inexpensive and easy to acquire locally.  How does my Husband feel?  Honestly, he puts up with so many of my wierds that i don't think it has occurred to him to ask about it.  I feel, after much research into why women in other cultures veil, that i am honoring him as my husband by showing the world i am 'off the market'. I am presenting myself as a Married Woman.  I am not veiling because it is instructed in the Bible, or the Koran (or any other religious work for that matter) for women to cover their hair and dress modestly and all that jazz.  This really has nothing to do with that.  This is something i am doing for myself, out of my own independent and weird iconoclastic choice.  A choice that a Muslim woman in California was murdered for just a few days ago.  She could have chosen the 'freedom' of no Hijaab, but she freely chose to wear it and was killed for exercising that freedom.  This event has solidified my commitment, not just in her honor, but for the freedoms of women everywhere and their Human Right to choose what is best for themselves and their families.

6 comments:

  1. Wonderful and interesting post :) Good work :)

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  2. 'Cept I can't figure out how to knot it. :(

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  3. Yes, yes yes! Congrats on being brave enough to do it and to stand behind your reasons.
    -- A covering Atheist friend in New England :)

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