Nehallenic Rite of Handfast

This is my attempt at a transcript of Misxminkanto's handfasting ceremony which took place on the afternoon of Saturday, May 3 in the grove in her own back yard.  The rite was performed in the Nehallenic Tradition, which may be unknown to you, and I was the officiating priestess.  Here Misx is referred to as Amber Jaguar and her partner is called Gold Jaguar.  We wanted to get this up on the site as soon as we could to give a flavor of an actual handfasting rite.

The guests attending the handfasting physically make up the circle, as they are invited to stand or sit around the handfasting ceremony as accommodations allow. The Officiant stands in the North while the couple stands opposite in the South during the ceremony. In procession, the female partner or Queen enters the circle from the West and the male partner or King enters from the East. The Officiant will need cords or ribbons in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and white for the actual handfasting.

Positions

OFFICIANT – A priest or priestess

KING – Man being handfasted

QUEEN – Woman being handfasted

KNIGHT – Waits on the King

MAIDEN – Waits on the Queen

GUARDIAN OF AIR – Calls the gathering together

GUARDIAN OF EARTH – Escorts the King and Knight into the circle

GUARDIAN OF FIRE – Participates in the exchange of rings

GUARDIAN OF WATER – Escorts the Queen and Maiden into the circle

AIR: Rejoice, everyone assembled, for the blessed event is about to take place! Let us come together and make the circle now. I ask the powers of Air and inspiration to be here from the North!

All present assemble to make a circle.

EARTH: Welcome the King, who has come here today to take his Queen!

Earth leads King and Knight into the circle. King stands before the officiant and Knight stands off to his right.

EARTH: I ask the powers of Earth and constancy to be here from the East!

Fire steps forward, presenting the rings in open palms.

FIRE: Behold these rings forged in the energy of the fire! I ask the powers of Fire and love to be here from the South!

Fire hands one ring to Knight, and then waits.

WATER: Welcome the Queen, who has come here today to take her King!

Water leads Queen and Maiden into the circle. Queen stands before the officiant next to King and Maiden stands off to her left.

WATER: I ask the powers of Water and emotion to be here from the West!

Fire hands one ring to Maiden and then retreats into the South of the circle.

OFFICIANT: The Elements have been invited and our circle is created.

ALL: Blessings on all who have come together today before the Lord and Lady!

OFFICIANT: We have journeyed here today to celebrate and acknowledge the journey that has been taken by two people, Amber Jaguar and Gold Jaguar. From a tiny acorn of hope these two have nurtured and tended to the sapling that was their early relationship and raised it into a mighty oak. Today Amber and Gold make a vow to continue what they have begun together, to nourish it and each other with love and compassion.

Herein lies a tale worthy of the troubadours of old, a story of a love too strong to be thwarted. We have two people, two lonely people, two people with broken hearts and broken lives. In spite of the great distance between them, they are able by some great magic to meet and begin to know one another. Fondness becomes like, and like becomes endearment, and after time passes, endearment bursts into love. But the chimeras of distance and life situation and doubt raise their ugly heads, casting a dark shadow upon the love coming to be. These two, these lovers, united and armed with courage and determination, challenge the chimeras in close combat. Against all probability, love vanquishes hesitation, and the prize is for the lovers to move into each other’s arms and go forth into the future a couple indivisible. So mote it be.

Officiant turns to King.

OFFICIANT: Gold Jaguar, have you come into this ceremony today of your own free will?

KING: I have.

OFFICIANT: What is your will in being here?

KING: To be handfast to my partner, Amber Jaguar.

OFFICIANT: How do you enter into this handfast?

KING: In reciprocity, I will be of her as she will be of me.

OFFICIANT: Before the Lord and Lady, for how long will you make this pledge?

KING: For long as love may last between us.

Officiant turns to Queen.

OFFICIANT: Amber Jaguar, have you come into this ceremony today of your own free will?

KING: I have.

OFFICIANT: What is your will in being here?

KING: To be handfast to my partner, Gold Jaguar.

OFFICIANT: How do you enter into this handfast?

KING: In reciprocity, I will be of him as he will be of me.

OFFICIANT: Before the Lord and Lady, for how long will you make this pledge?

KING: For long as love may last between us.

OFFICIANT: The King and Queen will now exchange rings as symbols of their love and fidelity.

Knight and Maiden step forward to give the rings to King and Queen.

KING: My Queen, ruler of my heart and mistress of my passions, I offer you this ring as a symbol of my desire to make a union with you and you alone. I pledge to you all that is myself. I do and will respect you and honor you. In your dreams and pursuits I wish that you will lead me by the hand to understand you and that you will help me to support you. Take this ring and know as you wear it of my love for you and be assured that you can depend upon me now and forever.

QUEEN: My King, ruler of my heart and master of my passions, I offer you this ring as a symbol of my desire to make a union with you and you alone. I pledge to you all that is myself. I do and will respect you and honor you. In your dreams and pursuits I wish that you will lead me by the hand to understand you and that you will help me to support you. Take this ring and know as you wear it of my love for you and be assured that you can depend upon me now and forever.

OFFICIANT: Now will the King and Queen join hands for this sacred rite of union. In times before our own couples celebrated their uniting through the binding of their hands to each other’s. Join us in witnessing the handfasting of Gold and Amber Jaguar through the Rainbow Blessing.

Officiant wraps the red cord around the couple’s wrists.

OFFICIANT: With this red cord you are bound to each other in love, passion, courage, vitality, and power.

Officiant wraps the orange cord around the couple’s wrists.

OFFICIANT: With this orange cord you are bound to each other in joy and success.

Officiant wraps the yellow cord around the couple’s wrists.

OFFICIANT: With this yellow cord you are bound to each other in mental closeness, achieving, and always learning.

Officiant wraps the green cord around the couple’s wrists.

OFFICIANT: With this green cord you are bound to each other in calm and prosperity.

Officiant wraps the blue cord around the couple’s wrists.

OFFICIANT: With this blue cord you are bound to each other in health, and safety.

Officiant wraps the purple cord around the couple’s wrists.

OFFICIANT: With this purple cord you are bound to each other in spirituality.

Officiant wraps the white cord around the couple’s wrists.

OFFICIANT: Finally, with this white cord you are bound to each other in this new beginning.

OFFICIANT: Raise your hands and show all the handfast you have made.

OFFICIANT: May you remain in the hearts of the Lord and Lady for the bond you have undertaken in Their names. Go forth from this gathering together in love.