Date: Fri 23 Oct 87 22:15:44
From: Ryan Hunter
To: Sean Barrett
Subj: wedding/handfasting ceremony

[The following wedding ceremony was written to provide for Pagans 
who must of necessity be wed in the presence of the uninitiated 
who are not pagan and are perhaps unaware that the bride and 
groom are pagan. Replace the words Bride and Groom below with the 
names of the happy couple. This ceremony was used by both my wife 
and myself and by my sister and her husband. They modified the 
text at the point below where it says "loving each other wholly 
and completely" to add the phrase "forsaking all others" as they 
are into monogamy. Either version works beautifully, I recommend 
the participants rewrite where necessary to form a legal contract 
that they can and will keep. It is easy to avoid being an 
oathbreaker if you only swear to that that you will keep and 
avoid swearing to something just because the other party wants it 
or because it might be "expected" by the family. Notice: parts of 
this ritual were cribbed from the writings of others. I apologise 
in advance for failure to reference sources but after the 
fifteenth rewrite we had forgotten where we got the text and what 
was and what was not original to us. I doubt if there are quotes 
from other sources longer than paragraph length and thus should 
not be a copyright problem. If you see something that is yours, 
please send me mail and I will reference you in the future. Our 
thanks to those who paved the way. --Ryan Hunter]

[PRIEST] We have come together here in celebration of the joining 
together of ____bride______ and ____groom______. There are many 
things to say about marriage. Much wisdom concerning the joining 
together of two souls, has come our way through all paths of 
belief, and from many cultures. With each union, more knowledge 
is gained and more wisdom gathered. Though we are unable to give 
all this knowledge to these two, who stand before us, we can hope 
to leave with them the knowledge of love and its strengths and 
the anticipation of the wisdom that comes with time. The law of 
life is love unto all beings. Without love, life is nothing, 
without love, death has no redemtion. Love is anterior to Life, 
posterior to Death, initial of Creation and the exponent of 
Earth. If we learn no more in life, let it be this. 

Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable 
thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its 
cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs. With 
full understanding of this, Groom and Bride have come here today 
to be joined as one in marriage. 

Others would ask, at this time, who gives the bride in marriage, 
but, as a woman is not property to be bought and sold, given and 
taken, I ask simply if she comes of her own will and if she has 
her family's blessing. 

Bride, is it true that you come of your own free will and 
accord?

[BRIDE] Yes, it is true.

[PRIEST] With whom do you come and whose blessings accompany you.

[FATHER] She comes with me, her father, and is accompanied by all 
of her family's blessings.

[PRIEST] Please join hands with your betrothed and listen to that 
which I am about to say.

Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time doth 
pass, remember...

Like a stone should your love be firm like a star should your 
love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect 
guide you in your marriage, let the strength of your wills bind 
you together, let the power of love and desire make you happy, 
and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable. Be 
close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be 
understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will 
come, but they will pass quickly.

Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not 
the ways of the unenlightened give you unease, for God is with 
you always.

Groom, I have not the right to bind thee to Bride, only you have 
this right. If it be your wish, say so at this time and place 
your ring in her hand. 

[GROOM] It is my wish.

[PRIEST] Bride, if it be your wish for Groom to be bound to 
you, place the ring on his finger. (places ring on Groom's left 
ring finger)

Bride I have not the right to bind thee to Groom only you have 
this right. If it be your wish, say so at this time and place 
your ring in his hand.

[BRIDE] It is my wish.

[PRIEST] Groom, if it be your wish for Bride to be bound to you, 
place the ring on her finger.(places ring on Bride's left 
ring finger)

(to Groom) Repeat after me:

I, (grooms full name), in the name of the spirit of God that 
resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood 
and the love that resides within my heart, take thee (bride's 
full name) to my hand, my heart, and my spirit, to be my 
chosen one. To desire thee and be desired by thee, to possess 
thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught 
can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love 
thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in 
health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we 
shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change 
thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people, 
and thy ways as I respect myself.

(to Bride)
I (bride's full name), in the name of the spirit of God that 
resides within us all, by the life that courses within my 
blood, and the love that resides within my heart, take thee, 
(Groom's full name) to my hand, my heart, and my spirit to be 
my chosen one. To desire and be desired by thee, to possess 
thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught 
can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love 
thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in 
health, in plenty and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we 
shall meet, remember, and love again. I shall not seek to change 
thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs, thy people, 
and thy ways as I respect myself.

[PRIEST]
(hands chalice to the groom, saying:) May you drink your fill 
from the cup of love.

(Groom holds chalice to bride while she sips then bride takes 
chalice and holds it to groom while he sips. The chalice is then 
handed back to the Priest who sets it on the table. Next the 
Priest takes the plate of bread, giving it to the groom. Same 
procedure repeated with bread, groom feeding bride and bride 
feeding groom.)

By the power vested in me by God and the State of Alabama, I now 
pronounce you husband and wife. May your love so endure that its 
flame remains a guiding light unto you.