News from A Flight Above Venus
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Valentine's Day 2010
Stupid Cupid, stop picking on me!
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Greetings!
Well here we are Valentine's Day Eve. We have a New Moon this V-Day signifying a new beginning. This
particular New Moon also marks the Chinese New Year, the year of the Tiger! Makes me think of that song from Rocky II
or was it III? I know, I know that was "EYE of the Tiger", it still makes me think of that song.
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Chinese
New Year |
From
an
article in Telegraph.co.uk
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Year
of the Tiger!
The year of the
tiger is believed to bring with it mythical heroic powers, even if
soothsayers say it is an inauspicious one for marriage.
The year is seen as being good for the economy.
Beijing and the commercial capital Shanghai reverberated with huge, ad
hoc firework displays and the sound of firecrackers, whose smoke filled
the streets.
Firecrackers
are believed to scare off evil spirits and entice the god of wealth to
people's doorsteps once New Year's Day arrives."
You
might want to use some discretion regarding fireworks, but perhaps
create your own kind of ritual to ward off the "Bad Spirits". like
banging some pots together or simply saying 'Hey get out-of-town'. Of course if you truly do feel you have some
negative energies to release we can fix that one with a Karmic Clearing ;)
Anyway here in the USA the big February event is Valentine's Day. I did a little googling and discovered
a few things. Here's what I learned... |
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St. Valentine |
Article
by
Jeff Mac
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Valentines
Day: A Historical Perspective
 Not many people know the origins of this holiday. Lucky for you, I've got time on my hands and I looked it up.
Unlucky for you, I looked it up kind of a long time ago and I'm too lazy to go back for the specifics. Let me sum it up for
you. St. Valentine was a Catholic Priest during a period in the Roman Empire when they had outlawed all marriage. (Take THAT,
Republicans! Think you're so tough trying to ban gay marriage? Heh. Try banning ALL of 'em!) So St. Valentine broke the law,
and married couples in secret. He was caught, and beaten to death with sticks. Seriously.
Well. If that isn't a
reason to buy a red teddy bear holding a mug filled with candy hearts, I just don't know what is.
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The
first Valentine |
Read the full Article at
History.com
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Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine'
greeting himself.
While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl - who may have been his jailor's daughter -
who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From
your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories
certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure.
While some believe
that Valentine's Day is celebrated in the middle of February to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine's death or burial
- which probably occurred around 270 A.D - others claim that the Christian church may have decided to celebrate Valentine's
feast day in the middle of February in an effort to 'christianize' celebrations of the pagan Lupercalia festival. In ancient
Rome, February was the official beginning of spring and was considered a time for purification. Houses were ritually cleansed
by sweeping them out and then sprinkling salt and a type of wheat called spelt throughout their interiors. Lupercalia, which
began at the ides of February, February 15, was a fertility festival dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture, as
well as to the Roman founders Romulus and Remus.
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Lupercalia
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The
Rite of the Lupercalia
 The Lupercalia is a festival linked to fertility, purification and the foundation of Rome.
Celebrated in February, the roman month of purification, the origins of the Lupercalia are obscure. Centred on the Palatine
Hill in Rome, the rites included a race between two naked youths who struck spectators to ensure their fertility.
The Lupercalia was ancient and obscure. It was celebrated on the 15th February in the city of Rome.
The rite began
in the lupercal, a cave at the base of the palatine. A goat and dog were sacrificed and two naked youths, known as the luperci,
were anointed with the blood. They would give a ritual laugh before the blood was wiped away with milk soaked wool.
The
youths were then required to run around the hill, wearing only girdles made from the skin of the sacrificed goat. The remained
of the goat's skins was used as straps which the luperci carried with them on their run. They used these to strike female
bystanders.
The festival was celebrated in Rome until 494AD when it was banned by Pope Gelasius I. From that date onwards,
the day of the lupercalia was used to celebrate the feast of the purification of the virgin.
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I truly hope you all enjoy a wonderful Valentine's Day/Chinese New Year, regardless
of whether you're spending V-Day with your sweetheart or by yourself curled up on the couch with a good book.
And for those of us who don't have a "special someone", here's the thing, we can go out and buy ourselves 1/2-off chocolates
on Feb. 15th - Who's with me?
In love and gratitude,
Stacy
A Flight Above Venus
646-515-0482
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