Witch’s Ribbons: Wearing your Craft in public
This is a practice that I’ve adapted from something many Wiccan covens use during rituals. It’s designed to allow us Wiccans to display our Craft and our faith in an open way, without it being seen for what it truly is by non-Wiccans (mundanes). Pentacles and skulls are all very well, but they’re all too easily seen as being obviously “witchy”. This method avoids that, and also allows you to display your proficiency in a specific art of witchcraft or Wicca. This post is tagged under “witch’s ribbons”.
What are Witch’s Ribbons?
A witch’s ribbon (written as “ribbon” here) is, quite simply, a specially-marked ribbon of a specific colour that is worn on the person of a Wiccan to display their Craft. Ribbons are made by taking a coloured length of ribbon about one to two feet long, and wrapping it around the wrist, ankle, arm, neck etc. It is then tied off, and used as a wristband. I also recommend drawing a little, relatively innocuous sign on the ribbon, one that would not be easily spotted. For example, the “ )O( “ triple moon symbol might be a good choice, or a few runes such as Perthro and Ansuz (common witches’ runes, symbolising the occult and sacred feminine, and the wisdom of Odin and language, respectively).
You can wear more than one at a time, and it’s also possible to plait or braid ribbons so that multiple colours are combined into one strand. For example, I specialise in healing magick, divination, and green witchery. So I would plait together blue, yellow and green.
What do the colours mean?
The colours are based off of a common coven practice, which is wearing special robes either dyed a colour or trimmed with that colour. I have carried over most of those colours, but some have either been added from new, or changed slightly.
Purple – The colour of priests and priestesses, representing those who work with the god and goddess specifically; usually only worn by coven leaders
Navy-blue – The colour of deep oceans, representing sea-witches and those who work with ocean magick and creatures
Blue – The colour of healers and potion brewers. This is also the colour of the Goddess.
Turquoise – The colour of ice witches and those who work with winter, ice and snow. Could also be worn by any witch during winter or Yule
Green – The colour of herbalists and green witches, those who work with nature, especially plants and fungi
Light brown – The colour of those who work with animals, especially those with psychic connections to animals and animal minds
Dark brown – The colour of hedge witchery and tree magick, heavily associated with those who specialise in the magick of rocks and the Earth itself.
Gold – The colour of the Sun and the summer, representing summer witches and those witches who work extensively with deserts and hot places. The colour of the God.
Silver – The colour of stars and of those witches who work extensively with the night sky and space, such as those who practice roadomancy.
Yellow – The colour of diviners, those who work with divination and foretelling the future
Orange – The colour of fire witches, and those who work with flames and smoke; also the colour of energy-workers
Red – The colour of emotions, especially strong passionate ones like love, lust, hate, joy, depression and envy. Used by those who work with emotions and the mind.
White – The colour of purity, representing the Moon and salt. Worn by those who are undergoing ritual purification, and also by those who are hoping for good health.
Black – The “default” colour of witchcraft, it is an absence of colour and represents no strong allegiance towards or away from any specific branch of witchcraft. It is most commonly worn by initiates and those who are just learning about witchcraft and Wicca. Also worn on the upper arm by those in mourning for the dead – the “black armband” tradition.
– Juniper