To understand Handfasting one should go back to its origins. It is not so long ago that only Royals and the Nobility were "married" in the sense of marriage today.
In old times, a young couple wanting to be married, would gather with friends and family around a fire outdoors.The fire would represent the "warmth" of love, and a healthy life.They would also lay a broomstick on the ground. The couple would state their intention of living a life together, and then, holding hands, they would jump over the fire and then over the broomstick.
Gerald Gardner took this very old belief, and formed the lovely ceremony of Handfasting.I've watched it quite a few times, and seen the couples wearing just about any sort of clothing.
Do you know, that here in Yorkshire, an unmarried couple living together are still referred to as "living over the brush"?
its seen as a wiccan/witches wedding [though as Brysing said it dates back centuries] i have seen many pictures and videos its basically a wedding outside [most are outside] so wear what you would like. a wedding dress and a suit is fine, but some people wear nice clothes, or go with a more 'traditional' outfit like a medieval style dress. i've noticed many brides wear flowers in their hair or as a crown, but it's not a must. i think they do it because most handfastings take place around Beltane and wearing flower crowns is normal for the holiday.
if you are planning a handfasting, it's a spiritual commitment ceremony, but most countries do not recognize them as a legal marriage, so try finding a priest/priestess who has been ordained, or go to city hall to make it official, if you so choose.
that sounds great I would love to see that ceremony and also it would probably cost less than a wedding these days and nice to know that as me and my partner are not married yet we are living over the brush lol goodness and light.
Living over the brush. Brush is the old Yorkshire name for the bush "Broom". The original broomstick was made from the plant Broom. They were, of course, made for sweeping the house! So now there are many who call a sweeping brush "a broom".
The broomstick as part of the "wedding" represented the household, and used to keep the house clean. Not flying!
