Hieros Gamos (Greek: ιερός γάμος) or Hierogamy (ἱερογαμία) is the “sacred (or holy) Marriage” and refers to the union of God and Goddess or the combination of masculine and feminine principles.

Origins of this term

The term specifically refers to the union of Zeus and Hera but also has been used to describe the union of Demeter and Iasion and the many unions between mortals and Gods that produced heroes and demi-gods.

The celebration of the Hieros Gamos is often associated with agricultural fertility, but it may have also been a way to legitimize the Gods of invaders by wedding them to the Gods of conquered lands or to legitimize the rule of a human by giving them a divine relative.

In ancient Mesopotamia, the Priestess of Inanna was symbolically married to the King to ensure the blessings of the Goddess on his rule. I have heard tell that similar rituals were celebrated among Celtic Kings as well, but documentation is scant.

Modern days

For us modern witches, these stories offer ancient keys to awaken the connection with the divine through sacred love, the balance of opposites, and the reappropriation of women’s spiritual power.

The concept of hieros gamos, or sacred marriage, speaks not only to the union of deities or lovers, but to the alchemical merging of spirit and matter, masculine and feminine, light and shadow within ourselves.

In our rituals and spellwork, we may invoke this sacred union as a pathway to wholeness, honoring both the sensual and the spiritual as holy.

Through the mythic echoes of goddesses like Inanna, Isis, or Juno, each participating in their own rites of divine union—we reclaim our right to embody ecstasy, intuition, and sovereignty.

In a world that often demands fragmentation, hieros gamos reminds us that integration is revolutionary, and that sacred partnership, whether within or with another, can be a mirror for divine transformation.

In modern NeoPaganism, Sacred Marriage rituals are often incorporated into Beltane or Midsummer celebrations and some traditions perform them more frequently as part of regular esbat observances.

Tools representing the male and female principles are often used in lieu of actual intercourse, with the cauldron or chalice representing the female principle and the athame or wand or sword or staff representing the male principle.

It is referred to among Wiccans as The Great Rite.

Hierogamy is also an alchemical concept, exploring the union of opposites.

How to honor Hieros Gamos

To honor hieros gamos in your practice, begin by creating space for sacred union within yourself.

This might look like devotional rituals where you invoke both divine masculine and divine feminine energies, perhaps through deities, archetypes, or elemental forces, and allow them to dance within you in balance and harmony.

You can work with candle magic using black and white, gold and silver, or red and white to represent polarity and fusion.

Meditation or journaling on your inner Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine can reveal the parts of you yearning for integration.

In spellwork, pair herbs, stones, or symbols that embody duality, like rose and oak, moonstone and sunstone, the chalice and the blade.

Sexuality, whether celebrated solo or in sacred partnership, can also become a ritual act of magic and devotion when held with reverence, consent, and intention.

Conclusion

Hieros gamos is not limited to romantic or sexual union, it is a spiritual alchemy, a return to your wholeness, and a way to walk the path of love as a sacred force in your craft.

Read More Online

• Hieros Gamos at newworldencyclopedia.org
• Hieros gamos at Wikipedia
• Hieros Gamos – The Great Rite at Mother Wheel Blog