Hair tells something about what is going on inside the head it sits on. Unkempt hair hair can show a disorderly mind, but this can also be a good thing as in the case of Einstein whose wild hair corresponded to an eccentric and original mind free to think outside of the box and not locked in place; a mind which moves as freely as the hair. Highly manicured hair in contrast, may belong to a person who values structure, conformity, and integrating socially. Hair can reveal the outflows of the mind.
What is the purpose and spiritual importance of hair? Symbolically the strands of hair are like rays of light which come out from the head; hair is glory. In 1 Corinthians 11, the apostle Paul makes the connection between hair and glory:
1 Cor 11:7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man.
The head is the seat of glory. Elisha was mocked for his lack of a covering of hair, being called "bald," resulting in a savage bear attack on the youngsters doing the mocking.
Hair also sits on top of our head like a crown and is compared with glory in Proverbs:
Proverbs 16:31 The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, If it is found in the way of righteousness.
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Head Coverings
The topic of hair comes up strongly in 1 Corinthians 11, which is a highly controversial Bible passage. Here the apostle Paul speaks on head coverings for women and why men should not use a head covering in church:
1 Corinthians 11:3-6 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered.
Some interpret this as saying women should wear a hat or even veil in church, but Paul gives the true meaning in a later verse:
1 Cor 11:13-15 Judge among yourselves. Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered? Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering.
As Paul states, God has given long hair to women in place of having to wear a formal head covering. The women in some sects of Christianity will wear a hat or bonnet as a head covering to fulfill Paul's instructions. Verse 15 provides a simpler solution though, which is that a woman's long hair already counts as her covering (but only if it is long hair).
The Greek word "anti-" really seals the deal here. This means "in place of." Paul is this saying that God has given women long hair in place of having to wear a cloth or other external covering. Having long hair fulfills the same purpose in a more simple and beautiful way.
The Bible does not give an exact measurement for what constitutes "long" hair because I believe it is a sliding scale where past a certain point it just gets worse and worse until finally the woman looks just downright masculine and unattractive (is there really a need for hair to be so short that it does not at least reach the bottom of the neck?)
The apostle Paul states that if a woman refuses to have long hair, she may as well shave it off entirely and just go bald. For a woman to have short masculine hair is equally repulsive as to have no hair at all. Similar to Christ's commandant to be either hot or cold but not lukewarm, Paul requires women either to have long hair which flows downwards, or to shave all hair off entirely.
Now as for the men, the head covering being forbidden should not be seen as a headpiece being banned; after all, a headpiece was a part of the garments the Old Testament priest was supposed to wear.
Exodus 28:39-40
39 "You shall skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread, you shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work.
40 "For Aaron's sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make hats for them, for glory and beauty.
The Old Testament high priest was commanded to wear a special hat. Aaron's sons were also divinely instructed to wear hats. Given this, the apostle Paul could not have meant that a man should not wear something on his head. Rather, a man should not have long hair: Does not even nature itself teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a dishonor to him? (1 Cor 11:14). Us men don't get to look like Captain Hook; at least not if we are following the Bible as our standard.
1 Corinthians 11:10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels
What truly matters is not the type of head covering worn, but that there is a symbol of authority on the woman's head. Long hair fulfills this function perfectly as it shows the woman embracing her femininity and not trying to usurp the man's position. The above verse invites the angelic realm into our discussion. Angels can see a person's authority by looking at the glory that rests above the head. We call this the "halo" in Christianity (some religions refer to this place as the "crown" chakra). Saints are depicted in artwork and paintings as having this halo, as a testament to their spiritual power and authority. In an apostle's case, this glory should be strong and appear like a sun above his head. Just as the moon reflects from the sun, Paul teaches that a woman reflects her husbands glory (which is actually God's glory on him) and her long hair shows proper submission to God and to her husband, testifying to her place in God's authority structure to the angels and demons who are watching. By seeing the woman's long hair the angels see her respect and submission to God's order, embracing natural femininity.
There is another reason Paul commanded women to have long hair; "because of the angels." This is found by looking in the book of Enoch. Chapter 6 of Enoch teaches that fallen angels taught human women how to apply makeup and beauty products. The angels then had sex with these human women, resulting in a powerful race of giants called the Nephilim. The fallen angels would examine a woman's appearance to see which ones "belong" to them by seeing who was using their artificial products for enhancement. A woman's hair marks her as either part of God's authority structure, or ripe for satanic infiltration just as in the days of old.
1 Corinthians 11:16 "But if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God."
You can feel Paul's exasperation at having to deal with this issue dividing the church. His final statement is that although it is in alignment with God's natural order for women to wear a formal fabric head covering, his churches have "no such custom." (This would be because the woman's long hair already fulfills this function instead).
Long hair may be higher maintenance but it is worth it, for long hair is a woman's glory. Short hair was historically used as a punishment, to humiliate a woman who had done certain crimes. In Paul's time, the Romans would shave an adulterous wife's head. In more modern times this was done by the French after the war to women who had entered relationships with Nazi soldiers. Short hair on a woman is against nature and signifies a loss of glory. Modern culture promotes freedom and independence above all, with conformity to group expectations inviting mockery of being a "sheep." Following rules is what allowed civilization itself to develop and is a major part of why we are not still living in caves hunting and gathering to survive. God is a great rule maker and the Law is at the heart of his nature. Creating spiritual and physical laws is the first thing God did in Genesis, creating boundaries and divisions among creation. God also divided male and female and expects us to act, look, and dress in accordance with our sex, not crossing over into the other side thinking we have "freedom" to do whatever. God never ordained unrestricted freedom for us.
Braiding and Colored Hair:
Besides unnatural lengths of hair, there are other ways of messing with the hair that are against the Bible. The Bible quite literally says that a Christian woman should not have braided hair. This is not an outdated Old Testament rule, but is found in the New Testament:
1 Peter 3:3-4 (ESV)
Do not let your adorning be external -the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear -but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.
Braided hair takes up an excess of time that could be used productively. This might seem minor, but time is one of the most limited resources we have in our finite lives. Braiding also forces hair into the twisting pattern of the serpent, looking like little snakes like Medusa had.
The stress of braiding hair also causes Traction Alopecia, which can result in permanent loss of hair which cannot be reversed even when you stop braiding it.
Hair dye, like braiding, is another destructive practice. Just as poisonous animal species are noted by bright color patterns, a spiritual toxicity is revealed by those who put clown colors in their hair. Dying hair unnatural colors also grants the demonic realm access to the mind. Pink hair reveals a demonic stronghold of childlike immaturity while blue hair is shows possession by the liberal anti-authority spirit. Every color can reveal a different demonic stronghold which has been allowed to enter the mind.
The Crown of Glory
Sometimes there is a correspondence between various belief systems where each will use different names to refer to the same thing. Some even acknowledge their gods as being different names for the same one, Baal/Zeus/Jupiter being the favorite heathen sky-daddy to supplicate to for the dispensation of rain. Now Christianity is generally not like this at all, and rejects most other religious beliefs, but there are still some times we can be referring to the same concept with different names.
New age or eastern religions make a practice of trying to raise the serpent from the lowest "root" chakra until it can reach the crown, gaining total control. Now these think it to be a positive thing, but for one who has read the Bible, immediate red flags should be going up for us. This is a danger in the practice of Yoga, which may look like just an exercise programme, yet is actually used to prepare the body to allow the serpent greater access and authority.
What they call the "root" chakra is the same point biblically called the "heel" or "lower millstone."
Genesis 3:14-15 "14 So the Lord God said to the serpent:
"Because you have done this,
You are cursed more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you shall go,
And you shall eat dust
All the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise your head,
And you shall bruise his heel.""
When Adam sinned, the serpent gained access to the lower part of our nature. He is able to "bruise our heel." There is a part of us, the "heel," that is defective from Adam's fall. Satan is not satisfied with this small beachhead however, and seeks to encroach further and climb higher in this authority in us.
When Eve had yielded her spirit to the serpent and was defiled, he injected his spiritual seed in her, which is now carried by every human from birth. This 'seed' is trapped in what they call the "root chakra," the heel, the lowermost point, and some false religions will try to awaken it.
Biblically when the Old Testament curses were released, they were spoken to come "from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head." (Deuteronomy 28:35). This is the same path as the demonic yoga and kundalini awakening. It seeks to raise the serpent up from the root or heel. God's glory in contrast, always comes down from above and is spoken of as our crown. Therefore any spiritual practice or visualization should be of inviting in God's glory from above, and not bringing up power from beneath.
In summary we must protect not only the head but also the crown, for the crown reveals the glory that rests upon the head. Keeping the crown in line with God's order, protects and keeps pure the glory over our life. A crown signifies authority and whether we are in line with God's authority or attempting to create our own rebellious order. The crown is a spiritual gateway and what we do with our hair can have a significant effect on what spirit we operate in, God's glory or satan's corruption.