Dating back to the Greeks and Romans, long hair was the ultimate symbol of femininity, health, social status, and wealth. It showed that you were eating well and had the leisure time to brush and groom long hair.
Ancient Greek deities are often depicted with long, flowing hair as a sign of power and divinity (picture Zeus, Venus, and Apollo).
In the Rastafarian faith, long locs are meant to mirror the mane of their leader — the lion — as physical proof of their devotion.
For Hindus and Buddhists, long hair can represent beauty and (perhaps dangerous) sexuality — and cutting or shaving it off is surrendering worldly gifts to fully concentrate on the eternal.
Remember the Old Testament — about Samson and the scissor-happy seductress Delilah. Samson letting his hair grow was an oath to God. The deal was: as long as you don’t cut it, you’ll be powerful. Delilah had his hair cut off and made him weak and vulnerable. Hair is often about power.
Hair is a common means of cultural expression because it offers such an easy way for people to advertise their identity and make a statement. We may not all wear the same clothes, but we all have hair. Uncut hair can suggest an embodied immersion into nature.
In some belief systems, hair is associated with magical power. Take a woman with long hair who wears it up in a neat (or less neat) bun, pulled back from her face, while she is at work. Her hair is kept out of her way while she does her job and tends to her family. And yet once this woman steps into a magical setting, she removes the pins, setting her hair free — it’s a liberating feeling, to literally let your hair down. It brings a primitive sense of wildness and raw sexuality to the moment, and that in itself can be very powerful indeed.
I was feeling ready to face life with a little shorter version of my long hair but suprisingly the hubby was against cutting it 😂 So I guess I can give him a little time to adjust first....
