Many
Pagan and Wiccan couples choose to have a handfasting ritual instead of a
traditional wedding ceremony. In some
cases, it may be simply ceremonial - a couple declaring their love for one
another without the benefit of a state license. For other couples, it can be tied in with a
state marriage certification issued by a legally authorized party such as a
clergyperson or justice of the peace. Either
way, it's becoming more and more popular, as Pagan and Wiccan couples are
seeing that there is indeed an alternative for non-Christians who want more
than just a courthouse wedding.
June
is a popular month for handfasting and many Summer Solstice events hold a
handfasting ritual. No matter what time
of year your happy couple is being handfasted, you can make this simple gift
basket easily with items you can find in just about any craft store. This can be a gift to the guests or a gift the
guests give.
Think
about the couple who is being handfasted. Are they traditionalists? Are they silly, and willing to laugh at
themselves? Consider what you know about
them. The handfasting basket is
fairly traditional and many people will tell you to put thirteen specific
blessings symbolized by certain items into a basket for a new couple. But the number of items does depend on the
couple or guests path.
You
can make a handfasting basket as elaborate or as simple as you like. The easiest way to do it is to buy a
commercially made basket, which you can usually find at thrift stores and cover
it in fabric. Choose something with
romantic summer colors - yellow, reds, flowers, etc. Baskets can even be woven from twigs found in
your yard.
Colors
can mean different things in cultures but commonly light and bright colors are
used. Red for will, love and health and
yellow for attraction and harmony. Green
for fertility and prosperity and purple for power and spirit. And most common in America, white for purity
and devotion.
Place
the basket on a flat surface and use fabric to line the inside. Use a piece of fabric large enough that you'll
have some overhang. For stability, you
may wish to hot glue the underside of the fabric around the rim of the basket.
Cut
a piece of ribbon(s) about three times the length of the basket's handle. Tie it in place at one end of the handle and
wrap it around until you reach the opposite side. Add a small dab of glue to the underside of
the ribbon periodically, to keep it from slipping down the handle.
Add
some small silk flowers to the handle of the basket. You can find these in the wedding aisle at
nearly any craft store. If the flowers
don't have wires built into them, use some thin florist's wire to anchor the
flowers in place.
To fill the baskets, you'll need a
variety of things, each symbolizing some aspect of the relationship. Traditional gifts for a couple being handfasted are usually
handmade offerings.
Try to find thirteen items that are
meaningful to the couple. Small
ornaments are perfect for this, so they can be hung up later, but use your
imagination to find the symbols that are right for your couple. Go for a walk in the woods or around the house
to find ideas. But please collect items
with respect and harm no animals in making the basket. Use the following list to help get you
started:
- A sun, symbolizing the strength
and sturdiness*
(sunstone, sun cutout, sun-catcher)
- A moon, beautiful and mysterious*
(moon image, moonstone, meteorite)
- A cat, Goddess Freya's beloved, to guard the
hearth and home
- A dog, to offer loyalty and protection
- A honey pot, sacred to Aphrodite, the Goddess of
love
- An owl, for wisdom and truth
- A star, for the dreams of the
future
- A clock, to remind them that time
is valuable
- A piece of iron for
protection (Thor's Hammer)
- An acorn, for strength and
longevity
- A set of keys, Goddess Frigg's
symbol
- A broom, symbol of
male and female fertility bound together (mini-besom)
- A butterfly, for all the summers
they will be together
- A car, for the journey they're
about to embark on
- A house, so they have a place to
return
- A lavender sachets to
set near the bed for peaceful dreaming
- A pinecone, for prosperity and
abundance
- A heart, for the love that brought
them together
* In the case of a
same-sex couples, it would be appropriate to use two moons or two suns.
Make sure that while you're creating
and filling your handfasting basket, that you're sending positive thoughts into
it. If you like, turn this into a small
ritual. You can charge the basket by
focusing your intent into a simple couplet if you choose, such as:
This
basket of gifts I give from the heart
with blessings for [name] and [name]'s handfasting.
With these treasures I offer you joy, and hope,
and happiness and love everlasting.
with blessings for [name] and [name]'s handfasting.
With these treasures I offer you joy, and hope,
and happiness and love everlasting.
Include a note explaining to them what
each item represents, so that they will always have these thirteen blessings
with them in their relationship.
Have Fun!
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