Who decided that Valentine's Day should be in February when the Sun is in Aquarius, the sign of rebellion, independence and freedom? Today we have whole group of planets in the sign of Aquarius, like little revolutionary whisperers in my mind. I think of the day as a Hallmark holiday, one of the many days we're encouraged to buy cards, flowers and gifts, or go to restaurants and eat more decadently than usual.
There is a part of me that rails against this imprinted message. My higher Self (who looks like a flowing white angel in today's meditation process!) prefers to live life in the moment, choosing wisely, enjoying or at least accepting life's experiences. This part chooses to love broadly and deeply, regularly expresses appreciation to the people she cares about, and surrounds herself with people who are capable of showing their love in return. The part that wants to have a perfect Valentine's Day seems about four years old and can easily feel hurt if expectations aren't met. All week I've been feeling her subconscious motivation to make this a special day. I am concerned that she feels a little set up for expectations, comparison and disappointment, and I've been working with her to calm her down, show her love, remind her that she's special as she is.
Not being a history expert, I would have guessed Valentine's Day was invented by advertising men working for Hershey's sometime in the last century. It turns out that Valentine's Day has been celebrated for a couple of thousand years, going back to honoring early Christian martyrs and continuing through the ages. It makes sense it would have been a unique and special day in times when the expression of feelings was more limited and hindered. A perfect little Victorian lace card might be the only show of affection Mr. Jones could express to Mrs. Jones.
We're not living in such a polite and rigid society now so we can be expressive and loving whenever we want to. But it's not always easy to find our balance between expectations and real love, between habits or unconscious energies and our truest expressions.
My affirmation for the day is to express love to everyone I see and everyone I think of, myself included. I'm also going to make a tasty little meal with red beets cut into hearts, and strawberries for dessert. I am releasing expectations, relaxing into whatever happens in each moment, remembering that love is available in each breath.