It’s Valentine’s Day, or what used to be Lupercalia in ancient Rome. From witchology.com:
The Ancient Pagan Festival of Lupercus, Roman God of Fertility
The 14th of February was the day specially set aside for love lotteries in Pagan Rome. A holiday devoted to Juno, Queen of the Gods, and patroness of marriage, the 14th was also the day on which young girls’ names were written on slips of paper and thrown into jars to be picked out by the boys. Chooser and chosen would then be partnered for the duration of the Lupercalia festival. Such arbitrary pairings often resulted in lasting relationships. The Catholic Church later substituted the names of dead saints in place of those of flesh-and-blood girls to subvert the lusty Pagan practice.
The Lupercalia was one of the most ancient Roman festivals, which was celebrated every year in honour of Lupercus, the god of fertility. The festival was held in the Lupercal—the sacred cave of the she-wolf. The place contained an altar and a grove sacred to the god Lupercus. The Lupercal was the cave or grotto at the foot of the Palatine, in which the she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome; from it issued a spring.
Here the Luperci assembled and sacrificed goats and dogs—animals remarkable for their strong sexual instinct, and thus most appropriate sacrifices to the god of fertility.
I’m grateful for research. Fun.
I’m grateful for self-care. Bad stiff neck yesterday; woke up with it. I did neck releases all day long and am much better today.
I’m grateful for work. New work.
I’m grateful for a visit with my sister and her help with my knitting pattern. I am on the home stretch on a big shawl I’m making. I think it will be extremely beautiful.
I am grateful grateful grateful for improved health and feeling vital again. This is very good.
I am grateful to be invited to help with DownHomeBluesShout. Dance community. I love community.
I am grateful for beautiful weather. Sunshine and spring flowers everywhere. Nice to walk around without being bundled up.
Life is good. I am blessed.
