Two days ago, one of my closest friends, asked me if I would create and hold a hand fasting ceremony for her and her partner. They met one year ago today and wanted to celebrate and honor their union with this magically ceremony. Traditionally, hand-fasting ceremonies are for a year and a day, giving the couple the opportunity to see how their union develops within that time and whether or not they wish to extend it or until their love lasts.
Today, most marriages that take place, are expected to last until they leave this earthly plain. ‘Till death do us part’ as the saying goes. Of course many also end in divorce, but there is an expectation that this union, is for life. I personally could not imagine myself every getting married. That’s not to say that I do not want a partner in life, but more so that I don’t really feel the need to tie the knot, in any religious ceremony anyhow.
What’s interesting, about that the phrase tying the knot, is that it actually originates from hand fasting. The couples hold hands, whilst the creates a figure of eight with the scarf or rope and then ties it, symbolizing their commitment to one another. It is quite common for the couple to leave their hands tied until the knot comes undone or until it becomes inconvenient for them.
My friends chose to leave it on for the whole day. And as I write this, they are still tied together, 10 hours after I held the ceremony for them.
I had one day to think about how I would preform the ceremony for them and whilst I thought about it, i began to think about all the traditions that have been changed down through the years. I know in the Celtic tradition, couples came together to celebrate their union, but there was no really expectations, only that they stay together whilst their love lasted.
But so much changed in Ireland when religion was first introduced and suddenly the sacred act of sex itself, was frowned upon. This amazing act of love and of expression was demonized. So much of our creative energy, our creative power is tied into our sexual energy. Losing that connection, losing that ability to embody that energy, disempowers us. We went from a highly expressive people, to a people that lived in shame.
Shame, because we could not turn off our natural desires and we were told that those thoughts were the work of the devil and that we were sinful for even thinking of such a thing. So we tried so hard to bury that part of ourselves, to shut that side of ourselves down, Instead of celebrating it, celebrating our full creative self.
Today as I helped my friends celebrate their love for one another, I called on the elements to bless them and to remind them that they embody the energy of each element within and that they can call on each one when they need to.
I then invited them both, to call forth the Divine within each other,to witness and to honor that part of themselves. To remember this moment, anytime in the future that they may feel a little disconnected from each other. To remember to see and go our the divine within!
This is something that we could all do with remembering. That, We each carry the divine within, that creative energy that heals, that nurtures,that transforms. That we all hold so much potential within. If only,we took the time to rediscover how to tap into it. Because really,that is what love is all about, connecting with the divine within.