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Date Posted: 17:15:35 05/15/02 Wed
Author: shauna
Subject: Marriage...convenience or love??

Pagan Marriages

Most pagan religions have a specific ceremony for a marriage, often called a handfasting. Handfastings are beautiful events, with many flowers and ribbons to decorate the circle or other sacred space. The ceremony often includes prayers to the goddesses and gods of love, promises made by the bride and groom to each other, and a celebration by the other members of the coven or community of the joining.

The couple recites a statement, saying that they have come of their own free will "in perfect love and perfect trust" to seek the partnership of their future spouse. They exchange rings. Each recites a prepared statement, such as: "I, [name], commit myself to be with [name] in joy and adversity, in wholeness and brokenness, in peace and turmoil, living with him/her faithfully all our days. May the Gods give me the strength to keep these vows. So be it."



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It is apparent that pagan cultures did hold to the marriage as a union of faithfulness to each other in love. I can't seem to find much information on these cultures marrying for legalistic reasons or dowries and such being made at least not within the common persons lifestyles.

The bible does outline a union between two people and the monetary values that were placed on the families involved. Although you do read that the idea of marriage was the famous and the two shall become one. Also you see in the law of Moses the divorce was not favored unless adultery was committed so you kinda assume that faithfulness was part of this union. Then we have the people questioning on this matter in the NT and again it suggests that a man and women joined by God shall no man separate. So we get a hint that the concept of marriage was sacred and that faithfulness towards your spouse was required. Can't forget the ring...the wedding ring has no Biblical sanction or sacredness. It finds its origin in paganism.

We also can look at literature written on the love between two and see that the ideas and desires are indeed focused on the love between two. A sacred union. I would say that the meaning of marriage is more than just for survival of families as our history shows that two couples falling in love was a part of this idea of marriage. I am going to look around a bit more as I want to find some info on marriages within the Oriental nations.

It does seem though also that marriage by purchase was preferred in some cultures. Quite often the bride was exchanged for land, political alliance, social status and/or currency. In short it may appear that a wedding seemed little more than the purchase of a bride for breeding purposes. Not a particularly liberated point of view and one that is not widely accepted anymore in our corner of the world. Is it possible that love indeed does rise above these not so natural ideas.

To believe that marriage for love is relatively rare and only something that is recently happening is something that I cannot believe. I cannot imagine this world being around for as long as it has without people being in true love and expereincing what I like to call a divine union of love between two. It cannot be that generations in the past did not express or desire a union of true love. Call me a romantic.

I think the Ancients held to the idea of marriage being a divine union between two. I will post more on this as I find more out.

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