Pagan readings?

mandamommy

 I am pagan DF is Catholic.  We have agreed that the ceremony itself will be nondenomational (sp?).  We also agreed that we will each pick one reading or blessing that fits our beliefs incorporated in.

 I am having a hard time finding a Pagan reading.  Even a Wiccan or old Celtic could work, but so far I've only seen one and I don't really like it.

Can anyone help?

artbyallie

Probably the reason you're having a hard time is that "pagan" isn't an organized religion the way Christian denominations or other churches are. Are there any texts that you personally use in whatever your exact practices are? Maybe something from some kind of mythology? I don't know anything specific to suggest.

As far as Celtic goes, pretty much all the Irish blessings mention God.

Here's one I found, credited only as a Scottish blessing:

If there is righteousness in the heart,
there will be beauty in the character.
If there is beauty in the character,
there will be harmony in the home.
If there is harmony in the home,
there will be order in the nation. 
If there is order in the nation,
there will be peace in the world.
So let it be

naomikb

Does it need to be a specifically "Pagan" reading?

How about just a poem that you like?  Some Shakespeare?  Robbie Burns?

Here's a "prayer" we used for our wedding as one of our readings that doesn't mention God but is wedding friendly.

Apache Wedding Prayer
Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness,
for each of you will be companion to the other.

Treat yourselves and each other with respect,
and remind yourselves often of what brought you together.
Give the highest priority to the tenderness,
gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves.
When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship;
as they threaten all relationships at one time or another,
remember to focus on what is right between you,
not only the part which seems wrong.
In this way, you can ride out the storms
when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives,
remembering that even if you lose sight of it
for a moment, the sun is still there.
And if each of you takes responsibility
for the quality of your life together,
it will be marked by abundance and delight.

Go now to your dwelling place,
To enter into the days of your life together,
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

naomikb

Also, here is a link to a page that has Celtic and Irish wedding vows and blessings, and some apparently Pagan things as well.
http://www.documentsanddesigns.com/verse/Celtic_marriage_wedding_vows.htm
________________________
Now you are bound one to the other
With a tie not easy to break.
Take the time of binding
Before the final vows are made
To learn what you need to know -
To grow in wisdom and love.
That your marriage will be strong
That your love will last
In this life and beyond.
_____________________
In times past it was believed that the human soul shared characteristics with all things divine. It is this belief which assigned virtues to the cardinal directions; East, South, West and North. It is in this tradition that a blessing is offered in support of this ceremony.

Blessed be this union with the gifts of the East.
Communication of the heart, mind, and body
Fresh beginnings with the rising of each Sun.
The knowledge of the growth found in the sharing of silences.

Blessed be this union with the gifts of the South.
Warmth of hearth and home
The heat of the heart's passion
The light created by both to illuminate the darkest of times.

Blessed be this union with the gifts of the West.
The deep commitments of the lake The swift excitement of the river
The refreshing cleansing of the rain
The all encompassing passion of the sea.

Blessed be this union with the gifts of the North
Firm foundation on which to build
Fertility of the fields to enrich your lives
A stable home to which you may always return.

Each of these blessings emphasizes those things which will help you build a happy and successful union.
Yet they are only tools.
Tools which you must use together in order to create what you seek in this union.
______________________________________
“May your marriage bring you all the exquisite
excitement marriage should bring,
and may life grant you also patience,
tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another -
not so much to fill your emptiness
as to help you to know your fullness.
A mountain needs a valley to be complete;
the valley does not make
the mountain less, but more;
and the valley is more a valley because
it has a mountain towering over it.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another,
and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!"
and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart,
may both of you hope to have
good sense enough to take the first step back.

May you enter into the mystery which is
the awareness of one another's
presence - no more physical than spiritual,
warm and near when you are
side by side, and warm and near when
you are in separate rooms
or even distant cities.
May you have happiness,
and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another

Gabrielle76

What flavor of pagan are you? The term 'pagan' encompasses literally thousands of religions, but is not a religion itself.  It's more of a category, usually referring to non abrhamic faiths.  We can be more helpful if we know what we're looking for

naomikb

According to "Wedding Magazine" this is a traditional Pagan blessing...

"Above you are the stars, below you are the stones.
As time passes, remember...
Like a star should your love be constant,
Like the earth should your love be firm.
Possess one another, yet be understanding.
Have patience with each other,
For storms will come, and they will go quickly.
Be free in giving of affection and of warmth.
Have no fear, and let not the ways or words of the
Unenlightened give you unease.
For the Old Gods are with you,
Now and always! "
http://www.weddingmagazine.co.uk/receptions-more179.html

handfast4me

We put the following ceremony together--we're Pagan (solitary practicioners, eclectic, with a decidely Welsh Trad flavor):
All things in Nature are circular. Night becomes day, day becomes night and night becomes day again.The moon waxes and wanes and waxes again.There is Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and then the Spring returns.As the seasons cycle, there is the cycle of Life, Death, and rebirth.These are part of the Great Mysteries of Life.(Exchanging of Rings and Vows)A ring is an unbroken circle, a symbol of unity, of unending love,of the sun and the earth and the moon, representative of this greater circle of life. It is also a symbol of continuity, worn on the third finger, because the ancient Greeks believed that a vein from that finger leads directly to the heart. These rings mark and celebrate the continuation of your journey together.  Wear them as symbols of the love that you have for each other.

handfast4me

whoops.  Sorry about the font, I cut and pasted. 

tlc35

In Response to Re: Pagan readings?:
______________________________________ “May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitement marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding. May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. May you need one another, but not out of weakness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you entice one another, but not compel one another. May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another. May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces. May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults. If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back. May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities. May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it loving one another
Posted by naomikb[/QUOTE]

Thanks!

I really love this one.  Do you know where it comes from?

erincathmeyer

My fiance and I are doing a "secular" wedding and I googled that term and found some stuff - I am not sure if you will find the same sorts of things or not, but you could try that and see what you find too!

revkris

The posting by tlc35 that begins with  “May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitement marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding. …." was written by James Dillet Freeman.