A Ritual of Renewal
After the ceremony comes a time of great jubilation. The bride and groom run off, the guests rise up, the party begins after the photographs are taken. Afterwards, what has changed? Names have changed, relationships have changed, boundaries have changed. Now the two have become one and the result is greater than the sum of the parts. Where comes the extra, the added parts? Quantum physics and magick tell us that perception can generate that which is perceived. If you believe an orange skinned real estate salesman is capable of sending nuclear missiles to vaporize an entire nation, they might just do that. And if you believe a man you never met before last week is your brother, then he is your brother. You gained a brother when your daughter married a man. Likewise you may have gained cousins, sisters, nephews and partners through this ritual in which two pledge to do what is right for two to do. It has nothing to do with babies or gods or even social understandings, but it is an ethical way to express out loud the feelings which have been created by two becoming one. The result can be epic. When Di married Chuck the world of the West shook with various degrees of joy, and yet afterwards little was changed. The Queen was still the queen and none of them use surnames, so they did not change either. I would argue that on September 9th there were greater and long lasting changes made which will in time have impacts to a great number of families and friends.
A ritual of renewal changes a woman to a goddess, and a miss into a missus, a daughter into a wife, a man into a husband. Duties may not be changed in a relationship which has lasted many years, but the feelings now are different. When a man does a nice thing for his lover and friend, it kind and rewarding in kind, but when a husband does something nice for his wife, it brings on the feelings of the One which came into being as a result of that ritual. A marriage is reinforced more than just a mans love of another. Consider that a lover presents a gift as part of a courtship. Afterwards, after the marriage ceremony the courtship of the lover has stopped, but the courtship and nurturing of the spouse has begun. Often you hear of how after a marriage the man suddenly becomes abusive or cold. The ritual had failed, often because it was confused for a “party”. Parties do not transform, they entertain briefly. So thought must be put into all aspects of a ritual, dense, multi-layered thoughts on placement, color and meaning. Then the participants should be at some level aware of the intent, purpose, direction and rules of the ritual. The ring or rings must be understood as symbols and not jewelry. Drinks immediately afterwards should be drinks of ceremonial value, the Toast defines them as such, and all the important individuals may deliver Toasts, which should be understood even as ritual components of a ceremony currently being enacted. They are spells. Each primary participant has a costume, a special garb, festooned with symbolic flowers, jewels or decorations. The male/female parts are balanced with the groomsmen and the bridesmaids. The ritual of separation finalizes the vows, and the ceremony moves on. Each day may be a ritual of renewal in a loving environment. The people are energized and inspired for their participation in the ritual. Within a year a new child will come into the world as a direct result of this ritual, even several children might come forth.
In this way all of us are renewed. We move up the ladder a bit, new footing, new ideas bringing forth new things. Understanding the way this works and the importance of the understanding, is how we move gladly through the changes, rather than fearful of the new.
