Origins of Valentine's Day

Happy Valentines Day! What a nice day to celebrate that special day with your loved one. But was Valentine’s Day always celebrated as Valentine’s Day? Well no, it wasn’t. In ancient times, the pagans celebrated the time period around February 14th as Lupercalia. Lupercalia was a Roman festival dedicated to the pagan god, Lupercus who was the god of the shepherds. Lupercus was identified with the Roman god, Fauna and the Greek god, Pan. For those of you who are not aware, Pan was a nature god and ruled over the woods and fields. He was pictured as half man, half goat with horns and hoofs. He often played a flute and was known for his sexual prowess.

Now, Lupercalia was originally celebrated as a fertility ritual and it was very interesting. It began with the sacrifice of two goats. After the sacrificial feast, two young appointed Luperci or priests would cut thongs from the skins of the goats, called Februa. They would then dress themselves up with the skins of the goats, imitating the god, Lupercus or Pan. They would run around the city with the thongs in their hands. The women in the village would line up to receive a strike from the thongs to ensure fertility. It was a joyous ritual to promote health and fertility to the village.

Lupercalia was later abolished by the Church and replaced by St. Valentine’s Day. Now according to the Legenda Aurea, St. Valentine was a Christian priest who was being interrogated by the Roman Emperor, Claudius II. Claudius tried to convert St. Valentine to roman paganism and when he would not, he ordered him to be executed. While St. Valentine was in jail, he made friends with the jailer’s daughter who was blind. Before his execution he was known to have performed a miracle by healing her. It was purported that just before he died, St. Valentine wrote a note to the girl, calling her, his beloved and signing the note, from your valentine.

The actual practice of exchanging Valentine’s Day cards later became popular in England during the 1800’s.

I find it fascinating that historically this period has been celebrated as a time of love and fertility, regardless of the ruling authority. It is a time to reach out and tell your friends and beloved that you love them. It is a time to remember to practice Jesus’ commandment to Love thy neighbor and to practice Buddha’s doctrine of compassion for all human beings regardless of nationality, religion, race, gender or creed. We should all strive to live more harmoniously together as one world and one people under God.

Ritual to the Heavens

The Petition to the Heavens is celebrated this week on February 4th. For astrologers, it is a tribute to the Air Principle of the Universe which occurs at fifteen degrees of Aquarius. Why is this time period important? Because by celebrating at certain times throughout the year, we can attune ourselves into the natural harmony of the universe. Most people are already familiar with the ceblerations at the ninty degree points of the solar cycle, known as the vernal/autumnal equinox, and the winter/summer solstice. But not many people are familiar with the mid point celebrations. These occur mid way between the solstices and equinoxes. We recently celebrated the winter solstice back in December 21st. Now we have reached the mid point between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. Here we pay tribute to the Fixed Element of Air, known as the life-brearing Aquarius. We pray to the Spirit of the Heavens to bring us knowledge and wisdom to help us achieve our goals and dreams.

The main ritual to the Spirit of the Heavens is to make a scroll out of paper. On the scroll, write down your prayer to the Spirit of Air, requesting knowledge and wisdom to help guide you in accomplishing your goals. Then roll up the scroll and tie it to a ballon or a kite. Go to your favorite site and fly your kite or release your ballon to the heavens with your prayer. The Tibetan monks do a very similar ritual with their "prayer flaggs." If you visit Tibet, you will see all these brightly colored flaggs flying in the wind. TheTibetan prayer flaggs utilize the same principle by casting their prayers to the Spirit of Air. You can also make your own prayer flagg for this ritual, as it will have the same effect as using a kite or a ballon. Do whatever suits your fancy.

I really enjoy this ritual every year. I have a lot of fun flying my kite to the air or casting my ballon with my sacred scroll to the Spirit of the Heavens. I feel more attune to the Spirit of the Air and appreciate how our every moment on this planet is dependant on the air we breathe.

Ritual to the Spirit of Water

On November 7th, the Sun will enter 15 degrees of Scorpio. This is the midway point between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice. At this time of the year, nature begins to change as plants wither, the trees lose their leaves and all the colors of the spring and summer fade away. For nature it is a time of death and decay.

The astrological sign of Scorpio is symbolized by the scorpion, the eagle and the phoenix. The scorpion represents our lower nature and corresponds with our basic instincts for survival, self-preservation and procreation. The scorpion is well known for its ability to survive in the harshest of conditions. The eagle or hawk symbolizes our higher nature. It is that force which pushes us beyond our own ego boundaries to seek higher levels of consciousness and truth. The hawk sees things from a higher perspective than the scorpion on the ground. The phoenix represents the highest aspect of Scorpio. The phoenix is the mythical bird that dies and rises from its own ashes. It is that force which brings about self-sacrifice and the impetus to sacrifice one’s self for other people and one’s ideals. The phoenix also represents resurrection after death. Our spirit is reborn following the death of the physical body to a higher state of consciousness and reality. The sign of Scorpio teaches us that nothing ever really dies. It just changes forms or undergoes trans(form)ation. When we die our physical body dissolves back into the earth, but our consciousness continues on in another form and in another dimension. The majority of the world’s religions espouse the belief of life after death. And the majority of people believe in life after death whether they are religious or not. The resurrection of Jesus was something that not only Christ did, but what we will all do. Like the rose that dies after the fall and returns in the spring, so shall we be reborn after our physical bodies wither away and be reborn anew. This is the lesson of the phoenix.

The Pagans celebrate this time period as Samhain or the “Day of the Dead”. It is considered a time when the veil between worlds is thin and contact can be made with those people that have passed on. We also celebrate this time period as Halloween where little children dress up as ghosts and goblins. Many people participate in the custom of carving pumpkins to make “jack-o-lanterns”. I really enjoy this little ritual of finding the right pumpkin and then carving it to be lit at night for all to see. Symbolically it is very interesting as it represents bringing light into the darkness and bringing the light of the consciousness to the mysteries of our unconsciousness.
The Hermetic ritual that is done at this time of year is “The Petition to the Spirit of Water”. The ritual consists of preparing a scroll and writing a prayer or petition to the spirit of the water element for protection, good health and happyness. It can be protection from negativity, unseen or hostile forces, or whatever you may need protection from. It is also a good ritual to seek protection from fears and anxieties that may be hampering your well-being. Once you have prepared your scroll, you should than find a stone or a rock. Roll up your scroll and tie it to the rock with some string or ribbon. Then you should find a pond or a river where you will toss your scroll with the rock into the water. You can say a brief prayer before tossing your scroll into the water. The spirit of the water element will then bring your petition to fruition. I really enjoy this ritual. I look forward every year to finding a secluded river or pond where I can complete this ritual with the water element. From a yogic perspective, this ritual corresponds with the Swadisthana chakra center and activates this energy to help in your spiritual practices and development.

For further information, please see my book, Yoga and The Art of Astral Projection.

Autumn Equinox

The Autumnal Equinox ( Equinox is derived from the Latin aequus meaning equal and is when the sun crosses the celestial equator, and the length of day and night are equal) marks the passage of the sun moving into the astrological sign of Libra. At this time cycle we reach the balance point again between the day and night forces. It is normally celebrated by the Harvest festival which is a celebration of the fruits of the seeds that were sown at the vernal equinox or spring. The vernal equinox marks the beginning of a new cycle that is a more outward manifestation. The autumnal equinox marks the beginning of a new cycle that is more inward. The symbol for Libra is the scales. The scale is an instrument of balance and the weighing of things. This cycle is a time when the universe moves back into balance between yin and yang forces. The yin forces begin to grow with a more in-going expression of energy. It is a time of introspection and weighing the things in our lives that are working and those that are not. It is a time that most people begin to prepare for the winter months ahead.

In Yoga practice, one of the goals in meditation is to bring the energy channels of the ida and pingala into balance. Once this is achieved, the energy begins to flow up the sushumna channel bringing spiritual awareness and enlightenment. I have found in my own spiritual practice that this time period is good for focusing on bringing harmony and balance into one’s life. It is a good time to focus on inner spiritual practices such as astral projection, clairvoyance and other meditations.

The autumnal equinox is referred to as the “Fall”. I find this very interesting from a spiritual point of view. In many religions we hear about the “fall of mankind”. The ancient Gnostics taught that all human beings were gods that have fallen into nature and forgotten who they really are. The goal of Gnosticism is “gnosis” or knowledge of our true selves. I find this interesting from a mystical point of view as we are manifesting ourselves right now on this physical plane. Think about it. Right at this very moment, we are manifesting ourselves here on this physical plane of time and space. Essentially our true selves are Spirit and one with God. But we have forgotten it. We have identified ourselves with the physical world and all its manifestations. The important point is that in our struggles with the daily world, it is easy to become engrossed with all the phenomena surrounding us. It is easy to become carried away by the physical plane and forget who we really are. It is through meditation that we are reminded of our inner reality and our spiritual identity.

An important ritual to perform at this time period is the formulation of a wish to be carried by the yin or night force as it waxes in strength to its culmination at the winter solstice. It can also be a wish to help others to bring balance and happiness in their lives.

Fiat Lux; Ritual of the Fire Element

This Friday, August 7th the sun will reach fifteen degrees of Leo. The Esoteric Tradition considers this to be an important time period. It is celebrated as a Day of Prayer or Petition to the Fire Element. Astrologers know that on August 7th the sun will reach fifteen degrees of Leo which is mid way between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox. This is considered a power point for the celestial element of fire. As most people know, the sun is in Leo and Leo is a fire sign. We celebrate the element of fire and the power of light. Without fire, there could be no life on this planet or anywhere else in the universe.

The majority of people are aware that the astrological sign of Leo is symbolized by a lion. The lion is considered the king of the jungle and its' important qualities are courage and fearlessness. There is a wonderful esoteric ritual called The Petition to the Fire Element that helps one to bring the positive qualities of the fire nature into your own life. This ritual helps one to become attuned to the fire principle and to bring its’ positive qualities into our personal lives. You begin the ritual by preparing a paper scroll and on it you write a short prayer to bring courage into your life for whatever purpose you need it for. For example; you may need courage to face up to life’s adversities or courage to face your own problems, work, relationships, etc. After you finish writing your scroll, find or purchase a good magnifying glass. Then go outside when the sun is overhead. Say a brief prayer to God and then use the glass to focus the sun’s energies to burn your scroll to ashes. This releases your petition to the fire element which will bring more active energy and courage into your life. I know of some Yogis who save the ashes and rub them on the forehead over the ajna chakra, sometimes referred to as the third eye. This helps to bring realization to your petition.
I really enjoy doing this Fire Ritual. It is really fun and interesting using the magnifying glass to harness the sun’s power to burn the scroll. I really feel I can connect directly with that fire energy and channel it to make positive changes in my life. On a final note, you can use flint and steel to substitute for the sun if you live in a climate where there is not much sun. I live in Colorado and that is never a problem. Fiat Lux!

For further information, please read: Yoga and The Art of Astral Projection by Jill Lowy, also http://www.theastralyoga.com/.

Mid-Summers Eve

The Summer Solstice will occur for those of us in the northern hemisphere on June 20th-21st as the sun moves into the astrological sign of cancer. Solstice literally means sol for sun and sistere, to stand still. At the solstice, the sun has no apparent northward or southward motion. It is a time when the sun is at its zenith at the tropic of cancer, and basically when the sun reaches the highest point in the sky. It is the longest day of the year when the light force reaches its highest peak.

Many esoteric traditions celebrate various rituals during this important event. The ancient Druids gathered at this time period to celebrate the forces of light. Many Pagans celebrate this time period as Litha or Midsummer’s Eve. It is celebrated as a triumph for the forces of light over the forces of darkness with a huge bonfire. Wiccans honor the Horned God in all his glory and the Goddess as pregnant, and ready to bear the fruit of the harvest.

One interesting ritual that many Pagans celebrate is the Wheel of Fire. This ritual consists of constructing a wheel (usually made of wood or cardboard). Everyone in the ritual ties little colored ribbons, covered with symbols representing wishes that they would like to see made manifest to the wheel. The wheel would then be taken to a hill and lit on fire with drumming and dancing. At the climax, the wheel of fire would be rolled down the hill usually into a lake or pond. Basically the ritual symbolizes the sun at the height of its cycle and its sojourn downwards again. It is the intention that the wishes on the wheel, following the cycle of the sun will be realized when the sun reaches its lowest point at the winter solstice.

Celebration of Mother Earth

The Celebration of the Earth Element occurs at 15 degrees of Taurus which happens on May 5th this year. Astrologers know that at 15 degrees of Taurus, the Earth principle is at its most focused point in the year. It is the best time to celebrate the Earth Element, Mother Earth, and Mother's Day! Now, I want to share with you an important ritual at this time of year that everyone can do. First, you should prepare a scroll or piece of paper with a prayer for growth and stability in whatever area of your life you wish. Then pick up a plant, bush or tree to be planted. Find a place where you can dig a whole into the earth to plant your bush or tree. For those living in the city, you could do this in a big pot filled with dirt. After you dig your hole, place your scroll in and then your plant. Say a prayer to Mother Earth and that completes the ritual.

This is a wonderful ritual that everyone can do and it will benefit your life in many ways. It feels so good to communicate your wishes while playing in the dirt through the Earth Element which will bring about their manifestation.