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Sally and Scott 1994

The REAL Wedding
Friday, July 22nd, 1994

The night before their public, legal ceremony, Sally and Scott had us perform a more private wedding ritual under the full moon.

The groom, priest and male friends camp at the farm and play drums on the night before the "official" wedding. There is a full moon that night and the sky is perfectly clear.

Around 11:30 pm they hear a whistle call. The priest quiets the drums and returns the call. Into the fire glow comes the priestess and the maiden bride, clothed only in veils and flowers. They advance slowly singing "Rise Up Oh Flame," the priest joining in as they approach.

The priest speaks to the groom:
“Here is your friend, your mate, your bride. If you would have her, you must cast off all material burdens to be joined. Now prepare yourself to receive her in your native purity.”

Both the priest and the groom undress fully. The maiden bride is unveiled. The priest takes the groom’s two hands in his, the priestess takes the bride’s two hands in hers, and they lead the couple to each other, putting their hands in each others’. At their feet, the priestess sets up an altar on a scarf with a bowl, cup of water, sage and ceremonial items.

Holding hands with the couple, the priest sings:
“We all come from the goddess
and to her we shall return
like a drop of rain
flowing to the ocean”

Holding hands with the couple, the priestess sings:
“We all come from the sun god
and to him we shall return
like a spark of fire
returning to the heavens”

The priestess brings the groom an amulet on a leather thong, a symbol of manhood, the sun, saying:
“I am the goddess, giver of life. I bless you as a man worthy of sharing the earth with a woman of my kin. Take this symbol of the power of manhood and let its fire cleanse you and strengthen you to protect and nurture her.”
The priestess places the amulet around the groom’s neck.

The priest brings the bride an amulet on a silken thong, a symbol of womanhood, the moon, saying:
“I am the sun god, protector of life. I bless you as a woman worthy of sharing the earth with a man of my kin. Take this symbol of the power of womanhood and let its radiance cleanse you and strengthen you to protect and nurture him.”
The priest places the amulet around the bride’s neck.

The priestess digs up some dirt from in front of their feet and mixes it in a ceremonial bowl with a little water. With this mud, she paints symbols on the groom’s and bride’s face, breast and belly, saying:
“Earth is the solid reality of our lives, the day to day experience of living. It is as easily rich and fertile as it is foul and barren. It depends entirely upon how we treat it, what we take from it, and what we give it. Feel the grit and wholesomeness of it in your body and become one with this element of our world.”

The priest burns sage all around the couple, up and down their bodies and around them in a circle, saying:
“Fire is passion and vision. Keep feeding the fire you kindle in each other, keep it burning throughout a lifetime. Feel the heat and power of it in your body and become with this element of our world.”

The priestess offers a cup of water for each of them to drink from, saying:
“From water we are born, by water we live, and in death to water we shall return. Water is the constant in our lives -- ever fluid, moving, transforming, but always present. Be as an ocean to each other, ever present, yet ever yielding and buoyant. Drink now of the water, take it into your body, and become one with this element of our world.”

The priest steps forward to face the couple, his hands dancing in the air, saying:
“Air is the unseen world around us. We feel its effects always and cannot live without it, yet we are not able to fully perceive it. Your life is like the air, so many things creating effects even though you many not perceive the cause. Trust to the unseen powers beyond our sight. Breathe deeply now of the air, take it into your body and become with this element of our world.”

The priestess and the priest together wrap the bride and grooms hands together with a golden cord, saying:
“As you have made yourselves one with the elements of our world, so you much make yourselves one with each other. You are two bodies, but one life. You are two journeys, but one path. As you join together, your energies intertwine like this golden cord, never to be broken even when you are far apart from each other.”

The priestess asks of the groom:
“Do you accept this woman as your mate, to walk beside you through this life, to take into your body and become one with her as the elements of our world?”

The groom replies: “I do.”

The priest asks of the bride:
“Do you accept this man as your mate, to walk beside you through this life, to take into your body and become one with him as the elements of our world?”

The bride replies: “I do.”

The priest and the priestess lead the couple by their wrapped hands to their tent.

The priest says to the groom: “Now take her inside.”

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