The Handfasting Of...
Jason Conley and Laura Sinclair
October 3, 1998

THE RITE

Music begins as HPS and HP enter the circle from the East to cast and cleanse the circle. The music of "Amazing Grace", with Scottish pipes and drums is playing...Maiden, mother and crone enter and are asked like all will be, "How do you enter this circle?"....they reply, "In perfect love and perfect trust." and enter....

Crone at the top of the circle HP and HPS on opposite sides and maiden and Mother below to make a pentacle....streamer paper is passed to each other to form the pentacle and they meditate. After that, the streamers are placed on the ground, still laid like a pentacle....
CRONE...asks elements to enter...."How do you enter this circle?"...they respond..."In Perfect love and perfect trust."....they walk around the circle once, then stop at their quarter; holding their elements and a candle. As they pass the altar, each element places their candle in a candle holder already on the altar.
All guests come in...crone asking the same of each..them responding as they go in....moving clockwise around once and stopping.
Jason and Laura enter with attendants.....
Each Quarter, in turn, calls forth the Elements and the Watchtower...

HPS: Escorts Laura and Jason to the East Quarter, and instructs the Element to give blessing..."Spirits of the East, whose element is Air, give blessings to Laura and Jason who are about to be handfasted."

(Alaric77)

"Eurus, Guardian in the watchtower of the East.
I evoke thee of old and call upon thee to witness this rite. Stand guard upon this quarter that no power of malign intent may pass.
Hail, Element of Air! Primordial spring of knowledge and inspiration. Cast your breath across this circle and cleanse it. I invoke thee in the name of the old God, Tanus.
Be here now!!!"

Laura and Jason meditate. The censor is used, with lit incense to go around them.
"I am Air.
Within my domain you may find knowledge, enlightenment, and inspiration.
With the first you may find the answers to the questions of your hearts.
With the second you may drive the shadows from your souls.
With the third you may create that which only two souls enjoined can give life to.
With the three combined - there is no obstacle that you cannot surmount together.
I gift you with these from my Realm.
So mote it be!"
Thanks are given and Alaric77 passes the censor to Laura.
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HP then escorts Jason and Laura to the South Quarter and instructs the Element to give blessing...."Spirits of the South, whose element is Fire, give blessings to Jason and Laura who are about to be handfasted."

(God of Thunder)

"Guardians of the watchtower of the south, I invoke thee of old, I call thee to witness this rite and guard this circle.
Hail Element of Fire !!!
I invoke thee and call to thee, Great one of the day, Giver of life, Send forth your beautiful fire and cleanse this circle.
Be here now!!!"

Laura and Jason meditate. A lit candle is held over and around them.
"Spirits of the south whose element is fire, Give your blessings to Laura and Jason who are about to be handfasted. Passion should warm your hearts, Light that shall guide you in the darkest of times, Love that shall burn in your hearts till the end of time, and the greatest of these is perfect love and perfect trust. Let these be burned in your hearts forever."
Thanks are given and God of Thunder passes the candle to Jason.
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HPS then escorts Laura and Jason to the West Quarter and instructs the Element to give blessing...."Spirits of the West, whose element is Water, give blessings to Laura and Jason who are about to be handfasted."

(Samhain Lady)

"Mighty art thou, Guardians of the West.
Paladins of the gates of the Dreaming Islands, From Avalon, Arthur's Heart's-Ease- From Tir Na Og, the land of the young, Princes of the Summer Country, Masters of Healing I call to thee from the heart of this cricle...
May thy watchtowers ward us in our workings this day."

Laura and Jason meditate. Water is sprinkled on the couple.
"Queen of life,
thou who restore waste lands
Blessed mistress of the West,
I call to thee, entreat thee to
Watch over this couple
Mother and Cradle of life,
From which we came in ancient days,
Mystery of life-in-death
We Remember thee.
Pure spirit,
Wielder of the force of ages,
Thou Well of storms,
Thou who looked ever upon the open face of new stars before the earth was born from your cool waters of lake and stream, I call to thee,
entreat thee,
Guide this pair
From cathedrals of coral and thrones of pearl
To this cricle we call thee."
Thanks are given and Samhain Lady passes the bowl to Laura.
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HP then escorts Jason and Laura to the North Quarter and instructs the Element to give blessing...."Spirits of the North, whose element is Earth, give blessings to Jason and Laura who are about to be handfasted."

(Werecoyote)

"I call to the guardian of the watchtower of the North. I call to you spirit of the Earth, make your presence felt in this circle and witness this rite. May your eternal strength guard this circle and your everlasting stability cleanse all present."

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Since this is a Rite done in Stregheria Tradition and at this point of the rite, I will exlude from listing on this page. This is done due to the Mysteries as well as the wonderful energy that this created. It was done in Italian by the High Priestess, Lacy, presiding over the Handfasting.

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Jason and Laura meditate and then salt is spinkled on Jason and Laura.
"I call from the spirits of the north, the Element of Earth with this blessing to Jason and Laura on this day of your handfasting.
May you be blessed with a love that stays strong as the day it was born.
In your eternal walk together, remember to look down to the earth for the stability that will go hand in hand with the strength of your bond for each other. The strength of your bond to each other will provide the stabilty to overcome all obstacles."
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HPS and HP and Jason and Laura return to the altar in their positions....Laura and Jason put all elemental bowls on altar in their direction.
HPS: "Now we stand in the middle of this circle where all things meet; their opposites Male and female, Darkness and Light, Spirit and Matter, God and Goddess, that which makes each whole and complete....Just as you, Jason and Laura, have come to this sacred circle and before those assembled here today, to join together your lives and your futures as one."
HPS : (holds up cake) "As a symbol of the Goddess, partake of this cake and oneness of your love."....Laura holds cake while Jason takes bite...then switch.
HP: (holds up chalice) "As a symbol of the God, partake of this wine and oneness of your love." Jason holds and gives sip to Laura then switch....
HPS: Sacred, be the heart
HP: that knows the In-Between
HPS: binds Spirit to Matter,
HP: Mother to Father,
Circlers: All to All,
Laura (Jason): me to you
HPS: sacred, be the heart
HP: that sees Beyond the scope of flesh,
HPS: through Distance, through Time,
Jason: three thousand miles
Laura: your heart to mine
HPS: sacred, be the love
HP: that lives Above, Below,
HPS: Between,
Circlers: all things
HPS: sacred, be the love
HP: that passes in between
HPS: the ties that bind
Circlers: now and forever,
Laura (Jason): in you, there lies
Laura (Jason): the Immanent Divine
Jason: Thou art Goddess,
HP: whose womb stands wide gives life to all,the shore of new beginning;
Laura: Thou art God,
HPS: whose seed makes fertile barren lands, who reaps the harvest of the heart with native hand.
Jason reads his vows to Laura..."I, Jason, take thee Laura, to join in Spiritual, Physical, Elemental Planes until we reach the Ultimate Plane. To Respect, Cherish as Oneself and Love Unconditionally forever more. This I promise to thee."
Laura then reads her vows to Jason..."I, Laura, take thee Jason, to join in Spiritual, Physical, Elemental Planes until we reach the Ultimate Plane. To Respect, Cherish as Oneself and Love Unconditionally forever more. This I promise to thee."

Jason and Laura take their candles and, together, light the candle on the altar. (And Two Become One).

HPS: picks up handfasting ribbon and gives it to HP....HP: ties the couples hands together in lovers knot and says...."I tie this Lovers Knot so that you walk your path as one, in light, in love, in respect and in gentleness. IS THIS YOUR DESIRE?"...Jason and laura respond..."Yes, I do."... then slip their hands out of the knot....
HPS: "Within this sacred circle you have now been joined in the physical and the spiritual...keep this knot always as a visual symbol of your bond for each other."...hands knot to Laura.
Attendants move forward giving the rings to the HP and HPS....HPS blesses them by dipping her wand into the spirit bowl and touching the rings; blessing them.... Jason puts ring on Laura saying, "With this ring of no beginning and no end...I give to you to wear as a symbol of my love and devotion to you."....Laura gives ring to jason and repeats the same words....
HP: "In the names of Tana and Tanus, I bless this union. May your love make fruitful all of your desires and may your future be prosperous and may the gods grant you the best of fortune ever."
HPS: "Where he is lord....She is lady."... entire circle repeats.
HPS: Taps laura and jason with wand on their chests and says, "Jason and Laura, in accordance with our ways, and before those who have gathered here, I now declare you husband and wife....SO MOTE IT BE." Circle repeats..."So mote it be."

Jason and Laura kiss.
Laura and Jason, together, jump the Broom!

CRONE: "The Circle is now open but unbroken....Merry meet, merry part, merry meet again....blessed be...... walk in light and love."
The music of "Scotland the Brave", with Scottish pipes and drums, plays as ritual participants leave the circle.
Ceremony is complete.....

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