Handfasting and Wedding Rituals: Welcoming Hera's Blessing (Paperback)

~ (Author), Tannin Schwartzstein (Author) "As Pagan clergypeople, one of the great parts of our community service work is marrying people..." (more)
Key Phrases: pagan officiant, protestant officiant, east caller, Aphrodite Urania, Holy Spirit, Lady of Love (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Handfasting and Wedding Rituals has everything you need to plan the perfect Pagan wedding. You'll find advice and examples to help you with basic wedding planning, writing vows, and ritual construction, along with practical tips and great ideas about everything from low-cost wedding favors to candle and bonfire safety.

Handfasting and Wedding Rituals also includes sixteen full rites honoring a wide variety of Pagan traditions. Rituals in their full form can be used exactly as printed or modified to fit your needs. Each rite is categorized as level one, two, or three depending on their level of overt Pagan content and degree of participation expected from your guests.

About the Author

Raven Kaldera is a pagan priest, intersex transgender activist, parent,  astrologer, musician, homesteader, and the author of "Hermaphrodeities: The Transgender Spirituality Workbook" (XLibris Press). He is the founder and leader of the Pagan Kingdom of Asphodel, and the Asphodel  Pagan Choir. He has been a neo-pagan since the age of 14, when he was converted by a "fam-trad" teen on a date. Since then, he's been through half a dozen traditions, including Gardnerian, Dianic, and granola paganism, Umbanda, Heithnir, and the Peasant Tradition. He is currently happily married to artist and eco-experimentalist Bella Kaldera, and they have founded the Institute for Heritage Skills.

...'Tis an ill wind that blows no minds.'

Contrary to popular legend, Tannin was not born in a log cabin in Springfield Illinois. She did, however, spend her entire childhood living on the Jersey Shore. It is in this notably non-New Age environment that her interest in Pagan/Occult matters began. Over the past 15 years, she has dedicated a significant part of her life in pursuit of various spiritual arts privately and professionally. Tannin has studied diverse practices and paths such as Gi Gong, Shamanistic energy techniques, Gnostisism, Afro-Caribbean religions, and even a pinch of Ceremonial Magick. Before she opened Bones and Flowers in the of 1997, she served as "Madame Espiritual" to two different Worcester Botanicas, a spiritual counselor in a New Age shop, as well as making countless house calls. At present, the proprietor of Worcester's only occult specialty store is also a crafter in diverse media ,and a legally ordained minister.
~

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Llewellyn Publications; illustrated edition edition (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738704709
• ISBN-13: 978-0738704708
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #639,692 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Resource, June 16, 2004

By	Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

While there are a couple of rituals on line and scattered about in various books on Wicca or the Rites of Passage, there isn't much out there in the way of a single good book that would cover a variety of pagan 'wedding' rituals. Or is there?

'Handfasting and Wedding Ritual' offers just what you might want to consider for the pagan handfasting. This book offers a variety of rituals that you can take as they are or use as a starting place to develop your own.

The book covers the history of 'handfastings' as well as discussing how it relates to being pagan. There is discussion on preparations, the steps to plan in ritual, and how you might approach these various aspects of ritual as well as aesthetics.

This book does not focus on any particular person being in need of this material. The book is a handbook for use by pagan clergy or it can be used by the couple to plan with their clergy. It can be used for legal ceremonies as well as those that are not legally binding but are heart bound.

Also included in the book are the stories from myth of famous couples, such as Tam Lin and Shiva and Parvati. The book covers male rituals, female rituals, polyamorous handfastings, various mixed faiths weddings, heathen handfastings, Faery Weddings, Warrior's Wedding and many more. A very inclusive volume of different styles and beliefs is presented here.

Also included is a section on 'handparting' with rituals for bringing about closure as well as healing.

The book closes with some words to the pagan clergy about handfastings. Here is shared some experiences, some insights and some discussion on ethics and your duty. There is some wonderful material here for the new as well as experienced pagan clergy in regards to handfasting and should be considered required reading by anyone who is looking at or involved in this calling to community service.

Appendices include astrological planning, symbols, flowers and a very well laid out index.

Whether planning a handfasting, or looking at being pagan clergy or if you are pagan clergy, this book is probably the best investment you can make to help you along with plans, problems and performance. Well thought out, well put together and easy to follow, it is a book that approaches the pagan bonding ritual with no boundaries but has plenty of common sense and good advice.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for handfasting ritual ideas!, September 20, 2004

By	Carla J. Boardman (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

It turns out that the first Pagan ritual I ever wrote was my own handfasting. I was having a difficult time coming up with a Welcoming of the Quarters that I was happy with. My husband and I are both musicians, and this book contained a wonderful idea of a musical welcoming of the quarters. It was perfect!

There are several other good ideas in this book, and I used many of them. Ideas were rated for general use, "Pagan Light", and more in-depth Pagan rituals. Since 75 of my guests were non-Pagan friends and family, I found several good ideas here about keeping the ritual Pagan but still something that non-Pagans could easily understand and relate to.

This book also addresses creative ways to handle various situations - inclusion of children from a previous marriage, interfaith marriages, and commitment ceremonies.

I can't recommend this book enough!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Resource for Earth-Based Religions, February 22, 2006

By	Stacey L. Rambo "sgreen16" (Chattanooga, TN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is wonderful resource for those practicing earth-based religion, or simply non-traditionalists. (I try not to use "pagan.") The book details each part of the of the handfasting ritual. It is divided into sections and includes several options of verbage for each part of the ceremony. You can use exactly what is written or take pieces of ritual and create your own. I really enjoyed reading this book and I found numerous ideas that I will incorporate in my own handfasting. Also, the author has a rating system for each ritual. From generally spiritual to heavily "pagan." This is so useful when planning a wedding for a mixed-religious audienced. I highly recommend this book for those who want a true handfasting.