Fivefold kiss

The five-fold kiss is an element of Wiccan ritual involving kissing five parts of the body. Each kiss given is accompanied by a blessing:

Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways
Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar
Blessed be thy [womb/phallus], without which we would not be
Blessed be thy breasts, formed in [beauty/strength]
Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the Sacred Names.

This is the form of the blessing used by most Gardnerian and Alexandrian covens.[1] The fivefold kiss is sometimes performed during Wiccan rites and ceremonies, such as handfasting. It may be the origin of the term blessed be, a well-known Neopagan greeting, also used as a general expression of blessing during ritual.

References

  1. Farrar, Janet; Farrar, Stewart (1984). A Witches' Bible: The Complete Witches' Handbook. Custer, WA: Phoenix. ISBN 0-919345-92-1.
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