Lupercalia

Valentine’s Day has its historic roots in the pagan festival of Lupercalia, aligning itself with the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia, celebrated on February 15th. This festival was primarily connected to the god Lupercus. He was an ancient Italian god, worshipped by shepherds as the promoter of fertility and sheep and protector of crops.

Every year in honour of him, the Romans held the Lupercalia.  They also celebrated the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus, and Remus. ‘Lupercalia’ is believed to stem from ‘lupa,’ the she-wolf associated with Rome’s founders, symbolizing fertility and protection.

Lupercalia was known for its unique blend of rituals. Along with ceremonies to ensure Rome’s continued abundance in the fields, there were fertility rites and purification elements, making it a wild, uninhibited, and often violent affair. When you think about how the Romans celebrated Lupercalia was not out of context or the public of the times expectations.

This celebration saw long standing honoured rituals. Priests would sacrifice a goat for fertility and a dog for purification in a sacred Lupercal cave. This ritual/celebration would then continue into the centre of Rome, including the whole community. The sacrificial blood would be used to soak strips of the goat’s hide and then taken to the streets to be smeared over the women of the town to enhance their fertility.

As Christianity spread, so did the Christianising of a great many – if not all pagan traditions. By the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day, steering the narrative away from fertility rites to a more ‘acceptable’ remembrance of St. Valentine.

Celebrating or honouring Lupercalia can look like:

Creating a fertility-themed ritual

Energetically clearing space

Create an altar using fertility symbols such as the moon, snake skin/skeleton or figurines, turtle shell or figurine, aquamarine, moonstone or jade crystals, orchids, the goddess Demeter, fruits such as tomato and pomegranate, grains and nuts

A walk in nature to connect with the earth. Tend to your garden - fertilise, water, companion plant

Create a love spell or ritual, write love letters, songs and poems, sew poppets, create your own unique perfume

Gather with friends for a swim in the ocean (purification) or have a soak in the bath with two cups of salt and some drops of lemon and eucalyptus, or for love use rose, rose geranium, patchouli, jasmine or ylang ylang

Celebrate friendship with a shared meal and lots of laughter

Craft fertility amulets or intention candles

Honour Wolf Spirit

Over the centuries to our current climate, Valentine’s Day is recognised as a celebration of love across the globe. People acknowledge it as such by gifting loved ones with chocolate, flowers or jewellery.  It is also a popular day to propose or put your heart on your sleeve with other grand gestures.  The day itself is heralded in with at least six weeks of businesses advertising their products or service. Demonstrating or perhaps proving love has never been so easy – or has it?

Has honouring or celebrating your partner every day in small ways gone by the way side? Do you show your love using one of the 5 love languages?

The 5 Love Languages are:

Words of affirmation – this might look like telling someone you are proud of them, how you appreciate something that they do, truly listening to the conversation and acknowledging what they are saying

Acts of service can look like things that someone does for you to make life easier, observing and acting on things that need to be done, cooking someone’s favourite foods

Receiving gifts can look like finding an encouraging/loving/naughty note in a lunch box, or a hand-crafted personalised IOU’s

Quality time might look like a picnic breakfast while watching the sun rise, date night, a walk along the beach, putting the mobile phone away when you come home

Physical touch can look like a massage, touching their body as you walk past, holding hands, showering together

Love can be wild and unabandoned. Love can be all manner of painful. Love can make you strong. Love can encompass the entire world. Love can encourage you to be the best you can be. Love teaches – sooo many things. Love can be a gift and can bring the gift of life. Love can open your world to possibilities. Loving at a higher frequency takes those possibilities into the realms of a higher conscious connection and true unity.

As we move further into our ascension journey, we are beginning to open our 5th dimension heart. You can practice opening this heart centre by placing your hands over your 5th dimensional heart center and breathe in … and release … breathe in … and release … breathe in … and release …

now, breathe in visualizing or imagining pink, gold and white light into your heart space … and on your out breath expand your heart space to fill your chest … breathe in visualizing or imagining pink, gold and white light into your heart space … and on your out breath expand your heart space to fill your chest …

breathe in with pink, gold and white light and on your out breath expand your heart centre to outside of your body … breathe in with pink, gold and white light and on your out breath expand your heart centre to outside of your body …

breathe in with pink, gold and white light and on your out breath expand your heart centre to form a beautiful sphere of pink gold and white light …

Sit in this space for a moment  - or several 😊

Starting your day with opening your 5th dimension heart chakra supports this energy centre to lead your day, lead your thoughts, lead your responses and actions. Practicing this exercise supports your ascension journey.

Showing love needn’t cost money, expressing love can be natural, to live with an open heart can take you to heights you may have never experienced before, allowing yourself to BE loved can be a life’s journey and you are worth it!

Lupercalia Blessings Everyone!

Art by David Essery New Moon Art