EDINBURGH – The Scottish Pagan Federation (SPF) has announced its official tartan to coincide with its 50th-anniversary celebration.
The Federation was founded in 1971, with Scotland becoming a specific district in the early 1990s and becoming an independent organization in 2006. The SPF welcomes members from all Pagans traditions.
The Federation’s 100% wool tartan has now been officially registered with the Scottish Federation of Tartans in Edinburgh, a process that can take months to years between creation, research, and final application. The idea of a specifically Scottish Pagan tartan was originally conceived towards the end of 2019 and was born from SPF’s active role in an interfaith discussion where it was observed that other faith communities were launching their own tartans (for example, a Scottish Muslim tartan).
Scottish Pagan Federation Logo
Steffy VonScott, Presiding Officer at Scottish Pagan Federation said, “Towards the end of 2019 everyone in interfaith was talking about faith representative tartans. There had been a Muslim tartan launched several years earlier, alongside the launch of a Sikh and Jewish tartan, with several other faith tartans already in existence. At that point, my initial discussions around creating a Pagan Faith Tartan became more about religious equality than creating an actual valid product. Yet within a year we would have not only have a Tartan that embodies so many paths, strands, and aspects of Paganism but a thing of absolute beauty. I am truly honored to have been part of this project”
The Scottish Federation of Tartans notes that the definition of tartans is identified in the Scottish Register of Tartans Act (2008). The Act defines a tartan as “a design which is capable of being woven consisting of two or more alternating coloured stripes which combine vertically and horizontally to form a repeated chequered pattern.”
The repeated and distinctive pattern is traditionally referred to as the sett of the tartan.
The sett is a geometric design, made up of block sections of solid color that converge on the diagonal, radiating in parallel and perpendicular lines of woven thread. The thread patterns create blocks of solid and mixed colors.
The term “plaid,” often used to describe the tartan patterns outside of Scotland, refers to a large piece of tartan cloth. The word plaid is derived from the Scottish Gaelic word plaide, meaning “blanket.”
New tartans must meet the definition of tartan described in the Act and “must be a new design, unique to the Register, and there must be a clear link between the person registering the tartan and the proposed tartan name.” Applicants must describe color and weave patterns, thread count, and submit a woven sample.
Modern tartans often have meaning embedded within the pattern and colors.
The design team of the SPF said that they started off by considering the other tartans and the values symbolized by the colors chosen for those patterns. They considered the traditions surrounding the origins and history of the tartan, plus how the tartan could communicate a sense of belonging to a specific community, tribe, and/or lineage.
Ultimately, the Federation’s tartan reflects the eclectic nature of all Pagans within Scotland whilst also being a tartan that Pagans all around the world can wear with pride.
The Creative Lead Designer for the tartan was Edinburgh-based Tom Lanting of Gemini Aspect, who with his husband, Ian Robertson have been outfitters and respected members of the Pagan community in Scotland. VonScott said, “Tom was able to bring his years of extensive knowledge and experience of design and textiles to the team.”
After some initial experimentation with the design, The Federation tartan explored colors that represent the seasons of the year and the tree of life. The colors are also traditional to the most ancient plaids, which served as inspiration for the finished design.
VonScott said he wanted to see many of the aspects of Paganism he wished to see woven into the strands of the tartan, from colors representing the many Pagan paths to the colors of the five elements, from the Sun and the Moon to Goddess and several other thoughts on that the tartan should encompass, and gave the team plenty of creative freedom to experiment.
The new Scottish Pagan Tartan (courtesy)
Lanting was especially interested that the new tartan’s symbolism honored both ancestry and the common roots which drawn us all together.
Thus, blue was chosen to represent the Picts and the white was for their priesthood, the early druids.
The yellow and white lines around the blue draw links to the past, present, and future of all Pagans, together with the yellow representative of the sun and white for the moon, themes shared by many Pagans in their practice.
The five elements of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit are also represented by their traditional colors.
Following public consultation with the Pagan community via social media, the specific shade of blue was decided upon and the SPF’s purple and green colors were also added.
The symbolism was then extended further with the additional green representing nature, the land, and the natural world, whilst the purple represented Scottish heather, alongside its even deeper symbolism within magic, wise women, and folk healers, while combined both colors represent Scotland’s national flower: the thistle.
The final shade of blue, which completes the tartan and ties all these elements together, represents Scotland’s lochs, rivers, and watercourses, many of whom were, in ancient times, worshipped as Goddesses.
Lanting wrote, “I feel privileged to have had the ability to design something unique that I hope Pagans around the world will find an affinity with. It was great to be able to work within a great small team, but to also to have the input of public response on the shades of colours. I am excited that the final layout has been greeted in such a positive way and that as part of Gemini Aspect, the honour of being able to not just be part of the design team but to create the first products out of it.”
The Scottish Pagan Federation thanks everyone who was involved in this project and hopes that all Pagans will gain a sense of community when wearing our Pagan Tartan with pride.
Scottish Pagan Federation said they have secured sources for the 100%-wool tartan already. They are in consultation with companies all over Scotland and abroad to supply them and even have had orders from New Zealand and Australia.
Gemini Aspect will be offering Scottish Pagan tartan trimmed cloaks and robes via their website. The tartan will also become available in a range of other hand-made products. Gemini Aspect added that they are creating tarot bags, altar cloths, cloaks, and robes trimmed with the tartan. They said they can post worldwide but that because of demand, they recommend contacting them first via email or Facebook Messenger.
The tartan may soon be pre-ordered as a kilt from the official Scottish Pagan Federation website.
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