For The Rest Of The Days....October 8, 1999

For The Rest Of The Days....October 8, 1999

Lowlandz had to usher me through the double french doors as I was having a difficult time making it into the room on my own accord. This was not because of second thoughts, but excited anticipation. My head felt light, and this weightlessness travelled through my body, right down to my feet as I seemed to glide down the aisle past the whispers of assembled guests. Arriving in front of my cousin, the Officiator, I glanced back and noticed my father sitting directly behind me.

I left my place to garner a hug of reassurance.

Returning to Lowlandz' side, my father reminded me not to lock my knees.

Behind the Officiator, I caught a glance of the dining hall. Separating the diningroom from the ceremony room was the largest boquet of fresh fall flowers I had ever seen. It consumed one of the dining tables. The others, behind the arrangement, were pristinely set with an elegance exacerbated by the amber glow of the setting sun. Shadow chased rays made sparks of light on crystal edges.

Meanwhile, I awaited my destiny, flanked on my right by Lowlandz, and Ryan, The Goddess' brother.

And true to her nature, she kept me waiting. At one point, the Officiator told me that she was standing me up. For a moment, though brief, I believed her.

Then the music began. Not the traditional wedding march, but a haunting Celtic melody entitled Exile by Aine Minogue.

Pookie and Ms. Thang were first, donning rings and flowers, and sauntering down the aisle with as much grace as their little bodies allowed. Then came Meris, Megan (The Goddess' roommate), and Frieda, like angels in the wake of something miraculous.

And how divine she was, indeed.

With her mother on one side, and her father on the other, The Goddess made her way toward our destined fate with a grace and elegance representative of her immortal soul. Her hair, flowing black satin ribbons, cascaded past an angelic face accentuated by deep amber eyes and crimson red lips. How mystically statuesque she was in her floor length, cinnamon velour dress, an antique last worn on her grandmother's wedding day, and preserved for decades for this one moment of stunning, breathtaking beauty. As she reached her place beside me, smiling timidly, her eyes glass-like and teary, the golden glow of the setting sun behind her shilouetted her curvaceous body and haloed her divine head.

She was The Goddess.

We were ready to begin the ritual we had done so many times before.

The Officiator (as Lowlandz and Frieda light the individual candles):

The journey begins as movement between worlds and the beginning of the search; moving from birth to death, from the old world to the new, and from this world to the next. The sea is a metaphor for the carrier whose female fluidity divides and joins the male solidity of the land. As the movements of the sea go from turbulent to calm, nothing is assured. The quest for the betweenness of old and new, the place that is neither sand nor sea, leads to where both embrace in a mosaic of foreign sounds from different corners of the world....Aine Minogue

This is the time of the fall solstice, a time when the boundaries between all worlds become most transparent. On this day, The Goddess and Highlands have chosen to make a public declaration of the rediscovery of their love that transcends both time and space, and of their commitment to honour this most sacred spiritual connection. Both feel truly blessed to have their family, closest friends, and indeed, the spirits of their ancestors present to gift them wisdom, blessings, and love, and to bear witness to this most joyous occasion.

Highlands, will you pledge to offer The Goddess unconditional love, to be ever mindful of the gift that this love is, to honour her journey by rejoicing in her spiritual growth, and to help create a home that is peaceful and harmonious so as to allow this love and growth to prosper?

Highlands:
I will

The Officiator:
The Goddess, , will you pledge to offer Highlands unconditional love, to be ever mindful of the gift that this love is, to honour her journey by rejoicing in her spiritual growth, and to help create a home that is peaceful and harmonious so as to allow this love and growth to prosper?

The Goddess:
I will

The Officiator:
This symbolic act that Highlands and The Goddess are doing of giving voice to and recreating the ties of love and spirit between them also acts as a symbol for the ties of love and spirit in the community of those who have gathered here today. The love given to them so fully and freely by family and kindred spirits is both the foundation upon which their own love stands, and the path that has lead them to this place in their journey. Highlands and The Goddess wish to remind those present today the responsibility in maintaining that foundation, for as they continue down their path, and as their love grows, it has the power to strengthen the joy for everyone.

As testimony to your desire to acknowledge the responsibility inherent in your vows of commitment, will you face one another and join your right hands.

Highlands:
The Goddess, Daughter of Mother Earth, you are my Goddess. In this reality, our paths crossed almost ten years ago. Over intense conversation and laughter, you became my friend. Through crises you became my best friend and confidant. Through destiny, you became my lover. As we continue our current journey, you become my life partner. Since the dawn of time, you have been, and always will be, my soul mate. I promise to honour with my life this that I know to be true. And in death, I vow to discover you once again.

The Goddess:
My Darling Highlands, you came into my life from I know not where, my night angel, maker of my days' dreams, with my gaze I will adore you, with my words I will honour you, with my touch I will soothe you, with my heart I will rejoice in you, and with my soul, I will join you in this journey for the rest of the days. And ever more.

The Officiator:
The Goddess's and Highlands's physical beings represent two halves of the same whole, that being the unwavering connection which sustains the sanctity of their individual souls. On the spiritual plane, their love spins a fabric, in this reality, their union weaves it into a shroud that binds them, body and soul, for all eternity. Like the ring their connection has no beginning and no ending.

Highlands:
The Goddess, I offer you this ring as a physical symbol of the acknowledgements and commitments we have made here today, and of the shroud that encompasses our mortal bodies and eternal souls.

The Goddess:
From a place of joyful freedom, I accept this ring and will honour the acknowledgements and commitments we have made here today as I know this to be my destiny.

The Goddess:
Highlands, I offer you this ring as a physical symbol of the acknowledgements and commitments we have made here today, and of the shroud that encompasses our mortal bodies and eternal souls.

Highlands:
From a place of joyful freedom, I accept this ring and will honour the acknowledgements and commitments we have made here today as I know this to be my destiny.

The Officiator:
In light of the vows you have made to each other, symbolized by the rings you have exchanged, in the presence of your family and friends, I declare you, Highlands and you, The Goddess, to be wed for life in the essence of eternal love. You may seal this union with a kiss.

Signing of the Register

Ave Maria - Solo by Kaylah, accompanied by Dray

The Officiator:
The flame is a symbol of the sacred faith that love rests upon. As such, The Goddess and Highlands light this single candle to reflect their united journey, bound by love, sealed by fate. However, the flame is also symbolic for a beacon. All those present are in possession of their own candles, and it is Highlands and The Goddess's deepest wish that, upon returning home later this evening, you light these candles so as to guide the way for their spirits lest either stray from their journey.

I ask everyone to join in prayer:

I ask all blessings,
I ask them with reverence,
of my Mother the Earth,
of the sky, moon and sun my father.
I am old age: the essence of life,
I am a source of all happiness.
All is peaceful, all in beauty,
all in harmony, all in joy.

---Traditional Aboriginal Prayer

Honoured guests, it is my pleasure to present to you for the first time, Highlands and The Goddess

....Blessed Be...