`Set-up
Day before: 6 pm
We will have gone up the evening before and cleared the circle and set the boundaries. Anyone who wants to come up can do so and we could have a loose run through at that time.
June 18th: 9 am
Circle formed with something from nature: what is available on Kamiak?
Altar in the middle: small table with handfasting cords, chalice with mead and loaf of bread
Appropriate items at each quarter: brought up in baskets
ARRIVAL: Karen, Sparky, Les, Bill, Sara, Adelina, Patti, and Jesse need to arrive at the ritual spot prior to the start of the ritual in order to set up and get ready. We will have gone up the evening before and cleared the circle and set the boundaries.
GUESTS:
Guests should gather in the car park and wait for Jaq and Steve to arrive. We will all start up together, guests in front, Jaq and Steve at the end.
As guests arrive, they need to gather in the East, which is the entrance to the circle where Sparky and Adelina will be waiting. Adelina will smudge each guest with Sage, and Sparky will anoint each guest’s third eye with rose oil and answer any questions they have about where to stand, and what to do.
Guests enter the circle and walk sun-wise from East to South to West to North and filling in around the circle loosely.
Steve can call Jesse on his way up with Jaq and let her know when to start the music.
Steve and Jaq arrive, are smudged and anointed and enter the circle together.
Cast the circle: Sparky
“By the air which is Her breath, by the fire of Her bright Sprit, by the waters of Her living womb, by the earth which is Her body; by that which is above, and that which is below, this circle is cast and we are between the worlds; and what is between the worlds can change the world.”
Call the directions: 5 people: Sparky, Adelina, Sara, Bill, and Jesse
Spark: East/Air: "I am East, the symbol of Air. Know and remember that this is the element of life, of intelligence, and the inspiration that moves us onward. I bring to your wedding the power of mind."
Bill: South/Fire: "I am South, the symbol of fire. Know and remember that this is the element of passion, light, and energy; of the vigor which runs through our veins. I bring to you wedding the power of will."
Sara: West/Water: "I am west, the symbol of water. Know and remember that this is the power of love, of growth, of the fruitfulness of the earth. I bring to your wedding the power of desire."
Adelina: North/Earth: "I am north, the symbol of earth. Know and remember that this is the element of law, of endurance, of the understanding which can not be shaken. I bring to your wedding the power of steadfastness."
Jesse: Center: “ I am center, the cauldron of life, death, and rebirth, and the well of the Ancestors; know and remember that this is the power of regeneration and eternity, and I bring to your wedding the blessings of all those that have gone before you.”
Sara: Invocation of the Goddess
I who am the beauty of the green earth
And the white moon among the stars
And the mysteries of the waters
I call upon your soul to arise
And come unto Me.
For I am the soul of Nature
That gives life to the universe.
From Me all things proceed
And unto Me they must return.
Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices
For behold—all acts of love
And pleasure are my rituals.
Let there be beauty and strength,
Power and compassion,
Honor and humility,
Mirth and reverence
Within you.
And you who seek
To know Me, know that
Your seeking and yearning
Will avail you not
Unless you know The Mystery:
For if that which you seek
You find not within yourself,
You will never find it without.
For behold, I have been with you
From the beginning,
And I am that
Which is attained
At the end of desire.
Blessed Be.
Bill: Invocation of the God
Lord of the colors of Day,
Untamed Awakener of Hearts,
Morning’s Son, Vine ripened Seed,
Heart’s ease and Sorrow’s end;
Sun Child, Seed Sower , Grain reborn;
Many jeweled One, Winter born King,
Wheat sheaf, Green Man, Lord of the Hunt,
Sailor of the last sea, Guardian of the gate,
Horned God, Lord of the Dance--
COME! Be here now. Blessed be!
CEREMONY
Giving over of the bride: Karen & Steve
Karen will step out of the circle to the center with broom in hand and face Steve and me. She will ask:
Karen: Jaqueline, is it true that you come of your own free will and accord?
Jaqueline: Yes, it is true.
Karen: With whom do you come and whose blessings accompany you?
Steve: She comes with me, her brother, and is accompanied by all of our blessings.
Karen: Les, take Jaqueline’s hand and listen…(Karen and Steve step back into the circle o f those assembled)
Les and I join hands and face Patti who is standing with us in the center of the circle.
Patti: These two who are joined in love now have the desire to make their bond a matter of record, so that all the world and the society in which they live may witness it, and lend to them the support of their hearts and minds.
Like stones 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 independent of one another, and interdependent one to another. Be free in giving affection and warmth. Rejoice in laughter. Ever love, help, and respect each other and then know truly that you are one in the eyes of all assembled here today. Blessed Be.
Vows
Patti: Do you, Les, take Jaqueline to be your wife,
to be her constant friend,
her partner in life, and her true love;
To love her without reservation,
honor and respect her,
protect her from harm,
comfort her in times of distress,
and to grow with her in mind and spirit?
Les: I do
Patti: Do you, Jaqueline, take Les to be your husband,
To be his constant friend,
his partner in life, and his true love;
To love him without reservation,
honor and respect him,
protect him from harm,
comfort him in times of distress,
and to grow with him in mind and spirit?
Jaqueline : I do.
Handfast: Patti moves in front of center altar with cord
Patti: Likewise, this cord is a symbol of the lives you have chosen to lead together. Up until this moment you have been separate in thought, word, and action. As these cords are tied together, your lives become intertwined.
Jaqueline and Les hold their palms up, facing each other and cross hands while Patti ties their wrists together in a loose knot
Patti: As the right hand is to the left hand, may you be forever one, sharing in all things, at home and abroad, in love and loyalty for all time to come.
EXCHANGE OF RINGS
Patti: You cannot always be physically joined (Patti removes cord without untying it and lays it on the altar) therefore the exchange of rings is one of the deepest symbols of a marriage. It is a constant reminder, a shared touch between this man and this woman. The circle is a symbol of the eternal. To give a ring to someone you love is to say that your love has no beginning and no end."
"This bond I draw between you: that though you are parted in mind or in body, there will be a call in the core of you, one to the other, that nothing and no one else will answer to. By the secrets of earth and water is this bond woven -- unbreakable, irrevocable; by the laws that created fire and wind this call is set in you, in life and beyond life.
Michael steps out of the circle and gives the rings to Les and Jaqueline and steps back into the circle
Patti: Les, as you slip the ring on Jaqueline’s finger, repeat after me: I, Leslie Charles Biggs; in the name of the spirit of love which resides within us all; by the life that courses within my blood; and the love that resides within my heart; take thee Jaqueline Marie Almdale; to my hand, my heart, and my spirit to be my lawfully wedded wife. To desire thee and be desired by thee; to possess thee, and be possessed by thee; as a token of our love. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint; in sickness and in health; in plenty and in poverty; in this 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.
Patti: Jaqueline, as you slip the ring on Les’ finger, repeat after me: I, Jaqueline Marie Almdale; in the name of the spirit of love which resides within us all; by the life that courses within my blood; and the love that resides within my heart; take thee Leslie Charles Biggs; to my hand, my heart, and my spirit to be my lawfully wedded husband. To desire thee and be desired by thee; to possess thee, and be possessed by thee; as a token of our love. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without restraint; in sickness and in health; in plenty and in poverty; in this 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.
Communion
Patti steps to the far side of the center altar and Sara and Bill step forward to fill her place in front of the center altar.
Sara: As symbol of Her presence do I offer this bread which represents the Goddess. From this day and through this union shall you know the Goddess through Jaqueline:
Jaqueline tears off a piece and feeds it to Les, saying: May you never hunger.
Les tears off a piece and feeds it to Jaqueline, saying: May you never hunger.
Bill: As a symbol of His presence do I offer this wine which represents the God. From this day and through this union shall you know the God through Les:
Les offers Jaqueline a sip, saying: May you never thirst.
Jaqueline offers Les a sip, saying: May you never thirst.
Remembrance of Val
I raise our cup in remembrance to Valerie Biggs.
She kept your heart and soul full and whole,
Filled with love, and joy, and passion;
And you kept hers as well.
She taught you to love truly,
I thank her with all my heart for looking
Out for you then—and now. I am grateful
Val knows what you need; and I rest assured
In my belief that we three will be united someday,
For love never dies, and those who are remembered, live.
To Val. (We both take a sip.)
Patti: By the power vested in me by the State of Washington , I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.
You may snog the witch! Blessed Be!
Devocation:
Bill:
Lord of the colors of Day,
Untamed Awakener of Hearts,
Morning’s Son, Vine ripened Seed,
Heart’s ease and Sorrow’s end;
Sun Child, Seed Sower , Grain reborn;
Many jeweled One, Winter born King,
Wheat sheaf, Green Man, Lord of the Hunt,
Sailor of the last sea, Guardian of the gate,
Horned God, Lord of the Dance--
Go if you must, stay if you will. Hail and farewell!
Sara: Great Goddess,
You of ten thousand names who are nameless,
from your lap we come into this world
and to your lap we shall return.
Go if you must, stay if you will. Hail and farewell!
Devoke quarters:
(Jesse) Center: Power of the cauldron of life, death, and rebirth, souls of our ancestors, thank you for keeping company with us. Go if you must, stay if you will. Hail and farewell.
North/earth: Elements of the North, spirits of the earth thank you for keeping company with us. Go if you must, stay if you will. Hail and farewell.
West/water: Elements of the West, sprits of water thank you for keeping company with us. Go if you must, stay if you will. Hail and farewell.
South/fire: Elements of the South, spirits of fire thank you for keeping company with us. Go if you must, stay if you will. Hail and farewell.
East/air: Elements of the East, spirits of air thank you for keeping company with us. Go if you must, stay if you will. Hail and farewell.
Jumping the Broom
Karen: puts the broom down in the East for Les and Jaqueline to jump, and says, “In the rituals of the once ways, from the Cymry (Kim-ree) in Wales, to the Romani whom we know of as Travelers , Tinkers, or Gypsies, to Africans brought to the Americas against their will, jumping the broom has been a ritual of love and marriage when formal, legal ceremonies were not allowed these subjugated peoples. Jaqueline and Les choose to jump the broom today as a sign of respect for all those who went before them, and as a sign of respect for a Witches second most important tool—a besom or broom. Jumping the broom signifies an end to the old lives lived separately and an acknowledgement of a new life begun together.
Les and Jaqueline will move around the circle widdershins and jump the broom leaving the circle.
Patti and the assembled circle: This circle is open but unbroken. May the peace of the Goddess go in our hearts. Merry meet, and merry part, and merry meet again! People will walk widdershins around the circle and exit.
