Do you believe your hair contains 'power' or 'magic'?

[Freki]

This post is inspired by the question about growing hair for religious reasons and a discussion on another forum I'm a member of...

In some folklore, stories, and traditions hair is believed to contain power or strength, and it's believed that if it's cut it can weaken a person... or that it has to be cut carefully (such as during a waxing or full moon).

There is also the belief that our hair grows long for a reason, much like a cats whiskers, and can help us to sense things.

Does anyone here believe this? Even if in just a psychological way (for example losing confidence after getting a haircut)?

I'm interested to hear everyone's opinions and thoughts on this subject!

[Ravenwind]

I think hair is powerful, not really in a supernatural way, but it defines you as a person.

[skydancer7]

I voted "no, its just hair"... but then I remembered how aweful and un-attractive I felt with a pixie!! So I let it have power over me, at least... in a way.

[sun-kissed]

I believe it's got just about as much power as a person's eyes.. meaning, it says a lot about you and helps difine who you are. But I don't believe it's magic or anything. Hair is hair, it grows, you cut it, and it still grows again.

[christine1989]

There is also the belief that our hair grows long for a reason, much like a cats whiskers, and can help us to sense things.

Well that certainly explains why my cat is so clumsy! Her whiskers are so short and stubby! ;)

[reneemichelle]

Hair has the ability to persuade perspective in way that it can create or alter the image we ourselves see in the mirror, expect others to see, and what others do see as a complete outside perspective. I would not go as far as saying it has any magic powers (hmm... well maybe a good hair day feels a magical event! ha). It is interesting to look at past customs surrounding hair and the importance we humans give to it. Long beautiful hair is a sign of health and thus fertility, so I'm sure the process of natural selection influenced customs which see hair in a magic way.

[PrincessBob]

Most of the magic is that it s something that is a part of me. My confidence reflects in my hair and back onto myself. My joy reflects in my hair and back onto myself. Likewise, when I am ill, it reflects in my hair.

[JamieLeigh]

I believe in cheese. :cheese: (other than that...I think it's just hair, and I like the way PrincessBob put it. :p)

[BranwenWolf]

I have felt my intuition and self-confidence grow as my hair grows out again (I went from almost knee-length to shoulder when I was 17).
I guess some of it is power of perception like others have listed- people perceive me as one of the earthy pagan types (though I am not pagan, I am really earthy :) ) so when I tell them about communicating with animals or going to the woods to pray...they just expect me to be the odd one, haha.

[Brige vonin]

My hair was powerful but now my hair are weak.i have hair fall problem and i have loosed so many hair already.kindly give me some ideas to get ride of this problem.i don't want to lose my hair.I want to make my hair strong and healthy.Reply soon.

[NaiadOreiad]

i use magic on my hair and fill it with power, so yes it has power in it.

[Ishje]

when I read the thread title I got an image in my head of a superwoman with long strong hair that fights crime and cuddles puppy's XD

I guess I have to take the cheese option on this one.

[Signe]

Hair certainly is powerful...look at the following it has garnered on here! If it weren't powerful, this would be a skincare forum or something.

Magical, I wish. *sigh*

[CrystalStar]

I think it has an influence on peoples opinion, but other than that I've never thought of too much to it. :)

[jasper]

No, and I don't think my toenails contain power either.

[Venefica]

I am an occultist and I believe that every one of our body parts have power in them, they are not just parts of our body, but have their own symbolism and Energy which influences us and others, and that includes our hair. Also most Spiritual aspects of our being also have a physical component. Hair stands symbolically for among other things strength and virility beauty and also modesty, and all of this is also represented physically, one need to be strong and healthy to grow good hair, in most cultures hair is considered beautiful and like the Christians say hair do provide a natural veil. You can determine allot about a person just by looking at their hair, and in fact there is a medical procedure which is becoming more and more accepted in mainstream medical circles which is called hair analysis where hair is chemically tested and can actually tell you about everything you do right or wrong with your nutrition and what vitamins, minerals and so on you need more of, have to much of or have just enough of. Spiritually to hair becomes like a aura or a halo around us and it can say allot about a person.

I think hair can also be used as a occult tool, doing magick with hair, tying knots into one's hair might be a very powerful form of knot magick that then ties directly into your life force. Brushing warm hair over someone can be used for healing magick, and hair have been used for ages to tie an object to a person through sympathetic magick like with for example the oh so stereotypical Voodoo doll. The possibilities for using hair for magick is endless.

In a way you can say that hair is a image on how the life force or Chi inside a person is doing, just like an aura would be but visible for everyone who know what to look for. Yes I think hair is magickal.

[vanity_acefake]

There have been studies done on cats whiskers and they have been found to vibrate according to certain objects (ie mice near by) thus suggesting that cats "dowse" with their whiskers.
In magic it is believed by some that long hair can pick up people's energy/moods making the ling haired person more attuned to other people's emotional states.
So yes I think hair is magic.

[Lippytoes]

Like anything that I put a lot of effort into and care for, I think my hair has power and "magic" of sorts, if only in that having long hair makes me feel more confident and beautiful, and hence powerful.

[Venefica]

In magic it is believed by some that long hair can pick up people's energy/moods making the ling haired person more attuned to other people's emotional states.
So yes I think hair is magic.

I did not know this, do you have any idea about how this happens? What the theory behind it is?

[vanity_acefake]

It was Doreen Valiante (the mother of modern Witchcraft) who I first read suggesting this. Your hair is supposedly like an antenna, picking up different vibrations. The longer the hair, the more vibrations you attune to.

[proo]

I never knew before LHC that my hair is pretty, not ugly
that I don't need to fight with it, I can let it be
that it can be very easy to style and enjoyable to manage
that I love my hair.

This has accompanied a profound life situation change for the better
so for me hair has downright transformative.

[QueenJoey]

when I read the thread title I got an image in my head of a superwoman with long strong hair that fights crime and cuddles puppy's XD

Oh my goodness, me too!

The original reason I wanted to grow my hair long was because I had just seen Tangled and it was soooo cool how much she could do with her hair, and it was still beautiful. But I don't think my hair has magic or power. I sing all the time, and if it was magic, it would be growing like crazy!:p

[Freki]

I find it interesting that in Kirlian photography, hair also seems to put off an electromagnetic field.

[Jeni]

Nah, its just hair. Its pretty, annoying, a pain in the ass, etc, but not magic (to me).

[Safira]

Of course hair has/is magical. Not that my hair would cast spells, but it has life force, it is part of me, and I identify myself with my hair.

:magic::magic:

Some magic for every day :)

[Jezerellica]

My long hair makes me feel beautiful. Since I have self esteem issues, I will call that magic I need right now. :D I have aways said I felt like Sampson about my hair, but in a joking way. The above post about the electromagnetic field is VERY interesting. If hair is a dead substance, how is this possible...:confused:

[Eolan]

Nah, it's just hair to me. I do love it, but it is i no way magical or powerful in a supernatural sense. I do however strongly believe in the magic of cheese! :cheese:

[drquartz1970]

I don't know if having longer hair makes me feel more powerful or special but I do know that my self esteem and inner peace has improved a lot and I feel more masculine and more my own person with longer hair then I ever did with shorter hair. I also think having longer hair makes me feel freer and more in tune with the natural order of things and a spiritual connection with tribal peoples and having the natural appearance of what the creator meant me to look like. I do identify with aspects of the Sikh religion without being a Sikh myself. Also the time taken to grow and cultivate a head of long hair does involve for me making an effort to eat healthy food, and practice hair care routines. Looking after your own hair as well as you can is a labour of love which I think improves self-esteem and pride in your own appearance and a journey of discovery along the way.

[AngryVikingGirl]

Enough to think of the magic it makes when you look at it...But yes, I associate it with power and beauty.

[silverjen]

Looking after your own hair as well as you can is a labour of love which I think improves self-esteem and pride in your own appearance and a journey of discovery along the way.

Beautifully put. You said it much better than I ever could. I try to treat my hair as a practice in patience, with mixed success.

[maysum]

I think it only has the power we ascribe to it - i.e. if you don't cut it for religous reasons, and start thinking of your hair as a symbol of your faith - then yes, it has a personal power and I'm sure cutting it would have some effect - either a loss of personal stregth a la Samson or perhaps a release and freedom or whatever

But does my hair have power? No. Maybe it is just too short though ... a few more inches and I'll start teaching it how to do simple card tricks.

[Viscountess]

I find it an interesting correlation that spells of binding and power in old Gypsy magick, and in Voodun traditions involve hair and fingernail clippings or bodily excretions - the same parts of our body commonly collected for DNA samples.

Here I was at work, going through some DNA reports on a file and it struck me..... the same articles collected for investigative/probitave purposes were collected centuries ago for magickal purposes!

[maysum]

I find it an interesting correlation that spells of binding and power in old Gypsy magick, and in Voodun traditions involve hair and fingernail clippings or bodily excretions - the same parts of our body commonly collected for DNA samples.

Here I was at work, going through some DNA reports on a file and it struck me..... the same articles collected for investigative/probitave purposes were collected centuries ago for magickal purposes!

I may be wrong, but surely that's just because they are (compartively) easily accessible? One cannot chop of a finger without someone noticing, but clippings/excretions can be 'collected'.

As for DNA - at crime scenes the things that tend to be left behind (other than the red stuff) are excretions (burglars), hair (shedding) and nails (torn off in scuffles etc).

[Viscountess]

I think that for both purposes (magical and DNA collection under warrant) the ease of accessibility is the sole deciding factor. Mouth swabs, hair samples are the most common way to collect DNA as per warrant. Hair is tough to get DNA from unless you get the follicle too. If not, you're stuck with only getting one side of the DNA chain - the maternal side.

Crime scenes have a tough job - they have to sift through a lot of stuff and so much of it is invisible to the naked eye. Ephelial cells are commonly collected too - as well as sweat.

[maysum]

Hair is tough to get DNA from unless you get the follicle too. If not, you're stuck with only getting one side of the DNA chain - the maternal side.

Interesting! thanks

[Tuntenut]

I never knew before LHC that my hair is pretty, not ugly
that I don't need to fight with it, I can let it be
that it can be very easy to style and enjoyable to manage
that I love my hair.

This has accompanied a profound life situation change for the better
so for me hair has downright transformative.

I just wanted to say that I think that was very beautifully put, proo. It sounds like your hair journey has been a magnificent one. :)

Very beautifully put, proo. It seems that many cultures and individuals associate transformation and change. A lot of people choose to cut their hair when they have overcome adversity, or let it grow either to express grief as a symbol of positive change. I saw a very interesting documentary once about a tribe of people (around middle-Asia I think) who believed that the soul of a child was in the hair, and that it slowly went into the body after birth. So if a child had their hair cut before age 3, they would lose some of their soul. When they did turn 3, they had thair hair cut to symbolize their final transition from the spirit world to the human world.

As for my own answer, I answered yes. I definitely believe that hair has power. Just by being aware of it and caring for it, we imbue it with power and it becomes part of our conciousness. I certainly believe that my hair has power. I consider it an outwards manifestation of everything I love about myself. I only wear my hair down around close friends because I feel I give too much of myself away by leaving it down around strangers.

My hair is a symbol of my vanity, my patience, my pride, my dedication. A symbol of all the love and energy I have invested in my pledge to make myself the best, most beautiful creature I can be.

[ifthemoonsmiled]

Oh! This is an absolutely wonderful thread!

I tend to think everything is at least a little magical, & hair is extremely magical. That's one of the reasons I want to grow mine long. I'm loving reading everyone else's responses to this; they are beautifully explained.

In the middle ages they believed that a woman could cause thunderstorms by brushing her hair too vigorously. I love the idea of magically-charged hair affecting the weather like that. :)

[Amber_Maiden]

I don't know... I guess it could... attract men that is... :)

[Jeno86]

I don't think it carries a power of it's own but as a practicing witch I can tell you that magick done with hair or some part of the body (nails, blood, and so on) can be very powerful. When I cast, I often use my own hair to "seal" the spell.

[tinti]

I believe that it defines a person, and it kinda gives an impression of a persons personality. And hair can definetly make you feel bad/good, it can make you self concious, and if you like your hair(cut) it might give you confidence, and vice versa.

[spigette]

I think that hair is just hair, but that we invest it with a kind of magic because of the way it makes us feel.

It can be a symbol of endurance, feminine mystery, strength, perseverance and patience over time, health, beauty, creativity, power. It's loss conveys illness, tragedy, sacrifice, but also rebellion, survival, strength to endure and starting over fresh.

All of us here love hair, let's face it. It has a very specific and powerful influence over each of us. How is that different from magic? Maybe it isn't.... or maybe that is merely semantics...... :)

[feralnature]

I am a different person with long hair. It changes my universe. If my universe is changed, then does not it change others that it comes into contact with?

Also, when my hair is short, I lose my mojo.

[Kumiko033]

Yes I think hair holds some sort of instinct.
It's what we attract men with aswell, seperates us yet connects us all.
plus it's true, I do feel ugly with a pixie and more beautiful and confidant with longer hair.
Some people are simply blessed with a face shape and features that can handle shor thair but personaly i think most of us still love long hair unless there has been a trauma or the time-issue

[MomOf2Gremlins]

No, it's just hair. While I love the look of long hair and look forward to getting to a BSL myself, I know, I rocked my pixie cut too when I was younger and felt great. Hair can definitely make you feel a certain way, but ultimately it's you who decides how to feel about it.:)

[SC]

Voted Yes, I do.Well I believe that my hair gives me strength. I don't feel comfortable with short hair because it can't be on a up do (flexi8, ficcare, hair sticks, like with those). I love it when my hair is up, when I know that it's safe from things. I get a lot courage out of my hair, it defines me sort of.

[Henrietta]

I voted for "It's just hair". Which doesn't mean I don't care about and of it at all the other levels. I just don't believe it has any powers. But I'd still kill ;) someone for cutting it.

[Zesty]

I don't think my hair has any sort of religious or mystical power, but it means something on a semi-spiritual (I'm an atheist, but "spiritual" is pretty much the best word for the feeling) level. Growing my hair out for me is part of accepting myself as I naturally am, and not trying to fix everything about my body all the time. It's a sort of representation of patience, inner calm, and a rejection of outside influences/convention. Not that I'm that way all the time, but at a deeper level my hair is part of me striving for that. So it's not exactly "just hair," and it's not just there for vanity's sake, but I don't think it's magical either.

[AlleyKitten]

My hair is part of my body, so it contains magic the same way the rest of me does -- and it certainly has a sympathetic connection to me, even once it's shed. I don't think it has any special power that the rest of me doesn't, though I can see how someone might deliberately (or unconsciously) imbue power into their hair, or tie up some part of themself in it.

[Diamond.Eyes]

There are a lot of myths surrounding women with red hair. Mostly stating that they are vampires, witches, demons etc. I can proudly say I am not a creature of the night...though it does sound like a pretty good time :p! So in conclusion, I have red hair and it's not magical. :(

[PixxieStix]

I voted "yes", not because I hold any belief of mystical powers or anything like that, but I do believe that many people place a great deal of "mental" investment into their hair, they use it to help define who they are. I've been anywhere from bald to waist, and while I never was anyone other than "me" the entire time (I would still dress up and wear my high heels with chandelier earrings out to the night club, but still bald) and it never stopped me from having a good time being me. I do however feel it is "more me" to have long hair. It makes me feel pampered in a way, more loving towards myself because it is another aspect of "me" to pamper. ^.^

[AlabasterAlice]

I believe I like having my hair long. But I do not believe it holds any power at all (besides causing me to want to spend lots of money on hair toys and oils and whatnot).

I used to believe in Kirilan photography but after some digging I ceased to believe. One particular link is here: http://www.skepdic.com/kirlian.html

But all in all, I believe strongly in cheese. :3

[PlainLight]

I've heard of people who believe their long hair has healing/protective powers over their family!

As for me, I don't believe my hair has any power of its own. But in Christianity, it's a symbol of power that holds great meaning for me.

[PaganPriestess]

I voted yes I do. I don't know about everyone else, but I feel more magical with long hair, and that's enough for me.

[honeydippedxo]

Yes I totally believe hair contains power, a connection to the spiritual realm. I don't believe that anything natural is "just" anything. To me, all things by nature have a deeper meaning, a deeper purpose in this world than what most seem to believe and that we are all connected. C:

[PaganPriestess]

Yes I totally believe hair contains power, a connection to the spiritual realm. I don't believe that anything natural is "just" anything. To me, all things by nature have a deeper meaning, a deeper purpose in this world than what most seem to believe and that we are all connected. C:

Well said!

[Venefica]

Diamond in old Slavic folklorre you would be a high risk candidate for vampirism, most did not think a red haired person where a vampire when alive but that when they died they would become vampires or at least have a high risk of being so.

I just though I mention a few magickal practices involving hair, there are many more but just a few.

One of the most common form of dowsing in earlier times involved a woman taking of her wedding ring, threading it on a hair and holding it over a pregnant belly to divine the gender of the child.

Another method would be using hair for knot magick, now normally in knot magick you would leave the knots in a string or something like that, but for some just the making of the knots is enough and that can be done with a lock of hair.

Many Pagan chants and ideas put hair down as a symbol of fire. So that in ritual you can use your hair to represent the element of fire and all things associated with it.

I could have come up with more information and details here but I hope you excuse me, I have just gotten up and have not had my morning cup of tea yet so my head do not work properly yet.

[HazyMoon]

Enough to think of the magic it makes when you look at it...But yes, I associate it with power and beauty.

I chose magic because of power and beauty...nothing more scientific, just looks and feels magical.

[kaiakai]

I voted "I'm not sure". However.. there is something very personal about it. I remember once doing some research on selling my hair, and I got so creeped out by some of the posts on whatever forums I ended up on that I realized that I could never sell it.

I'm still holding onto a couple of bags of my old dreadlocks because I don't know what to do with them. It feels weird to just throw them away.

I guess it seems like there is some energy in the hair, or at least memories of whatnot that are linked to the hair.

[clairenewcastle]

In a nutshell - no.

[Changling]

I believe all hair contains a sort of magic. For one thing, it's very symbolic - many people may have similar hair, but it is truly unique. No two people have EXACTLY the same hair. So it represents you, in that way. Also, the length and style are used to define yourself: when you get a haircut or color or whatever that you don't like, you feel so out of sorts it's almost like you aren't even YOU anymore. Lastly, if you have long hair, you've put years of patience and care and love into your hair. Cut off a little lock of that and sew it into the lining of your beloved's jacket, and that person is bound to be protected by that level of devotion. It's like telling the universe - this person is protected by one such as I, with such long hair. Better not mess with him/her.

[GuinevereMay]

For me, my hair is dedicated to my Goddess. I bathe my hair in the moonlight and have sacrificed six inches to Her. So, short answer- yes, I believe there is magic in my hair.

[Ramille]

Yes, I believe hair is magical. I think having long hair increases your magnetism. (the antenna idea). In the Thule society (pre WWII Germany) the women often wore their hair very long for this purpose.
I only wear my hair down if I am with my dh. It's like having a secret you only want to share with loved ones. Otherwise I wear it up or in a high ponytail.

[Avital88]

haha yes mine have the power to strangle men.. hehe

jk.. well i believe in the power of nature, and hair is a part of that,i cant cut it, because then i believe i will loose something.. what that something exactly is i cant name..i do know that i feel saver with long hair so in some way its protecting me:)

[kaiakai]

I only wear my hair down if I am with my dh. It's like having a secret you only want to share with loved ones. Otherwise I wear it up or in a high ponytail.

I have grown increasingly uncomfortable wearing my hair down in public. I used to wear it down all the time (when I was a teen). Not so much anymore, though I can tolerate ponytails/pigtails occasionally.

[kaiakai]

haha yes mine have the power to strangle men.. hehe



heeheehee :)

[einna]

I´m not sure. Probably not in an actual sort ot way (but who knows, I try to be open), but in a symbolic way -yes.

[AcornMystic]

I consider myself a very spiritual person, but hair is just hair to me, on a biological level. However, I do believe the power hair can have over a person, psychologically, and I think that is how the superstition started. It is a vicious cycle and group psychology overpowered people's common sense and so they allowed themselves to be weakened over something as simple as severing a string of dead cells.

The poll question though I answered before I even read the post since I believe our hair is nothing more than dead cells grown to keep the human head warm and since the human brain, being so complex, requires such amounts of heat it is ideal that the hair simply continues to grow to great lengths.

Long hair was also probably something that was very desirable throughout the ages and so those who had long hair found mates and therefore descendants had a longer capacity for terminal length. It's just a theory, but it makes more sense than it being magical.

I try to stay away from superstition, even though I have a crazy imagination and love to day dream and think about all these fanciful otherworldly things, because as Stevie Wonder sings,
"When you believe in things that you don't understand,
Then you suffer,
Superstition ain't the way"

P.S. I believe in cheese!:cheese:

[KahRistAhn]

Uhh, no. I definitely would like it if my hair had magical powers, though!

[Helene]

I believe it depends---I don’t think there is a definitive answer to the questions. Some hair at sometimes may hold power, while not all hair all the time have power.

[Mommyof4]

I believe hair must have some sort of connection to the human spirit, mind or heart. We are all members of a website devoted to hair, so it must be a pretty big deal. I feel a sense of loss when my hair is shorter than BSL.. I struggle with depression more often when my hair is short. My hair comforts me and gives me a sense of well-being. I don't believe hair is "magical" but I do believe it is very important to many people in their own way.

[Soltimus]

I don't think hair has any magical abilities, but it has been my experience that people with very long hair seem to have a certain personality trait that I don't find in everyone. They seem to be more independent and strong-minded, (maybe even a bit on the sensitive side?) but I guess you need those qualities if you have to ignore people who don't agree with them being different from the grey masses due to the way they chose to treat their hair.

[ktani]

I voted yes but I need to qualify that.

Does my hair have magic? No.

Does it have power? It has in the past - the power to drive me to distraction, lol.

I feel better and feel that I look better with long hair and that has been reinforced by others in my life. However, I also suit short hair and I feel I look good with my hair up too, which simulates short hair.

[RiotPrrl]

I don't really believe that hair contains 'magic' or 'power', but who knows? Anything is possible ;)
I do however believe there is a psychological component to it all, and you may feel better yourself and be more confident if your hair is a particular style. That confidence is then reflected outwards, and so on.
In short: your hair is the way you want it -> you're happy -> you put out happiness into the universe :D

Anyway, I voted for cheese :cheese:
... because cheese is magic (also, I'm really craving cheese).

[kidari]

I'm not quite sure about magical, although I'm open to seeing how it can be, but I do believe hair can be powerful. My hair has the power to make my day amazing if it looks good that day and it has the power to make me incredibly upset if it's cut poorly or severely damaged. Also, if I'm going through something traumatic I tend to have a history of chopping off all my hair. I feel like it's a very defiant act and it gives me control to cut off a lot of bad memories or negative energies. It also gives me an opportunity to take a fresh start.

[domisimone]

I'm growing and taking care of my hair for religious reasons. I only cut it during the waxing moon and pray every time I wash it.

[Ticky]

No, I don't. For me, it is just hair.

[Navi]

I voted no. But I do think that hair, especially for women, has a great deal of psychological significance. To lose your hair can be devastating, for a woman. "It's just hair" until you suffer a health problem that has an adverse effect on your hair, and then (in terms of your self-esteem and femininity) its not just hair.

[Elizabeth]

I voted “Don’t know” because I think the answer depends on how you interpret the question, as some others have pointed out. I don’t believe it has magical powers, but it does have power in terms of what it means to me and how others see me.

I’ve worn my hair Sinead O’Conner short to a bit longer than it is now and there is definitely a difference. Not just in how I feel, but how people react to me. Personally, I feel more feminine and more powerful with longer hair. I like the sensuality of it and that it is uncommon (outside of LHC). What I find most interesting is the strong (sadly often negative) reaction so many women have to women with long hair, especially as they age. Not sure what that’s all about, but it is certainly powerful stuff.

[gratitudinous]

I am of the persuasion that we are all 'magic', so it stands to reason that hair, being a part of us, is magic as well. :) I personally think that hair is a kind of antenna, and makes me more attuned to energies, so the more hair there is, the more magic it is! :D

[GrowingGlory]

I don't think that hair CONTAINS MAGIC, exactly, but there is spiritual power associated with it and, of course, worldly power.

[melusine963]

No magic whatsoever in mine. It's just hair, and not particularly good quality either.

[Hairzzzz]

I know for a fact that my hair was personally responsible for 7 of the 8 Randracor miracles.

*Please note that no such thing exists and I am just looking for attention*

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Nope. Hair is just hair. But obviously it holds an attraction for people - we have this website after all.

But there are matters of confidence, self - esteem etc. involved in hair. People generally prefer to have hair rather than not.

Does hair have magical powers? No. But it's nice and fun to have around.:)

[CircesButterfly]

I believe hair has magic and power. I think it has the ability to influence other people's opinions of you as well as how you perceive yourself. I do think hair is magical and I feel it grows differently depending on the moon. For me personally, I feel more connected to the moon because I have long hair. I feel it helps with self confidence and one's beauty - I also think it adds an air of mystery about the person. And I feel the person represents their air of mystery by choosing the hairtoys they put in their hair. I do believe in folklore, when I was a kid I read alot of books about the effects of one's appearance and it has on people. Was always swayed and interested in learning the mystery about how one looks and how other people perceive the person in these folklore books. But it wasn't until my adult years that I decided to grow my hair out and felt it gave a different kind of power and magic compared to short hair. Ever since growing my hair out, it;s helped me to learn more about myself and to be comfortable with comments from people who either comment on it for the color or comment on it for the curls. It has really opened my eyes as to how people respond to having long hair. I think for me thus far it has been a a positive experience.

This might be the weirdest thing to say but ever since I've decided to grow my hair long, I've noticed people around me pay attention to what I buy off the shelf and I catch them reaching for the same product. It's like they won;t decide to buy it first without me reaching for it and buying it. I've had many women ask my opinion on makeup and what colors to wear and I have actually seen women change their mind about the color they want to color their hair once I reach for the red dye box. LOL And these include women form other countries.

[SkyChild]

I know for a fact that my hair was personally responsible for 7 of the 8 Randracor miracles.

*Please note that no such thing exists and I am just looking for attention*

This made me laugh. I can see where people could see hair as magic, containing people's strength etc. I don't believe it's magic but agree with the comments along the lines of changing peoples' perceptions of you and in that way it can seem magic or powerful.

[Audhumla]

I don't know, I think it's a nice idea. I believe it on the same level that I believe the number 4 is unlucky and yet that four leaf clovers are lucky.

[chen bao jun]

Huh?
i don't know why my hair would be magic anymore than my fingernails--or arms and legs.

[Islandgrrl]

It's hair. That is all.

[Leise22]

My hair has the power of making me feel prettier and more confident!

[cat11]

I feel like it would take two trucks going in the opposite direction to break a braid of thick hair by force.

Hair also has the power to make you feel warm and potentially get you things through your good looks (we all know you're ho'in dont lie) and to drastically alter your self image. I feel like hair also can have identifying powers as well, it's a good way to express individuality especially if you have to wear a uniform or choose to dress modestly.

I like what OP said about hair acting like whiskers and letting you sense things!! Never thought about it but that's a cool idea, I do ponder over the evolutionary benefits of having long hair, what a "wild person" who stays outdoors most of the time would benefit from.

Also, do you think Shakira, Cher, and Beyonce would be such divas if they had boring hair? No way! Even twiggy didn't have "twiggy" hair. And hair (wigs..) practically make a drag queen.
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ-r2P-M89PSSIYU1b3QVD_n0dpEIoehyOlSL2YU2z3UiGAJOtSfw
Beyonce says :WERK!

[Mizumi]

I think it contains some power. If not real magical power, then at least symbolical. Hair is symbol of power and confidence. Samson lost his power after cutting hair :) Long hair belongs to elves, mermaids, fairies, witches.. So it at least give the person more fantasy look.. And sometimes feel a little unreal. At least for me.

[Johannah]

I believe that it defines a person, and it kinda gives an impression of a persons personality. And hair can definetly make you feel bad/good, it can make you self concious, and if you like your hair(cut) it might give you confidence, and vice versa.

Exactly this!

[ifjuly]

I sort of do. I don't know that I'd say I believe it has inherently mystical properties so much as that growing it, caring for it, and feeling its heft and physical strength tends to make me feel like I have an extra added reserve of inner strength and "wildness", a kind of confidence/self-assurance, and feeling that way is pretty magical. (:

[Wallabear]

I agree that hair contains power we ascribe to it, and that it can deeply affect our sense of identity. Throughout the ages, hair has bewitched us with its beauty, charmed with its personality, and became the object of obsession and endless myths and spiritual and occult practices. Whether real or imagined, hair does something to us! Below I've written out just come of the world's ways of mystifying hair that I know of:

Yogic Tradition
Yogis and Yoginis of ancient India believed that hair is sacred and acts like antennae that absorbs energy from the sun and moon. They would bun their hair up into a top knot before sunrise and then comb it down and braid it when the sun sets to maximize the absorption of these energies. The term "Kundalini" comes from "Kundal" which means "lock of the hair of the beloved". Kundalini energy is made up of the "neutrality" that comes from combining polarities (i.e. sun and moon energy). It is no surprise then that the crown chakra at the top of the head (Sahasrara), where "enlightenment" happens according to the yogis, be covered in hair. Modern yogis say that the static electric charge of hair protects the brain's electromagnetic energy, and increases the field of the "aura" the body's electromagnetic field that protects oneself and also projects power.

Sikhs
A 400 year old religion from Punjab in northern India, prohibits the cutting or shaving on any hair on all of the body. The primary reason for this religious rule of theirs is not to play with vanity or ego and allow it to alter the way God made them, and follow the will of God. The secondary reason is that having unshorn hair marks them as Sikhs; it is a part of their religious identity. Due to the 'power' of that identity, those who have tried to destroy the Sikhs often resort to scalping or cutting off the hair of a sikh.

Genghis Khan
When Genghis Khan, the emperor of the Mongolian Empire (around the early 1200s) invaded China and took over, he reportedly had all the men shave off the first half of their head (forehead to crown) and the women to have bangs. Some people theorize that removing that hair on men made them feel vulnerable and removed their power to defend themselves, while for women the bangs made them feel more submissive and hidden.

Amerindians
Hair length and styles often were and are used as a way to identify with a tribe, sometimes with a state of being (at war for example), or cut to mourn the death of someone. I'm sure others could elaborate more on the topic.

[Henna Girl]

Here is an interesting article on the subject. Enjoy!
http://www.sott.net/article/234783-The-Truth-About-Hair-and-Why-Indians-Would-Keep-Their-Hair-Long

[restless]

I agree that hair contains power we ascribe to it, and that it can deeply affect our sense of identity. Throughout the ages, hair has bewitched us with its beauty, charmed with its personality, and became the object of obsession and endless myths and spiritual and occult practices. Whether real or imagined, hair does something to us! Below I've written out just come of the world's ways of mystifying hair that I know of:...

Fascinating to read! :)

Id like to add two things that I know of regarding magical hair(stuff).

First theres the Polish plait which is when the hair was shaped into a big dreadlock-looking thing by either natural causes or by will. Some people believed they contained power and would protect the owner from illness and the like.

Second: Ive also read that the Japanese hair ornaments called Kanzashi were thought to contain mystical powers back in the days.

[FuzzyBlackWaves]

My hair is just hair to me. It's part of me and I'm fond of it but I don't think it has any power of its own.

[chen bao jun]

My mother must think hair is magic, though. she won't throw it out in case people get it and do voodoo with it or something of that sort. People do use hair (and fingernail clippings and other nasty things) in voodoo spells but I think that is just the 'window dressing'. those people that practice that know about poisons in herbs and things and work on people psychologically. You know, it impresses people more if you make a big dramatic thing about cursing your enemies or whatever and steal people's hair and bury chicken bones and make nasty looking dolls and use graveyard dirt, rather than just simply buying a bottle of arsenic--with no drama.
I think its sad that people have the need to bully other people by any means, including 'magic'. and as for lovepotions and those kinds of things, I think its sad. Why would you want someone to love you if it was just because they had a spell on them. And I believe in trusting God,rather than needing to know the future before it happens and that magic is a sad attempt to control things that are out of your control and to control people and it has nothing to do my hair or any other body parts.

[teddygirl]

Nope, just hair.

I don't think its magical/mystical, and I don't like the superficial power it can have over people/women, who f eel less womanly or insecure without it.

[LunaLuvsU]

I do. Being pagan I find it rather spiritual to have my hair long and to grow it. It gives me personal power and confidence so I can effectively be a magic user. I also feel more connected to mother nature with long hair. For me its like the roots of a tree and I wanna grow them long and strong.

[Remi]

Of course. The longer, the stronger the magic.

[Fethenwen]

I think it contains some power. If not real magical power, then at least symbolical. Hair is symbol of power and confidence. Samson lost his power after cutting hair :) Long hair belongs to elves, mermaids, fairies, witches.. So it at least give the person more fantasy look.. And sometimes feel a little unreal. At least for me.
Yes, this is how I feel about it too. Somehow mysterious and otherworldly. Also going against the norm is for me empowering.


I do. Being pagan I find it rather spiritual to have my hair long and to grow it. It gives me personal power and confidence so I can effectively be a magic user. I also feel more connected to mother nature with long hair. For me its like the roots of a tree and I wanna grow them long and strong.
Yes, this. Love the way you compare the hair with tree roots, perhaps one could also see it as branches. Though I do not personally do magic, I can totally see how it might seem like it gives that something extra when doing such work.

[faellen]

No, dear god NO. To quote Wikipedia, hair is just "filamentous biomaterial that grows from follicles found in the dermis". No magic or power. My hair does not define me as a person, I'd actually be insulted if someone suggested it did. My hair is part of my image, but in no way does it effect who I essentially am as a person. I don't glean any sort of power or personality from it, no more than I would my toenails!

[ositarosita]

I first voted cheese but as I think about it I think yes it does have it's powers of sorts. I feel like the longer it gets the more in tune I get not only with myself but my loved ones. Granted my hair is really curly so it doesn't get so much longer as it does BIGGER. I've also notice my intuition has gotten better more on the money kind of thing (ex calling my mother as she wakes up from a fainting spell). I've also become more peaceful, forgiving and less angry... as though I went from a hurricane to a calm meadow , I'm centered . As I've said in many threads before, I feel like a mermaid and the longer it gets the closer I get to my true self.

In summation whether it's symbolic magick, Fearie magick, Pagan, Wiccan or anything in between for me it's real and that's what matters TO ME.

[Lucky_Lucy]

I think it contains some power. If not real magical power, then at least symbolical. Hair is symbol of power and confidence. Samson lost his power after cutting hair :) Long hair belongs to elves, mermaids, fairies, witches.. So it at least give the person more fantasy look.. And sometimes feel a little unreal. At least for me.

Why, of course! I also believe that often, we attribute power to certain things; for example, the more we treasure our hair, the more power we put into it, if that makes sense!

[Rosa Harris]

Cutting hair is very bad luck for me. I do it ad the universe gets mad. I know it sounds crazy. I am a daughter o Iansa, tho.

[Venefica]

Comparing hair to tree roots is very nice. I have also always seen hair as the fire element, mostly due to a Pagan chant or song I am fond of that go like this.

Jorden er min kropp og,
Vannet er mitt blod,
Ilden er mitt hår,
Luften er min ånde.

Translated this becomes:

Earth are my body and,
Water are my blood,
Fire are my hair and,
Air are my breath.

[Syren_Curls]

Well, I see it on a few levels. Most of them have been touched upon already and I'll be brief with those.

I also share the sentiment that it's something we value and treasure, therefore holding power, in a manner of speaking, in our lives. In addition, I do feel more closely connected with nature when my hair is longer and about me. I also feel closer to nature when I am exploring natural products (the kind you whip up in the kitchen as opposed to buying at the store) to use in my hair. I relate also to feeling more connected with that which is otherworldly with my longer hair.

Long hair gives me its greatest power by helping me to feel happier and more connected with myself. And that is a truly powerful thing. I won't say it has changed my personality or the core of who I am, but it has helped me feel much more grounded in myself and happier. That brings with it some shifts, I believe.

[MadeiraD]

There's a really good skeptoid on this.
http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4393

[ArtThistle]

Comparing hair to tree roots is very nice. I have also always seen hair as the fire element, mostly due to a Pagan chant or song I am fond of that go like this.

Jorden er min kropp og,
Vannet er mitt blod,
Ilden er mitt hår,
Luften er min ånde.

Translated this becomes:

Earth are my body and,
Water are my blood,
Fire are my hair and,
Air are my breath.

As a Wiccan, this. And considering my hair is naturally red, even more so.

I don't think my hair contains power, necessarily... However, the longer my hair grows the more in tune with myself I feel. When I have short hair, I feel self-conscious and like a part of me is missing. So maybe it doesn't contain any true "magickal power", but, for me, it does contain spiritual power.

[maliaraQs]

As a Wiccan, this. And considering my hair is naturally red, even more so.

I don't think my hair contains power, necessarily... However, the longer my hair grows the more in tune with myself I feel. When I have short hair, I feel self-conscious and like a part of me is missing. So maybe it doesn't contain any true "magickal power", but, for me, it does contain spiritual power.

I feel the same way (not Wiccan but I do follow a Pagan path). I guess it depends on a person's definition of 'magic' as well. Harry Potter magic? No. Ability to influence your personal feeling/perceptions of yourself and how others view you? Yes.

[ARG]

I voted no. Hair is what you make it, and for me, its just hair.

[Calaendor]

I voted "I'm not sure"... I found some articles recently covering long(er) hair and your connection to "the universe", or the spiritual realm if you will. Kinda like tree roots settling further into the soil. I really like the notion of it, and as mentioned before, I personally feel more natural in a sense.. More connected to nature, and our origins if you will.. Hard to explain, but, kinda-not-really-somewhat ^^ lol, making no sense here..

[julee]

No, it's just hair to me. I like having longer hair purely for no other reason than it looks better on me :)

[Hrtchoco]

Hair is hair...I just like my hair because it's pretty.

[Sharysa]

I believe hair has both psychological power and "magical" power in that it's a reflection of your energy/self. I mean, it grows out of your head, so it's as much a part of you as your limbs. You've got years of your time and effort stored up in how you treat, style, and maintain your hair, and a lot of people identify themselves with their hair, so I don't see how it's NOT powerful somehow.

I like having hip-length hair because I like playing around with it and feeling like a fairy/princess/both. A couple years ago, I cut off a couple of braids as offerings to the Irish pantheon, and on important days I anoint them with oil. The gods wanted my hair explicitly because all the good vibes from taking care of it show up on the spiritual level somehow.

I don't believe in the woo-woo thing about hair being magical "antennae," though. That's a little too far for my tastes. And if my mom somehow manages to lop my hair to a midback/waist-length blunt cut like she keeps nagging, I'd be very upset and maybe cry/brood for a while, but I wouldn't be outright traumatized. Some people would be, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're stupid or they let their hair "dominate" them.

[Seeshami]

Faith contains power. Belief is the most powerful psychologically generated phenomenon.

[Undomiel]

I think long hair has ethereal beauty and it can be a weapon when you whip it :rolling: lol. Not really religious/spiritual though, so I personally don't think it contains magic etc.

[HairFaerie]

Absolutely! I voted "Yes". I think it does act as an antennae of sorts. As my hair grows from pixie (now a little past shoulder) I have noticed much more intuitiveness than before. I have always been intuitive, but I am noticing it becoming stronger the more my hair grows. I can't wait for it to get REALLY long! :)
Also, for some unexplained reason, I have the urge to cover it in certain situations. I am planning on exploring this further.

Also, for the record...there really ARE Hair Faeries! ;)

[Cania]

I've always just thought it was hair, but it does influence my confidence so there is that.

[hexbomb]

I'm not sure. I felt like it had power when I was young, and when I was molested and my hair became the way they got a hold of me, I felt like the power it was being used against me, and fed into what was basically a 12-year-old with PTSD, so I chopped it off. As I've taken many years to get over the trauma, I found myself missing the classic length I once had, and I feel like there's a certain amount of power in reclaiming what was basically forced from me, or stolen.

In that way I kind of liken it to the loss of Sif's hair in Norse myth, where her long hair was replaced by hair of gold, after the theft of her original hair.

[Platzhalter]

No... not really. My hair contains cheese ;)

[Nimia]

My hair only has the power that I give it… although sometimes it's clever and tricks me, and makes me think it's the one with the power.

[Begemot]

Not really but long hair makes me feel beautiful and in a way more powerful, just more confident because the way I feel about myself and because I think I look more impressive :D No magic there.

[AmberJewel]

Not really but long hair makes me feel beautiful and in a way more powerful, just more confident because the way I feel about myself and because I think I look more impressive :D No magic there.

I couldn't have put it better. I think it's beautiful and special, if only because it takes time to grow it long, and you come to care for it after a while. At least I have.

[ghost]

There's a quote I like that's been going around tumblr: "The longer my hair gets, the more powerful I become" but I use it as a joke, not seriously. I don't think my hair itself holds any power, mystical or otherwise. That being said, I probably attribute some power to it, because I feel way more confident and like myself when I have long hair.

I think part of the reason it's not uncommon to see very wise and/or powerful characters with long hair in books and movies can be that it represents a lot of different qualities a person or entity might possess: patience, also age, both of which could mean that the owner of the long hair had a lot of time to acquire power or knowledge, etc...and it can look a little otherworldly :)

[Lady melissa]

1. My hair has the power to make me feel pretty, special, confident and sexy :)
2. i read about that your hair can sense vibrations or energies of your surroundings and find it very interesting...to ever find this out, i would have to chopp off my hair to notice the difference and that's not gonna happen, so, i guess it will stay a mystery forever...
3. i love the magical hair in Rapunzel and wish mine would also glow in the dark and heal :)
4. i want to look like an Elf and for me that's knee length hair, and it's already pretty magical if i will obtain this goal

[Fiorentina]

I believe in cheese!

[angel-baby]

My hair doesn't have magical or mystical power, but it does make me feel beautiful and special! That's not magic, tho, so I voted 'no.'

[Nefcerka]

Yes. I feel like my hair is the extension of my nervous system. Short hair feels like I´m missing one of the senses. The longer it gets, the better I feel - it is like it´s giving me another dimension, another way to feel the world around me. I probably can´t explain it right.

[Ylva]

Anything has power if you give it that. Right now, my bleached, bothersome ends are reducing my power and crippling me in a sense. They represent something that no longer applies to me - therefore creating a discrepancy between how I feel and what is projected on the outside because I associate that hair with certain things.