The Spiritual Significance of Hoods

Wearing a hood may seem like a new fashion trend lately mostly by tweens or hipsters and adults alike, but the fact is wearing a type of head cover either  a hood, a cap or a turban during spiritual rituals or meditation or while performing magic by pagans is a very old tradition. It not only exists in pagan religions, but also in one form or another, in all the world’s religions from Buddhism to Islam, from Christianity to Shamanism.

During the middle ages, hoods were used for covering one’s identity. It was a way for many women to escape the unjust rules of dogmatic religion that sacrificed and burned them. Depending on their color, hoods signify different things. As a black cape with a hood oftentimes symbolizes a sinister being, a white cape with a white hood signifies purity, virginity, red has more of a sexual awakening meaning, so on and so forth.

What makes caps and hoods spiritual? How are they helping us connect with Higher Powers and Spirits? Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why they are.

1. They create spiritual emotion

We practice rituals not because they are rules of a religion or any other spiritual practice but because they are a medium for us to build a connection with the Universe or in religious cases, with God. Wearing a cap, or a head cover helps one get into the emotional state of spiritual practice and creates some sort of connection through energies and vibrations. It is also a symbol of taking one’s practice seriously in certain cases. Many people who practice meditation state that they use hoods of certain shapes and colors depending on what they are trying to achieve and what kind of energy they are trying to connect with.

2. Each fabric and shape has its own vibration

When we wear hoods in different shapes of animals, or made with different types of fabrics, we are attracting and reflecting a certain energy message from and to the Universe. That is why nowadays spirit hoods are very popular because each animal shape corresponds to a different psychological and spiritual state. So when you prepare to wear one, do a good research and find out what each of them represent. For example, a wrinkle or a certain shape on the cloth attracts certain waves from the atmosphere.

3. They help increase our intuition

One of the ways we increase our intuition is through regular practice of meditation or prayer. We perceive spiritual vibrations from fabrics and other materials, therefore what we use as a hood is very important to understand what kind of vibration we will receive. Colors, shapes and patterns are also portals to the spiritual world and to our intuition and advanced levels of sixth sense too.

4. We protect ourselves from negative energy

If we choose the appropriate hoods that carry positive and healing energies then we will be able to protect ourselves from negative energy as well. If we wear hoods that attract negative energy, we might not be able to protect ourselves from bad vibrations. This is one of the reasons why we need to do our research and pick our hoods wisely before we buy one or make one. Silk and cotton are mostly used in hoods to help attract positive vibes from the atmosphere. On the other hand, materials like artificial fibres, nylons, polyester or terylene have the power to soak up the negative vibrations. White, yellow, blue are among the positive colors as opposed to black, attracting stress and negativity. When a hood is dirty, it attracts more negativity and when it is clean it attracts positivity. There are so many little details like this we need to pay attention to.

5. They help us reach freedom

Just like they attract positive and negative energies, they also help us get to a certain state of being by giving us the strength and encouragement we need to get there. For example wolf is the symbol of freedom among other things. If you choose a spirit hood with a wolf shape, then you will be able to connect with the certain kind of energy that will bring freedom to your life. Because remember, the shape, the color and the material of the hood greatly matter when it comes to spiritual energies.

6. They help us change and get to the next level

There are many times in our lives where we feel stuck and in need of a change that will carry us to the next stage of our lives. Meditation is one form of realizing our current state and it helps us declutter our minds to see the alternate routes to get to the next level but using a hood while meditating and during times we are not meditating, would keep us closer to our target. Going back to creating the required emotional state, the kind of hood we will wear will determine, by keeping us awake and alert how smoothly and quickly we will get there.

There are certain animals considered highly powerful in symbolizing spiritual powers. The five most popular ones are:

–wolves: symbolize intuition, instincts, intelligence and freedom

–owls: symbolize wisdom, intuition, higher powers and all-seeing eye

–bears: symbolize strength and self-confidence, leadership, healing powers and solitude

–hawks: symbolize spirit world,  high focus and attention for detail, clear vision, self-sufficiency

–foxes: symbolize increased awareness, physical and mental strength, ability to survive.

Originally appeared on ISoulScience
By L.J. Vanier