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Tom Asdell

Mixed Tradition Weddings

  • Okie Dokie - Let's try it this way...

     

    Here's a copy of a post for some ideas for a marriage of mixed traditions (oriental and occidental) several years ago, if there's anything that helps, feel free!!

     

    Blessed Be

     

    Tom

     

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    It's a little tricky, to blend the 
    holy names so as to not upset people. 

     

    The way I'd do it would be to have the priest(ess) 
    first do an invocation something like - 
     
    "Lord and Lady, who are known to us in many forms, 
    some of these are; Mary and Jesus, Quan Yin and Hotei, 
    Aphrodite and Hephaestus...(until the names which are 
    important to the members of the wedding party are all 
    included) please hear our prayers and draw even nearer." 
     
    Then consecrate the space in a similar method, something 
    like -

     

    "We salute and call the attention of the Guardians 
    of Creation in all their names: 

    Spirit of the North, Archangel Ariel, Soul of Water, Boreas 
    the Northern Wind...;
     
    Spirit of the East, Archangel Raphael, Soul of Wood,
    Eorus the Eastern Wind...; 
     
    Spirit of the South, Archangel Michael, Soul of Fire, 
    Notus the Southern Wind...; 
     
    Spirit of the West, Archangel Gabriel, Soul of Metal, 
    Zephryus the Western Wind...; 
     
    Here, in this place, upheld by all these holy ones, 
    this Earth* do we gather to bless and celebrate the 
    union of..."

    (*there's that pesky 5th element for when you're trying to
    blend the oriental and the occidental)
     
    I would think that kind of lead-in to the vows should 
    not cause any bad feelings and still be meaningful to
    everyone.
     
    The return of the space from the consecrated to the
    mundane after the ceremony can be tricky when dealing
    with Christian participants.
     
    You'll notice that in the calling of the quarters, 
    there was no mention of binding them to a circle, 
    therefore you don't have to unbind them.
     
    So, at the end of the ceremony I'd suggest a prayer 
    of thanksgiving from the priest(ess) like - 
     
    "Our thanks to you, Lord, Lady, and Guardians, for 
    your presence in the witnessing and blessing of this rite. 
    Please go forth with us as we leave this place. 
     
    Blessed Be"
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