Handfasting Vows

Handfasting Vows

“My most beloved,
Accept the oath of love which I offer thee.
I vow this jewel, as I vow my soul,
Ever to be at thy service.
Like its beauty will my heart be strong,
Like its value my love will endure.
Accept it, my chosen one,
For all which is mine
Will now be thine.”

*****

“Above thee are the stars,
Below thee are the stones.
Remember always,
Like a star should thy love be constant,
Like the Earth should thy love be firm.
Possess one another, yet be understanding.
Have patience, for storms may come and go.
Be free in giving of affection and of warmth.”

Handfasting: Broom Jumping Verse

In the old days, the broom was a symbol of fertility as well as a household

object. It was the first thing brought into the home of a newlywed couple

after bread and salt, and it was used to sweep their path so as to symbolize

the sweeping away of obstacles. Both ancient European traditions and

African-American traditions had newly wedded couples jump over the broom

for luck, fortune, fertility of family and lands, and also to show that they

would accept the ordinary domestic tasks of the house together, which as a

daily household tool the broom represents. Are you ready?

Parental Love Blessing

Long ago, love made you,

And laid you in our arms.

Through the years love grew you,

Until you came into your own.

Today, love joins you together,

As you willingly take on this bond.

And the love you grew from will always bless you

As you begin the cycle anew.

Wedding Ring Verses

Take hands, both of you. And all of you who love each other, please take

each others’ hands as well. We all understand the gesture that you are now

making. To reach out to someone and be acknowledged, held, and loved, is

what we all want. Taking the hand of one who loves you is the symbol of that

unspoken bond.

Your hands are also the part of you that you use the most. Every day you look

down at your hands as they do their job, and this is also why we wear a token

of our wedding vows there. Every day, as you look down, you will see a

brief flash of light, a sparkle as the ring placed on your finger today will

shine. It will remind you, gain and again, over and over, of your promise to

your loved one. Every time you take hands, you will feel that wedding ring

on your partner’s hand and you will both be reminded again in turn. It will

always be with you, visible, worn openly and with pride. It will say to the

world that someone loves me enough to make me a promise to share a life.

Handfasting Opening Verse

Friends and family, we are gathered here to celebrate love in all its forms, but

especially the love that makes a commitment between two people. This kind

of love is not afraid to make promises. It is not afraid to work and to struggle.

It seeks not only to be but to continue. It is based not only on the pleasures of

the present but on the hopes of the future. This is the kind of love that creates

an anchor between two people, one that they can float away from and then

find their way back safely. We celebrate and applaud the love and the

promises of Kristy and Brendon. May they always be a living hope for the

future and for all of us.

Heart-Binding Vow

I wish to join my life with yours,

To stand by your side and sleep in your arms,

To be joy to your heart and food to your soul,

To work as partners and live as a family,

While we grow old together.

I vow to love, honour, and respect you,

To hold you to my heart,

But not bind you to my will.

I promise to listen carefully and to speak the truth,

To stay with you through struggles and pleasures,

All the days of my life.

Will you accept me and all that I am?

The Crossing

* A Wiccan funeral

* A Rite of Remembrance

* Can be done every year.
* Samhain is the perfect time.

* One can symbolize the crossing in a myriad of ways:

EXAMPLE #1

Use a white rose for each departed loved one (white symbolizes the eternal), and to speak to each of them for a few moments, before letting go of the rose in some symbolic way. Perhaps floating it on the water in your cauldron.


EXAMPLE #2

Scatter the petals on your altar. Then release them later outside to the wind.