Have you ever wished you could be someone else, just for a short while? To experience life the way they would, to savor the excitement of a new identity, especially during ritual? Many Pagan practitioners identify with a special Magical Being, Goddess or God or other entity. Wearing a mask, especially one you fabricate, is a powerful way to take on a magical aspect.
How the Crow Women make masks
The Crow Women have found mask-making a very powerful experience. Keep in mind that, to make a real and lasting mask, two periods of time must be scheduled. In the first meeting, the basic plaster mask is created. Then, the masks need to be left to dry for at least 8 hours. During the second meeting, decorate the masks with paint, feathers, beads, totems, or other additions to bring the mask to life. Then, the freshly completed masks can be used in ceremony.
I describe and show the steps of mask making below. While you are contemplating using these procedures for your own ritual, you might want to consider the various ways that masks are used by Pagans as well as other creative and theatrical persons.
Many performers create a new identity through masks
For instance, the Blue Man Group are performance artists who command a large following. Mute and painted entirely blue, they silently use both music and art to create incredible performances. Members of the Rock group Kiss portray themselves as the following persona: Starchild, The Demon, Space Ace, Catman. Each displays a specific personality on stage.
Additionally, there’s Buckethead, a master guitarist who performs in disguise by wearing a KFC bucket on his head! While there is a fantastical story explaining his presentation, basically it ensures anonymity and allows his audience to focus on his music. . There is even a popular TV show called The Masked Singer in which the identities of famous singers wearing amazing costumes and masks are eventually revealed. If you can think of other uses of masks in popular culture, please share in the comments section.
Masks used during Pagan rituals
As we travel around the wheel of the year, there are a multitude of possibilities for masks. The Wild Hunt is often an opportunity to wear masks embodying the Stag, the Hunters or other players. Samhain suggests a vast array of ancestor masks, and Hecate or other Dark Goddess masks. Also, at Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice (depending on your tradition), the Holly King and the Oak King can be portrayed using masks. The gender of the mask wearer does not have to match the gender of the Being portrayed.
Materials needed for your magical mask
Your materials are a large jar of Vaseline, scissors, towels and hairbands, shallow bowl of water, and most importantly, rolls of plaster-impregnated tape. I have used a brand called Specialist Plaster Bandage, purchased at a farm or ranch-supply store. This product can also be obtained through Amazon.
How to make the mask
This kind of mask-making works well with partners. Start with a clean, dry face, pulling the hair back with clips or headband, then smear all over the face with Vaseline; don’t forget eyebrows. Wrap the towel around the shoulders of the victim…that is, willing participant! Prepare your strips of plaster bandages ahead of time, by cutting into lengths of 2-4 inches. In addition, make a pile of small, triangular shaped bandage bits for fine molding around features.
For the next step, dip each strip of bandage in your bowl of water, then begin applying around the outside edges of the face. Work toward the center, overlapping and smoothing the damp bandage where it is bumpy. The person receiving the mask can decide whether to have eye holes or allow plaster to cover the eyes, which will later be painted on or cut out. We recommend that you create nostril holes for comfort.
What about facial hair?
A person with beard and/or mustache can make a half-mask, covering only cheeks, eyes and forehead. In that case, the natural beard and mustache will be visible. Alternately, if the participant is willing, cover the facial hair with Vaseline- yes, it’s hard to remove, but could be so very effective! Then the mask’s beard and/or mustache can be decorated according to the design chosen.
Take care to emphasize facial features
Please take care to mold the small triangular pieces of bandage around the lips, nose and eyes. Crease and press the bandage into each groove so that lips, nose and eyes have definition, and are not flat against the background of the face. When dry and decorated, it is these features that make the mask resemble the face on which it is molded. If covering the eyes, be very careful to keep the damp plaster out of the eyes themselves.
Next, after nose, mouth and eyes (if covered) are sculpted by the fingers of the mask-maker with the small, triangular pieces of bandage, use narrow strips of bandage around the edges of the whole mask to avoid a frayed appearance. Alternatively, the edges can be evened out after the mask has dried.
There is an element of trust and surrender in mask making
If the eyes are to be covered, the person will not be able to see while the mask dries. Also, as soon as the mouth is covered, they cannot talk. It may even feel claustrophobic to some people! This is a beautiful opportunity for your trusted fabricator to create conditions of comfort. Speak reassuringly and lovingly as you apply the plaster bandage. However, the person receiving the mask should not be caused to speak or laugh, as that will distort the appearance of the mask.
It will take around 20-30 minutes for final drying; the person receiving the mask can take this time for meditation, reflecting on their own vulnerability, adopting an attitude of gratitude for the quiet time of giving oneself into the hands of a trusted partner. For spiritual purposes, this phase is an important part of the mask making process.
Mask removal can be challenging
When the mask feels firm enough to remove (not completely dry), the person under the mask can begin to wiggle their face to loosen the grip of the plaster. You will find that the center frees up soonest; the outside edges should have been adequately covered with Vaseline to help pry the mask off. Be prepared to possibly lose a few stray hairs from your temples and hairline! What a feeling of freedom you will feel when the mask is removed! And, you can say all the things you were not able to communicate during the process (unless you wrote your comments on a pad). Take some time to clean up your face. Now, it’s time to switch partners- tie back the hair, apply the Vaseline, and create your partner’s mask.
Allow masks to dry for 8-12 hours
Hint: using pencil, write your name inside your mask, because it’s uncanny how they look alike while drying! These are truly “blank slates” awaiting realization as a portrayal of the magical being you are aiming to create. This ritual of mask creation works well for a retreat, or a group that can meet more than once to complete the process, even if that second time is days or weeks later.
The decorating phase: Magic is Alive!
You are limited only by your imagination! You can use paint, collage, beads, feathers, lace, ribbon, buttons, sequins, magical emblems and tokens- all these and more can decorate your mask! We have found that acrylic paints work well on plaster. If you started with a Magical Being in mind, then while you decorate, focus on the magical emergence of that persona under your hands, and through your intuition. Allow yourself to be guided by impulses and ideas occur as you create- your hands are being directed by the spirit of your mask!
Your Musical, Magical Ritual
The Crow Women generally sing during ritual, and some of our songs are well-suited to this phase of decorating, and also to the actual ritual during which the mask is worn, especially when aspecting the Magical Being represented by the mask. If your circle plans a Dark Goddess ritual, consider the Dark Goddess Medley on our album Crow Goddess as background to decorating and the ritual itself. For Oestara, will you create a ritual of Demeter and Persephone? While singing the song, Persephone on our latest album Seasons, A Pagan Journey Around the Wheel, you could decorate half of Persephone’s mask in dark representations of the underworld, and the other half with the blossoming of Spring on the Earth! Demeter’s mask would show symbols of the fruits of the Earth and abundance.
I can visualize a Moon mask (Goddess Moon, on our album Crow Magic), masks representing Warrior Women (Warrior Woman on our album, Seasons) or wonderful witchy masks for Samhain (We Are The Witches on album Seasons), or Away Ye Merry Lasses (on album Crow Goddess).
Perhaps the group making masks together will work with a single theme, and music related to the theme. Or, everyone may go in their own unique direction with their masks. Either way, when the masks are done, let the makers don their masks in sacred space and explore what persona and messages come through. Because the mask covers the mouth, this is a good opportunity to interact through dance, movement and nonverbal expression, with music playing or someone drumming. Each person may dance the dance of their mask while others witness, or everyone might move together, interacting with one another in their masks. This can be a profound experience.
Ready-made masks are available
Around Halloween, many stores sell masks which could be used for Pagan ritual. Really wonderful masks are available on Amazon year-round, including several goat masks that are very pagan. If you are not able to create your own mask, one of these could be a powerful addition to your ritual.
We hope you will enjoy jumping into this creative project! Please send us photos and comments about your own mask and ritual experiences with mask making. We would love you to share your thoughts on masks and pagan spirituality.
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