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Pagan Wedding In The Old SouthHandfasting binds the fate and future of Wiccan priestess and priestBy Danielle ClarneauxIf ever I've imagined a wedding in the Deep South, my Scarlett and Rhett fantasy conjures up hooped satin dresses with miles of petticoats, stiff morning coats for the men, a taciturn minister reciting admonitions from the Bible, and mint juleps on the veranda. However, my first Southern wedding was going to be vastly different from the pages of Gone With The Wind.
Hollywood and Halloween stereotypes aside, Wicca is as legitimate a religion as Catholicism under the eye of the Constitution. Surprisingly, it is also the fastest growing religion in the U.S., according to the Institute for the Study of American Religion. Wicca is a form of Paganism encompassing an earth and natured-centered spirituality and an ethical system based on personal responsibility. According to my niece, "The myths and religious traditions of the world form a shared heritage we study and celebrate. We believe that humankind is our family and we have much to learn from each other."
There are many variations of Wicca, but they all share one philosophy, the Wiccan Rede: "An ye harm none, do what ye will." They strive to avoid causing harm to others, to themselves and to the environment. They also respect the Rule of Three. "This tells us that what we send out comes back to us—good or bad. In other words, what goes around comes around." Some Wiccans do cast spells, which are used to create change in themselves or their loved ones. However, most Wiccans believe that anything manipulative or that goes against the free will of another is considered wrong.
The handfasting ceremony was to be held outdoors in a rural park about an hour's drive from Birmingham. A canopy marked the reception area, while folding chairs were placed around the ceremonial circle. Other than a large pentagram hanging from the festively decorated arch, the site didn't appear appreciably different from that of a Christian wedding.
While the guests were being seated, the presiding priest and priestess performed a purification rite with salt and water, fire and sage. They then took their place at the altar. A circle of rose petals was cast, followed by maidens and groomsmen marking each of the four directions: north, south, east and west. They called upon the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water to be present, to protect and bless the union with the qualities they each represent. Next, the Mother and Father were called upon to bear witness and bless the handfasting. To most Wiccans, The Divine is seen as both feminine and masculine. The Mother represents all that is nurturing, creative, intuitive and strong. The Father represents provision through sacrifice, protection, wisdom and service.
FOR MORE INFORMATION For more information about Wicca, visit Morganna's and Spirithawk's coven at www.bham.net/eclecticcoven. If you happen to be in Birmingham on your way to a Wicca wedding, take some time to enjoy exploring this truly Southern city, which was founded in 1871 at the crossing of two railway lines and became the South's foremost industrial center in the early 1900s. Birmingham's legendary iron and steel mills were gradually replaced by high tech medical and engineering companies, and today it is a thriving mid-sized city that values its heritage and its diversity. The following are a few of the many interesting places to visit while in Birmingham. Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Alabama Theatre Birmingham Civil Rights Institute DeSoto Caverns Five Points South Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Visitors Center Rickwood Field Sloss Furnaces Vulcan |
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My first clue was that my niece Karin, who lives in Birmingham, Alabama, invited me to her handfasting rather than her wedding. She is a Wiccan—as in "witch." Okay, I thought, first it's time to switch from Scarlett's plight in Atlanta to Salem's Lot, and then get onto the web to learn more about the Wicca religion.
Karin is not new to the Wicca way. Morganna, as she's known to other Wiccans, has been practicing The Craft for 14 years and, along with others, started the Eclectic Coven of Red Mountain in December of 1998. She is also the coven's High Priestess, while her intended, Spirithawk, serves as the High Priest. 
And no, Wiccans do not believe in Satan or any other personification of evil, despite the pairing of black-clad witches with fiery-red devils at Halloween parties. Which reminds me of something else I learned about witches - they don't necessarily wear black. Although many believe that wearing black attracts and holds more natural energy, some prefer green and purple. Nevertheless, on the plane from Seattle to Birmingham, my mom and I still wondered if there wasn't something to all those Hollywood movies and that my niece and her coven would all be shrouded in mystical black robes.
As the handfasting participants made their entrance, however, it was obvious that this ceremony would be quite unique. The female attendants wore flowing medieval-style velvet gowns in deep jewel tones, while the men were equally stylish in their breeches and tunics. The bride was strikingly attired in an antique-white gown topped by a hooded cape of the same color, and the groom wore a complementary ivory vest over a matching shirt with buccaneer sleeves, blue breeches and knee-high lace boots. Not one black-clad, eerie figure among them; actually, the dress and ambiance of the handfasting reminded me of a Renaissance faire. 
After Lord Spirithawk and Lady Morganna were invited into the circle, the vows began. First the rings, which had been placed on a wand, were held at each end by the priest and priestess. The bride and groom each placed their right hand over the rings, while the priest declared, "…Like a star should your love burn brightly. Like a stone should your love be firm. Be close, yet not so close that you restrict one another. Possess one another yet grant each other the freedom to grow." 
Following an affirmation from the priestess, the couple spoke their own vows and then the priestess tied the handfasting cord around their left hands, which were joined together. "As we bind together this man and this woman with these cords let their fates and futures be so bound. May they hold fast to each other, even as they are now held fast."
A ritual with cake and wine was performed before the cord uniting the couple was removed. They then turned from the altar and happily jumped over a broom together, signifying crossing the threshold into married life. After the bride and groom left the circle, the four elements were formally dismissed, and the circle was opened, declaring that the ritual was officially at an end. "The circle is now open, but never broken. Merry Meet, Merry Part and Merry Meet Again."
Merry indeed. A reception followed the handfasting, replete with champagne, catered food, an elaborately decorated cake and a merry-making Pagan band, Emerald Rose. Christian mingled happily with Witch, celebrating the union of Karin Hvalsoe Clarno and Steven Douglas Fugatt, aka Morganna and Spirithawk.