Welcome to Gaia! ::

This first post contains questions for people who belong to a religion (any religion). For non-religious folks, I have another questionnaire in the following post. I know this is very long, so if you can't or don't want to answer all of the questions, that's okay. Just answer as many as you feel you can answer honestly. If you're uncomfortable answering one of the questions, just put NC as your answer to that question, and I'll understand.

About Yourself:

Does your religion suggest/require you to cover your head or your hair?

Is this a requirement for covering the head (with a hat, say) or the hair (completely or mostly, such as with a scarf)?

Is this meant to be a lifelong practice, or does it happen because of something else -- like reaching a certain age, getting married or divorced, taking a religious vow, et cetera?

Do you actually follow that practice?

What rationale does your religion state or imply for the head/hair covering? Is this rationale found within your religion's scriptures, if your religion uses scriptures or holy writings?

Why do you personally follow, or not follow, this practice?

Did you always follow, or not follow, this practice, or have you changed your personal practice during the course of your life?

Did your personal practice change because of reaching a milestone at which the requirement changes, or because you yourself elected to change what you were doing?

If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, what motivated your decision?

If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, have you noticed any difference in others' perceptions of you or behavior towards you?

If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, have you noticed any change in your own behavior, feelings, or thoughts, that you attribute to head/hair covering?

Have you ever covered your head or hair for non-religious reasons? What were those reasons?

Would you ever cover your head or hair for religious reasons?

Would you ever cover your head or hair for non-religious reasons?

Have you ever wanted to cover, but not done so? Why did you decide not to cover?

If you ever moved to a place in which the majority of people cover their heads or their hair, either for religious or for non-religious reasons, would you cover your head or hair in order to follow the local custom/fashion?

About Others:

Do you know anyone (other than yourself) who is a member of a religion that suggests or requires head/hair covering? What type of covering do they use?

If you know someone who covers for religious reasons, did they always do so during the time you've known them, or did they change their practice at any point?

If someone you know has changed their head/hair covering practice while you knew them, do you know why?

What do you think about other people who cover their head or hair for religious reasons, not within your own religion?

What do you think about people who cover their head or hair for non-religious reasons, or for reasons you're not sure are religious or not?

About Yourself:

Does your religion suggest/require you to cover your head or your hair? Yes, it does

Is this a requirement for covering the head (with a hat, say) or the hair (completely or mostly, such as with a scarf)? Depends on gender and interpretation.

Is this meant to be a lifelong practice, or does it happen because of something else -- like reaching a certain age, getting married or divorced, taking a religious vow, et cetera? Lifelong for males, reaching a certain age (I believe) for females

Do you actually follow that practice? No, I do not follow the rules for females, though I will occasionally wear a kipah (the male requirement)

What rationale does your religion state or imply for the head/hair covering? Is this rationale found within your religion's scriptures, if your religion uses scriptures or holy writings? I actually do not recall... I did know at one point.

Why do you personally follow, or not follow, this practice? I'm less religious than the people who do. I don't know the rationale, and I tend not to follow some of the other rules that people who follow this one do, although many women at my level of observance wear a kipah when wearing a talit.

Did you always follow, or not follow, this practice, or have you changed your personal practice during the course of your life? When I started wearing a talit, I started wearing a kipah

Did your personal practice change because of reaching a milestone at which the requirement changes, or because you yourself elected to change what you were doing? Because I elected to change

If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, what motivated your decision? I didn't feel it was appropriate to wear a talit without a kipah

If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, have you noticed any difference in others' perceptions of you or behavior towards you? No, but the choice is common in my synagouge, and I don't do it in public, because I don't wear a talit in public.

If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, have you noticed any change in your own behavior, feelings, or thoughts, that you attribute to head/hair covering? No

Have you ever covered your head or hair for non-religious reasons? What were those reasons? No

Would you ever cover your head or hair for religious reasons? Perhaps... I don't know if I'd ever cover it the traditional way.

Would you ever cover your head or hair for non-religious reasons? Umm, for warmth or something?

Have you ever wanted to cover, but not done so? Why did you decide not to cover? No to the first

If you ever moved to a place in which the majority of people cover their heads or their hair, either for religious or for non-religious reasons, would you cover your head or hair in order to follow the local custom/fashion? If I moved to where they did it for my religion, following the more traditional practice, I would probably do so. I would also possibly do so if it were for non religious reasons. If it were for a religion other than my own, I don't think I would.

About Others:

Do you know anyone (other than yourself) who is a member of a religion that suggests or requires head/hair covering? What type of covering do they use? Yes, a hat type thing that covers most of the hair

If you know someone who covers for religious reasons, did they always do so during the time you've known them, or did they change their practice at any point? All the time I've known them

If someone you know has changed their head/hair covering practice while you knew them, do you know why? None have changed while I've known them

What do you think about other people who cover their head or hair for religious reasons, not within your own religion? It's their choice, and their religion.

What do you think about people who cover their head or hair for non-religious reasons, or for reasons you're not sure are religious or not? Their choice.

Does your religion suggest/require you to cover your head or your hair?

Yes, both. Men and boys must cover their heads at all times, once they're over the age of three years. Women may cover if they wish, but are only required to cover once they're married. Some sub-groups of my religion only require married women to cover their heads/hair during communal prayer.

Is this a requirement for covering the head (with a hat, say) or the hair (completely or mostly, such as with a scarf)?

This depends on which interpretation you follow.

Is this meant to be a lifelong practice, or does it happen because of something else -- like reaching a certain age, getting married or divorced, taking a religious vow, et cetera?

Men and boys must cover their heads after the age of three. Ideally women should cover likewise, but are permitted to remain uncovered until marriage to signify that they're available for marriage. Once she's married, a woman needs to cover to signify that she's no longer available as a potential mate.

Do you actually follow that practice?

I do.

What rationale does your religion state or imply for the head/hair covering? Is this rationale found within your religion's scriptures, if your religion uses scriptures or holy writings?

The commandment is for kisui rosh ("covering the head") rather than kisui se'ar ("covering the hair"), and yet many interpret this to mean that the hair itself has to be covered. The difference is that when covering the head, it's about wearing a crown of reverence -- signifying that one is a child of the ultimate Sovereign, and owes reverence and allegiance to God -- while covering the hair is seen as a sign of modesty before other human beings. Both are considered valid points of view within my religion. I say I'm fulfilling the commandment of kisui rosh, covering the head, although my hair is technically covered (because it's easier to get ready in the mornings when I don't have to fight with all my curls).

The scriptural references are, one, that one of the matriarchs of our religion set eyes on one of our patriarchs and immediately covered her hair, signifying that she was going to reserve her outward beauty for his eyes only; and two, later in our scriptures, it says "You shall uncover the hair of the sotah (adulteress)," which implies that her hair was covered before.

Why do you personally follow, or not follow, this practice?

Once I started covering, I realized that they couldn't judge my beauty by my hair, and they weren't looking at me, but listening to me, which I find is more conducive to forming constructive relationships, both socially and professionally. The fact that it is commanded for me to cover is also a strong, strong incentive, now that I understand the point of it.

Did you always follow, or not follow, this practice, or have you changed your personal practice during the course of your life?

I started covering because I had a really bad haircut and wanted to hide it until it grew out. Yes, I'm that vain! But I kept it up because I came to realize that while uncovered, people called me Red, knew me as "the redhead," and basically were only looking at me, not listening to me.

Did your personal practice change because of reaching a milestone at which the requirement changes, or because you yourself elected to change what you were doing?

No, though if I had been a bit more religiously observant, I would have covered my hair right after my wedding ceremony, as do the other observant women of my community.

If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, what motivated your decision?

Bad hair day. But I went from little straw hats with a bit of hair sticking out the bottom, to full-on scarves, snoods, or hats that completely covered my hair. I get them at http://www.modestworld.com and http://www.tznius.com if you want to see how I cover.

If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, have you noticed any difference in others' perceptions of you or behavior towards you?

I've noticed big differences. People who didn't know me before I started covering may think it's a bit strange, but they don't ask questions very often. They just move on with their lives, for the most part. People who knew me before I started covering keep asking when they'll get to see my hair again. Some of them are actively seeking to get me to uncover. Weirdly, this usually comes from people who belong to my religion, but aren't religiously observant, as if my hair covering somehow insults them. I try to be reassuring and tell them, "It's just a scrap of cloth. It's about me and my own sensibilities. I'm not offended that you don't cover, and I don't think I'm better than someone who doesn't cover. This isn't about how I relate to the rest of the world, but how I relate to myself." But mostly what I notice is that instead of thinking of me as "I'd like to sleep with her" or as "I'd never sleep with her," people think of me and speak to me with the mindset of, "I wonder what she thinks or believes, that makes her wear that." I've gently forced people to deal with my thoughts, beliefs, values, and personhood instead of with just my looks. It's a very sneaky form of feminism.

If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, have you noticed any change in your own behavior, feelings, or thoughts, that you attribute to head/hair covering?

I'm no longer afraid of looking bad when I meet people. I don't spend nearly as much time in front of the mirror, fixing and primping. It used to take me almost an hour to get all of my hair dry, then another hour to fix it with a styling wand, and then I'd have to just pray for low humidity so it wouldn't frizz up. Now I get out of the shower, comb it, and tie it up, and I'm out the door in five minutes. I don't spend as much money on hair products that are designed not for hair health but for hair beauty (like mousse, gel, and so on -- I'll still spend money on shampoo, conditioner, and the occasional hot oil treatment to keep the hair healthy and soft).

Have you ever covered your head or hair for non-religious reasons? What were those reasons?

Cold weather caps or hoods, fashionable sun hats, a scarf tied around my hair while housekeeping to keep the dust and grit out.

Would you ever cover your head or hair for religious reasons?

I currently do cover my hair for religious reasons.

Would you ever cover your head or hair for non-religious reasons?

Yep. At home, I keep my hair uncovered unless people are coming over. But I still tie on a scarf or an old snood when I want to do housecleaning. It keeps the dust, grit, and chemical cleaners out of my hair. Or, God forbid, cancer -- if I had cancer and the radiation or chemotherapy made my hair fall out, I would cover for that reason, as well as for my religious reasons.

Have you ever wanted to cover, but not done so? Why did you decide not to cover?

I always wanted to cover, but was afraid people would think I was a religious whackjob, or that the hat wouldn't look good on me, or that other kids would steal my hat on the playground as a form of bullying.

If you ever moved to a place in which the majority of people cover their heads or their hair, either for religious or for non-religious reasons, would you cover your head or hair in order to follow the local custom/fashion?

I can only imagine living in either Israel, a heavily Jewish neighborhood, or a heavily Muslim neighborhood or country. That is, as far as places where people customarily cover their heads or their hair. It would depend on the local laws. In Dubai, for example, covering is completely optional. I would continue to cover the way I currently do, with the style of coverings I currently wear. If I lived in a Muslim country in which it was the law that a woman had to cover her head or hair in specific ways, I would of course obey the law, but I also don't anticipate living in such a place, because it would probably not be safe for me as a Jew.

About Others:

Do you know anyone (other than yourself) who is a member of a religion that suggests or requires head/hair covering? What type of covering do they use?

I know many other Jews who cover, and some who don't. I know a few Muslims who cover. And I'm acquainted with some Christians who follow strict interpretations of their own holy texts, which require a woman to cover her hair when praying.

If you know someone who covers for religious reasons, did they always do so during the time you've known them, or did they change their practice at any point?

Always during the time I've known them, other than some of the Jewish women, who weren't married when I first met them, and began to cover once they were married.

If someone you know has changed their head/hair covering practice while you knew them, do you know why?

Usually, for marriage (Jewish). In college, I was friendly with a girl who became a Muslim while I knew her, and she said she'd need to begin covering her hair. She and I had a lot of fun shopping for new scarves for her to wear, and learning to tie them in interesting ways.

What do you think about other people who cover their head or hair for religious reasons, not within your own religion?

I think it's always a good thing when someone says, "I believe this or that or the other thing... and because I believe it, I've decided to actually live by it." Acting in accordance with the dictates of one's own conscience is commendable.

What do you think about people who cover their head or hair for non-religious reasons, or for reasons you're not sure are religious or not?

There are so many reasons to cover. I think covering is a way to protect your hair from sun damage, wind/tangling damage, grit and dirt. It's a way to preserve your modesty. It's a way to remind yourself and others of your beliefs and values. It's a way to express creativity and fashion sense, with the style of the covering and the way you wear it. I love seeing coverings, no matter why a person is wearing them. The only types of covering I hate is the kind that is the result of illness, because I hate knowing that someone has been ill; and the one woman I know who was held down and shaved bald by her ex-boyfriend, who shaved her head because she had beautiful hair and he wanted to hurt her self-esteem by taking it away from her.

Does your religion suggest/require you to cover your head or your hair?
Yes
Is this a requirement for covering the head (with a hat, say) or the hair (completely or mostly, such as with a scarf)?
hair
Is this meant to be a lifelong practice, or does it happen because of something else -- like reaching a certain age, getting married or divorced, taking a religious vow, et cetera?
hmm I think just for marriage
Do you actually follow that practice?
I will when I get married
What rationale does your religion state or imply for the head/hair covering? Is this rationale found within your religion's scriptures, if your religion uses scriptures or holy writings?
hmm I don't know if it's in the scriptures or just a costume. I think it's to like keep something special for your husband that only he can have. I guess guys like hair.
Why do you personally follow, or not follow, this practice?
I follow it, because I love the guy I'm with now. It's important to him, so I researched it. I think it's kind of romantic in a way. covering your hair so only your husband can have it.
Did you always follow, or not follow, this practice, or have you changed your personal practice during the course of your life?
hmm, I don't know I always wanted to be an obeservant person, but just didn't have a reason or excuse to justify my desires.
Did your personal practice change because of reaching a milestone at which the requirement changes, or because you yourself elected to change what you were doing?
I elected to change what I was doing.
If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, what motivated your decision?
lol I think I answered that above.
If your head/hair covering practice recently changed, have you noticed any difference in others' perceptions of you or behavior towards you?
hmm. I think if I covred my head people would be weird at first, but I don't care. It's be a romantic sign of my love for him. He changed my life in so many ways, he kind of gave me reasons when I had none and need one the most.

Have you ever covered your head or hair for non-religious reasons? What were those reasons?
uh.. getting out of the shower for it to dry?
Would you ever cover your head or hair for religious reasons?
yea
Would you ever cover your head or hair for non-religious reasons?
hmm i don't know
Have you ever wanted to cover, but not done so? Why did you decide not to cover?
hmm I want to cover my head, because I want to do it for me and him kind of show the world I know who I love and who I want to be with, but I choose not to because I think of it that I want it to be special something new something never done before, when I actually have a full reason to do it.
If you ever moved to a place in which the majority of people cover their heads or their hair, either for religious or for non-religious reasons, would you cover your head or hair in order to follow the local custom/fashion?
hmm probalby not. I'd get pissy cause then me covering my head wouldn't be different and would most likely be misinterpetted for fashion and not love.
About Others:

Do you know anyone (other than yourself) who is a member of a religion that suggests or requires head/hair covering? What type of covering do they use?
yes, naama and amanda my two role models in the religion i'm in.
If you know someone who covers for religious reasons, did they always do so during the time you've known them, or did they change their practice at any point?
the same reason as I will to be modest for their husbands.
If someone you know has changed their head/hair covering practice while you knew them, do you know why?
hmm amanda just recently started covering her hair fully. I think it was because she had no reason. Sarah the rabbi's wife never did when Naama came along with the other rabbi she had a reason. I believe but do not quote me. It could also have been that neither of their families (her husband and her own) were never religious and didn't know how to do it all cool and fancy like.
What do you think about other people who cover their head or hair for religious reasons, not within your own religion?
I think it's cool and more power to them.
What do you think about people who cover their head or hair for non-religious reasons, or for reasons you're not sure are religious or not?
that's cool mroe power to you if it's your fashion style you go ahead lol.

Sure, I'll do this... It's a slow day at work and I'm bored. By the way, I'm a Hermeticist (a type of Occultist), so that should lend a different perspective to my survey.
No, it is not required for general practice on my spiritual path, though specific head coverings are supposed to be worn during certain ceremonies.

The headdresses worn during ceremonies vary, but the commonly worn one, the Egyptian nemyss(pic), covers all but the face.

Different ceremonies wear different headdresses and the headdresses are only worn during ceremony. In fact, it is preferred NOT to show them to outsiders.

I've never participated in a group ritual, and since I've only just finished creating my own nemyss, I haven't really had a chance to wear it in ritual.

Headdresses are worn to separate oneself from "mundane" existence, and help immerse the wearer in symbolism. In the rituals and writings explaining them, the nemyss represents the head of an ankh, the Egyptian symbol of life. Other headdresses represent other things.

As I mentioned above, I haven't yet had the chance to wear my nemyss in ritual, but when the opportunity arises, I'll wear it every chance I get. Immersion in symbolism is a very important part of a magician's work.

See above. I've been an Occultist for only 5 years now, and I'm just beginning to practise what I've learned.

Again, see above. Hermeticism is a spirituality that I kinda just naturally settled upon.

See above (again).

No, as our practice is a private one.

Yes, I feel more spiritual. The Headdress literally turns the wearer into a living symbol.

The only time I really wear anything on my head is during the summers when I dress up as a pirate to work at the Colorado Renaissance Festival.

Alot of these questions seem really repetitive... See above.

I've only recently gotten a nemyss.

Hell no! My hair almost reaches my waist. I want to stand out in the crowd, not blend in.

Not personally.

I think it's great. They can do what they want. As long as it's what they want. I'm strongly opposed to problems like we have in the Middle East, where women are forced by law to keep their heads covered at all times. But if they're in this country and they choose to, that's great.

I once talked to an Islamic woman who said that wearing her head covering made her a better person. She mentioned that she used to road rage badly, but since wearing her head covering, people can identify her as Islamic. With the current Islamic crisis, she wants to portray her religion in a positive light, so she has cooled her anger down quite a bit.

Um... like hats? They can make a cool fashion statement, I suppose... ^^;

Welcome, PoppyDadswell! I'm coming to check out your guild. Thanks for posting about it!