Chandra Moon
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5/13/2011 12:37:45 AM
It's a very old pre-Christian marriage ceremony where you use a rope or ribbon tied round the wrists instead of and as well as rings (hence tie the knot). In the UK it's not legally recognised so we'll probably do a civil ceremony later (maybe in Oz where I have two sisters who couldn't attend the real thing!)
The vows are non-religious and in the past a betrothed couple would use it a year and a day before actually getting married. You can write your own vows which we did. It was very similar to a "normal" wedding but we didn't say till death us do part but made our vows "for as long as love lasts" which we hope will be our whole lives.
Our four children represented the four directions and elements air, water, earth and fire and wrote beautiful blessings to go with the ceremony:
Blessings
East, Powers of Air (ALEX)
With the element of air, music flows freely in everything around us and has brought together you two wonderful people, filling you with youthfulness, like leaves dancing on trees.
As the sun rises in the east each day we have a new beginning of life, just as you are entering a new life on this spring day.
I hope the element of Air will guide you in your relationship, providing you with honesty, communication, truthfulness and most of all love.
May you continue to grow and learn from each other, enabling you to share with us all, many happy stories for the year to come.
South, Powers of Fire (Leah)
May your love be like fire, fuelled by passion and burning with desire.
May you always remember a fire needs to be created and maintained, but its gifts to you are numerous; flickering and dancing flames radiate heat to warm your hearts and light to guide your way.
West, Powers of Water (Daniel)
I bless you in the Spirit of Water, may your love POUR, may your thirsts be quenched, with freshness, may your hearts be flooded with joy, may your thoughts and intentions be clear, may you act as a mirror to each other, may you float in an ocean of pure bliss.
North, Powers of Earth (Andrea)
Your marriage should have within it a secret and protected place, open to you alone. Imagine it to be a walled garden. Entered by a door to which only you have the key. Within this garden, you will cease to be Mother, Father, Organiser, Boat-mender or any other roles which you fullfil in daily life.
Here you are yourselves. Two people who love each other. Here you can concentrate on looking after yourselves and each other. So hold each others hands and return when you can to your garden. The quiet time you spend together is never wasted but invested. Invested in your future and the nurture of your love.
May your love be often, still.
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