HANDFASTING RITE The bride, groom, and guests at his rite may be dressed in medieval costume, and ceremonial swords may be worn. This rite is best performed at the time of the the New Moon. The place of the marriage rite should be decked with flower of many kinds and fruits and vegetables in season. The altar should be arranged as usual, with a sword, wand, and two white candles. Incense may be of a floral scent. The couple to be wed may dress as they desire, though it is an ancient Celtic custom that the bride wear a veil or net, and an article of red or scarlet. The couple should obtain and wrap a small symbolic gift each for the other; these gifts should be placed on the altar before the start of the ceremony, and are opened later on. Wine and a cake or cakes should be provided for the revel to follow. The Wedding rings should be given to the Priest just before the ritual. He will fit them over the want and replace them on the altar. The groom shall wear a sword for this ceremony, and the bride should wear a jewel which she particularly treasures. Somewhat earlier in the day, the Priestess or Priest should consecrate the area in which the rite is to be held. The bridesmaids shall pass the word to the bride that this has been accomplished. To begin, the Priestess and Priest light the candles and incense. They turn toward the others in the rite, the Priestess to the right of the Priest. The Priest and Priestess join hands, raising their arms aloft at the same time, and the Priest calls: May the place of this rite Be consecrated before the gods. For we gather here in a ritual of love With two who would be wed. __________ and __________ come forward To stand here before us And before the gods of Nature. the two to be wed come forward at this time, the man to the right of the woman, and stop before the Priestess and the Priest. The Priestess and Priest alternating, then invoke the spirits of the land. Be with us here, O Powers of the air! With your clever fingers Tie closely the bonds between these two! Be with us here, O powers of fire! Give their love and passion Your all-consuming ardor! Be with us here, O powers of water! Give them the deepest of love And richness of body, of soul, and of spirit! Be with us here, O powers of earth! Let your strength and constancy Be theirs as long as they desire to remain together! Gracious Goddess, Mighty God, Give to these before us, we do ask, Your love and protection! Blessed Be! All: BLESSED BE! The Priest says to the groom: If you do truly desire, O ____________, To marry this woman, I bid you present to her Your blade of power.]Pledge your weapon to her, Unfailingly ever to be At her service. The groom draws his sword and, kneeling, offers it to the bride, saying: Gracious and lovely one, Accept my pledge of love to thee. I pledge this sword, as I pledge my soul, Ever to be in your service. Like this blade shall my love be strong, Like this steel shall my love be enduring. Accept it, O beloved one, For that which is mine Shall also be yours. The bride takes the sword silently in her hands and touches it to her forehead for the time of three heartbeats. Then she returns it to him and bids him to rise, saying: My lord, I accept your pledge of love As I do accept the pledge of your blade. Thou knowest what is in my heart As I know what is in thine. The magic of my will, and of my love Shall ever be yours. The Priestess then says to the bride: If Thou dost truly desire, O ____________, I bid you present to him a jewel of great value As token of the love that you have for him. he bride takes her jewel from her gown and, kneeling before the groom, holds it out to him, saying: Thou who art handsome and strong, Accept my jewel, my treasure, As pledge that all which I am And all which I possess Shall be yours. My love shall ever endure, And shall flourish as the vine And the tree. The groom takes the jewel silently in his hands and touches it to his forehead for the time of three heartbeats. Then he returns it to her and bids her rise, saying: My lady, I accept your pledge of love As I do accept the pledge of your jewel. Thou knowest what is in my heart As I know what is in thine. All which I have now, or shall have, Shall ever be yours. The Priestess then takes the wand and holds it over the top of the bride's head, saying: Thou shalt be the star that rises from the sea - The twilight sea. Thou shalt bring a man dreams to rule his destiny. Thou shalt bring the moon-tides to the soul of a man, The tides that flow and ebb, and flow again, The magic that moves in the moon and the sea; These are thy secret, and they belong to thee. Thou art the Eternal Woman, thou art She... The tides of all men's souls belong unto thee. Isis in heaven, on earth, Persephone, Diana of the Moon and Hecate, Veiled Isis, Aphrodite from the sea, All these thou art, and they are seen in thee. The Priest then takes the wand and holds it over the top of the groom's head, saying: In thee may the Lord of the Forests return to earth again; Hear the ancient call, and show thyself to men. Shepherd of wild things, upon the wild bill's way, Lead thy lost flock from darkness unto day. Forgotten are the ways of sleep and of night; Men seek for them whose eyes have the lost the light. Open the door, the door that hath no key... The door of dreams whereby men come unto thee. Shepherd of wild things, may you one with him be! The Priest picks up the rings and wand and holds one end of it before him in his right hand, the Priestess likewise holds the other end with her left hand, the rings on the exposed wand before them. The Priest then says to the two before him: Place your right hands Over this wand... And your rings... His hand over hers. The Priestess then says: Above you are the stars Below you are the stones. As time passes, remember... Like a star should your love be constant, Like the earth should your love be firm. Possess one another, yet be understanding. Have patience each with the other, For storms will come, but they will go quickly. Be free in giving of affection and of warmth. Have no fear, and let not the ways or words Of the unenlightened give you unease. For the Old Gods are with you, Now and always! After a pause of five heartbeats the Priest asks: Is it your wish, [groom's name] to become one With this man? [The answer is given by the bride.] Is it your wish, [bride's name] to become one With this woman? [The answer is given by the groom.] Does any say nay? The exchange of rings then takes place. The groom first takes the ring for the bride off the wand. She take the ring from him, placing it first on her thumb, then on her index finger, then on the middle finger, and finally on the ring finger, saying: In the name of the Triple Goddess I pledge my troth To love and cherish thee through all lifetimes, For even though our paths may later diverge, Yet will I always be thy true friend, To love thee and lend thee aid and protection By the power of the starry mill of heaven, Beyond the imaginable reaches of time and knowledge! The bride then takes the ring for her groom off the wand. He takes it from her hands as she offers it to him, repeating the process, and also the same pledge. When this is complete, the Priestess then says: Then as the Goddess, the God and the Old Ones Are witness to this rite I now proclaim you man and wife! Thus are thy hands fasted... The Two are One, The work of joy is done, And yet begun! A kiss is appropriate at this time. The Priest calls for the men of the group to step back and to raise a sword arch [*note: this arch may also be formed with single long stemmed flowers] through which the couple passes. Afterwards, the couple should "jump the broom," as a symbol of officially beginning their new life together, and if wished, the guests may hold a "circle dance" around the couple.