I still meet people who are surprised I am Pagan. Not necessarily because it is unusual to encounter a Pagan given our small numbers (even though our ranks are growing), but because I don’t present myself as a stereotypical Pagan. Though I find the concept of a stereotypical Pagan funny because few Pagan resemble it — that I’ve met anyway. But there is a stereotype of Pagans as witches (either light or dark), druids, or some other distinct group that wears robes or flouncy clothes. I think this happens mostly because people who aren’t Pagan hear “Pagan†and imagine us wearing garbs reserved for observance.
Mokey from Fraggle Rock
Of the stereotypes, several fall into what I call the “Mokey†category. A lot of people who aren’t Pagan hear “Pagan†and conjure an image akin to Mokey from Fraggle Rock. I *heart* Fraggle Rock and I *heart* Mokey. I also dress like her some of the time. But not most of the time. Most of the time, I am very aware of my presentation of self and very purposeful about that presentation being polished.
I confess, I am a fashionista. I like to look professional and fashionable (professionable?) for work, and I like to dress to the nines when I go to special events. It’s not just that I like to look good, I value looking good. I am also a material girl. In the end, I know material things do not matter and I don’t hold such things above relationships. But I like having nice things. I’m not sure I would say I value having nice things. If I can’t afford something or have to do without…whatev…it is what it is. But I do want nice things.
I want to be pretty and I want to have pretty things. I am a princess, damn it!
Oy! I can almost feel Mokey looking at me with her sad eyes and shaking her head (like the eyes of T.J. Eckleburg in “The Great Gatsbyâ€).
You may be asking, “So what, GG? What’s the big deal?†And you’d be right in asking that question. I am not sure it is a big deal. I mean, this doesn’t make me a bad Pagan, does it? I wonder sometimes. Sometimes, I think more about my wardrobe than I do about wyrd. I probably chose my shoes as carefully as I chose pieces for my ancestor altar. I can spend as much time talking about my design choices as I can about my faith choices. Geez. This sounds really bad (and shallow) in confession form.
I don’t consider myself a shallow person, though. While I want nice things, my world doesn’t revolve around acquiring nice things. I don’t shop all time. I don’t obsess over trends. I don’t find something and immediately latch onto it like Gollum and his ring. But I have driven over 90 miles in the hopes of finding the perfect pair of jeans. [I didn’t find them, btw.]
*sigh* I don’t really feel a need to change. It’s just that sometimes I don’t feel like an authentic Pagan, like maybe I’m doing it wrong. Sometimes I think my desire for things may be keeping me from doing it right.
What do you think realm? Can fashion and faith co-exist in equal measure? Or do I need to do some serious soul-searching? What’s in your closet? [regarding clothes, not skeletons]
Some of my pretties!
Featured image, advertising shot from the Sergio Valente loading page. These were there perfect jeans I drove 90 miles for, but never found.
4 comments
GG's Mom says:
Nov 17, 2013
Sorry, kid, it’s in the genes! (Haha)
GG says:
Nov 21, 2013
Gee wiz. Thanks a lot, Mommasita. 😉
Aracna says:
Nov 28, 2013
I don’t think it makes you a bad pagan. I think it’s a problem when it keeps you from enjoying the rest or when it becomes too much, but we’re humans and humans are material creatures. Plus I think we should not forget how material affects our psyche. I don’t feel the same without a good shave and (well, I’m a boy, and I know it’s weird, but) there are few things that cheer me up more than putting on a whole bunch of eye-shadows and powders on my face; to create something on it the best I can. I think appearances are a language and a useful one. When you dress-up a certain way, you not only speak to others, you speak to yourself as well. I like the way it’s really me I see in a mirror after putting on make-up. Otherwise, it feels like . . . not completely me. A part of me is unseen, unheard and wants to speak. Which is probably why I tend to love make-up so much. Things come out of when I put it on. It liberates something. Acknowledging it and using it doesn’t make me a bad pagan. (I even think that since witchcraft is a lot about finding yourself and working with yourself and you connection with the universe, it makes me a good witch!)
I do advise though, to pagan buying lots on make-up or clothes, to be careful as much as they can regarding how they dispose of the purchases and to try a more earth-friendly version when it is given. And also to try to see how they can limit them. I mean . . . seven bathing suits when you swim twice a year is not only a loss of money, it’s also asking too much from Gaia.
GG says:
Nov 29, 2013
Welcome to the Realm, Aracna! “I think appearances are a language…” I love this statement, and I agree with you. It’s reminiscent of this quote, although this is tongue-in-cheek:
Mark Twain — “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.”
And your final point is well taken. I am thoughtful about my groceries, my dining-out choices, and my facial products (I use Arbonne), but I haven’t been good about considering the environmental consequences of my clothing purchases. I will start thinking about that, too!