Symbolism in Indian Vedic Marriage Ceremony

“ Honey-sweet”:  words redolent of gentle fulfilment and serenity. The last reading I shared from an Indian Vedic ceremony described the new marital state with these words.

Milk, honey, wine, dates are all symbols of plenty, celebration, wholeness and gratitude. These two poems, one form Rumi, and one, anonymous, from Ancient Egypt, are stunning in their simplicity:

This Love

This love is as good
as oil and honey to the throat
as linen to the body,
as fine garments to the gods,
as incense to worshippers
when they enter in,
as the little seal-ring
to my finger.
It is like a ripe pear
in a man’s hand,
it is like dates
we mix with wine,
it is like seeds
the baker adds to bread.
We will be together
even when old age comes.
And the days in between
will be food set before us,
daes and honey, bread and wine.

This Marriage - Rumi

This marriage be wine with halvah, honey dissolving in milk.
This marriage be the leaves and fruit of a date tree.
This marriage be women laughing together for days on end.
This marriage, a sign for us to study.
This marriage, beauty.
This marriage, a moon in a light blue sky.
This marriage, this silence fully mixed with spirit.