The Lovers' Knot

I presented the following blessing at Margie and Dan's wedding reception (July 25, 2003). As I presented the blessing extemporaneously, the text is not an exact transcript of my words. It's close, but not identical.

When I received Margie and Dan’s wedding invitation, my attention was drawn to the lovers’ knot gracing the top and bottom of the card. The lovers’ knot, a Celtic knot that looks like intertwined figure eights, symbolizes two together as one. When I researched the meaning of the lovers' knot, I discovered that different meanings are attributed to different knots. The trinity knot, for example, is thought to represent the Holy Trinity (Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit). Spirals, on the other hand, symbolize personal spirit or the circle of life. I also discovered that there’s absolutely NO archaeological evidence to support the meanings we attribute to Celtic knot work. We don’t know what the ancient Celts were trying to communicate through their art. There’s a beauty in that, I think. Celtic knot work is ancient form of art that takes on new meaning in contemporary society.

Marriage is similar to knot work: marriage has different meanings for each us. Recalling Jesus’ first miracle, performed at a wedding in Cana, Christian marriage is a holy covenant of love, mutual respect, personal commitment, and shared fidelity. Taoism, a Chinese mystical philosophy, equates marriage with a spiritual union that sees perfect beauty, feels perfect happiness, and recognizes the perfect unity of all things. Practitioners of Goddess spirituality describe a life-partnership as a magickal union based on the principles of immanent value, openness, interconnectedness, individuality, and equality.

Regardless of the spiritual path you follow, whether you’re Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Taoist, Buddhist, Wiccan, Agnostic, or Atheist, your ideas, beliefs, and attitudes regarding marriage contribute to the meaning of Dan and Margie’s union. You’ve become part of their life-partnership, of their lovers’ knot. Tonight, I’m honored that Margie and Dan asked me to make my contribution to their lovers’ knot by way of a formal blessing.

May the blessings of Earth be with you. May mountains of health, prosperity, and family always keep you stable.

May the blessings of Air be with you. May the winds of communication, knowledge, and mindfulness always keep you aloft.

May the blessings of Fire be with you. May the flames of passion, creativity, and devotion always keep you warm.

May the blessings of Water be with you. May the currents of compassion, respect, and kindness always keep you afloat.

May the blessings of Spirit be with you. May the presence of magick, love, and the divine always keep you centered.