Back in the days when I was much more active in my local SCA and after sweeping yellow jackets up into my skirts three weeks in a row, I decided to wear pants. The best “persona” for this was a Central Asian Steppes woman. Pants, shirts, vests, jackets, boots, coats, and hats. Ooooh, hats. I had a lot fun making these clothes and wearing them. One of the things about these hats is that they are fur brimmed. With one exception I made all of of mine with faux fur.
One day I was cruising through one of my local thriftstores and I found a fur collar. I think it’s silver fox. It was $15. And I was convinced that anything I might do with it would honor it more than hanging like that in a thrift store. It was beautiful. I bought it.
I made a hat. (pardon the yellow tinge from the camera, the fur is very silver and the wool is black with blue tassel)
I wore it once. I really have a problem with fur. It just offends me. It is the only fur I own. I feel that if we kill an animal to eat it we should use all of the animal and do it honor. I also feel that if we do something so atrocious as to kill an animal only for its fur, then we owe it honor 10 fold.
The Beloved spent a long time with a group that helped animals cross over after death. He stills does this on his own. He contacted the fox that belongs to this fur and the fox told him that I should wear it. But I’m still struggling.
What would YOU do?
Stitch Witch Cottage 
I know how you feel about the fur. I have to make a big deal over my feelings so people remember it when they see pieces crafted with faux. Often the fake costs more than the real thrift shop find. I still have a black fur stole in my closet that gathers dust as I ponder what to do with it.
Your hat is a beautiful piece. I had a couple of ideas.
The ancestral approach – our ancestors, and not so long ago really, wore fur for its necessary warmth. In the beginning mankind clothed themselves in the skins of the animals they ate, and consumed the animal for survival. In our development we learned how to use more easily renewable plant resources, ending with at least a more harmonious balance with nature than we have today. Somewhere when the concept of class expressed through material became important, some fur in addition to providing a necessary warmth became a luxury and prestige item. In the past 100 years fur has lost any use for the necessity of warmth as we have the ability to synthesize even more effective coverings for ourselves. All that is left is perhaps the vestigial prestige of the luxury. I myself find fur beautiful and know why I felt a compulsion to decorate myself with it. Maybe the images of the cruelty turned my heart from it.
So, I can see using the piece you crafted to honor the fur as a total art piece to honor the ancestors and their harmony with the environment. Honor the beauty of the fox giving of his essence to warm another. Perhaps present it to a priest/priestess who honors the ancestors in a more feral manner of ritual? You did craft the hat with the heart towards the honor of the beast which makes it consecrated. Or search out the being in need of warmth and allow the fox to fulfill its ancient partnership with man. I was going to say to find an honored place in your home, but now my feeling is that to give the fur away as a gift will only add more honor to the fox, but you will have to have that spiritual inspiration to know the recipient.
I also thought that maybe you should consult someone with a fox totem…
FOX
Stealthy messenger of the gods,
Cunning and wise, reliable friend,
Guide my steps through this maze of deception
And see this problem to its end.
Magic, Shapeshifting, Invisibility
Fox are seen as totems throughout the world:
the Chinese believed they could take human form,
in Egypt the fox brought favor from the gods,
there was a fox god in Peru,
foxes help the dead get to the next life in Persia,
Cherokees, Hopi other American Indian tribes
believed in its healing power;
the Apache credited the fox with giving man fire.
Since the fox lives “between times” —
on the edge of land, visible as dusk and dawn, and can guide the way to the Faerie Realm.
A fox can teach you to control your aura so that you can be more in harmony
with others and the world.
If you have a fox totem, learning to be invisible is very important in your life.
Imagine yourself blending in with your surroundings, becoming part of the background.
Be very still and quiet.
Through practice you can be unnoticed even at a party or in a crowd.
I have an acquaintance who used this power to evade several muggers;
he stood there in plain sight next to a building ,
and blended himself into the wall;
they did not see him and left without harming him. It can be done!
A fox totem also teaches good eating habits;
the fox eats small amounts frequently which medicine is now telling us is better for our health.
But fox people already knew this.
The fox is a wonderful totem to have.
—————————————————–
…I believe the fox’s exact word was “Enjoy!”
🙂
Ooooh, those are awesome ideas. So glad you are a pagan woman. I love the idea of someone with a fox totem too. And as I was reading a person totally popped into my head. Will do some checking.
That’s right! Enjoy!
Interesting that bit about learning to be invisible when in this lifetime I’m learning to be Visible. Hmmmm.
Lots of good food for thought.
oh, and folks? Perchingwolf is The Beloved. Hugs sweetie!
Honor to the creature that no longer lives in the skin, that you have used as part of a beautiful art-ifact. I wonder though, why none seem to mention what we will do for “clothing-warmth” when the cost of petroleum, (which is what makes the fleece, and fake fur, and other “warm” synthetic fabrics, as opposed to the cellulose-based ones)makes synthetic fabrics far more expensive? Just seems curious to me, that killing animals is seen by many as worse than going to war for cheap oil. Not in any was being disrespectful of anyone posting here, more wondering if I am the only person who thinks about where synthetic fabric really comes from…
That is a very good question. It’s isn’t killing animals per se that bothers me. It’s why we do it and how. It’s killing animals to make a rich bitch fur coat that she only needs to make herself feel better about herself.
Oh, and you are not the only one. But they were trying to answer my question only regarding the hat, not trying to fix the worlds problems
That is reserved for another post entirely.
This is the line that got my attention:
Since the fox lives “between times” —
on the edge of land, visible as dusk and dawn, and can guide the way to the Faerie Realm.
I think you’ve had little tugs toward the Faerie Realm for longer than you think.
🙂 You’ve received awesme input here.
I just went to consult my Medicine Cards…and when I picked up the deck, Fox was right there on the bottom looking up at me!! Fox’s message is CAMOUFLAGE. With many allies, she is seemingly able to vanish and meld into her suroundsing. Going ‘unnoticed’ is a powerful gift when one is observing the activities of another.
Another of her gifts is her ability to change color with the seasons. Her medicine involves adaptability, cunning, observation, integration and swiftness of thought and action. She is the Protector of the family unit, and a great talisman for those travelling.
Her message: Become like the wind, which is unseen yet is able to weave into and through any location and situation. It would be wise to watch people’s actions right now, rather than their words. Use your cunning in a positive way, keeping silent about who and what and why you are observing. With Fox, you are asked to see all types of uses for Oneness 🙂
I think you are absolutely right my wise beloved. That part caught me too.
Wow. No way. I’ve been meaning to pick up this deck after reading your experiences with it.
I love that. Become like the wind. Go with the flow. And I’m only interested in people’s actions, never what they say. That was a topic of conversation with The Beloved just this week.
ooh ooh oohh
Yeppers 🙂
Hey did you see my reply to you yesterday? I’ll totally do a reading for you if you’d like – and use the Medicine cards if you want to! Just let me know!
Oooh! I would love it actually. Haven’t got around to my daily cruise through the blogs.
{{{{Grace}}}}}
hahahaha
ME? a smart ass?
lol
Was I projecting???
I’M a smartass! 😉
Oh! I forgot to mention something! (I just re-read this thread…Hiya, Beloved!)
When I picked up the deck, Fox was standing on her head…which absolutely supports what you’re saying about yourself: Increasing your visibility!!
har! Nice to know. 😉