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The Pagan Origins Of Valentine’s Day
Did you know that the Valentine’s Day that many people all over the world will be celebrating today, has its origins in pagan rituals of the past? This is in fact true of many of our modern holidays. But how did we get our modern day cards, cupids, and hearts?
In ancient Rome, the Festival of Lupercalia was annually celebrated on February 15th. As with similar Roman holidays, such as Ostara (Easter), this was a time to celebrate fertility and love. The deities honored were Lupercus, Patron of Shepherds; Juno, Goddess of Marriage; as well as Pan, a pastoral god who came to be regarded in Roman times as the representative of paganism and the personification of all nature.
In a festival custom that survives to this day in the form of valentine’s cards, young men would randomly draw the names of eligible women from a jar or urn. In the Middle Ages, Emperor Claudius II believed single men made better soldiers so he declared marriage illegal. As a concession, he encouraged temporary romances.
Drawing the name of a lady during the festival determined who a soldier’s partner would be for that coming year. He would then wear her name on his sleeve for the rest of the festival. This gave rise to the saying “wearing your heart on your sleeve.” Whether or not they also exchanged flowers, candy or gifts is uncertain.
It is also interesting to note that Cupid, the son of the love goddess Venus, was not originally linked specifically with this festival, even though he is associated with it today.Venus, it turns out, was particularly fond of red roses and this custom still survives after 2,000 years. As for the symbolism of the heart, this is also an ancient image found across many cultures, including Greco-Roman, Indian, and Meso-American. Instead of romantic love, it was often used to represent rebirth, purity, and spiritual love.
Walk In Faith As You Move Forward
“For we live by faith, not by sight.” I have relied on the words of this verse from 2 Corinthians for most of my life with much success, no matter how tough times have been.
What does it mean to walk in faith, and not by sight? Well, it means to keep going and to keep your faith in God, Spirit, a Higher Power, even when you are not sure of where exactly you are headed.
This past year these words could not have been more relevant. It has been very difficult for all of us, especially for those who have lost loved ones. Sadly, in our day and age, when a loved one passes, we don’t always get the support we need in order to get through the loss and get the help we need to move forward.
Processing grief on your own is no easy task. First we have to accept that our loved one is not with us in the physical sense anymore, but their soul is always with us. They will tell us that they are still here, but they do not want us to have an unhappy life, they don’t want us to be alone.
In our soul contract one of us agrees to leave before the other, whether it is a parent, husband, wife, child, sibling, whomever it may be, and that the one left behind would be experiencing what it means to endure such a loss.
As we struggle to move forward, people might say, why aren’t you feeling better yet? Time to get over it. Life goes on. Why are you still so sad? Well, it just doesn’t work that way, and anyone who has experienced such a loss understands that it takes a lot of time for the heart to truly heal.
I lost my husband of 31 years a long time ago. You don’t ever get over it completely, but it does get easier with time. It’s a step-by-step process, and having people that support you means so much to help you get through.
Still Hanging On To The Wrong Person?
Are you still hanging on to the wrong person? I know you adore him. I know you love her. I understand that you believe you are soulmates and ‘meant to be.’
But be aware that your beloved has free will. If they are not exactly alignment with you, no matter how you strongly feel about them, nothing will come of your ‘situationship.’ They are on their own journey and you cannot will someone to be your lover or life partner. It is nothing more than the beginning of a colossal heartbreak.
I have witnessed many love-struck people hang on for years to someone that has either left them for good, or kept stringing them along. Some of them have even married and had children with someone else, and yet, they still hang on. They often fervently believe their love interest will someday return to them and then they will live happily ever after. Well, the truth of the matter is that they will not. The other person has made their choice and walked away for a reason.
This new year, with all that has been going on in the world, it may be time to take a few deep breaths and have a self-reflective moment. Take a good, hard look at your life choices and your relationships.
If you are making unwise, self-sabotaging choices, consider what it may be that is not feeding your soul? What is it that is really missing in your life? Maybe it is time to release what no longer serves you. Simply let it go. Find your inner peace, and just be happy and content with yourself and who you truly are.
As a psychic advisor, I encounter the good, the bad and the ugly. I have seen much trauma and damage done, sometimes almost irreparable, to people in toxic relationships and love obsessions. Marriages of several years simply falling apart or ‘trusted’ partner walking out with zero notice. I have watched many go through failed relationship after failed relationship, always with the same results. The result is always the same: excruciating heartbreak.
When the victims of these bad relationship choices are encouraged to do some soul-searching, to see what it is inside of them that is compelling them to go back to the same type of person, time and time again, they are offended and become angry.
Walking In Faithful Companionship
I live on a winding country road. Every morning and afternoon I drive along it, bringing my son to and from the farm sanctuary, where he dedicates his days and energies to the care of rescued animals.
Frequently, we pass neighbors enjoying a peaceful walk – sometimes with their partners, sometimes with their pets. There is one pair that has particularly captured our attention and admiration. The sight of them this morning especially started the day with a vision of sweetness!
As we came around a curve opening to a long, straight stretch in front of us, the gentle lady and her golden-colored dog were semi-visible in the distance. Backlit by the brilliant sun and morning mist, they would have been difficult to see had it not been for the bright orange vest the precious pooch was wearing.
What was most stunning however, was the way the dog turned towards the owner, sat down, and looked up at her with perfect poise and patience, as we drove around them. Not only was the scene adorable, but it embodied much spiritual wisdom for me.
The first thought for me was how noticeable the love and trust is between them. The woman did not even appear to speak a command to signal her canine companion to ‘sit.’ She just stopped and stood still with her feet together, looking straight ahead.
While it was clear they had developed their rapport and understanding of communication through prior training, it was nonetheless the woman’s energy that stood out the most for me. She was calm, yet clear; gentle, yet firm; and guiding, yet respectful. The impact of her energetic qualities was evident in the demeanor of her dog.
The dog’s energy also bore more than mere obedience. It emanated ease, faith, trust, respect, security, love, loyalty, and more. The pooch knows it is protected, respected, and loved, and reciprocated accordingly.
Manifesting A Better Life Starts With You
Anyone can manifest what they want and need in life. It all comes down to energy because we are spirit energy in human form. The energy we put out; is the energy we receive back. It pretty much is that simple. But we also need to believe this, for it helps a great deal in bringing it closer to us.
So, how does this energy swapping process work? Well, it begins with focusing on something that you really want or need. Then think more on it, request it, wish it, desire it. This is called the process of manifesting or deliberate creating or cosmic ordering. You are putting your wish or desire out into to the Universe, and Universe, Spirit, God, the Divine receives this information and ultimately brings it back to you in manifested form as a gift or blessing.
Some people are more in-tune with the Universe than others, or more aligned with Spirit, and therefore able to manifest more easily and quickly. But while some of us believe wholeheartedly and have absolutely no doubt, others may be more hesitant or uncertain about what to believe, or not. Fortunately, no matter where you fall on the belief spectrum, you can still use manifesting to assist you in life, but your results will vary based on your faith.
One can manifest with positive thinking, prayer, affirmations or meditation, but I find that focused visualizations, creating a vision board, and writing down your wishes, seem to make it even more powerful! It’s as if the Universe says, “Wow, she is really serious about this, and asking so sincerely, let me reward her efforts!”
Sometimes manifesting can grind to a complete halt for us. We all have to grow, and learn, and evolve spiritually. If we do not do this, the Universe is not too happy when we repeat the same old patterns, make the same old mistakes, and show little effort to become a better person, or a more evolved soul. We cannot expect to receive spiritual rewards or gifts until we make the necessary changes. Successful manifesting goes hand in hand with personal growth and spiritual expansion. Continue reading
The Power Of The Human Spirit
My maternal grandparents were very significant people in my life. We called them Mama and Papa, and we were extremely attached to them, and loved them dearly. They taught me important life lessons about love, loyalty, courage, and the resilient power of the human spirit.
They were married very young, which was not uncommon in those days, and went on to produce large family of 15 children. My grandfather worked on the docks in the small town where we grew up, and made very good money doing it.
Their lifestyle should have been more comfortable than it was, since his income was quite substantial for that time. But it was not, and this was not due to them having so many children either. The real reason was that he was an alcoholic and a gambler, so there were many times when the family did not fare so well financially, for obvious reasons.
This was not something we realized as children, and if we were told we would probably not have given it any credibility. We simply worshiped our grandparents too much to believe such a thing!
My own parents were quite poor, so when Papa gave us a nickle or a dime, and sometimes even a quarter, he certainly seemed a hero to us. It was not just the money. Papa gave us the most profound love and attention that poor, neglected children crave and we reciprocated in kind. We absolutely adored him.
Although Papa was in truth not always conscious of the daily needs of his family, it was still abundantly clear he cared for all of us with a strength that is not always understood, especially when it came to our grandmother. One could not only see, but also feel his intense love for her.
They had mostly lived in very humble homes during the many years they were married, and while we are now certain Mama must have found it trying at the best of times, she was never heard to utter a complaining word. Such was her loyal devotion to her life partner.
The Real Truth About Finding Love
I have been doing psychic readings for almost 20 years now, and the one topic that seems to come up most consistently is romantic love. The main issue that comes up all too frequently in these readings is a confusion about what love really is, and how to find true love.
The first thing I need to point out here is that the idea of ‘finding love’ is completely off-base to begin with. The notion that love must be ‘found’ makes very little from a metaphysical and spiritual perspective, and it is often the main reason why some people find their romantic relationships so challenging.
To say that one must ‘find love’ implies that love is somehow missing, lost, or in hiding. It suggests that love is limited and scarce, and that the experience of love is hidden and very complicated to access. The truth is that love is a transcendent, limitless force, and there is only one love that we all have equal access to.
This is another quandary that people have when they are looking to manifest romantic love in their life – they try to separate love into categories. Yes, there are different expressions of love, but in the end there is only one love. And everyone has access to it. Love is less about finding the ‘right circumstances’ and more about aligning with the vibe of love.
So, what is love? Is it ‘unconditional?’ In my view this is just another way of saying that love is limited. It also implies that there are two different forms of love – conditional and unconditional. This makes no sense, because there is only one love and this one love is always unconditional. Love is unconditional acceptance.
In my experience, this is what most of us are really looking for: unconditional acceptance. We experience love when we unconditionally accept ourselves, others, and our circumstances.