Garters

Garters

Uncover hidden spiritual meanings

Magical pieces of fabric in contemporary Witchcraft worn in different rituals and as badges of rank.

These are used among Witches because it allows for Privacy if necessary, but if the moment comes, a Witch can show their rank at any time.

The garter was also used in weddings, so let's consider the magical uses of a wedding garter. The wedding garter was hidden underneath the bride’s gown in readiness for the groom to retrieve it and throw it to the single men who attend the reception party.

Magical pieces of fabrics are normally worn in different rituals to symbolize different ranks in the contemporary Witchcraft. They are normally used by witches to allow for privacy, but if there comes a moment when they have to show it, they will show it off. At weddings, the garter toss served to make things a little crazy.

How The Wedding Garter Was Worn

In France and England, the wedding party would go into a bridal chamber where the stocking ritual was done. This involved the guests being shown the postnuptial bedclothes which confirmed that the couple had consummated their marriage. And for those who were not comfortable enough to see the bedding, the stocking was shown to them. It wasn’t fun for the bride at all. For the bride, that meant that she would look forward to this practice as she was rushed to the altar by the wedding guests, who after that, will be waiting for a piece of her clothes which they believed, would bring them luck.

The bride before the wedding, was the object of protection before the wedding, but after the ceremony, she became subject of attack with guests following the couple to the bridal chamber, waiting for them to undress, their stocking was normally stolen and thrown back to them until they hit the bride or the groom on the head.

And it is said this resulted in good luck to all in the wedding party.  All the practices were meant to cast out evil spirits with the procession which had identically dressed bridesmaids, the veil, going out through the window immediately when the wedding is over. All this was due to the belief that, if one was given part of the wedding gown (the garter) this will bring good luck.

The bridesmaids dressed identically to the bride in order to protect them from evil spirits. The identical dressing was to confuse the evil spirits or anyone who was going to harm the bride. The bride had to take the entire wedding party to her honeymoon room for protection.

Tossing The Garter

The idea of even showing a leg in front of the extended family is so embarrassing and with this in mind, it meant older brides refused to toss the garter. The bridal garters were priced high and considered love tokens that held magical properties.  

The Tradition of Donning A Wedding Veil

The veil was supposed to help in protecting the bride against witches and demons as it was believed, if they didn’t see her, they couldn’t harm her.

Whatever the belief, in today’s wedding; the garter of the bride is removed by the groom and thrown to the unmarried men at the reception as a sign of good luck. Share this article with friends and relatives and.

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By Florance Saul
Oct 2, 2012