Rituals for Saint Valentine -

I invite you to the world of three lovely rituals for Saint Valentine.

Choose one, practice and be part of it, and feel the love energy of Saint Valentine.

Let’s start. Shall we?

When do you celebrate Valentine’s day?

People worldwide celebrate Valentine’s day on the 14th of February each year.

You can read more about the story of Saint Valentine here and the origins of this celebration here.

This article will focus on celebration ideas for this special day.

Ideas for Saint Valentine’s day celebration

Saint valentine’s origins celebrate that fertile, creative, passionate love energy.

Even though in our consumption world today, the celebration has been converted to giving some material gifts this day, you can do something different to feel and honor that energy alone or with your partner or even with family.

This article will give you three ideas for the Saint Valentine’s day celebration.

The first is a Your Sacred Sensuality Ritual: Cleopatra’s Aphrodisiac Bath by Abiola Abrams.

The second one is New/Renewed Love: A Ritual for Couples by Carl Neal.

The third one is Little Caring Promises/Secret Angel, recommended by me to do with your partner or as a family. Again, you can do this one, even online.

So, let’s start;

Where do we celebrate Valentine’s day?

I invite you to celebrate saint Valentine this year, alone or with your partner in a bath… With a wonderful ritual from Africa.

This ritual took place in the book African Goddess Initiation by Abiola Abrams between pages 272-274.

Legend has it that Cleopatra invented the vibrator with a container of buzzing bees. You are sacred. Your sex is sacred!
Abiola Abrams, African Goddess Initiation

Your Sacred Sensuality Ritual: Cleopatra’s Aphrodisiac Bath

Your Sacred Sensuality Ritual intention:

To awaken your sacred sensuality.

The word aphrodisiac comes from Aphrodite, the Greek love goddess, and means something that enhances or increases sexual desire.

Cleopatra, the last pharaoh of Egypt, was the most irresistible woman of her time.

In this ritual, you will use Cleo’s bath as an aphrodisiac to turn up what we already know. You are irresistible.

Your Sacred Sensuality Ritual: What you will need?

Milk (of your choice)
Red rose petals
Honey
The holy water of your choice (optional)
Lavender (optional)
Epsom salts (optional)
Frankincense, myrrh, or Kyphi incense (optional)
Bathtub

Your Sacred Sensuality Ritual: What to do?

Your Sacred Sensuality Ritual Part 1: Prepare Your Bath

Set up your environment.

Play music with lyrics aligned with the love you wish to attract or solidify.

You may wish to use the incense used by ancient Egyptian temple priests.

They switched the incense depending on the time of day, burning frankincense at dawn, myrrh at midday, and Kyphi at dusk.

Water is a conduit. Speak your sacred intentions into the water.

How do you want to feel?

As you add each ingredient, thank it and tell it what it is for:

As you add the tap water, say: Thank you, water, that we may share life essence.

As you add the milk, say: Thank you, milk, that our love may be nurtured.

As you add the honey, say: Thank you, honey, that my lover may find me sweet.

As you add the roses, say: Thank you, roses, that I may be irresistible.

As you add the salt, say: Thank you, salt, that our love will persevere.

As you add the lavender, say: Thank you, lavender, that our relations may be peaceful.

As you add the holy water, say: Thank you, water, that I am an irresistible love magnet.

Stir the water seven times clockwise in a circle with your right hand. In ancient Egyptian numerology, seven was the number of perfection and completeness.

Your Sacred Sensuality Ritual Part 2: Bathe in Your Beauty

Get in the bath. Close your eyes. Visualize returning here with your sweetheart.

You may choose to write a love letter to yourself about how hot you are.

Afterward air-dry.

Plant or dispose of the ingredients at the crossroads

Saint Valentine prayer for love

Here comes another invitation for a special ritual in which you will have a prayer for love with your lover.

This ritual is from the book Imbolc: Rituals, Recipes, and Lore for Brigid’s Day by Carl Neal. Page numbers are between 101-107.

So let’s start.

New/Renewed Love: A Ritual for Couples

February is a month associated with love and romance as well as fertility.

This is a ritual intended to affirm—or reaffirm—the love between two people.

Choose a time when the two of you can be together without interruptions.

For this ritual, you will need the following items:

A red or pink taper (with holder) or pillar candle
Two white taper candles and holders
Essential oils or two small sticks of incense represent each participant (use only a few drops of each scent).
Participants should select oil or incense with which they strongly identify.
If you choose incense, you will also need an incense heater. Again, one filled with ash or sand is best.
A chalice; a nice wine glass makes a good chalice.
Two small glasses, preferably with a pouring spout, like a measuring cup; you will pour from them.
Drinking liquids, one liquid representing each person.
An altar cloth that is pleasing to both participants (white cloth is always appropriate, but a pink or red cloth would work as well)
Gentle music in the background; is optional but can enhance the atmosphere
Both participants should also bring a small item that reminds them of the other person.
Coffee stirrer, wooden craft stick, or mixing spoon (optional)
Small cloth for dressing candles; use if your chosen essential oils are not suspended in a carrier or base oil (optional)

Love ritual guide:

Performing this ritual in the moon’s light adds even more energy and excitement.

You don’t have to wait for a full moon, however; the light of a crescent moon is still potent, and, of course, the moon itself is a powerful symbol to many lovers.

I recommend doing this particular ritual skyclad (no clothing), but don’t do anything in any ritual that makes you significantly uncomfortable.

Going skyclad isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve never tried it before, this would be an excellent first skyclad ritual.

If you and your lover have never done magick together before, it’s an excellent idea to discuss how you want to proceed.

You may wish to invite your deities into the ritual or perform it just as written.

As long as both of you are in agreement, you can make as many modifications to this ritual as you both would like.

Love ritual walkthrough:

Begin by dimming the lights and turning off your phones. If music is available, turn it on before starting.

Spread out the altar cloth.

You can use a low table as an altar if you like, but this ritual works well sitting on the floor (if you are physically able).

Place both white candles in their respective holders.

Place one on the left side of the altar and the other on the right.

Decide who will be on which side of the altar, and lay out your tools accordingly.

Next, place the red candle in the center of the altar cloth.

If you are using essential oils, place a tiny amount of each into a small dish or bowl.

Only a few drops of each scent are needed.

Participants should place their oil next to the candle on their side of the altar cloth.

If you are using incense sticks, participants should likewise place their incense next to the white candle that represents them.

The empty chalice should be placed a few inches before the red candle. If you use incense, the censer should be a few inches in front of the chalice.

Finally, place the two small glasses on the altar, one on each side.

Before the ritual begins, light both white candles partially fill both of the small glasses and place them on either side of the altar.

Ultimately, the liquids in the two small glasses will be combined and then consumed, so participants might want to keep that in mind when selecting a drink.

You can begin the ritual with the lights and music adjusted, the door secured, and the candles burning.

If you want to perform this ritual skyclad, disrobe just before you begin.

Both participants should sit in front of the altar (on the south side of your altar is oriented to the north) facing one another.

Sit any way that is comfortable for you.

Before you begin, take a few moments to clear your minds.

When you are ready to start, look into your partner’s eyes to ensure she/he is also prepared to begin.

The person sitting on the right (east if your altar is oriented to the north) begins.

Remember that the words that follow are only generalized suggestions.

It would be best to make your words as specific, personal, and meaningful to your partner as possible.

I have loved you since my eyes first met yours.

What might have been an empty and hollow life

has been brought into the light of your love.

You have filled my soul and my heart—

I would be incomplete without you.

[Point to the white taper candle on the altar’s right side]

This candle is the light you have brought into my life.

Your light forces me away from the shadows from my

mind and brings joy and security to my life.

The person on the left side responds:

I have loved you for just as long.

You set me alight with a bright flame when you first touched my soul.

You have filled my heart and my soul with

love beyond what I ever believed possible.

I didn’t know how empty my life was until your

light-filled that dark space within me.

[Point to the white taper on the altar’s left side]

This candle is the light you have brought into my life.

Your light has shown me love, unlike

any I could have imagined.

Blending our lives has created a unique flavor I could never have imagined.

Lift your glass from the left side of the altar and pour some liquid into the chalice.

The person on the right then responds:

Our life together is a flavor I could never have imagined before.

Now I can’t imagine living without it.

Lift your glass from the right side of the altar and pour some of your liquid into the chalice.

You can allow the liquids to blend naturally, or you could stir them together at this PointPoint.

Each of you should insert the index finger of your dominant hand into the chalice and stir the liquid together.

If you prefer to keep fingers out of your drink, use a woodcraft stick or coffee stirrer.

Overlap dominant hands on the stirrer, and both stir the mixture together.

Now both people say:

Two become one, and the one empowers two.

Using both hands, both of you hold the chalice at eye level.

As the person on the right takes a drink from the chalice, the person on the left should say:

Tonight, my spirit is yours, and yours is mine.

As the liquids meld, so do our souls.

As the person on the left takes a drink, the person on the right repeats the same words.

Return the chalice to the altar. If you have chosen to use oils in the ritual, both people should “dress” the candle with the oil from their side of the altar.

If you have chosen to include incense in the ritual, both people should light the incense on their side of the altar using the candle on their side.

Insert both sticks into your incense holder side by side.

Once you have the red candle dressed or the incense burning in its censer, both say:

Two souls become one, just as two scents become one.

Two souls become one just as two flames become one.

Join hands over the chalice (the person on the right uses the left hand, the person on the left uses the right hand).

Each lifts their candle with their free hand and lights the red candle together using both candles. Return the candles to the altar.

At this point, you will have created some pretty intense energy that can be celebrated sexually or enjoyed as an extraordinary time together.

If the incense is still burning, it should be allowed to burn out naturally if you are in the room.

How do you celebrate Valentine’s day with your family? Or how do you celebrate Valentine’s day online?

Lastly, I invite you to a lovely ritual to celebrate with your family or even online.

It is called Little Caring Promises or Saint Valentine’s Secret Angel, and it is inspired by the name choosing games of old times, even during Lupercalia.

During Lupercalia, in honor of the goddess Juno Februata, the names of young women were put into a box, and people were drawing the names.

The matched boys and girls would be considered partners for the year, which began in March.

As Christianity became prevalent, priests attempted to replace old heathen practices.

To Christianize the ancient pagan celebration of the Feast of Lubercus, the church officials changed the name to St. Valentine’s Day.

To give the celebration further meaning and eliminate pagan traditions, priests substituted the drawing of Saints names for the girls’ names.

The priest placed saints’ names into a box on St. Valentine’s Day.

The young people then drew a name from the container.

In the following year, the youth was supposed to emulate the saint’s life whose name he had drawn.

By the fourteenth century, they reverted to using girls’ names.

They once again tried to have saintly valentines in the sixteenth century, but it was as unsuccessful as the first attempt.

The Christian tradition of drawing names on St. Valentine’s Eve continued in England and other places.

The tradition of birds choosing their mates on St. Valentine’s Day led to the idea that boys and girls would do the same.

When a youth drew a girl’s name, he wore it on his sleeve and attended and protected her during the following year.

This made the girl his valentine, and they exchanged love tokens throughout the year.

Later this was changed to only men giving love tokens to females, usually without names but signed “with St. Valentine’s Love.”

Later, in France, both sexes drew from the valentine box.

A book called Travels in England, written in 1698, explains this;

On St. Valentine’s Eve, an equal number of Maids and Bachelors get together, each writes their true or some false name upon separate billets, which they roll up and draw by way of lots, the Maids taking the Men’s billets, and the Men the Maids’; so that each of the young Men lights upon a Girl that he calls his Valentine, and each of the Girls upon a young Man which she calls hers.
By this means, each has two Valentines–but the Man sticks faster to the Valentine that is fallen to him than to the Valentine to whom he is lost.
Fortune having thus divided the company into so many couples, the valentines give balls and treats to their mistresses, wear their billets several days upon their bosoms or sleeves, and this little sport often ends in love.
This ceremony is practiced differently in different countries and according to the freedom or severity of Madame Valentine.
This is another kind of Valentine, which is the first young Man or Woman chance throws in your way in the street, or elsewhere . . .

So during Valentine’s day, you can create little caring promises.

If you do this as a bigger family, you can write down the names, and each person can get a name from the box and during the day or week can act as a secret angel for that name they have chosen.

You can read the details of this secret angel game in this article here.

Or if you are making this little caring promises with your couple, during dinner, you can have a lovely conversation around how each of you can support and care for each other more and even take notes for the upcoming year as little reminders.