Philip Greentree:- Marriage Celebrant performing ancient Celtic, Medieval, Pagan and Earth Centred wedding ceremonies

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Harpists & Celtic Bands

Harps & Hearts
www.harpsandhearts.com.au/
Ph: 0414 70 1939

A Handfasting Synopsis
Handfasting for the Celts was not just the binding together of the wrists it was more the binding together of their souls. While some historians argue handfasting was a betrothal ritual, the betrothal lasting a year and a day, others dispute this based on evidence of several kings taking handfasting wives, the children of those relationships inheriting the crown. These same kings also had church wed wives, with these wives merely to cement political alliances. One must assume therfore that handfasting was something more than just a marraige ritual, that it was something above that, something based upon the spiritual level.

Importantly, the Scots retained handfasting as an act of Legal marriage until as recently as 1939.

Today, many Australian couples look upon handfasting as the Act of Spiritual Marriage, the moment when, in their hearts, their souls are merged as their wrists are bound. It is a truly wonderful ritual, which, for some, has more meaning than the legal vows.

The tragedy of handfasting in Australia is that so very many celebrants who perform the ritual simply don't understand the Celtic belief system, nor believe in the concept of the soul as distinct from the physical body. To them, it's merely a "twee" ritual the client wants performed.
The Full Story

Ancient Celtic Ceremonies

"A Celebration of Love"

Philip Greentree has a range of ancient Celtic ceremonies (and in between) that reflect the old traditions.

Ancient Celtic Weddings
The ancient Celts believed marriage was more than an agreement between two people. Rather, it was effective on three levels;

	The individual
	The social and
	The spiritual

Philip's Celtic, Pagan & Earth-Centred Ceremonies are drawn from the culture of the original inhabitants of the British Isles before invasions by the Danes, Angles, Saxons, and finally the Normans. However, it should be noted those races also practiced handfasting.

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	Pre-Betrothal Stage
	Entry procession©
	Celebrant's Challenge©
	Cleansing ceremony
	The Blessing of the Celtic Holy Trinity
	The calling down of the Male and Dfemale Devine
	The Ceremony Introduction
	The Caim Optional
	Cake & ale plates
	Honouring of the five elements The consecration circle and the elemental challenge to the couple: Fire, Earth, Air, Water & the Spirit linking them all.
	Bell of Truce
	Betrothal Stage
	Monitum Part 2
	Cleansing & Blessing of the Rings©
	Combined Asking & Ring Exchange
	Combined sword, chalice, asking and ring exchange. This is an optional long, complex format
	Anamchara
	Handfasting
	Celtic Vows
	Setting in Stone of the vows©
	Post-Betrothal Stage
	The Joining of Man & Woman and blessing of their hands©
	The taking of the Chalice©
	Sealing the Covenant of Marriage©
	Declaration of Marriage with sword©
	Signing the Register
	Horseshoe
	Celtic Blessing
	Jumping the Besom
	Presentation of the married couple
	Grushie (if Irish oriented)
	And, when the day is all done.......

Length of Celtic & Earth-centred Ceremonies
The simplified ceremony takes about 35-40 minutes.
The complex ceremony takes about 45-65 minutes depending on content. Of course variations in between are welcome.

The Complex Ancient Celtic ceremony isboth deeply spiritual, replete with some quite extraordinarily emotional and spiritual components and, yet, there is are some very lighthearted moments. This normally runs for about 55-65 minutes and is a real ceremony.

The days of the Celtic Church were the days of Arthurian and Grail legends. They gave rise to some wonderful rituals that are celebrated in various of Philip's ceremonies.

The influence of the Celtic Church upon the Celts
Celebrant Philip can also provide a Celtic ceremony based upon the days of the Celtic Church (not to be confused with the rival and diametrically opposed & exceedingly brutal Roman Church). These were the days when the Legend of the Holy grail and of Arthurian times came into being.

Celtic Celtic Church elements
For the Druids and their Celtic flock, when Christianity came to the British Isles, it was the spiritual, Nasorean form, which they took up because of its remarkable similarity to Druidism. However, Rome first sought to wipe the Druids of the face of the earth at the point of a sword during its military occupation of Britian.

Then, some 400-500 years later in its "rebadged form", with its brutally enforced Pauline form of Christianity, it tragically won the intellectual battle in the 6th-7th Centuries AD and the days of the Druids were over for good.

The days of the Celtic Church were also the days of Arthurian and Grail legends. They gave rise to some wonderful rituals that are celebrated in various of Philip Greentree's ceremonies. For the Druids and their Celtic flock, when Christianity came to the British Isles, it was the spiritual, Nasorean form, which they took up because of its remarkable similarity to Druidism. However, the Roman military empire first sought to wipe the Druids off the face of the earth at the point of a sword during its military occupation of Britian.

Then, some 400-500 years later in its "rebadged form", with its brutally enforced Pauline form of Christianity, the Roman Christian empire tragically won the intellectual battle in the 7th-8th Centuries AD and the days of the Druids nor Celtic Celtic church abbots and bishops were over for good (well, not quite because the two Romes never succeeded in the total destruction of the Druidic traditions).

In the Western world, the fastest growing belief system is the socalled "New Age" belief, the cornerstone of which is reincarnation and a belief in the laws of nature and our environment. Are the "losers" actualy awaking from a long sleep