90 Days Under Cover
My journey with veiling as a form of mental and spiritual protection.
Earlier this year, I decided to conduct an experiment for myself. I had heard and seen a lot about veiling as a religious and spiritual practice and had always been drawn to the idea. I couldn’t fully explain what it was that piqued my interest but when I would see folks I follow online veiling or talking about their practice there was a little part of me that was like “ouuu. yes I like that.”
So in February of this year, I set myself a challenge to veil every day for a month. That month turned into three and has now become a daily ritual that has increased my self confidence, created a renewed sense of safety in my body, and overall improved my quality of life. This is my journey of going under cover.
What is Veiling?
Veiling is, overarchingly, the practice of covering your head, face, and/or hair. There are dozens of different religions or cultures that have specific practices or rituals around the use of veils. All major Abrahamic religions have some traditions of veiling built in to their practices, the most notable being the wearing of a hijab in Islam. Veils are also seen in pagan spiritual practices depending on the deity a person works with.
Veils serve many different functions, with modesty and protection being two commonly cited reasons for adopting a veil. In fact, the tradition of the bride wearing a veil on her wedding day has roots in both functions. In Ancient Rome and Greece, veils were seen as a way to ward off evil sprits that were said to target the bride. In more conservative branches of Catholicism, veils help to cover the bride’s shoulders and in some sects of Judaism, veils help to ensure that the groom is marrying the correct person (which is a fascinating tradition with a fascinating origin, I’ll admit).
In more modern, spiritual corners of the world and internet, veiling is used as a way to offer protection from unwanted energy getting in and for keeping a person’s energy from being leeched without consent. It can also be used to focus energy during magick practices, signify a devotion to a deity/saint, or be used as a part of a glamour ritual.
There are as many reasons to veil as their are people who veil and each person’s choice is personal and significant to them. As long as it’s done with respect at the center, there is no “wrong” way to practice veiling. The more I learned about it, the more fascinated I became and the stronger the pull toward it got. By February, I decided to take the leap and give it a try.
The First 30 Days
I made the decision to veil for 30 days (well…I guess technically 28 since I was planning to do the month of February) for a few reasons.
The first was that I had been thinking and thinking about it for so long (honestly years at this point) that I figured it was time to stop thinking and start doing. So at the beginning of the year, I decided that I would cover my head in some fashion anytime I left the house for the entire month of February. Why did I choose February? Great question, I’d love to tell you.
It was winter so covering my head seemed more innocuous
February is a short month that felt easier to commit to
It lined up with the Lenten season this year which felt like a good omen to my cradle Catholic heart
And why did I choose to do this for an entire month? Mostly because I wanted to see if there were real benefits that I could notice. Day to day, there are so many factors that might make you feel better or worse. A month felt like a good amount of time to be able to notice any changes while factoring in the daily variables of living life.
I remember the first day so vividly because I made the decision to do this on like January 28th. My husband and I went out to the Verizon store on Feb 1 to ask about changing over our phone plans. Halfway there, I realized it was February and I should be covering my head with something. All I had was a giant fuzzy scarf and so that became my head covering for the day. Did I look ridiculous? Probably. But I didn’t want to start off the month with an “oh I’ll just start tomorrow” and so we improvised.
Over that first month, I started wearing something on my head anytime I was leaving the house. Headbands, particularly the stretchy ones, were my most common veil in the early days as that’s what I had access to. I did have a few fashion scarves that I was able to utilize as well, wearing them like a long fabric headband.
I didn’t tell anyone that I was doing this. I really wanted this experience to just be for me and I didn’t want outside influence impacting how I felt. If I’m honest, though, I really thought people were going to judge or think it was dumb and I was worried I would be dissuaded. So I quietly donned my veils and took notice of how I was feeling.
From Experiment to Experience
After about a month of veiling, it became very ingrained in my morning routine. When the month was up, I felt good. I liked the practice of visualizing the protection as I put my veil on and I noticed I felt better moving through my day. Most notably, other peoples’ moods seemed to have less of an impact on me and I felt slightly sharper throughout the day…less foggy.
In fact, I liked my new ritual so much, I figured “why not go for another month?!” And so March began and my veils came with me. I started looking for new scarves, headbands, and bandanas that I could add into my collection in order to offer more variety and of course, to match my outfits. Hunting for fun veils became a fun activity and discovering them in a thrift shop was like treasure hunting.
As time went on, life also went on and there were times that I couldn’t find a way to incorporate a veil into my outfit for the day. I joined a few online groups to see how other people were veiling and learned more about non-traditional veils. The intention of the head covering was what gave the protection more than the garment itself. That was when I realized that this was something I could really continue doing for a long time. I started incorporating hats and braids as a way to continue the protection ritual while still feeling aligned with my aesthetic.
From February to the end of May, I think there were only 2 or 3 days that I left the house without a veil of some kind. Once by accident, twice by design. Having had the experience of veiling for over 2 months, I started experimenting with how I felt without one so I could compare/contrast. I’ll go more into my observations later but since I’m still veiling nearly every day, it’s safe to say I preferred how I felt with it on.
When I started veiling, the main thing that gave me pause was worrying how people would react. Would they think it was weird? Make fun of me? Would I have to explain myself and defend my choices? Weirdly…no one seemed to notice. In fact, it wasn’t until early June that my mom (who I see nearly every day) finally asked about them. And I honestly chalk that up to how I was wearing the veil that day (it was much more of a “veil” than a headband. See below.) It probably would have taken her a lot longer to ask otherwise.
I mentioned this to a friend who very kindly reminded me that people don’t think about me nearly as much as I think they do. Which honestly, I needed to hear. It can be so easy to not do something because we make up stories about how other people will perceive us when in reality we are far less noticed than we think. And the people who have asked since have all been very receptive and actually find it kind of cool.
So why not do the thing that makes us happy?
Beyond the Veil
It’s been almost 6 months since I started my veiling journey and I think it’s safe to say that I love it. Almost every day, for 6 months, I’ve engaged in a protection ritual that involves covering my head with something to guard my energy. Here are some of the main benefits that I’ve noticed when I veil intentionally:
I feel more confident. I feel better able to speak up, share my ideas, defend my position, all with grace and conviction
I generally have more energy. I don’t hit a 2pm slump as easily and spending time with emotional vampires doesn’t feel as taxing
I like the way I look. Something about the veil makes me feel more at home in my skin and I love playing around with new ways of wearing them. Double bonus for not having to do/worry about my hair as much.
I get less headaches (psychosomatic? Maybe but I’ll take it) and I feel like my intrusive thoughts have less impact/are easier to dismiss
It’s a simple way to incorporate mindfulness into my morning. Selecting the VOTD (veil of the day), setting the intention for it, putting it on, have all become a part of my morning ritual that starts my day off on a positive note
I have built up quite a collection of veils that I’ve imbibed with protective energies and the intention of keeping me safe, happy, and healthy throughout my day. I am no longer concerned with what anyone thinks of them because I truly love how I feel. I’ve found ways to incorporate “non-traditional” veils on days when it makes sense and that has made the process feel much more accessible to me.
Because my practice isn’t tied to a specific religion or deity, it’s up to me to decide the rules and parameters. I don’t veil because I need to. I veil because I want to. I do it to amplify my power and energy and prevent it from being taken from me. I do it to add mindfulness into my day and fun into my outfits. I do it because it makes me happy.
Veiling is an act of respect for myself. I do it with pride, intention, and love.
Is this a forever thing? Time will tell! For now, I can’t see myself stopping any time soon. For me, the benefits are too good to pass up. If you’ve been thinking about starting any kind of self-care or protection ritual (maybe even veiling!), let this be your sign to start. Engaging in actions that make you feel safe, confident, and more aligned to your true self are never a mistake. Approach it with respect and curiosity. You might just learn something!
