Marriage of the Aquarian Deities

Iacchus' Clergy Challenge Ritual

Heirosgamos of Aquarius

Two Drummers walk through the encampment calling people to come. The people gather at the circle's edge in the woods. Two greeters are at the gate. The 1st greeter smudges the head, heart, and feet of the people as they enter the circle and says: "May your Head, Heart, and Path always be in harmony".

The 2nd greeter anoints people's foreheads by drawing an upward pointing triangle with oil on males and a downward pointing triangle on females, and after anointing says: "Walk the Circle of Freedom once round, remembering the Wholeness that you are. Thou Art Goddess (or) God".

The Priestess enters first & Priest enters last and encourages all present to hold hands. (priestess lights charcoal)

Remembering the Beginning

(This Element bearer and each succeeding Element bearer speaks about their element and then asks others to speak their hearts about the element while going around the circle. When finished all element bearers return to the altar with their elements, leave them on the altar and return to the circle.)

Priest: Who will speak for Fire, physical manifestation of the passion and vision of the energy that creates all things?

A volunteer comes to the altar, lights the lantern there and speaks about fire. Then with the lit lantern walks about the circle once slowly. During this time others are encouraged to speak about fire as well.

Priestess: Who will speak for Matter, physical manifestation of the power of attraction inherent in the energy that creates all things?

A volunteer comes forth to speak about Matter, goes to the altar to pick up a bowl of sand and salt, and speaks of Matter while sprinkling the the circle with sand/salt once slowly. The sand bowl is returned to the altar. During this time others are encouraged to speak also about Matter.

Priest: Who will speak for Air, physical manifestation of the sphere of movement defining time and space, the breath inherent in the energy that creates all things?

A volunteer comes forth to speak about Air, goes to the altar, places incense upon the burning charcoal, and walks around the circle once with the incense. The censer is returned to the altar. As before others are invited to speak of Air.

Priestess: Who will speak for Water, physical manifestation of the flow of energy that brings forth life and love in the creation of our being?

A volunteer comes forth, goes to the altar, pours water from a pitcher, and fills a water jar. Then taking the filled water jar they speak of water as they sprinkle the circle once. As before Others are invited to speak of water. Then the Element bearer of water returns to the altar and pours the remainder into the pitcher.

The Charging and Grounding of the Circle of Freedom

Priest: Freedom knows the limits of love's wisdom. For Freedom and Love are words of power that share a common root. Together now we'll draw on the energy of this common root. Draw this energy up from the ground of being, up through our Earth and into our feet, through our hearts and out our mouths with an 'AH' do we charge this, our Circle of Freedom. Together I ask you to do this three times to give our Circle of Freedom a Charm. Now I ask you to take some of this charm in on a breath and pass it down through your heart and out your feet, into the Earth and down to our ground of being and release it with an OM.

Start drumbeat and CHANT: "We are an old people, we are a new people…."Drummer will bring the energy up and down easy.

Priest tells the Lore of this Aquarian Marriage of the Gods. After the story is told, the invocation of the Deities is begun by the priest.

Invocation of Ancient Ancestral Deities

Priest: I call forth An ancient ancestral Goddess of the Mystery that created us as a people to bless this marriage of the Sun God, the Moon Goddess, the Moon God and the Sun Goddess, stewards of the Aquarian Age. Bring forth your Water offering, Oh, Beautiful Crone.

Ancient Ancestral Goddess: (walk to center of circle by the altar & hold up a cup of water while speaking) I bring forth inner vision in order to contemplate the many images, thoughts, feelings, and sensations of the Soul that the Cosmos does inspire. So All, both Goddesses and Gods and Women and Men, may find their inner path to the Mystery of Being. (The ancient ancestral Goddess may be moved to speak some more but after all speaking is done she comes and pours her water into the Cauldron and returns to the circle of Friends.)

Priestess: I call forth an ancient ancestral God of the Mystery that created us as a people to bless this marriage of the Sun Goddess, the Moon God, the Sun God and the Moon goddess, stewards of the Aquarian Age. Bring forth your Water offering, Oh, Handsome Sage.

Ancient Ancestral God: (come to center of circle and hold up full cup while speaking) I bring forth outward seeking vision in order to contemplate the images, thoughts, feelings and sensations of the Cosmos. So All, both Gods and Goddesses and Men and Women, may understand the interdependence of all things, great and small, and where One's soul belongs. (the ancient ancestral God may speak more if he is so moved but after all speaking is done he comes to the Cauldron and adds his water to it and returns to the circle of Friends.)

Invocation of the Elder Deities from the Mother and Father Kin

Priest: I call forth you, Oh Sky Goddess! Come bless this marriage of these Younger Deities, stewards of the Aquarian age. Bring forth your Water offering, Oh Sky Goddess whose starry body encircles our Cosmos.

Sky Goddess: (come to center of circle, holds up full cup while speaking) I bring the blessing of the woman's way of knowing which is hidden from the rational mind. I am the door way and provide the path for every seeress (Sky Goddess may continue to speak if so moved but after all speaking is done she comes and pours her water into the Cauldron and returns to the circle of Friends).

Priest: I call forth you, Oh Earth God! Come bless this marriage of these Younger Deities, stewards of the Aquarian age. Bring forth your water offering, Oh Earth God whose waxing and waning phallic energy moves the seasons of Life.

Earth God: (comes to center of circle and holds up full cup while speaking) I bring the blessing of the man's way knowing the experience of Life through the physical senses. I am the door way and the path by which all men may learn the sensual facts of life and learn what it means to be male. (The Earth god may continue to speak but after he is done speaking he pours his water into the Cauldron and returns to the circle of Friends).

Priestess: I call forth you, Oh Sky God! Come bless this marriage of the Younger Deities, stewards of the Aquarian age. Bring forth your water offering, Oh God who is the splendor of the skies, wielder of the thunderbolt and knower of secrets.

Sky God (comes to center of circle and holds up full cup while speaking) I bring the blessing of the man's way of knowing the secrets behind the splendor of night and day, the veil of the Mystery. I am the door way and path that the shaman travels, leaving the disbelief of the rational mind behind as he crosses the rainbow bridge. (The Sky God may continue to speak but after he is done speaking he pours his water into the Cauldron and returns to the circle of Friends).

Priestess: I call you forth, Oh Earth Goddess! Come bless this marriage of the Younger Deities, stewards of the Aquarian age. Bring forth your water offering, Oh Goddess whose flesh and blood nurtures and marks the passing of the seasons of all life.

Earth Goddess: (Come to center of the circle and hold up full cup while speaking) I bring the blessing of the woman's sensual way of knowing of life, whether it be good or bad. I am the door way and path that women travel down to nurture, delight, ease pain and to know the rebirth of life (the Earth Goddess may be moved to continue to speak but after she is done speaking she pours her water into the Cauldron and returns to the circle of Friends).

Invocation of the Younger Deities

Priest: I call forth the Sun Goddess! What water blessing do you bring to your marriage with the other Younger Deities, stewards of the Aquarian age? Blessed be Oh Golden One whose love is the affirming heat of all life.

Sun Goddess: (Come to center of circle and hold up full cup while speaking) I bring the blessing of the woman's way of knowing, the athame of consciousness that discerns the many, protects their boundaries and weaves them together into the sensible cloth of culture. I am the door way and the path of consideration that sees the net of logic, the rational order of the Mystery. My heat is the love that blesses this way of knowing (the Sun Goddess takes her water offering to the cauldron and pours it in and then waits by it)

Priest: I call forth the Moon Goddess! What water blessing do you bring to your marriage with the other Younger Deities, stewards of the Aquarian age? Blessed be Oh Silver One whose love waters all life.

Moon Goddess (Come to center of the circle and hold up full cup while speaking) I bring the blessing of the woman's way of knowing, the balance that weighs the Soul and all it does. I am the door way and path that tests whether the Soul is in harmony with its Self and the nature of creation. If it is, then do what you will and the feeling of good will be the blessing of my love.( the Moon Goddess then takes a position near the cauldron, pours her water offering into the cauldron and waits by it.)

Priestess: I call forth the Sun God! What water blessing do you bring to your marriage with the other Younger Deities, stewards of the Aquarian age? Blessed be Golden God whose warm rays sustain the civilized soul.

Sun God: (Come to center of circle and hold up full cup while speaking) I bring the blessing of the man's of knowing, the athame of consciousness whose power of separation and limitation creates the measure and proportion of culture. I am the door way and path of well reasoned thought that sees the cause and effect inherent in the Mystery's order. My love for this way of knowing is a passionate blessing (the Sun God then takes a position near the cauldron, pours his water in the cauldron and waits by it)

Priestess: I call forth the Moon God! What water blessing do you bring to your marriage with the other Younger Deities, stewards of the Aquarian age? Blessed be Oh God of the silver horn whose dew expresses love for all Nature.

Moon God: (Come to center of circle and hold up full cup while speaking) I bring the blessing of man's way of knowing, the appreciation of the waxing and waning of all things and the mystery of love and the Soul's reincarnation. I am the door way and path that is a braid of love, I am he who dances the labyrinth of wholeness. This way of knowing I pour forth upon all things. (the Moon God takes a position near the cauldron, pours his water offering in it and then waits by it)

**Priestess pours more water into the 4 deities cups**

The Vows Of The Younger Deities

Priest: This marriage of the Moon God and the Sun Goddess, and, of the Sun God and the Moon Goddess unites two Great Waters(one fresh and one salty), The Goddesses and Gods of the Mother Tribes and all their Fay with The Gods and Goddesses of the Father Tribes and all their Fay. These 4 Younger Gods and Goddesses will now be united to create a Greater Wholeness, a Cauldron of Gathering Waters, that holds and pours forth the fullness of the Mystery which creates all things. They all pour SOME of their water into the cauldron and say: "SO MOTE IT BE!!"

Priest: Are you, the Stewards of the Aquarian Age ready to make your marriage vows to one another? (the Younger Deities say AYE! (eye-yeah)" & raise their cups, like wise to each of the remaining vows).

Do you vow to be Soul-Friends, to support, nurture and defend the Wholeness of each others Souls and the Greater Soul that your love for each other has created so whether in sickness or health there is a commonwealth which cares for all?
Do you vow to the Quest for Self knowledge that brings forth your Divine way of Being, the Self consciousness that is in harmony with its Soul, the Souls of all other Self conscious Beings and the Nature of the Cosmos in which you live?
Do you vow to keep sexuality sacred, joyous, endearing, fun and a celebration of the love you have for each other, and so honor the charge your Mothers have passed unto you? Does your marriage bless homoerotic, heteroerotic ways of loving? Does your marriage bless monogamy, polygamy and polyamory? Does your marriage bless the Feminine, Masculine, Hermaphroditic and Transsexual Soul?
Do you vow to inspire, support and commune with all rituals & customs celebrating Life and its mysteries? Do you bring about harmony within and without the Soul, so that all Nature is honored?
Do you vow to recognize every true heart who claims to be your Kin; those who will share water from this gathering of waters, and so build and sustain the Aquarian community?
Do you vow to step aside when the age of Aquarius comes to an end, and so become Elders, passing your heirloom of love and peace, this Cauldron of Gathering Waters, onto the next generation and so on down through all Worlds to come?

The Priestess asks the Circle of Freedom if any present have any objections or forever hold their peace.

Priestess calls upon Eris: Oh great Eris! We respectfully request your blessing for this marriage (Eris speaks and puts a pinch of salt in the cauldron.)

The priestess asks all to join in on a chant to charge the Cauldron:

"Make yourself a power spot, bring spoon and a cooking pot,
bring Air, bring fire, bring Water, bring Earth,
and you a new universe will birth."

While the chant is going on the Priest stirs the cauldron with the stang and ends the chant with a boisterous shout and pulling out the stang from the cauldron. The priest fingers the edge of cauldron and says: It is excellent!

The Priestess gets extra cup from altar and collects water from each younger deity, pours a little into the cauldron & hands it to the Priest and he starts the watersharing with the 4 younger deities.

Priest: You are now all handfasted. Then the priestess drinks, and then to all in the circle. (Priest will refill cup as needed) do "LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, making magic we make love, God and Goddess intertwining, We are Divine" chant. Priest will be the last to drink.

Priest: Now it is time to jump the broom! (Two people hold the 2 brooms taped together so all 4 can jump together) They all jump the broom and take a cup off the altar.

Priest: To honor the ancient ways the Younger Deities, stewards of the Aquarian age, are handfasted for a year and a day. This custom will be part of their Kin's Aquarian way. And when, in a year and a day, they return to this place and time to renew their vows and pledge their Souls to their marriage, we shall bless them. Their marriage shall be a circle of Freedom all through the Aquarian age, and all who call these Younger Deities their Kin shall also this Circle of Freedom.

Priest : "I ask from all gathered here tonight, that between now and when we gather here tomorrow morning, to send a blessing of appreciation, joy & sweetness of Life, to be the fire in this Cauldron of Water. Then in the morning, we will gather all those who wish to drink from this Cauldron to declare their Kinship to the Younger Deities, and to the Greater Mystery to which we all belong.

Opening of the Marriage Rite to Feasting

Priestess: We now begin the Marriage Feast of these Younger Deities, stewards of the Aquarian age, by remembering that we are a circle with in a circle, with no beginning and no end (the priest joins in with the chant and together they walk the circle as all chant: 'we are a circle…' Drummers start and we all dance & do a good energy raising and release)

Priest: Thank You Ancestral Gods and Goddesses for your participation in these rites. You are free to go if you must, or stay and feast with us… Thank you Powers of Earth, Water, Fire and Air for witnessing this rite. Now go forth to your lovely realms, tell all that you have seen and sharing the blessings of this Marriage. Farewell and Blessed be!

Priest closes the circle by doing the C.A.W. version of "Merry Meet and Merry Meet Again. The Priest then announces where the Feast will be … whether in the circle in the woods(depending on weather and mosquitoes) or up in the hay field.