Forecast 2/14
As a symbolist, I continually seek the root of a name, icon or story. Valentines’ Day is no exception. Since I grew up Roman Catholic, I was taught that St Valentine helped the Christians in the catacombs.
I had trouble understanding why we traded Disney valentines in celebration of his day, but it wasn’t until high school that teachers encouraged probing questions about faith. At St. Anthony’s such questions were considered disrespectful; we were to take the stories on face value alone. This was in the old days before Google, so my only option was to hold my tongue.
Post-grammar school I learned that a few martyred Valentines are recognized by the Church as saints. The most romantic legend claims that Emperor Claudius outlawed marriage for young men. He believed single men made better soldiers. The priest Valentine thought this unjust so continued to marry young lovers in secret. He was very brave and devoted to his duty. Needless to say, Claudius made a martyr out of him.
It is probable that Valentines’ Day became popular as a Christian tradition of affection to replace an ancient custom at the ides of February. This fertility festival was Lupercalia, dedicated to the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. During the festivities, women were gently slapped with goat hides dipped in blood in an effort to make them more fertile. The women supposedly welcomed this and put their names in a community urn. Young men would draw from the urn and often found a right match. Somehow over the centuries these customs have morphed into Valentines’ Day
Leo energy loves drama, romance and glamour. Stories may reign with today’s Leo moon. Whether or not you care about valentines, creative playfulness may dominate the day. Valentines may be a bit over the top.
As I write this, here in NY we’ve had 12 inches of snow, topped by thunderstorms tonight. Who knows what weather awaits us tomorrow?
The astrology suggests that morning is a bit stressful; don’t be hard on yourself, regardless of the forces around you. Encouragement is far more effective than criticism. Strides can be made today and if you need to have a hard conversation, outline it carefully. You may feel as though you’ve made great headway only to realize that the crucial information was not digested. Listen as well as you speak.
If you don’t presently have or are not interested in a sweetheart, please be sure to do an extra special something for yourself today. Set your table with candles and a cloth napkin, make something you love to eat and play gorgeous music. Be sure to lap in the moonlight of that gorgeous Leo Full Moon. For more symbolic analysis and the Sabian symbol interpretation…..
©Cucinell 2014- all rights reserved
Recent Comments