Handfasting Ritual

(Wiccan elements taken from The Witches’ Bible)

 

Opening Ceremony

 

The witnesses stand outside the North-East quadrant of the circle. The High Priest draws the circle with the sword, leaving a gateway in the North-East (by raising the sword higher than the heads of the witnesses as they pass). He proceeds deosil from North-East to North, saying as he goes:
‘I conjure thee, O Circle of Power, to be a meeting place of love and joy and truth; a shield against all darkness; a boundary between the world of men and the realms of the Mighty Ones; a rampart of protection that shall preserve and contain the power that we shall raise within thee. Wherefore do I bless and consecrate thee, in the names of Cernunnos and Aradia.’

The High Priest then lays down the sword and admits a woman to the Circle with a kiss. She admits a man in the same way; that man admits a woman, and so on, till everyone is in the Circle. The High Priest picks up the sword and closes the gateway.

Everyone picks up their athame and faces East, with High Priestess and High Priest in front (High Priest standing to her right).

High Priest:
‘Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, Lords of Air; I do summon, stir and call you, to witness these rites and guard this Circle.’

As High Priest speaks, the he draws a pentagram with his athame in the air in front of him, kisses his athame blade and lays it on his heart for a second or two.

All copy these gestures with their own athames; any who are without athames use their right forefingers.

All then face South and the High Priest repeat the summoning; this time it is to:
‘Lords of the Watchtowers of the South, Lords of Fire, I do summon, stir and call you, to witness these rites and guard this Circle.’

They then face West, where the summons is to:
‘Lords of the Watchtowers of the West, Lords of Water, I do summon, stir and call you, to witness these rites and guard this Circle.’

They then face North; High Priest says:
‘Lords of the Watchtowers of the North, Lords of Earth; Boreas, guardian of the Northern portals; powerful god, gentle goddess; we do summon, stir and call you up, to witness these rites and guard this circle.’

All replace their athames. The Bride and GroomHigh Priestess and High Priest stand facing the altar.

 

Handfasting

 

High Priestess:
‘Welcome all to the handfasting of …… and ……!  We thank you for your presence here, to witness their union and hold this space. A handfasting is a ceremony showing the commitment of a man and woman, to love and cherish each other, for a period of time of their choice. It is the ancient equivalent of marriage, and binds the couple together in the presence of the God and Goddess and elemental representatives. We are here as earthly witnesses to their love and commitment to each other.’

High Priest invokes:
‘I invoke thee and call upon you, Mighty Mother of us all, bringer of abundance; by seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love I do invoke thee to observe this right and witness the joining of this couple.’

The High Priest, facing the witnesses, raises his arms wide and says,
‘Great God, Lord of the Wild Hunt, consort of the Goddess and defender of nature; by seed and root, by bud and stem, by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love, I do invoke and call upon thee to observe this rite and witness the joining of this couple.’

High Priest and High Priestess stand with their backs to the altar, The Groom facing High Priestess, the Bride facing High Priest.

High Priestess:
‘Who comes to be joined together in the presence of the Goddess?  What is thy name, O man?’

Groom:
‘My name is …….’

High Priest: 
‘Who comes to be joined together in the presence of the God?  What is thy name, O woman?’

Bride:
‘My name is ….’

High Priestess:
‘…… and ……, we greet you with joy.’ 

All circle around the bride and groom to the Witches’ Rune. High Priestess, followed by High Priest, then leads everyone into the Witches’ Rune, a ring dance, deosil, facing inwards and holding hands (left palms up, right palms down), men and women alternately as far as possible. High Priestess sets the pace. As the ring-dance proceeds, the whole Circle chants,
‘Eko, Eko Azerak,
Eko, Eko Zomilak,
Eko, Eko Cernunnos,
Eko, Eko Aradia,’
 (Repeat x 3);
then continue with:
Darksome night and shining moon, East then South then West then North;
hearken to the Witches’ Rune – here we come to call ye forth!
Earth and water, air and fire, wand and pentacle and sword,
work ye unto our desire, hearken ye unto our word!
Cords and censer, scourge and knife, powers of the witch’s blade
waken all ye into life, come ye as the charm is made!
Queen of heaven, Queen of hell, hornèd hunter of the night
lend your power unto the spell, and work our will by magic rite!
By all the power of land and sea, by all the might of moon and sun
as we do will, so mote it be, chant the spell and be it done!
Eko, eko Azerak,
eko, eko Zomilak,
Eko, Eko Cernunnos,
Eko, Eko Aradia’ 

Repeat last 4 lines until High Priestess decides it is time and orders, Down!’  Everyone drops to the ground and sits in a ring facing inwards.

High Priestess:
‘Unity is balance and balance is unity. Hear then, and understand.’
She picks up the wand, and continues.
‘The wand that I hold is the symbol of air. Know and remember that this is the element of life, of intelligence, of the inspiration which moves us onwards. By the wand of air, we bring to your handfasting the power of Mind.’
She lays down the wand.

High Priest picks up the sword.
‘The sword that I hold is the symbol of Fire. Know and remember that this is the element of Light, of energy, of the vigour which runs through our veins. By this sword of Fire, we bring to your handfasting the power of Will.’
He lays the sword down.

High Priestess picks up the chalice.
‘The chalice that I hold is the symbol of Water. Know and remember, that this is the element of Love, of growth, of the abundance of the Great Mother. By this chalice of Water we bring to your handfasting the power of Desire.’
She lays the chalice down.

High Priest picks up the pentacle.
‘The pentacle that I hold is the symbol of Earth. Know and remember that this is the element of Law, of endurance, of the understanding which cannot be shaken. By this pentacle of Earth we bring to your handfasting the power of Steadfastness.’
He lays down the pentacle.

High Priestess and High Priest face the others, with him on her left.

High Priest:
‘Hear ye the words of the Goddess; she in the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, and whose body encircles the universe.’

High Priestess:
‘I who am the beauty of the green earth, and the white Moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man, call unto thy soul. Arise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature, who gives life to the universe. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of Gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoiceth; for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. And therefore let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honour and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinkest to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail ye not unless thou knowest the mystery; that if that which thou seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without thee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.’

High Priest:
‘The Great Goddess comes not as the virgin, the victim, but as the Awakener, the Desirous One. As outer space she calls and the All Father commences his courtship. She awakeneth him to desire and the worlds are created. How powerful is she, The Great Goddess, the Awakener of Manhood.’

High Priestess:
‘But all these things are one thing. All the Goddesses are one Goddess and we call her Isis, the All-Woman, in whose nature, all natural things are found; virgin and desirous by turn; giver of life and bringer-in of death. She is the cause of all creation, for she awakeneth the desire of the All Father, and for her sake, he createth.’

High Priest:
‘In the face of every woman let Man look for the features of the Great Goddess, watching her phases through the flow and return of the tides to which his soul answereth. Listen for her call.’

High Priestess:
‘We are here today before the Goddess and the God to join our friends …….. and …….. in the time-honoured ceremony of handfasting. Here they will formally pledge their love to each other before us all and begin a new life together. Are you both in full accord with the vows you are about to speak?’

Bride and Groom:
‘We are.’

High Priestess (as she winds the cord loosely about their clasped wrists):
‘As you make your vows of love and faithfulness to each other, I tie this cord in the presence of the Goddess, the God, and of the guardians of the watchtowers of the elemental quarters. Let this be a symbol of your commitment to each other, to hold fast to the love you share as long as you both shall love. The knot is tied with a bow, a symbol of the gift of love and companionship you are freely giving, and the cord is tied loosely so you may be released if you so desire. As in The Lovers tarot card, you have chosen your bonds willingly and joyfully, and they will bind you only because it is what you both desire.’

High Priest: (to the Bride)
‘Do you walk the path of the Moon in the presence of the Goddess, to declare your sacred vow?’

Bride:
‘ I do.’

High Priest:
‘ And what is your sacred vow?’

Bride:
‘I do swear, by seed and root, by leaf and flower and fruit; by the Goddess and the God, by Air and Fire and Earth; by Water and by Spirit’s power, by strength of tears and mirth. Through calm and storm, whate’er may come, your partner I will be; to love and cherish, have and hold; secure, adored and free. I give my faithful love to you, to hold within your heart, for a year and a day, come what may, then as long as our love shall last.’

The Bride kisses the Groom.

High Priestess: (to the Groom)
‘Do you walk the path of the Sun in the presence of the God, to declare your sacred vow?’

Groom:
‘I do.’

High Priestess:
‘ And what is your sacred vow?’

Groom:
‘I do swear, by seed and root, by leaf and flower and fruit; by the Goddess and the God, by Air and Fire and Earth; by Water and by Spirit’s power, by strength of tears and mirth. Through calm and storm, whate’er may come, your partner I will be; to love and cherish, have and hold; secure, adored and free. I give my faithful love to you, to hold within your heart, for a year and a day, come what may, then as long as our love shall last.’

The Groom kisses the Bride.

High Priestess:
‘ Let all here witness that He and She have been joined together, by their free will, for at least a year and a day, then as long as their love shall last. May their union be blessed with abundance and joy. Blessed be!’

All:
‘Blessed be!’

High Priestess:
‘ Let all who are here present declare their intent to support and respect this union in peace and love.’

All:
‘We swear by peace and love to stand, heart to heart and hand in hand. Mark, O Spirits, and hear us now, confirming this our sacred vow.’

High Priestess unties the bow and unwinds the cord, saying:
‘Now, before the Goddess and the God, the four elements and all here present, I declare that …… and …… are a handfasted couple, equal and willing partners in a new life together. The loosing of the cord signifies the freedom they shall have within the relationship, after a year and a day, to do as they shall desire.’

High Priestess then indicates the besom at their feet and says:
‘The besom, or broomstick, is a traditional symbol of the union of man and woman. It is used to purify a sacred space, and symbolises the security of hearth and home. Jumping the broomstick is an ancient rite performed by couples down the centuries to show their desire to live as partners under the protection of the Goddess and the God. ……. and …….., I invite you now to seal your vows with this symbolic act.’

The High Priestess stands back and the Bride and Groom jump the broomstick.

(Kissing time) 🙂

 

The Great Rite

 

The Bride fetches the wand and scourge from the altar. The Groom and the Bride stand facing each other in the centre of the Circle, the Bride with her back to the altar, he with his back to the South.

The Groom gives the Bride the 5 fold kiss (Right foot, Left foot, Right Knee, Left Knee, Womb, Right Breast, Left Breast and Lips). When the Groom reaches the womb she opens her arms into the ‘blessing position’.

As the Groom gives the five fold kiss the he says:
“Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways”
“Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar”
“Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be”
“Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty”
“Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names”

For the kiss on the lips, they embrace, length-to-length, with their feet touching.

The Bride then lays herself down face upwards, with her hips in the centre of the Circle, her head toward the altar, and her arms and legs outstretched to form the Pentagram.

The Groom fetches the veil and spreads it over the Brides body, covering her from breasts to knees. The Groom then kneels facing her, with his knees between her feet.

The Groom calls the High Priestess to bring the athame from the altar. The High Priestess does so and stands with the athame in her hands, a yard to the West of the Brides hips, facing her.

The Groom calls High Priest to bring the chalice of mead from the altar. The High Priest does so and stands with the chalice in his hands, a yard to the East of the Brides hips, facing her.

Groom:
‘Assist me to erect the ancient altar, at which in days past all worshipped; the great altar of all things. For in old time, Woman was the altar. Thus was the altar made and placed, and the sacred place was the point within the centre of the Circle. As we have of old been taught that the point within the centre is the origin of all things, therefore should we adore it; therefore whom we adore we also invoke. O Circle of Stars, whereof our father is but the younger brother, marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, before whom time is ashamed, the mind bewildered and the understanding dark, not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love.
Therefore, by seed and root, and stem and bud, and leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee, O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light, continuous one of the heavens; let it be ever thus that men speak not of thee as One, but as None; and let them not speak of thee at all, since thou art continuous. For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore; the point of life, without which we would not be. And in this way truly are erected the holy twin pillars, in beauty and in strength were they erected to the wonder and glory of all men.’

The Groom removes the veil from the Brides body, and hands it to High Priestess, from whom the Groom takes the athame.

The Bride rises and kneels facing the Groom, and takes the chalice from High Priest.

The Groom continues:
‘Altar of mysteries manifold, the sacred Circle’s secret point – thus do I thee with kisses of my lips anoint.’

The Groom kisses the Bride on the lips and continues:
‘Open for me the secret way, the pathway of intelligence, beyond the gates of night and day, beyond the bounds of time and sense. Behold the mystery aright – the five true points of fellowship.’

The Bride holds up the chalice, and the Groom lowers the point of his athame into the mead (Both use both their hands for this).

The Groom continues:
‘Here where the lance and grail unite and feet, and knees, and breast, and lip.’

The Groom hands his athame to High Priestess and then places both his hands round the Brides as the Bride holds the chalice. The Groom kisses her, and the Bride sips the wine; the Bride kisses him and the Groomsips the wine. Both keep their hands round the chalice while they do this.

The Groom takes the chalice from the Bride and they both rise to their feet. The Groom hands the chalice to High Priestess with a kiss, and the High Priestess sips; the High Priestess passes the chalice to High Priestwith a kiss, and the High Priest sips. From him, the chalice is passed to a woman then woman to man etc. in the normal way.

To consecrate the cakes, the Bride picks up her athame again, and the Groom, kneeling before her, holds up the dish of cakes. The Bride draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth in the air above the cakes with her athame.

Bride:
‘O Queen most secret, bless this food into our bodies; bestowing health, wealth, strength, joy and peace, and that fulfilment of love which is perfect happiness.’

The Bride lays down her athame on the altar, kisses the Groom and takes a cake from the dish. The Bride kisses the Groom again, and the Groom takes a cake. The Groom then rises and passes the dish to another woman with a kiss. The dish is passed in this way round all present, man to woman and woman to man (each time with a kiss), until everyone has taken a cake.

 

Closing Ritual

 

All form a circle around the perimeter of the Circle.

All face North with their athames in hand.

High Priest(ess):
‘Lords of the Watchtower of the North, Lords of Earth. We thank you for attending our rites and bid you Hail and Farewell!’

High Priest(ess) draws the banishing pentagram as they speak, then kisses their athame blade and lays it over their heart for a second or two.  The High Priest(ess) and the others copy these gestures with their athames or right forefinger.

All say:
‘ Hail and Farewell.’

The High Priest(ess) blows out the North candle.

All turn to the West. The High Priest and High Priestess move to the Western quarter.

High Priest(ess):
‘Lords of the Watchtower of the West, Lords of Water. We thank you for attending our rites and bid you Hail and Farewell!’

The High Priest(ess) draws the banishing pentagram as they speak, then kisses their athame blade and lays it over their heart for a second or two. The High Priest(ess) and the others copy his gestures with their athames or right forefinger.

All say:
‘Hail and Farewell.’

The High Priest(ess) blows out the West candle.

All turn to the South.

High Priest(ess)
‘Lords of the Watchtower of the South, Lords of Fire. We thank you for attending our rites and bid you Hail and Farewell!’

The High Priest(ess) draws the banishing pentagram as they speak, then kisses their athame blade and lays it over their heart for a second or two. The High Priest(ess) and the others copy his gestures with their athames or right forefinger.

All say:
‘Hail and Farewell.’

The High Priest(ess) blows out the South candle.

All turn to the East.

High Priest(ess):
‘Lords of the Watchtower of the East, Lords of Air.  We thank you for attending our rites and bid you Hail and Farewell!’

The High Priest(ess) draws the banishing pentagram as they speak, then kisses their athame blade and lays it over their heart for a second or two. The High Priest(ess) and the others copy his gestures with their athames or right forefinger.

All say:
‘Hail and Farewell.’

The High Priest(ess) blows out the South candle.

The High Priest(ess) closes/banishes the Circle.