A nature based Celtic wedding on the Aran Islands
The ceremony is held outdoors, weather permitting, at Mainistir Chiaráin which is in Mainistir, one mile to the west of Kilronan village on Inis Mór.
The ceremony has four stations:
Station One: Holy Well
The Well is a Celtic symbol of the feminine. In ancient Ireland, it was an entrance to the womb of the goddess. The goddess was the land of Ireland, Eriu. At this well we celebrate the woman to be married. The bride places her hands in the well water. We pray for fertility, womanhood, and for the bride as wife and mother. We use stories, poetry and music.
Station Two: Standing Stone
The Standing Stone is a Celtic symbol of male fertility and power. In ancient Ireland it was used as a phallic symbol, marking a centre of energy. The monks carved Christian images on it and used it to mark the boundaries of their monastery. At the standing stone we celebrate the man to be married. The groom places his hands on the stone. We pray for virility, manhood, and for the groom as husband and father. We use stories, poetry and music.
Station Three: Altar
The Altar represents God or the Divine. This altar was used by the monks for 1,100 years, from the 5th to the 16th century, as the focus for their worship. It is likely that they built the altar above an earlier Druidic energy point. Before the altar, the two to be married stand facing each other and make their vows. They exchange rings, have their hands tied in a Celtic handfasting, and receive a blessing from the priest.
Station Four: Sundial
The Sundial is a carved stone with a hole in it. It has a circular dial and a Celtic cross carved on it. It was a primitive clock, using a stick in the hole to cast a shadow from the sun across the dial. The monks needed it to divide their day into periods of prayer. The wedding group gathers in a circle around the Sundial.
A number of activities take place at this Sundial:
- The couple face each other on either side of the Sundial, and place the index finger of their right hand through the hole. By touching fingers through the hole, they confirm their marriage vows. This continues an ancient practice, where the Sundial was used as a contract stone.
- A silk scarf is used to make wishes at the Sundial. The silk scarf is passed through the hole in the Sundial three times as the wish is made. The couple do this first, and then invite others to come forward and do it also. Some people will wish privately, others will wish out loud.
- The priest blesses the couple with oil and water. The blessing is for their relationship. The oil is placed on their foreheads or hands. It is a symbol of health and wholeness. The priest prays that their relationship will remain healthy and will grow and develop wholesomely throughout their lives. He then sprinkles sacred water from the well around them three times. The water symbolises protection (driving away the devil). The priest prays that nothing will happen in their lives that will damage or destroy their relationship.
The ceremony ends by each person joining hands with the next and walking / dancing around the sundial in a clockwise (sunwise) direction. This is an ancient Celtic ritual which imitates the sun going around the earth. It brings everybody into harmony with the cosmic rhythms.
If the weather is bad and the time of the ceremony cannot be rescheduled, the ceremony is held indoors. It is the same ceremony as above with symbols used for each of the four stations.
Location:
Mainistir Chiaráin – the ancient monastic lands of St Ciarán’s Monastery, Mainistir, Inis Mór. All the stations are within two minutes walking distance of each other.
Certificate of Marriage:
If you wish, I can offer you a certificate of marriage. I must emphasise, this is not a legal document. It is simply a memento and record of the occasion.
Registration of Marriage:
The registration of the marriage, according to the civil law of a particular country, does not take place at this ceremony. This is a matter for the couple to organise separately.
