Pagan and Plain, Revisited
by Ruby Sara
This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown, or to any man or number of men-go freely with powerful uneducated persons, and with the young, and with the mothers or families-re-examine all you have been told in school or church or in any book, and dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem, and have the richest fluency, not only in its words, but in the silent lines of its lips and face, and between the lashes of your eyes, and in every motion and joint of your body. -Walt Whitman
Slainte, best beloveds! The world is ablaze with sunlight today – blinding and brilliant. It may still be freezing, but I welcome my brother-sister sun with an almost hysterical enthusiasm – hello I love you I love you, I say to that brilliant golden coin in the aching blue! Stick around, stick around! I noticed just the other day that it was just a weensy bit lighter than usual at 4:45p, and my heart lifted. Imbolc is coming (already!), and the seed of spring glory in the depth of winter is upon us – candles and flame in the night. I am on fire with yearning for crocuses. But…. I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. There is much to grok in the deep freeze of January yet. There is still the hiss and click of the phlegmatic radiator, the blankets over the windows, the smell of coffee in the dark eventide. It is still a meditation season.
Pagani, once upon a time during PG’s first incarnation, I wrote a post that hesitantly waxed rhapsodic about my thoughts on whether Paganism and plain living were compatible with each other. Well, it’s been a few years, and that little, nigh contentless musing has received more attention than any other post I’ve ever written, apparently from those with similar yearnings typing some combination of “pagan” and “plain life” into their google searches. The original post has received a number of comments, prompted various folks to share some fascinating testimonies, and has popped up in some really interesting and unusual places, as small pockets of the Pagani explore their strange and heretofore thought to be singular desire to simplify their lives, and/or radically reduce/rethink their wardrobe.
Clearly, something is going on.
Now, as these are Pagans we’re talking about, there are invariably a number of reasons why someone might have these interests, and a number of angles to Plain Living. And, as I am one of those Pagani who has had this inclination, and it seems to grow more and more interesting with each passing year, I thought it was high time I should explore some of my own thoughts surrounding the issue of Pagan Plain dress and Plain living here in a bit more detail. A note of warning, however: Just in the writing of this post I spent a few days in serious contemplation and exploration on the internet, and have found that there is so much more to this issue than I could ever explore in one post, so forgive me if I don’t do the whole tamale justice this first time around, or if my musings lack in elegance – this is a powerful subject for me.
Let’s being with the reason most on my mind as a Pagan considering the Plain life: the matter of ecology and justice. For those of us practicing a religiosity that is born of a sense of being centered on the Earth, of making the Mama paramount, and of establishing authentic relationship with the myriad Other, choosing a lifestyle in accordance with these theologies is naturally logical. I won’t rehash the statistics – the plain fact is that for those of us living in countries of excess and privilege such as America, the prime directive is that of the consumer, a directive that has had and continues to have disastrous implications for the planet and for the communities who produce the goods we consume, as well as those who consume them, and while many among the Pagani have made it a part of their lives to fight against this earth-destroying, rights-denying and soul-killing worldview, we cannot deny our culpability as well. Rampant consumerism is no less present among the Pagani – as many have noted, our “community centers” are primarily shops (though, as the market plays itself out in its predictably killing way, these shops are rapidly closing, and we Pagani have better start thinking of alternatives in terms of gathering places before we turn into a religion of virtual worshipers who meet IRL once or twice a year at festivals…why I think this is not the ideal is the subject of a future post), and we make up an entire niche market, with our jewelry/costumery/statuary/ritual tools. But there is a thriving anti-materialist conversation among the Pagani, and there are many who have implemented or are considering implementing a more ecologically viable and justice-oriented life, conducting personal ecological and ethical audits, and making lifestyle changes that may not save the world by themselves, but will contribute to the hoped-for worldview shift that will. These kinds of choices include making changes to our diets that involve less processed foods, buying sweatshop free clothes or making our own clothes from natural and organic materials, composting our waste, using less silly gadgetry, cutting down on our reliance on electricity, participating in communal entertainment such as storytelling and group singing, and, of course, simply buying less stuff. It can be argued that some of these choices are not necessarily “simple,” depending on your definition of that term, but in my mind, any action that brings a person more in concert with the Mama, that brings hir closer to a way of life that suggests a harmony that we may have once possessed, and can possess again, is an action worth pursuing, and one that will engender a simplicity of spirit, the peace that comes of living a life in accordance with authentic relationship and true value.*
Second, there is the matter of aesthetics and practicality. The longing for a simpler way is often an aesthetic one. We are bombarded in every waking moment now with advertising and the invasive laser of modern technology. Yes, I’m biased. It’s true that I myself am something of a luddite (a hypocritical, blogging luddite…yep), and have strong beliefs about television, the internet, MP3 players, video games, and other technologies that I believe have consequences for us as communal animals, but even beyond the politics of luddism, there is, for some, a deeper yearning towards the (yes, perhaps sometimes romanticized) simple life – a life of clean lines and organic matter. Real food, made by real hands – the authenticity of grounded experience. A white bowl filled with deep, night-purple plums. Homespun vs. plastics. Handmade vs. processed. There is something to be said for craft, for work – another seeming contradiction, that the thing that requires more work is the thing that is simpler. And the practicality angle – that it requires less ridiculous amounts of money and effort to wear simple clothing. To feel like you’ve made a vote away from hassle and cultural expectations of beauty towards something that is timeless and rich. This is a hard aspect to define, as aesthetics tend to be, but as Pagans are by nature an extremely aesthetics-focused group, I believe this has much to do with it.
And third, there is the matter of witness. There can be no doubt that in choosing a certain kind of Plain dress (i.e. simple cotton dresses/shifts, solid colors, aprons, headcoverings), anybody still participating in the dominant cultural world (as opposed to living in separatist communities) is making a countercultural choice, and will draw attention to themselves for it (another fun contradiction – that the goal of being plain is perhaps made obsolete by the excess attention “plain” dress evokes from the panopticon). Even those who do not choose this kind of Plain dress but radically reduce their wardrobe and make radical choices about their manner of clothing will receive some attention for it. Thus it becomes a matter of making a statement. For some, that statement is about obedience to God or Biblical strictures – for others, it is a statement about sweatshop conditions and ecology. But this witness element cannot be ignored.
There is, also, the matter of gender, which is enormous and also cannot be ignored. The very fact that the vast majority of conversations surrounding plain dress on the internet are being had by women, and that almost all the web sites devoted to plain dress are comprised solely of clothing for women and girls…not to mention the controversial subject of headcovering and the Pagans who are finding veiling/covering to be a path that fits them…well, doveys, these topics demand a more thorough investigation…..so much so that I feel they deserve their own post, so I will be addressing them later.
Of course there are other reasons I have not addressed, but these few are a good start in parsing my own personal reasons for finding plain dress and plain living to be extremely attractive. Suffice to say, in light of the above, I believe that a testimony of Plain Living and Plain Dress is absolutely compatible with Pagan ecopolythea/ologies.
So I soldier weirdly even on…the compulsion towards simple dress/lifestyle gripping me on a regular basis, stemming from a combination of the principles outlined above, and in response I have been reducing my wardrobe in the past few months, taking tiny baby steps towards my vision of a simpler life. I am not anywhere close to what could be construed as plain dress, but I am asking questions of myself, and getting some interesting answers. The winter wind tugs at my shoestrings…what will the year bring? Whose side am I on? What would I give? I am unsure – I make small vows and light candles and ask the spirits for direction. I pray.
Yes. The things I am sure about:
Grok Earth, Pagani. Pray without ceasing.
*ETA: Thalia brings up an excellent point – these actions that I specifically listed are choices that involve privilege, and I do not mean to imply that those unable to make these choices are less spiritual/ethical/moral/close to the Mama. Ever. Actions that lead one closer to the Mama are myriad and manifold, and cannot and should not be subject to hierarchy.
Hmmm. Something about ‘plain living’ does not, personally, smell right to me. One has to have a fair amount of privilege to even consider it, paradoxically enough. Just as one example: the desire to eliminate processed foods from one’s diet is going to be pretty much unattainable if you are poor and on food stamps, since processed foods offer the most bang for the buck, calorie-wise. And then when it’s expressed as coming out of ethical or moral concerns, the implied corollary is that those who can’t manage it are unethical or immoral. And that’s no good. Not that you’re saying that, I don’t think; but I’ve seen an awful lot of similar arguments that did make those assumptions (for example about eating organic food).
Also I am very very leery of anything that seems to me to be rooted in Christian ideas. Perhaps it can be adapted; I don’t know. But for me, I’d like to get away from that way of framing things, because I find it incompatible on a root level with my own (variety of) Pagan beliefs. And so when you use words like ‘testimony’ and ‘witness’ my own impulse is to just say *no thanks.* Paganism that uses the language of Christianity is not Paganism for me.
I can see the attraction in living with the seasons in a hands-in-the-earth kind of way: in spring digging up the garden and planting seeds, in summer dyeing wool and growing vegetables, in autumn harvesting and canning, and in winter spinning wool and knitting. But that requires an energy I don’t think I’ll ever have, though I keep thinking one of these years I will; and that also completely ignores the part about my being an artist. We need luxury time, we artists, or no art gets created. I cannot spend every waking hour taking the long way round to get the basic necessities.
This idea is a button-pusher for me, it’s true. I figure that since I grew up poor–no hot water, inadequate heat, bare minimum of food–that I’ve already done the plain living thing. To death. So I’m kind of over it, honestly.
I also wonder about the idea of the individual really having that much of an impact. I’m with Derrick Jensen in thinking it’s purposeful misdirection by the ones who are making most of the mess. When most of the pollution and environmental damage is caused by corporations, it gets to looking like my concentrating on what *I* can do differently is not only a waste of time, but is in fact a deliberate tactic by the real perpetrators to keep them off the hook.
So no, obviously plain living is not for me. I think for me it comes down to being just too Christian an idea. That to me is just not compatible with Paganism. I am working very hard to get all that sort of thinking out of my brain and my religion. I would like to be able to look at the world with my shoulders relaxed, from a place where I know in my bones that I am good.
Thalia,
1) Your art is amazing. I’m about three seconds from getting “Stella Maris” tattooed on my side.
2) I do not understand your anti-Christian views. You say: “So no, obviously plain living is not for me. I think for me it comes down to being just too Christian an idea.” What does this even mean, “just too Christian an idea”? By this logic, love and mercy and forgiveness and charity are to be thrown out as well, being that some Christians at some times have said these words in connection to their religiosity.
Sure, when Ruby Sara and others use the phrase or phrases like “Plain dress,” they are referring to a lifestyle choice “designed” as it were by various Christian groups in the US; but, given that you seem to be a long-time reader of RS’s, it surprises me that you are reacting quite angrily to this history while seeming to miss the point, which is that RS’s reasons for and approach to plain dress resemble the choices concerning clothing that you yourself have made.
It’s true, there have been a lot of terrible things done in the name of Christianity, and I can see why anyone might feel the way you seem to feel; however, let me just say that I’ve had a little experience at being poor, too, and that during those times it was Christians who came to the door with food, Christians who housed us when we were on the run from abuse, and Christians who made sure that we had everything that we needed. So, let us not speak of “Christianity” but of Christianities, many of which are quite vibrant, embodied, and feminist; and let us take heed of Ruby Sara’s message, which might be that certain elements of language and life used by some Christians might be relevant for the furthering of modern Paganism.
Yes I have noticed both the title and the URL of this blog, and I am familiar with Ruby Sara’s views. But she wondered aloud if Plain Living were compatible with Paganism. I said I didn’t see how it could be since in my mind (*in my mind*) the roots of Christianity weren’t compatible with the roots of Paganism. And by roots I mean things like original sin, guilt, and shame. To my mind, if it grows out of guilt and an acceptance of one’s own wickedness you can be as defensively charitable as you like, but it’s coming from the wrong place. I mean on a practical level action is key, of course, so it doesn’t matter to the recipient if one does right by them out of guilt or joy. But we are talking about this in the abstract, and in that context the roots do matter.
I cannot myself get past the ‘terrible things done in the name of Christianity.’ Period. For me, and again I emphasize, *for me,* Christianity lost its right to the benefit of the doubt a very long time ago. On the whole, and even counting in all the myriad (and exceptional) Christianities, yes, on the whole, I find that way of thinking poisonous. For me. For me, the baby died long ago, and the bathwater is foul. Give the poor thing a proper burial, and wash the tub out with Clorox. Understand, I don’t say any of that as an insult, or even with malice: just as far as I can tell, on balance, Christianity does not seem to me to have been a force for good, not for the Earth and certainly not for the women of the Earth. And so I reject it, in much the same way an abused woman might finally refuse to give her abuser a fourth, fifth, and sixth chance. I’m done. I have the right.
I don’t mean to start a religious war here, certainly, and I understand and am familiar with Ruby Sara’s point of view regarding Christian practices. But she asked (or at least I understand her to have asked; this is a blog with comments enabled) what we thought about the idea of adapting a practice rooted in Christian thought to Paganism. And I said, that for me, no, I couldn’t really see it working. For me.
Wow! I am late to this conversation – and late, in general, to comment on many of Ms. Sara’s brilliant musings. I am feeling moved by my spirit to speak up here about one particular item mentioned by you, Thalia. RE: Derrick Jensen’s notion of personal action as a distraction – while I like Mr. Jensen, I have always found that particular assertion to be problematic on multiple levels. Despite its initial appearance, it lacks a deep and thoughtful power analysis by portraying one group’s actions as wholly impactful and anothers completely as the opposite. It is reminiscent of a victim/perpetrator paradigm. In addition, it completely discounts the relevance of personal moral and ethical reflection and living and the development of ones soul, spirit, and legacy. It denies the transformative power of example and deprives folks of the full and mystical experience of a daily examination of conscience. While I do believe that the notion of “personal responsibility” tends toward Western individualism, living a moral and ethical life of deep examination and engagement is radicalizing. Radical movements are composed of radicalized people. Anyway, that is a bit off topic, so please do forgive the distraction. Great discussion!
Slavery; war; the oppression of women; the denial of women’s votes, rights, or concept of soul; the exploitation of religiously based fear to get power; capitalism; the exploitation of natural resources; the degradation of humans and other living things, often justified by religious custom and/or interpretations of scripture… All done by pre-Christian societies.
One of the brilliant things about being human is that we get to shape our relationship with the Divine and with history. Just as early Quakers looked at what you call the “roots” of Christianity and point out that they’re actually all about human efforts to create and maintain power structures rather than live “in the Spirit”, and therefore reject the concept of laity and create a community that expected each person to engage directly with Spirit and take responsibility for testing out their UPGs through meditation and prayer, reading of scriptures, and through honest discussion with Friends chosen for their integrity and wisdom about how these insights or messages hold up to the lenses of the Testimonies (which are agreed upon within individual Meetings and in the Yearly Meeting organisations, but generally revolve around truth, peace, equality, and integrity) to see if they are likely to be “leadings” (genuine spiritual messages or callings to individuals or entire communities) or “notions” (deeply held ideas which seem to emanate from the individual rather than the Light, and not necessarily less important/real/true, but which the Meeting may decide not to support), we modern Pagans can decide to work directly with the gods/ancestors/spirits and not necessarily adhere to ancient beliefs or customs we feel insult human (or other) dignity and/or the Divine.
There’s a lot of work that Christians need to do, and that we need to do on that as Pagans, too. Taking responsibility for our own ways of engaging with Spirit without blaming someone or something else is hard, and I find it slips away from me often. We have a culture that encourages us to blame external agencies for our own emotional/behavioural entanglements and does its best to make it hard to differentiate between what we do have power to change in ourselves and what we don’t. So I keep falling down and picking myself back up again (often, I have a good wallow first).
The older I get, the more Pagan I find Jesus. He seems to play well with my household gods. Not something I thought I’d ever be comfy with, but it’s just whatever works, and whatever gets me closer to Fine.
Funny, isn’t it, how you’ve read these pieces on plain dressing and seen shame and guilt, and I’ve read them and seen liberation and joy. I bet we’re both onto something.
Hey Thalia!
Lots of people have said that you can’t eat well on food stamps, and one woman in North Carolina said to herself, “That can’t be right” and set out to prove it. She has shown that you can eat healthy food, even organic food, spending only what you get allotted if you are on food stamps. Her website can be found here: http://www.cookforgood.com/
Additionally, many local farmer’s markets have made arrangements to take EBT cards (food stamps) and some have gotten grants so they can actually double the money…you get $2 of farmer’s market tokens for every $1 of EBT money.
This is a great website, Sara – thanks for the link!
RS
Hi Thalia,
I do not have the time I’d like at the moment to respond to your thoughtful and thorough comments, but I do want to thank you for them and make a couple of quick points.
Your point about privilege is well made, and I would never imply that those who were not able to choose organics or to make certain choices would be less ethical or moral than others. Ever. And if I did here, I apologize, for that was not my intent. I do not think that it means, however, that those in privileged positions shouldn’t ask themselves what they can do (I want to address your point about Derrick Jensen/individual efforts in a later response). I also thank you for your point about the dangers of falling into a glorification of poverty as some spiritual ideal in postulating a rhetoric of simplicity. That certainly is not my intent either. Poverty and voluntary simplicity are very different things, and you are absolutely correct to point out that there are issues of privilege involved in the conversation.
Your other excellent and interesting arguments regarding Derrick Jensen’s ideas on individual efforts in the ecological movement as well as the use of Christian language in a Pagan context warrant further response, and I will do so as soon as I am able.
Thank you again! You know I value your thoughts.
-RS
I know you do.
I didn’t think you were saying (or implying) that not living simply is less moral, no. It’s just that I’ve seen that argument (again, e.g. eating organic foods) slip into judgemental attitudes all too easily. So it tends to make me narrow my eyes a little. Also I’m left wondering now (in purely philosophical fashion) if doing something for ethical reasons and being public about it (which is what dressing plainly would be) does not automatically and inevitably imply a judgement about those who do not. I wonder if it is possible to have one without the other.
I’m trying to figure out why the ideas in your post are raising my hackles so. Enough that I am having a hard time just saying, ‘Well that’s nice. It’s not for me, but whatever.’ Like I said, having grown up poor, this is pushing a lot of buttons and getting my defenses inflamed. Another part of it (another button) is that I naturally dislike simplicity. In my art and my surroundings I crave detail, color, richness, pattern, ornament, and, yes, decoration (obscenity that that word was in art school), and find the term *horror vacui,* with its implication that ornament is pathological, to be unbelievably arrogant.
And the richness of it all is why I, personally, am Pagan.
But that’s me, obviously.
It’s just I read your post and I hear all these little whispered *shouldn’ts*; all these little judgements being made. Not by you, I don’t think, I should add, probably more the Christian roots of the idea.
I should say that I probably already dress a version of ‘plainly’ myself; I wear what is comfortable, I don’t do sexy (because it is problematic for me as a feminist), and I do not wear name brands or clothes with obvious brand names on them, because I absolutely refuse to be an advertisement. (I won’t even set foot in Old Navy stores.)
So I don’t know. Something in the idea of dressing plainly as a spiritual practice is making me deeply uneasy. I’m not sure what. But I have found that this particular variety of deep unease in me tends to be, first of all, deeper than my defenses, and second, usually comes down to an unkindness in the practice or assumptions being made.
Cripes, I just realized–then there’s the whole issue that dressing plainly, in so far as it means wearing a cotton dress and an apron (i.e. a somewhat old-fashioned look) is actually appropriation. It doesn’t really make much difference that the dress is calico as opposed to plain broadcloth, that style is patterned after the Amish, isn’t it? We don’t have the right to just go taking that.
The style was pretty much the norm in this neck of the English woods until after WWII. If you dressed that way round here, people would just assume you were part of a Morris dance side.
Aprons are good. I wear one many times a day, so that I can garden and cook and lug things around without mucking up my clothes.
The Amish don’t have a monopoly on that ye olde fashionede look – they just decided to stick with what was going on fashion-wise in their time, and much of that was heavily influenced by the Quaker testimony to plain dress (criticised roundly by some Quakers when it became a source of pride and setting apart rather than a testimony to the alternatives to exploitative labour practices and social expectations) as well as others. Who jumped on whose bandwagon, historically speaking?
You know, I have been mulling some very similar ideas around in my head lately and have been considering blogging about intentional community and eco-conscious living very soon, so I’m very happy to read your thoughts here! Maybe it’s just something in the air or stars right now.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about things like headcovering and plain dress. And I think that perhaps like Thalia, I get hung up on ideas of appropriating Amish custom and my mind snaps immediately into those ideas of female oppression those of us in the west associate (however rightly or wrongly in some cases) with head covering.
I don’t think plain dress has to point to aprons and button up cotton dresses modeled after the Amish style. One of the things I love about Pagans is their beautiful color and self expression. What makes clothing plain? Is it what it looks like or can we take plain to mean a bigger idea of being conscious of our footprints – paring down our clothing, buying second hand, recycling, making our clothing, wearing clothes made from eco friendly materials, etc?
I hope that makes sense. lol
Thank you for giving me so much to chew on in my morning blog reading. I always look forward to your posts because I know it will be good brain food.
I’m going to agree with Lyon here, on the concept of “plain” clothing. Homemade, homespun, etc, yes. FTW. Save money, save sweatshop labor, put your own blood sweat and tears into it. But. Just because it’s made in a “simpler” fashion, does that mean we have to follow the Amish creed of plain black and blue? The creative spirit of humanity cries out to be celebrated. There are methods for natural dyes of more interesting colors. Embroidery, interest, something to show JOY. Something to express the love of beauty in the world. Plain in base construction, but filled with light and love and creativity! *shrugs*
Also, big big fan of sustainable living. This year will be my first composting, gardening, etc.
So long as it’s your *own* blood, sweat, and tears. As a craftswoman, I love the idea of homemade, homespun, naturally dyed things (don’t get me going on the unbelievably gorgeous colors you can get with natural dyes). But. Homemade, homespun, naturally dyed, embroidered stuff? Is women’s work, traditionally.
Now it’s one thing if it’s an individual woman choosing to do these things, for herself. But when we get into a whole family or community going ‘back to nature’? Time and time again that results in an exponential increase in the amount of work *women* are expected to do, without a corresponding increase in what men are expected to do. The labor-saving inventions of the 20th century have really freed up women’s time. So if plain living assumes women going back to a life of indentured servitude, no thanks.
Well, and, what’s wrong with me exchanging what I do well with someone who dyes and embroiders well? And, as noted above, hand-dyed, organic cotton with exquisite folk embroidery is expensive. When I was a starving teacher/single mom/student, what I could afford was polyester from JC Penny’s. Making a woman who can’t afford anything else feel as if she’s not “really” Pagan is just goofy.
I’m a better lawyer than I am dye-mistress. Why can’t I trade what I do for what the dye-mistress does?
This post made me think of something else, actually.
Environmentalism is something I see as truly Pagan. I wonder why Pagans, the Pagani, Paganites, aren’t the leaders of the environmental movement. I’ve written about this subject on a number of occasions but me thinks I may have to write on it again.
Thank you for the thought provocating essay.
Thank you all for your rich comments and provocative thoughts! I think there are several very potent and important issues that have come up here, and I admit to feeling a bit overwhelmed by the desire to address them all! LOL. I wanted to say thank you here, and after pondering these responses, I want to address several of these points in a whole other post. I am really grateful for this conversation!
-RS
This is what you shall do:
I’m going to agree with Thalia, I find xianity irredeemable, at least for me. And it’s things like “This is what you shall do,” that drive me away. It’s so different from “An it harm none, do as you will.” Someone (and, trust me, the someone is almost always male, privileged, etc.) gets to tell everyone else what they “shall” (I’m a lawyer, so I note that it’s “shall,” not “may”) do. No thank you. Even when the “thou shalts” sound nice and liberal, and appear to differ from xianity’s usual “thou shalt nots”. Mr. Whitman wants to do those things, he’s welcome to do them and I wish him all the poetry of his own flesh that he can find. Mr. Whitman doesn’t get to tell me what I “shall do.”
And third, there is the matter of witness.
Not for me, there isn’t. My choices are my choices. I don’t presume to tell others what religious and aesthetic choices they should make. One of the things I love about Wicca is its refusal to prostelytize. The word “witness” is, for me, forever tainted by it’s xian use, which, in practice means, “we’ll ask you nicely, once, and then we’ll just shove our beliefs down everyone else’s throat.”
I’m not sure how dressing in what I consider Amish dress is congruent with Pagan principles. I say everyone should dress as she likes, but that “cover up, don’t draw attention to yourself, wear an apron” (an apron? for Goddess sake!) stuff creeps me out. How is an apron “plain” when I go into my office or hang out with my friends? It’s of no practical use, at all. What’s wrong with revealing clothing, bright colors, the comfort and practicality of slacks or jeans? I don’t live in the 1800s, nor do I live out on the prairie. Like most Pagans in America, I live in the city and in the 21st Century. It seems to me that “plain dress” in the 21st Century is a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, not some archaic and sexist cotton dress. If that’s what someone wants to wear, she should go for it, but it’s not far from saying that such dress is “closer to our values” (and I don’t agree that it is) to those “thou shalts” that I find so unPagan and so offensively, patriarchially xian. And I’ll be more receptive once we’ve had several hundred years of telling men that they should wear stuff that makes them look weird and covers them up and imposes all kinds of old-fashioned requirements on them. Because as Ruby Sara points out, when people talk about “plain dress” what they really mean is “cover up the women’s bodies and force the women to wear stuff that has to be ironed.”
I’m all for reducing my carbon footprint, doing what I can to live gently upon the Earth, etc. I’ve blogged before about the problem I see in the Pagan community with people who think they have a spiritual practice because they keep buying more tarot decks and polymer statues of the Goddess. But as Thalia points out, Jensen’s correct: focusing all our attention on what “we” can do, when most oil is used by the military and when our patterns of travel and consumption are very largely defined by large corporations, including agribusiness, is a way to distract us so that we don’t tear down the military industrial complex.
Love your blog, Ruby Sara and thanks for the thought-provoking post and discussion.
I guess I’m wondering if one can transplant the idea of plain dress without also bringing the roots of the practice along. Reading your posts, Ruby Sara, and the links you’ve provided, it seems the reasons people opt for plain dress are things like humility, obedience to God, or being called by God. Being called to do something, okay, I get that; but obedience and humility? And as Hecate said, I have a hard time imagining that the root of the practice, in its original Christian setting, does not involve the idea of woman as sin, whose body must be covered up so that she is ‘modest’ and ‘humble.’ (And obviously and publicly ‘humbled,’ I might add.) Can it be separated from that? I don’t know. But if you find yourself doing verbal gymnastics to make the idea of say ‘humility’ work within a Pagan setting, then it probably isn’t a match.
My old high priestess used to talk about a desire to be ‘cloistered’; in other words to remove from the world and just be able to concentrate on spiritual practices, in a setting with others doing the same. Now that is of course a Christian term, but I knew what she meant, since there is currently no Pagan equivalent, no college of priestesses.
Ruby Sara: when you say plain dress, is part of that a longing for a nun’s habit? Is that different?
Musing about all of this, I’m reminded of the debate that often sweeps the Pagan community about Pagans who like to dress up for ritual. I don’t know that anyone thinks that RenFaire dress is “more in line with Pagan values” than other clothing and tries to impose it on others. In fact, those who love to dress up in a modern version of Renaissance wear are often chastised by those in the Pagan community who want to be “taken seriously.” (Whereupon Coyote, trickster, usually shows up.) So maybe Pagan Renfaire, Goth, other oddball dress is the other side of the coin from dressing up like Michelle Duggar. The difference, IMHO, is that such dress celebrates the body, the desire for fun, the chance to move into “sacred” space (as if there were any other), rather than serving as abnegation. If we all went skyclad (as a sign that we be free in our rites), it would be so much simpler, if not chillier, wouldn’t it?
Folks,
I think there are a number of conversations going on here. There is a lot to reply to and comment on, and I am really grateful for the angles and thoughts presented in order to look at this from different directions. I am currently trying to organize my thoughts into a cohesive reply that addresses the question of cultural appropriation, the danger of shame/body hatred (something I’ve written about in other posts), the implications of “witness” (both the word and the idea of ‘making a statement’ / agendas / etc.), the efficacy and worth of individual effort (i.e. Derrick Jensen’s theory of misdirection), and the *enormous* subject of gender and patriarchy’s role in the concept of plain dress/living and whether it can be separated from it (which encompasses the conversation of woman’s work, the nature of women’s bodies, the concept of humility, etc)…..a subject so huge that I said in the original post above that I was saving it for a whole other mess of grappling. And all this is not to mention the whole other bevy of thoughts I have about the idea of Christian ideas/concepts/language in a Pagan context. Please be patient with me as I try to parse through all of this here over the next few weeks – I think it’s a really interesting conversation.
Some clarifications I feel I’d like to make right away:
1. Right now this conversation is happening on a purely theoretical level for me – the question is whether I think it’s possible that an approach to simple/plain dress/living is compatible with my understandings of Pagan theologies (which are, obviously, as I perceive them), and it in no way indicates that I think choosing plain living (no matter what that may mean) is some kind of morally, spiritually or ethically superior choice, or that anyone *should* adopt it. I think there are, already, those out there who feel called to this on some level and for a wide variety of reasons/explanations/justifications, and this is my own personal wrestling with it, and my first conclusion is that it can be compatible. But, my conclusions are my own, in reference to my practice. Now, don’t get me wrong, I *do* have opinions about theology, and the kind of earth-loving community I’d like to be a part of, and there are things that I even might go so far as to say that I think are True, but this isn’t one of them. This is a lifestyle choice, and has a variety of implications theologically and culturally that I’d like to explore, but I do not believe, for a minute, that this is some kind of great, True way, the superior way, the Way, etc. etc. I’m probably repeating myself.
2. When I speak of “plain dress,” and ponder its expression among the Pagani, I am not assuming that this dress will/could/should emulate the plain dress of Amish/Mennonite/Quaker communities. I may have inadvertently implied this when I briefly mentioned aprons/bonnets, etc. The few folks I’ve encountered who are both Pagan and pursuing something akin to “plain” or simple dress have developed their own interpretation of this according to their Pagan beliefs and aesthetics. I will probably touch on this some more when I flesh out my thoughts about whether adopting some kind of plain dress is an act of cultural appropriation, but I want to at least make it clear that I imagine that the implementation of such a lifestyle choice among the Pagani would look very different, even from person to person. I’ve no inclination to give up jeans, for instance. Is skyclad the ultimate plain dress? Maybe!
3. Good conversation with passionate people can be difficult, but also rich as chocolate cake. I’m down with cake.
Peace out,
RS
Yes, Ms. Sara, please do comment of Derrick Jensen’s theory of misdirection and the value of individual efforts, because I find that particular theory to be not only in direct opposition with my personal experience but dismissive and lacking spiritual engagement (I am pressuring you – jk). Also, several folks have expressed discomfort with the idea of “witness” as well as a rejection of your idea of Plain Dress as implicitly judgmental. I just want to take the opportunity to draw a parallel from my own experience. I am vegan (as you know). I can’t even begin to tally the number of people who, over the years, have been personally offended by the simple matter of how I choose to run my diet (and express my spirituality). These people feel that I am judging them with my actions and choices. They have argued that the judgment is implicit. To that I say: good. Feel judged. Use that as an opportunity to get in touch with your unconscious and examine your own ideas and values around food. My point is that making a choice outside the norm, such as Plain Dress, will get in people’s faces (as a matter of fact, I am feeling judged right now!!). I think that’s good. The trick is to continuously interrogate yourself, and your motivations, to make sure that your expression remains authentic and honest.
I think I should clarify the following sentence,
“Also, several folks have expressed discomfort with the idea of “witness” as well as a rejection of your idea of Plain Dress as implicitly judgmental.”
That is to say, that other folks expressed that they felt like the public act of Plain Dress is implicitly judgmental.
This *is* an excellent conversation. For my part I am also musing (fancy that, given my name) out loud. There is no hurry, and I dearly hope you are not feeling pressured to answer us or come up with something. I will be interested to hear what you see when the waters clear and everything settles out for you. But that takes time and stillness, so.
And yes, cake!
So, this post about Plain Dress reminds me of the riot grrrl (3 rs, people) movement. I remember ripping off the bottom of my tank top and writing “SLUT” in lipstick on my stomach – ahhh, I miss those days. The post reminds me of the riot grrrl movement because Plain Dress seems to me like a way for people, especially women, who may feel oppressed and devalued by the culture’s understanding of them as explicitly ornamental, to reclaim themselves as instrumental, too. I think Le Tigre says it well:
“Stop thief, you can’t steal the way I fuckin felt when I got up today.
Well I guess you’re the judge.
I guess you’re the king of the forever beauty pagent I’m always in.”
I think that Plain Dress, in the Pagan context, has the potential to liberate, radicalize, and inspire.
I think you/we need to formulate what Plain Dress might mean in a Pagan (or in my case, pantheist) context. Since Paganism is life-affirming and sexuality-affirming, the aim is clearly not to cover or obscure the sexual bits, unless it was to enhance mystique.
As a feminist, I don’t like the kind of clothing that makes me look like a sex object; but I do like clothing that honours my body. As a third-wave (queer) feminist, I don’t like clothing that emphasises my gender. So, I very rarely wear skirts; I mostly wear trousers.
I don’t have a problem with patterned clothing or artificial fabrics; I do have a problem with clothing that has been unethically produced (either through sweat-shop labour or doing harm to the environment). I think excess ornament (e.g. frills) is not aesthetically pleasing, but there’s no particular ideology in my choice, it’s just a matter of taste (I remember the 1970s, the decade of style disaster).
I dress the way I do because I want to be seen as an intelligent human being, basically.
Wow-people are so passionate about how we all choose to clothe ourselves. This is fascinating.
Some time ago I changed the way I dress for a time, and recently have returned to dressing that way again because it feels like me. I wear long,simple cotton dresses that I make myself, and I usually wear aprons. I’m not a lawyer so I don’t have to worry about looking odd in the office among the suits. I’m an artist and a homesteader. Some weeks I don’t even make a trip in to town. For me dresses are easy to sew (I don’t do zippers), and apron keep the dresses cleaner longer. Aprons are also useful for carrying seed packets, harvested vegetables, a clutch of eggs, a dozen tiny chicks or whatever I may need to transport from one place to another.
Back when I first decided to dress more simply and to separate myself from the fashion/sweatshop industry I chose to make dresses because I like the look and the swish of them, and because I was a religious studies student and attended an number of different churches, religious practice centers and such where women in pants would have been seen as disrespectful. I couldn’t think of anywhere I might go that wearing a long dress would be unacceptable, and I wanted to have just one type of clothes for everything I do, not separate wardrobes for each activity.
Is my wearing long dresses and aprons an appropriation of another religion’s practices? It doesn’t feel like it to me. My mother, aunts, grandmothers and great grandmothers all wore dresses and aprons, and they were of many different religions or none at all. The women of my family were dressing more or less in this way before the Amish adopted their now traditional style of dress, so I don’t see how my doing it now is “appropriation” of Amish practice any more than my lighting candles when it gets dark is appropriating a Jewish practice.
In my case, sewing comes easily to me, so this was a logical way for me to simplify my life. It doesn’t mean I think everyone should do it. Years ago when I homeschooled my kids people would be strangely defensive around me when they learned I homeschooled. A typical conversation would be like this:
Perfect Stranger,”I hear you are a homeschooler?”
Me,”Yes..”
Perf Str. “Well I just think that’s wrong/crazy/dangerous/blah, blah, blah…And Besides–I Could Never Do That!”
After a few of these conversations, in which I could seldom get a word in edgewise, I gave up and just let people vent. Usually they’d talk themselves out of their own arguments in time. It’s like in reprimanding me they got a chance to think things through, and come to their own solution. Often they were feeling defensive about not homeschooling their own kids. I have never in my life told anyone they should homeschool…..people mostly assumed that because I was doing it I must think it was The One and Only Way.
Nope. I’m half a century old….pretty sure by now there is No one and only way. The great thing about that is it sets me free from having to police anyone’s life but my own. The down side is when someone comes to me looking for a definitive answer on anything I can’t give it to them. But I can listen while they rant a bit, and sometimes the answer comes from within them.
Life is Good.
[...] of fascinating testimonies, conversations and comments have come up there. In January of 2010 I revisited the subject on my blog, musing a bit further about whether plain/simple dress could be considered compatible [...]