The Wedding of a Spirit Talker and a Spirit Guide

There are many steps to go from a simple Lutra touched by the gods to a full Lutra spirit talker. This ritual marks the end of the journey after which all Lutra and spirits will recognize the initiate's ability to carry out their calling. Taking the name and form of a wedding between two people, this ritual will bind the initiate to their spirit guide for the rest of their life. It is this bond that allows them to cast their magic.

History

Nobody knows when the first spirit weddings took place. In the earliest records, it was a private ceremony only attended by the initiate, their spirit parent (mentor), and the spirit guide. The only celebration was a festival meal at the sponsoring temple. As time passed, the ceremony became more public. First priests from the sponsoring temple were asked to come and bless the ceremony. Then a celebration feast at the temple for the poor was added. From there it has continued to expand to include the entire local community.

Execution

The spirit talker comes to the temple with their spirit parent dressed in wedding clothes. First, their spirit parent leads them to the cleansing water. There the initiate washes their hands, feet, and mouth. Then still being led, they enter the main temple. As they do so the priests waiting at the doors, touch and bless them. Kneeling, the initiate bows their head to the floor six times. From outside the temple, the gathered priests call out to the initiate, "Who is there, initiate's name?" six times. After the sixth time, the spirit guide will say their name in the spirit plane. The spirit parent then fills a drinking bowl with sugar palm wine. First, the initiate takes six sips of the wine to show they consent to the lifelong partnership. Then they turn the bowl six times in their hand and offer it to the spirit. If the spirit drinks causing the wine to disappear from the bowl the partnership is sealed. In the rare event this does not happen, neither the spirit guide nor the initiate may talk to one another again for the rest of their days. At this point, if all went correctly, the Lutra is considered a full spirit talker. They then formally introduce the spirit guide to their mentor concluding the official ritual.
However, the day is not over. The local temple arranges a large feast. In many areas, wealthy citizens and those wanting to be elected officials provide large amounts of food for the feast. Everyone in the area comes and enjoys the celebration. Most people give the spirit parent money for the "new spouse". If the new spirit talker will be itinerant, the money is split between the sponsoring temple and the new spirit talker, so they can afford necessities. If they will be living at the temple, the entire amount is given to it. In both cases, the priests will give part of the money and any leftover food to the poor.
At the end of the day, the new spirit talker is led to their room by the local villagers. They often pretend that this is a mundane wedding night and make lude jokes or sing bawdy songs as they go. Once alone in their room, the spirit-talker will find some small gift from their spirit parent such as a box of favorite sweets or a new cap. In some places, the temple will also leave a small but meaningful gift.

Components and tools

The most important component is the wine and drinking bowl. While the ritual would work with any alcohol, sweet palm wine is always used: the sweeter the better. Most spirit guides have a really big sweet tooth. The drinking bowl is carved of ebony wood without any ornamentation. Usually, they are polished to a brilliant shine.
The next most important item is the wedding attire. Like mundane wedding attire, the initiate's clothes are made of silk or fine linen dyed a bright leaf green. They consist of a dress or long shirt and pants; a long vest of fine shear cloth; belt; ribbons with charms and tassels; and a hood of fine shear cloth. However instead of being embroidered with birds of paradise like mundane attire, the initiate's clothes are embroidered with the favored animal of their god. Such garments are very expensive. So most initiates borrow garments from the sponsoring temple. The charms for the tassels usually are given to them by their spirit parent.
To Lutra Spiritualism as well as the Lutra Temple Faith, the feast is tangential. However, the general public is far more interested in the food and fun. Sponsoring temples try to interject some spirituality into the feast by decorating using the initiate's god's symbols and making sure the god's favorite foods are served. The general public doesn't care as long as it tastes good.
Money given can be just coins handed to the spirit parent but is a little gauche. Instead, most people will wrap the coins in the brightest leaf they can find and tie it with a few strands of green palm leaf.

Primary Related Location

The Grand Arboretum

Related Organizations

• Lutra Spiritualism