Many covens - and certainly the vast majority of Solitary Witches - work naked... referred to, in the Craft, as skyclad - "clad only by the sky". This certainly seems a preferred and recommended practice. But there are times when, perhaps due to temperature, you may wish to be robed. It may even be that you just prefer to be robed most of the time anyway...that's all right. Robes can be as simple or as elaborate as you like. Here are instructions for making a simple one. Any type of material will do, the choice is up to you - polyester (if you must!), silk, cotton, wool. Consider, though, its weight: will it he too heavy and hot, or too light and cool? Also consider how easily it creases and wrinkles. Wil1 it stretch too much? Is it washable? Will it itch? Since Witches wear nothing under their robes, this last is a serious consideration!

Measure yourself from wrist to wrist, with arms outstretched, then from the nape of the neck to the ground. You will need to buy material of A width by twice B length. Take the material and fold it in half. If th material has an "outside" and an "inside", fold it inside out. Now cut out a piece from each side. You will be left with a more-or-less T shape.

The exact dimensions of the cuts will depend on you. Leave enough for a full sleeve at "X" but don't take it up to make it too tight under the arm at "Y".  At "Z" cut an opening for your head.  Sew where indicated: along the bottom of the sleeves and down the sides.  All that remains is to turn it right side out again, try it on and hem it at a convenient length (e.g. an inch or so above the ground). It you wish to add a cowl-hood there will he plenty of material available from that initially cut off. Either a pointed or a rounded hood is appropriate.

Think carefully about the color of your robe. It used to be that most Witches wore white robes, but more colors are appearing at festivals. In Saxon Witchcraft, the priestess wears either white, purple or deep green and the others wear greens, browns, yellows and blues. Though this is not a hard and fast rule. Combinations of colors can be attractive, of course, as can a basic trimmed with silver or gold, or with a second color. Some few Witches do wear black but, while acknowledging it to be a very "powerful" color (in fact noncolor).  Buckland personally thinks that it plays up to the misconception of equating Witchcraft with Satanisn and, if only for that reason, should be avoided. We are a reliqion of Nature, so let's use the colors of Nature.. the bright and the somber earth colors (there is actually very little black to be found in nature). But again, in the last instance it is your choice.

 

Robe Colors

YELLOW is an excellent color for those involved with divination.

PURPLE is favored for those who work with pure divine power (magician's) or who wish to deepen their spiritual awareness of the Goddess & God.

BLUE suited for healers & those who work with their psychic awareness or for attuning with the Goddess in Her Oceanic aspect.

GREEN empowers herbalists & maqickal ecologists.

BROWN worn by those who attune with animals or who casts spells for them.

WHITE symbolizes purification & pure spirituality, & also is perfect for meditation and cleansing rituals. It is warn for Full Moon celebrations or to attune with the Goddess.

ORANGE or RED robes can be worn to Sabbats, for protective rites or when attuning with the God in his fiery solar aspect.

BLACK robes are quiet popular. Contrary to popular misconceptions, black doesn't symbolize evil. It is the absence of color. It is a protective hue & symbolizes the night - the universe & a lack of falsehood. When a Witch wears a black robe, she or he is donning the blackness of outer space - symbolically, the ultimate source of divine energy.

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