A tau robe is a very simple black or white gown cut to resemble the Greek letter, "

tau Tau (uppercase Τ, lowercase τ, or \boldsymbol\tau; el, ταυ ) is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless dental or alveolar plosive . In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 300. The name in English ...

," or "T".Kraig (1989), p. 27.

Description

The arms are usually from fingertip to fingertip, and the bottom hem is usually floor length, as with a ceremonial

tabard A tabard is a type of short coat that was commonly worn by men during the late Middle Ages and early modern period in Europe. Generally worn outdoors, the coat was either sleeveless or had short sleeves or shoulder pieces. In its more developed ...

.Greer (1998), p. 130–131. Both the arms and body of the gown will flare so that the sleeves being

bell sleeve A bell sleeve can be either long or short and is usually set smoothly into the armscye (no pleating or shirring) and flares toward the bottom. Bell sleeves end anywhere from the elbow to the wrist. Flared sleeves ending at the upper bicep are si ...

s, are wider at the fingers than at the shoulder, and the bottom wider than at the chest. This loose fitting helps with maneuverability while wearing the robe.Greer (1998), p. 131.

Purpose

The robe is one of the vestments worn in ceremonial magic. Although not essential, Donald Kraig describes the purpose of wearing the robe as "to physically show both your conscious and your unconscious that you are no longer in your daily dress." Kraig goes on to say wearing the robe indicates a magical and spiritual intent, such as engaging in ritual, and should be kept exclusively for that purpose. ''Modern Magick: Twelve Lessons in the High Magickal Arts,'' Donald Michael Kraig, U.S. 2010, p 32

Footnotes

References

* * {{refend Ceremonial clothing Robes and cloaks