Old pagan ritual of marriage. In ancient times it derived from the infinity sign. The sign represents the sun and moon, male and female, right side was sun, male; left side was the moon, female. The marriage is uniting of two right hands then the two left hands creating the infinity sign. Some use only the joining of the right hands. The Priest/ess who joined the couples bound their right hands together for the entire ritual. Instead of being bound for life the couples were married for a year and a day or an amount of time chosen by the couple. Some were 9 years, 3 years, 6 years, 9 months and all with a renewable mutual agreement. The year and a day or even a 3-year trial was followed by a lifetime commitment.
Now a day a legal hand fasting is hard to obtain unless one commits for life. Today a hand fasting is more like a legal wedding but is performed by a Priest/ess. It is merely a Wiccan word for the ceremony. In Christian ceremonies, couples are joined “till death do us part.” In a Wiccan ceremony they are joined “for as long as love shall last.”
Many weddings (both Christian and Wiccan) today are being suited to personal wants. But many things are similar…
Processional
Call to celebration
Creating sacred space
Intention
(Hand fasting – Tying of cords)(Christian – holding of hands)
Commitment
(Hand fasting – Broom jump)
Pronouncement
Blessing
Recessional
This is ChrianHawk…my husband, Tom and I went to Maryland to get married, 9 months later we had a Hand fasting ceremony at my Dad’s backyard. Here’s the tricky part…because of circumstances all but my three boys, sister, husband and Nef are completely oblivious to my Wiccan life. The Priest, who is a dear Wiccan friend and who owns a Wiccan shop and also has his own coven made the ceremony seem like a Renaissance wedding. My husband wore a normal black suit with a white shirt, his best man and my boys wore white shirts and black or khaki slacks. My sister and niece wore sundresses to match the colors we had chosen. I wore a Renaissance type lacy dress. We had our hands bound, ate bread and drank ceremonial wine. We said our vows, lit the unity candle, exchanged rings then jumped the broom and sword. The 15 - 20 people who attended (our families and a couple close friends) told us afterwards it was a beautiful ceremony. My family you must know is a mix of Baptist/Protestant backgrounds. I was nervous that my mom and his sister would say something later but they loved the ceremony. They never knew it was a Wiccan hand fasting. As we found out there are many ways a hand fasting (or wedding) can go. We could’ve chose an already written saying or make our own. We combined them. We repeated what the Priest said as vows but we also each said something personal to each other. We asked for the Lord and Lady to attend. Today many Priest/ess can do a full Wiccan ceremony, a mixed one (where only one is a wiccan/pagan) or a “normal” wedding ceremony (where neither is wiccan/pagan).
In preparing for mine I read many articles and ceremonies. Some seemed short and to the point and some were very long rituals. Our invitations were printed out (by Nef) on scroll paper (actually computer paper with a scroll design and we cut them out) and tied them with ribbons that matched the wedding colors and we hand delivered them. My dress was a white and purple bodice with a lace skirt and a white and purple layover skirt. I wore white slippers. I was going to go barefoot but Tom said no. I made my bouquet, headpiece, garter belt and sister’s flower. I had white roses and calla lilies with purple irises and white baby’s breath. I had revamped the throw bouquet from my mom’s wedding that I had caught. Nef made a beautiful Celtic music cd that we played for the “wedding march”. We had our hands bound for the whole ceremony with both silver and gold cords. We walked (not jumped) over the broom and sword to begin our new lives as husband and wife. My oldest son, Ric walked me down; my middle boy, Nick carried the broom; and my youngest, Dylan carried the sword. I had something old, new, borrowed, and blue. Our rings were silver bands with a Celtic design, Triquetra. Our cake was a modern day 2 tiers to match my dress. All in all it lasted about 15-20 minutes.
Many states recognize hand fasting as long as a licensed clergy member performs it. A Priest and Priestess usually perform them. In my opinion I would rather attend a hand fasting than a modern wedding. You wouldn’t believe the feeling in the air at a hand fasting. Ours occurred at 5:30 pm on a very windy July day but the air was calm and serene. You could feel the presence of the Lord and Lady. The quietness and calming sensation was absolutely beautiful.
Of course there are costs. Hand fasting cost about the same as a wedding – clergy wise. Usually a hand fasting is performed outside in Nature so you don’t need to pay for a church or hall.
Check around before you consider a hand fasting. What do you need, a license, is the Priest/ess a member of a legal clergy that is recognized by the state, etc.?
Good luck and Blessed Be!
