(^124) A Wiccan Bible
While riding on his wife Eagle, he saw a salmon and he leaped off Eagle and dove
towards Salmon, hurting himself as he hit the water. So he then married Salmon and
the story ends when he is swallowed by a whale.
Pagan lore is so clear that making the right decision about marriage is important that
a test period is built into the Wiccan rite of marriage. Let’s face it, if Zeus and Hera had
spent any time together before their marriage, they never would have gotten married in
the first place. They would have been much happier, their pantheon would have been
much happier, and so would a great many others (Heracles being at the top of that list).
Marriage is so sacred and important a rite that it needs a test period to see if folk
are right for each other and a way to conclude the marriage should they later discover
either they were wrong about that test or that they have grown apart since that test.
The Rite of Handfasting
The Wiccan rite of marriage is called handfasting. Unlike what is all too often a lie,
the Wiccan rite of marriage is not until death do us part. Instead it is said to be for a
period which is the longest of ‘A year and a day or for as long as love shall stay.’ The
meaning is that the couple will remain in accordance with their varar for a term no less
than a year and a day but no longer than how long love shall stay. Thus, should a couple
be handfasted for three years and they are still in love, they are still bound by that
agreement, even if a year and a day has come to pass. If they should despise each other
after six months, they are still bound by that varar for the remainder of the year and a
day. The term ‘year and a day’ is actually a fancy way of saying a year. It is also a com-
ment on matters of divorce. The term and the concept that a couple should always
devote at least a year and a day to the marriage is Celtic in origin.
Many agreements other than marriage were made for a year and a day, but we see
the most notable reference in the marriage of Rhiannon and Pywll. Rhiannon was
married to Gwawl, but was not in love. When approached by Pywll, she told him to
return in a year and a day. After that year and a day, they went to her father’s court
where Pywll did win her hand away from Gwawl. However, we see that one of the
reasons Pywll won the hand of Rhiannon from Gwawl is, in part, due to another year
and a day.
Earlier, Pywll once traded places with Arawn, Lord of the Underworld, for a year
and a day. Along with position and duties, Pywll took on Arawn’s appearance in all
ways, so much so that Arawn’s wife had not discovered the switch. However, Pywll had
a noble and just heart, so he did not bed Arawn’s wife. So Arawn and Pywll became the
closest of friends. I am sure you can imagine that a friendship with Arawn would swing
just a little bit of weight.
Pywll became Arwan’s friend by the virtue he demonstrated in not taking advan-
tage of Arawn’s wife during that year and a day. Pywll won his lady’s hand by the virtue
he demonstrated by waiting a year and a day and then returning to Rhiannon after that
year and a day. This is the basis for the Wiccan handfasting, virtue, and the demonstra-
tion thereof.
o WB Chap 07.p65 124 7/11/2003, 5:52 PM
barré
(Barré)
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