Wrong aftershave?

Catnip aftershave, FTW!

That guy uses special aftershave.

Skyclad
Historically, Witches worked Naked, and there are many references to naked Witches standing on their clothes. In a few illustrations, the Witches are clothed in the clothing of their time, but examination of the drawings indicates that the artist rarely knew a real Witch.
Gardner introduced the term Skyclad into the Craft in the 1950's with the reference to "Witches worship naked which is called in the East (Indonesia), 'Skyclad'" and the term stuck as a poetic way to refer to ritual nudity. Witches worshipped Skyclad in 1950's and today, but in the 70s, the Welsh and American Celtic Witches began to wear robes, which became the standard way to worship for years. By the late '70s, the Feminist Witches began to experiment with Skyclad worship, so by the late 80’s about half of the American and European Witches worship Skyclad.
There are a number of reasons for nudity, the first being that in the Charge, which was written by Doreen Valiente from older sources, The Goddess said,
"And as a sign that ye be truly free, ye shall be naked in your rites."

This Charge is so beautiful that many Witches who reject the Gardnerian Traditions, retain the Charge as one of the few declamations that, if not directly from the Goddess, was unquestionably inspired by Her. Thus, the argument follows that we MUST worship naked because it is the will of the Goddess whom we love.

This argument is countered by a later version of the Charge that says,
"as a sign that ye be really free, ye shall be equal in your rites."
However, this is a later American version not as originally written.
A more convincing counter to the Charge is simply to reject the Charge outright.
Reject all Traditional and Gardnerian ideas, so it is then easy reject nudity as well.

A second reason for ritual nudity is the practical one. Witches all over the world often report that naked is safer.
In rites where I have been robed there have been accidents, incidents where a person stepping on the hem of another’s robe, and causes them to trip. In a nine-foot Circle, if one person goes down, usually all follow.  

Naked people are more aware of their surroundings, so you step more carefully and bang into the Altar and others less than clothed Witches.
You feel the heat of candles, as opposed to not detecting the heat until after your robe is in flames, so it is simply safer to be naked.
At Sabbat where we had three Covens worshipping together in Circle, some were from our Outer Court, so wore robes. During the rite, one woman stood too close to the West candle and set her robe on fire. She did manage to extinguish the flames with little disruption, but I did hear about the accident after the rite ended.

The magickal reason for nudity is that anything worn upon the body will interfere with and change the energy given off by the body. This includes clothes, make-up, perfumes, jewelry, glasses, contact lenses and so on.
This argument is quite logically countered by stating, “energy that can pass through a wall, cover miles of distance, and influence another person would not be stopped by a layer of cloth. “ Consider the greater awareness of your surroundings, being closer emotionally and physicality to the others in the circle. Being able to raise energy without the distraction of avoiding stepping on robes or pulling your sleeve up to keep in out of the candle flame.
Think of the Coven body, mind, and spirit that must generate a tremendous amount of power to send that spell over that distance. Once the Cone of Power is sent the spell won’t be deflected, but it can be deflected at the source by a relatively little. In other words, wearing clothing or non-craft jewelry or non-consecrated materials can easily deflect or alter the power that leaves the Circle. The spell, when it reaches its target, may be different or it may even reach a different target.
Nudity is rarely sexual, after ten minutes the naked Witch becomes bored with seeing bare breasts and genitals and is then free to work. A woman wearing a robe that cuts low in the front and is slit up the side to her hips will introduce into the Coven an attitude of sexual desire to the men as they try to see a nipple or thigh that, by being hidden, is desirable but when revealed by nudity is simply another body part. The men, in this situation, may have difficulty concentrating on the work in an effort to see what is barely hidden. Similar things occur in the female mind when the situation is reversed, though women are often trained to deny these thoughts to others and even to themselves.
There are Psychological factors to Nudity are that the people must accept themselves as they are or change themselves. It is difficult to put on a facade when you are denied a girdle, bra, wig, make-up, deodorant, aftershave, codpiece or other enhancements to your image. Once naked, the individual with their sags, and bulges shines and, becomes themselves and not a mask. 
When working magik, it is vital to know yourself and accept your own good and ill, for to attempt the path with false illusions will cause trouble when your subconscious rebels and forces your work to conform to a hidden truth.
To be naked indicates freedom from conventional mundane thought. When clothed in a suit or dress, you conform to societies expectations and become what they wish you to become. Your style of dress and hairstyle are a reflection, not of your own desires, but of what your peers wish you to be.
Equality between class and gender is assured when naked, as the rich no longer have jewels to show their class worth, and Women must face men as equals, both showing their inadequacies and realizing that the other sex is just as physically imperfect as you are. With this barrier down, men and women can accept each other as equals.
Once naked, you are free to place your mind into a sphere of magickal thought. A place between the worlds where the God and Goddess are not symbols hanging on a wall but REAL DIVINITIES, where all is possible.
It is necessary to be clothed at times; in public or when outdoors in winter it may be necessary to be clothed to allow the mind to concentrate on the goal and not to be thinking that the body is slowly freezing to death.
When this is necessary to wear a robe, it should be one that interferes with magik and mind as little as possible. It is best to wear a plain robe that is exactly the same as all others. To make a personal robe will introduce ego and class or sexual differences into the rite.
There are some uses to wearing robes. The simple act of putting on a robe that is reserved only for Ritual use causes the inner mind to awaken and to develop the attitude that "Now the mundane world is behind me, it is time for the magickal world to appear." This can be very effective to your working and will counter some of the physical drawbacks of wearing robes. If all are wearing identical robes, the attitude of equality within, 'the group' is enhanced, for there is nothing different between the people or sexes.
The robe must also be of a natural material such as cotton or wool since synthetics cause a great deal of interference with the power. A simple list of materials which will interfere with magickal power when worn from the least to the greatest effect is as follows: cotton, wool, conductive metals from silver, gold, copper, iron, synthetic materials such as nylon, or rayon, and Silk though a natural material is a strong magickal insulator.
In today’s world, you will find Witches who work Skyclad, robed, in costumes and even in their street clothes. Street clothes however; bring into the Circle all the influences that have become attached to those clothes over the day. These influences will affect your workings as well as your mind because the subconscious will see no difference between the mundane and the magickal, and as we spend most of our time in the mundane world, it is easy to see which will win.


"Nudity establishes a closeness and honesty among conveners and 'is a sign that a witches loyalty is to the truth before any ideology or any comforting illusions.” Starhawk.

Fat and cuddly!

I bet he smells like bacon and aftershave.

Thanks for that man. I have a well-groomed beard but I like to keep my neck clean-shaven and my neck-line tight. Unfortunately, neck skin tends to be the most delicate. I end up having to go through those expensive-ass cartridges like once every 4 or 5 shaves. Once that blade-jizzm dries out, it tends to wreck havoc on my skin. I'm wish-listing all of your recommendations for purchase when the last of my cartridges runs out (or shortly before) >> ^Fletch:

>> ^jqpublick:
I didn't know about the after-shave, I'll check it out. Thanks.
>> ^therealblankman:
@gwiz665 I knew the part about the ladies would convince you.
For my fellow Canucks you can buy the Proraso line at Shoppers Drugs across the country. They also carry the "Real Shaving" products from England- I really like their after-shave balm, use it every day.


I switched to DE shaving about a year ago after reading some enthusiastic comments for it somewhere. I used to abhor shaving. Now, it has become a pleasurable, zen-like ritual instead of a monotonous chore. I will never go back to cartridges.
For those thinking of giving it a go, I'd just recommend getting one of the many blade sample packs you can find on Amazon and on just about any site that sells DE razors. There are many different skin and beard types, and not all blades will feel and perform the same for everybody. I ended up choosing Astra Superior Premium Platinums. Buy them in a hundred pack and they are about 11.5 cents apiece. I get about 5 or 6 shaves per blade. Some people will get less. Some will get more. Even if you shave every day (I don't), it's cheaper than the Dollar Shave Club (initial costs aside).
If the initial cost is off-putting to you, take trip to the local grocery store and stare at the ridiculous price of replacement cartidges for the razor you are using now. DE razors and accessories are like cars, computers and kitchen knives. You can spend as much as you desire on one. There are many excellent razors under fifty bucks available. I use a Merkur Heavy Classic 43c and I love it. Unlike cartridge razors, it wil last a lifetime.
But cost savings isn't the reason I would recommend DE shaving. The benefits listed above by @therealblankman are the reasons why it's superior to catridge shaving. DE shaving takes a little longer than cartridge shaving (if you want baby smooth cheeks), but the results are more than worth it.
Proraso seems to have a following by the looks of some of the above comments, and for good reason. I also use the Proraso Ultra-Sensitive soap, the Proraso aftershave balm, and Proraso Anti-Irritation pre-shaving cream. I complete the kit with a nice badger hair shaving brush.

>> ^jqpublick:

I didn't know about the after-shave, I'll check it out. Thanks.
>> ^therealblankman:
@gwiz665 I knew the part about the ladies would convince you.
For my fellow Canucks you can buy the Proraso line at Shoppers Drugs across the country. They also carry the "Real Shaving" products from England- I really like their after-shave balm, use it every day.



I switched to DE shaving about a year ago after reading some enthusiastic comments for it somewhere. I used to abhor shaving. Now, it has become a pleasurable, zen-like ritual instead of a monotonous chore. I will never go back to cartridges.

For those thinking of giving it a go, I'd just recommend getting one of the many blade sample packs you can find on Amazon and on just about any site that sells DE razors. There are many different skin and beard types, and not all blades will feel and perform the same for everybody. I ended up choosing Astra Superior Premium Platinums. Buy them in a hundred pack and they are about 11.5 cents apiece. I get about 5 or 6 shaves per blade. Some people will get less. Some will get more. Even if you shave every day (I don't), it's cheaper than the Dollar Shave Club (initial costs aside).

If the initial cost is off-putting to you, take trip to the local grocery store and stare at the ridiculous price of replacement cartidges for the razor you are using now. DE razors and accessories are like cars, computers and kitchen knives. You can spend as much as you desire on one. There are many excellent razors under fifty bucks available. I use a Merkur Heavy Classic 43c and I love it. Unlike cartridge razors, it wil last a lifetime.

But cost savings isn't the reason I would recommend DE shaving. The benefits listed above by @therealblankman are the reasons why it's superior to catridge shaving. DE shaving takes a little longer than cartridge shaving (if you want baby smooth cheeks), but the results are more than worth it.

Proraso seems to have a following by the looks of some of the above comments, and for good reason. I also use the Proraso Ultra-Sensitive soap, the Proraso aftershave balm, and Proraso Anti-Irritation pre-shaving cream. I complete the kit with a nice badger hair shaving brush.

I'm a woman. Who doesn't like aftershave on her men. And has dated her share of hippies back in the day....


>> ^sme4r:

"I wonder if he really needs all that help. Metrosexual is a mixed signal, yeah?"
I bet you see a barber every now and then, right?

>> ^bareboards2:

I agree that it is terrible that this is happening to men now. I don't think that is progress, I think it is a disease that is spreading.
The point you are missing, though, is that these are the VAST MAJORITY of the images that women see. Pay attention to the next movie or TV show you watch. How many "normal" guys are cast in parts? How many "normal" women?
While you are watching, switch the genders in your mind and imagine a woman who is of the same attractiveness level as the men. I think it will shock you when you realize that you see normal looking men ALL THE TIME and rarely do you see normal looking women.
What percentage of all posters/images are JUST male body parts? What percentage of men in the media fit this impossibly high standard?
You can count on one hand the number of "normal" looking women on TV.
It is so pervasive you guys who think we are whining don't even see it.
Compare that to British TV. Men and women both are routinely ... normal. They are chubby, plain looking, balding if they are male. It is a relief to watch British TV.
And I didn't tell you to shut up, @<a rel="nofollow" href="http://videosift.com/member/ala_bala" title="member since February 9th, 2007" class="profilelink">ala_bala. I said think for ten minutes and then speak. Which clearly you didn't do.

>> ^schlub:
They definitely do this with men in advertising. Just watch any Gillette commercial. Huge bulging muscles and a penchant for ridiculous technology. A very poor representation of the majority of men.



Thank you for posting this, because i was just about to say - from what i see on tv, there is a roughly equal number of "perfect" men in adverts about aftershave, deodorant, shaving utensils, alcohol adverts, etc... If i compare, on the tv i watch, the number of perfect men to women? I'd say it was equal. Then i was about to say - does this say something about the difference between the sexes if it's only women who cannot help but judge themselves?

So there was my rant which never quite was, because i appreciate your comment and maybe i'm spoiled after all, perhaps it's not so bad here.

However, i really don't like the direction her argument takes, and i had to stop the video because i was that pissed off with it. "Objectifying is the first step on the road to abuse!" I'm sorry, but i can't buy into that and i never will. I don't like the logic whatsoever. It reminds me of the "violent video games cause violence" nonsense. There's always been violence, always will, video games won't change that.

In the same way, there's always been abuse and i would argue that abuse nowadays is far less accepted in our society than ever before. Racist, homophic, whatever. We are completely intolerant of those things now. Historically "raping" your wife wasn't really seen as rape, you were allowed to beat your wife if it was deemed reasonable, that kind of thing.

Absolutely unacceptable nowadays since the ADVENT of the objectification of women in advertisements - the evidence is hardly on her side. Cmon lady... I *hate* that argument.

Tags for this video have been changed from 'after shave, idiot, flame, stunt' to 'after shave, aftershave, idiot, flame, fire, stunt' - edited by kronosposeidon

catnip-scented aftershave.

If I could walk that way, I wouldn't need aftershave!

I'll submit the lyrics below. Who is this song referring to? Bill O'Reilly? Dobbs? Rivera? Murdoch? Murdoch's sons? Maybe it is Stephen Colbert. I think this song and video are great. I guess I see more into it since I worked as a reporter for so long.

Dancing Choose-TV on the Radio

he's a WHAT? he's a WHAT?
he's a newspaper man
and he gets his best ideas
from a newspaper stand;
from his boots to his pants
to his comments and his rants
he knows that any little article will do!

though he expresses some confusion
bout his part in the plan,
and he can't understand
that he's not in command;
the decisions underwritten
by the cash in his hand
bought a sweater for
his weimariner too

now i'm no mad man,
but that's insanity
feast before famine,
and more before family
goes and shows up with
more bowls and more
cups and the riot for the
last hot meal erupts
corrupts his hard drive
through the leanest months
shells out the hard cash
for the sickest stunts;
on aftershave, on gasoline
he flips the page and turns
the scene

in my mind i'm drowning butterflies
broken dreams and alibis;
that's fine.
i've seen my palette blown
to monochrome-
hollow heart
clicks hollowtone,
it's time.

eye on authority,
thumb prints a forgery
boy, ain't it crazy what the
lights can do
for counterfeit community;
every opportunity
wasted as the space
between the flash tattoo

and the half-hearted hologram,
posed for the party
now he gloss full bleed
on a deaf dumb tree
cod liver dollar signs,
credit card autograph
down for the record
but not for freedom

angry young mannequin
american, apparently
still to the rhythm
better get to the back of me
can't stand the vision,
better tongue the anatomy
gold plated overhead,
blank transparency
in the days of old,
you were a nut
now you need three bumps
before you cut
not that i should care about,
nothing i ain't scared of, but
i guess you had
to
be
there.

in my mind i'm breeding butterflies,
broken dreams, and alibis
that's fine.
i've seen my palette
blown to monochrome
hollow heart
clicks hollowtone
in time.

i see you figured in your action pose
foam-injected axl rose,
life size
should something shake you
and you drop the news,
lord, just keep your dancing shoes
off mine

the gf / mistress thing was funny. he was dresses half whipped. and then he was drinking aftershave then clorax. Hey did you notice the bear/piggy bank is built together. And then a lego man builds the police car and drives it around.