Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...

Book II: Rites & Rituals 165
The magick of the man,
And falcons soar from out the sky
To perch upon thy hand.
The serpent’s wisdom thou shalt learn
From tip of forkèd tongue.
The fleetness of the white stag’s flight
In starlight or in sun.
Lord of Light and Lord of Shadow –
Keeper of the key
Which unlocks the door of dreams
Whereby men come to thee.
Cernunnos, Tammuz, Horus, Pan –
By name we set thee free!
O shepherd of the wild woodland,
May you be one with he.
HP & HPs: (Bowing to the bride & groom
and speaking in unison) The Lord and
the Lady are with us.
HPs: Marriage is a real experience and not a
fairytale romance, and as such it must be
considered carefully. Do you, [BRIDE],
take this man to be your lawful wedded
husband? To love, honor, cherish, and
respect him? To care for him always in
sickness and health, poverty and wealth,
when happy or sad, through good times
and bad, for as long as love shall last?
BRIDE: I do.
HP: Marriage is a binding promise not to be
undertaken lightly nor discarded conveniently.
Do you, [GROOM], take this
woman to be your lawful wedded wife?
To love, honor, cherish, and respect her?
To care for her always in sickness and
health, poverty and wealth, when happy
or sad, through good times and bad, for
as long as love shall last?
GROOM: I do.
HPs: Have you considered the gravity of
your commitment?
BRIDE & GROOM: We have.
HP: Have you considered the levity of
your commitment?
BRIDE & GROOM: We have!
HPs: Then offer now your vows to one
another. (They do so)
HP: What do you give to one another as a
token of your vows?
BRIDE or GROOM: We give these rings
as a symbol of our love.
(Best man brings rings from the altar and
offers them to bride & groom, who take
and place them on each other’s hands.)
HP: (Maid of honor takes cord from altar
and hands it to HP & HPs) Clasp your
hands together. (They do so) With this
cord we do bind your hands together, in
token that you are now one. (HP & HPs
bind their clasped hands together)
HPs: Let this binding be a link but not a
chain; that your love will draw you
closer but not enslave you.
HP: In the name of the Goddess and the
God, you are bound together, hand to
hand, and life to life.
HPs: And now, by the power vested in me by the
Goddess and by the Church of All Worlds...
HP: And by the power vested in me by the
God and by the Church of All Worlds...
HP & HPs: (in unison) We now pronounce
you husband and wife.
BRIDE & GROOM: (THE KISS......!)
HPs: (Taking chalice of water from altar and
holding it up) We consecrate this sacrament
of pure water that it be a reminder
of the bonds of life on Earth. For water
shared is life shared. (HPs holds chalice
while HP consecrates with wand.)
HP & HPs: (in unison) As above, so below.
HP: (Taking plate of bread from altar and
holding it up) We bless this hearty
bread—the staff of life—that it be a token
of our bonds of fellowship. For bread
broken and shared together both nourishes
and heals. (Offers bread to bride &
groom) May you never hunger!
HPs: (Offers water to bride & groom) May
you never thirst! This will be your first
act of hospitality as a married couple—
to share this pure water and this hearty
bread with your family and friends.
BRIDE & GROOM: (Offer bread and water
to best man & maid of honor, saying
to each, “May you never hunger; may
you never thirst.” Then best man & maid