my question was regarding wiccan, and spirtualitly. is it a religious symbol in any way to have long black hair? i mean does it have significant value in any way pretaining to those religions or any other religion. besides it being a personal choice, from a religious stand point would it be something that could be put into religious prespective. my delema is that i have choosen to grow my hair long as as a means of seperation. my work place is basically forcing me to cut it and i dont want to. as of now i follow the spiritual path with wiccan beliefs and practices. i do consider myself a wiccan spiritualist, sounds crazy but thats what i consider myself. so based on that is there any religious grounds that says they cant make me cut my hair?
I’m sorry to say that there is no religious significance to long hair in the Wiccan faith.
Is there a reason your employers are demanding that you cut your hair? (Like is it a food preparation job or something hat they are requiring for sanitary reasons?)Â If there is not a health-related reason that they are making you cut your hair, perhaps you could talk with your supevisor about alternatives that do not involve cutting your hair.
For example, some employers will allow you to pull your hair back in a ponytail, so long as it is not in your face, or where it under a hat during work hours. If it is a matter of public health, you may be able to wear a hairnet. They are not particularly attractive, but it makes a good alternative to being forced to cut your hair.
In addition, you should chck you employee handbook to make certain that there is soemthing in the handbook which requires hair to be a certain length. Some employers try to discriminate and say that men can only have their hair to their collar and make no restrictions about the length of women’s hair. You should investigate your state’s labor laws to see if they even have the right to tell you how long your hair can be. In most places, unless it is a health issue, they may not have any right to demand that your hair is shorter.
actually while the base wiccan faith does not require long hair for men or women there are many wiccan/pagan practitioners who believe that long natural hair is a proper religious observance. This is part of the beauty of our faith, its individuality, therefore it is natural and right for a person to defend their right to long locks in the name of their faith.
While there is no requirement for a wiccan to do anything to single her/hisself out publically (clothing, jewelry, make-up or whatever), there are some advantages to long hair. There are quite a few folkloric stories and traditions that quite clearly indicate that long unbound hair is a conduit for magical energies. The Egyptians, a people of deep magical tradition, believed that a woman’s hair bestowed blessings on those touched by it and that it was a symbol of vitality (especially if there were no lice in it). The Egyptians wore wigs alot, but natural hair was valued for its magical properties. A coming mother unbound her hair for childbirth; horse’s hair was braided and hung by the door to keep out unwanted energies; there are plenty more. The Viking women kept their hair long as a badge of purity (not necessarily virginity). It was said that the female Oracles of Delphi would unwind their hair before psychic work. And there is that story about Samson – yeah, its in the bible, but that doesn’t mean its not applicable here as alot of those stories were reflections of beliefs of the times. When I was growing up, I was told by my christian friends that it was best to cut my hair after my first child was born so that A) the kid wouldn’t yank it all out and B)that I have given up my power to my husband. OK now, I can pretty much tell you that didn’t sit well with me. My great grandmother kept her hair long all her life because she said it made her work easier.
So, there is plenty out there which indicates the magical application of long hair, but no “requirements” from the wiccan standpoint. From a a legal standpoint, your employer would have a really hard argument in court to justify requiring you cut your hair, if it is kept clean and can be put up in such a way as to prevent a health hazard. One thing, you didn’t mention whether you had dreads (there is a healthy history of magical folklore around dreadlocks too). I’ve known a few dread wearers that wore them as a fashion statement but had no idea how to properly care for them or watch for problems. Dreads must be checked by a professional or someone who is knowledgeable about lice and other parasites which can cause health problems occasionally, as it is physically impossible to do this right yourself.