Universal Ceremony

[The following wedding ceremony was written to provide for Pagans
who  must of necessity be wed in the presence of the  uninitiated
who  are  not  pagan and are perhaps unaware that the  bride  and
groom are pagan. Replace the words Bride and Groom below with the
names of the happy couple. This ceremony was used by both my wife
and  myself and by my sister and her husband.  They modified  the
text at the point below where it says "loving each other wholly
and completely" to add the phrase "forsaking all others" as  they
are into monogamy. Either version works beautifully, I recommend
the participants rewrite where necessary to form a legal contract
that they can and will keep. It is easy to avoid being an oathbreaker
if you only swear to that that you will keep and avoid swearing to
something just because the other party wants it or because it might
be "expected" by the family. Notice: parts of this ritual were
cribbed from the writings of others. I apologize in advance for
failure to reference sources but after the fifteenth rewrite we had
forgotten where we got the text and what was and what was not original
to us. I doubt if there are quotes from  other sources longer than
paragraph length and thus should not be a copyright problem.  If you
see something that is yours, please send me mail and I will reference
you in the  future. Our thanks to those who paved the way. --Ryan
Hunter]

[PRIEST] We have come together here in celebration of the joining
together of ____bride______ and ____groom______.  There are  many
things to say about marriage. Much wisdom  concerning the joining
together  of  two  souls,has come our way through  all  paths  of
belief,  and from many cultures.  With each union, more knowledge
is gained and more wisdom gathered.  Though we are unable to give
all this knowledge to these two, who stand before us, we can hope
to  leave  with them the knowledge of love and its strengths  and
the anticipation of the wisdom that comes with time.   The law of
life  is love unto all beings. Without love, life is nothing,
without love, death has no redemption. Love is anterior to Life,
posterior to  Death, initial of Creation and the exponent of
Earth. If we learn no more in life, let it be this.

Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable
thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its
cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs.  With
full understanding of this, Groom and Bride have come here today
to be joined as one in marriage.

Others would ask, at this time, who gives the bride in marriage,
but, as a woman is not property to be bought and sold, given and
taken, I ask simply if she comes of her own will and if she  has
her family's blessing.

Bride, is it true that you come of your own free will and accord?

[BRIDE] Yes, it is true.

[PRIEST] With whom do you come and whose blessings accompany you.

[FATHER] She comes with me, her father, and is accompanied by all
of her family's blessings.

[PRIEST] Please join hands with your betrothed and listen to that
which I am about to say.

Above you are the stars,  below you are the stones,  as time doth
pass, remember...

Like  a  stone 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
close,   but  not  too  close.    Possess  one  another,  yet  be
understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will
come, but they will pass quickly.

Be free in giving affection and warmth.  Have no fear and let not
the  ways of the unenlightened give you unease,  for God is  with
you always.

Groom,  I have not the right to bind thee to Bride, only you have
this right. If it be your wish, say so at this time  and place
your ring in her hand.

[GROOM] It is my wish.

[PRIEST]  Bride, if it be your wish for Groom to be bound to
you, place the ring on his finger. (places ring on Groom's left
ring finger)

Bride I have not the right to bind thee to Groom only you have
this right. If it be your wish,say so at this time and place
your ring in his hand.

[BRIDE] It is my wish.

[PRIEST] Groom, if it be your wish for Bride to be bound to you,
place the ring on her finger.(places ring on Bride's left
ring finger)

(to Groom) Repeat after me:

I,   (grooms full name),   in the name of the spirit of God  that
resides  within us all,  by the life that courses within my blood
and  the love that resides within my heart, take thee  (bride's
full  name) to my hand, my heart, and my spirit,to be my chosen
one.  To desire thee and be desired by thee, to possess thee,
and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can
exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love
thee wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in
health, in plenty and in poverty, in 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.

(to Bride)
I  (bride's full name),   in the name of the spirit of God that
resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood,
and  the  love that resides within my heart,take  thee,(Groom's
full name) to my hand, my heart, and my spirit to be my chosen one.
To desire and be desired by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed
by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can exist in the purity of
my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and completely without
restraint,in sickness and in health, in plenty and in poverty,  in 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.

[PRIEST]
(hands  chalice to the groom, saying:) May you drink your fill
from the cup of love.

(Groom  holds  chalice to bride while she sips then bride takes
chalice and holds it to groom while he sips. The chalice is then
handed  back to the Priest who sets it on the table. Next  the
Priest  takes the plate of bread, giving it to the groom. Same
procedure repeated  with bread, groom feeding bride and bride
feeding groom.)

By the power vested in me by God and the State of [name]  I now
pronounce you husband and wife.  May your love so endure that its
flame remains a guiding light unto you.