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People are fascinated by Minoan clothing, but they're also confused by it. I thought I would take a little time to explain and show you some images from Minoan art so we can all enjoy the lovely garments the Minoans wore.

Please note that this is a two-part blog post (Part Two coming next week) but it's NOT divided into men's vs. women's clothing, because there is considerable overlap in some of the styles of clothing worn by different genders.

Waist jewelry has recently made a big comeback. People are going beyond belts and wearing belly chains and lariats. Gemstone belts and buckles can really enhance your joie de vivre and give you greater physical strength and health. Turquoise stones are grounding, and agates raise the energy level. For healing power, try bloodstone. For keeping life on an even keel, the organic-gem family—shells, corals, and abalone—is optimal. For impetus and motivation, wear carnelian. To boost your health and well-being, wear red coral for the lungs, bloodstone for the heart, and moonstone during pregnancy.

Should there be Pagan school clubs? Is there a proper priority to the relationship between politics and religion? And are Pagans becoming more concerned with the concept of "sin?" These questions and more addressed in this week's edition of Watery Wednesday, our segment on news about the Pagan community. All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!

Now where is that Witch-English dictionary? I know I left it here somewhere.

Copintank, n. A sugar-loaf hat.

On the off chance that you've ever wondered what the technical name for a witch's hat is, well: now you know.

I'll take Witch Words for a thousand, Alex.

Also known (mostly by cowans) as a “steeple hat” (!), the copintank has been associated with English witches since some of the earliest woodcuts of them were made during the 16^th and 17^th centuries. Not surprisingly, this was also the period during which the copintank was considered fashionable. We witches have always been dressers.

Don't ask etymology; even the experts don't agree. It seems likely that the first syllable reflects the archaic word cop, “head” (= German kopf), but the rest is a mystery. One thing we can be sure of: it has nothing to do with either vats or vehicles. That word comes from the Subcontinent, and didn't enter English until centuries after witches were already sporting our signature headgear with its distinctive name.

If ever you've wondered why we wear them (no, Virginia, it doesn't have anything to do with the cone of power), well: let me tell you a story.

What will the well-dressed warlock be wearing in 2015?

My sources say: classic look, hoof to horn. 

Hats. The well-dressed man-in-black wouldn't dream of leaving the covenstead without one, and better it be if it's got a crow's feather tucked into the band. Any style will do, although the classic hood is a perennial favorite. Why hats, you ask? Simple: they hide the horns. 

Eelskin waistcoats. They say Old Hornie's a gentleman and, as everyone knows, gentlemen wear waistcoats. Scots warlocks made the eelskin jacket de rigueur centuries ago, and the fecket, as it's known, richly deserves its classic status. Admittedly, feckets can be difficult to find these days, especially with the EU's current environmental regulations, but trust me, it's well worth the effort. (You can find anything on the internet.) Why eelskin, you ask? Mythological reason: it links us to (and, in effect, identifies us with) the Earmengand, the Old World-Serpent “whose coils contain the ocean.” Practical reason: it makes us slippery and hard to catch. Plus an added perk: eelskin sheds bullets, even silver ones. What's not to like?

An Aphrodite of the people is not separate from the culture of the people. While some deities prefer to float around in the sky stroking their long white beards, and others like to stay classically enshrined in pristine and historically-accurate temples, Aphrodite is a party girl who gets bored if you try to keep Her dressed in the same old chitons and flowing gowns all the time. She is not stuck in history, nor in any single vision of beauty and adornment. She is Beauty in all its forms.

I envision Aphrodite in many different social and cultural contexts, and She always has impeccable style for the occasion. She helps me see the beauty of the unexpected.