Valentine
customs - traditions - love spells - cards - gifts - love
divination - aphrodisiacs - flower language
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Valentines
day ideas - Valentines ecards - Valentines gift ideas
February 14th - St.Valentine's
Day
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The
winged Roman version of the Greek god of love, Eros - child
of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty - Venus to
the Romans. The Latin translation of 'Cupido', means Desire/lust.
This
pretty, young boy, a symbol of Love, flys blindfolded on
golden wings armed with his bow and arrows - setting hearts
on fire. Love is often depicted by two hearts pierced by
an arrow - Cupid's arrow.
'Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind;
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind'.
William
Shakespeare
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At
night put yarrow under your pillow, and the first person
you see when you leave home will be your future spouse.
If you visit a cemetery on St Valentine's Eve at midnight
and walk around the church 12 times, you should dream of
your future husband.
To gain the love of someone, on a night of the full
moon, walk to a spot underneath your love's bedroom window
and whisper their name three times into the wind.
To meet your future spouse count seven stars on seven successive
nights, and on the eighth day the first person with whom
you shake hands will be your wife or husband. |
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It
was a popular belief that the birds choose their mates on
the feast of Valentine - their patron saint.
It is also traditionally believed that a girl is able to
tell what sort of man she will marry by the first bird she
sees on St. Valentine's day.
Blackbird - Priest
Robin - Sailor
Goldfinch (any yellow bird) - a rich man
Sparrow - Farmer
Any blue bird - a happy man
Dove - a loving man
Woodpecker - will not marry
If a hen and cockerel are seen together on this day, it
indicates that she will marry the next year. |
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1.
Casablanca
2. Brief Encounter
3. Wuthering Heights
4. Ghost
5. Bridget Jones's Diary
6. The English Patient
7. Titanic
8. Shakespeare in Love
9. When Harry met Sally
10. Four Weddings and a Funeral
11.
Pretty Woman
1.
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Brontë
2. Wuthering Heights - Emily Brontë
3. Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier
4. Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
5. Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis de Bernieres
6. The Sonnets - William Shakespeare
1.
Angels - Robbie Williams
2. Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton
3. Don't Want to Miss a Thing
- Aerosmith
4. Eternal Flame - The Bangles
5. Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers |
I ne'er was struck before that hour
With love so sudden and so sweet.
Her face it bloomed like a sweet flower
And stole my heart away complete.
I
never saw so sweet a face
As that I stood before.
My heart has left its dwelling place
And can return no more.
John Clare
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Try
these sites for more Valentine
fun -
Victorian cards - a lovely
on-line gallery of Victorian cards, including a range of free
e-cards.
e-cards
- modern designs and animated free valentine
e-cards.
love
poems - free romantic
poetry from Nicholas Gordon
Robert
Sabuda - impress your love and make your
own pop-up Valentine
Craft
related ideas - make money
by working from home
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Valentine's Day History
St. Valentine was a priest in Rome, and was
condemned to death on February 14th 269 A.D. after it was discovered
that he had been helping Christian martyrs and secretly marrying
couples. The emperor Claudius II had prohibited men in his army
to marry, as he felt their strength would be sapped!
Before his execution St.Valentine left a farewell note for the
jailer's daughter, signed 'From Your Valentine', and so began
the tradition of sending a card from a secret admirer.
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'My
true love hath my heart and I have his,
By just exchange one for the other giv'n'.
Philip
Sidney |
Lupercalia
Feb 14th was the eve of the Roman Feast of Lupercalia, when the
names of girls were written on paper and placed into jars. Young
men would draw a name for their partner for the festival. It was
hoped that this 'love lottery' would find them romance. Lupercalia
was a feast to celebrate Pan, a god who among other tasks kept
the wolves away from the flocks. During the celebration a sacrifice
of goats would be made, and the forehead of two young boys would
be marked with blood. The boys would then run through the streets
lashing everyone with strips of the goats' skins. Women believed
that being struck with the sacred skins would help them conceive. |
Valentine Customs
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Sending
your loved one a card on Valentine's day has been with us
properly since the 1800's when commercial valentines were
first introduced. Early examples were expensive card creations
in lace and satin. Cheaper printed cards slowly
became popular, with humorous anti-Valentines joining the
romantic cards.
Valentine's Day
Is a wonderful way
To make "I love you"
Easy to say'.
Nicholas Gordon
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In Wales
carved wooden lovespoons were given as gifts on February 14th.
Hearts, keys and padlocks were favourite decorations on the
spoons, symbolising an 'unlocking' of the heart. |
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'How
do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach.'
Elizabeth Barrett
Browning
To
discover your true love
Before you go to sleep put bay leaves on the corners of
your pillow, and one in the centre. Close your eyes and repeat
these words 7 times, counting up to seven between each repetition:
'Dear Guardian Angel, let me have what I so earnestly
do crave
A Valentine imbued with love, who will both true and constant
prove.'
Your true love should appear to you in a dream.
To attract love into your life
Using a thorn from a white rose bush, scratch the words:
'All my love come to me' 3 times on a white candle
and light it.
Watch as the candle burns down, and picture your love coming
to embrace you. When the candle burns down, collect the wax
and wrap it up. You should soon receive all the love that
this person has for you.
To bring your love to you
Light a red candle, hold a crystal near your heart,
close your eyes and say 3 times:
'Let the love that I am seeking come into my life.'
Visualise your love bathed in white light and feel the energy
flow into your heart. Imagine this light pouring from you
into the crystal, then holding the crystal in both hands blow
out the candle.
Keep the crystal with you until your wish is fulfilled.
To attract desire
Rub a few drops of the aromotherapy oil Rosehip on the
inside of your wrists, before meeting your desired one. |
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The
flowers you send your Valentine also carry a meaning, send the following
blooms in your bouquet and you will be sending the message:
Anemone
- a dying love
A yellow Crocus worn in the buttonhole on
St. Valentine's day will entice your future intended love
Daisy - innocence
Forget-me-not - true love and constancy
Fuchsia - elegance
Lily - purity
Pansy - loving thoughts
Periwinkle - early friendship
Poppy - consolation
Snowdrop - hope
Sunflower - warmth of feeling
Tulip - a declaration of powerful love(red), hopeless
love (yellow)
Add rose bud petals to your bath water to conjure up a lover.
Put red rose petals in a red velvet bag and pin this under
your clothes to attract love.
A rose given with its thorns removed, but still with its leaves
means:
'I am no longer afraid to reveal my feelings; I live in
hope.'
A rose without its leaves and thorns sends the message:
'There is nothing to hope or fear.'
more flower language |
Roses
Messages
Red
- true love
White - I love you not
Yellow - jealousy
Pink - innocent love and happiness
Orange - I love you vigorously
Purple - I will love you forever
Wild rose - uncontrollable desire
Moss rose - I admire you from afar
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How
do I love thee?
How many roses you send your love has a meaning - Ten roses
says 'You are perfect' , a dozen means 'Be Mine' and if you
push the boat out to 24 you are saying 'Forever yours', in
the language of flowers. |
Serving love food
can be fun on Valentine’s Day – especially using
aphrodisiac ingredients.
Over the centuries people have
often looked to food for its libido enhancing properties
... as the saying goes 'the way
to a man's heart is thro' his stomach!
New-age.co.uk
can not be held responsible for the activities resulting
from the consumption of these foods! |
Almond
- the aroma is thought to arouse women
Asparagus - this erotic shaped veg is considered
an effective stimulant
Avocado - sensuous textured fruit, called
ahucatl by the Aztecs - which translated is 'testicle'.
Bananas -
phallic shaped fruit, rich in B vitamins believed to help
manufacture sex hormones.
Carrots - an effective aphrodisiac for
men
Caviar - full of vitamins and minerals
and sexy due to its luxury status
Champagne - the bubbles take the alcohol
straight into the bloodstream
Chocolate - contains natural stimulants
- chemicals thought to effect neurotransmitters in the brain,
producing passionate feelings
Figs - Cleopatra's favourite fruit, in
S.Europe figs are thrown at weddings as a sign of fertility.
Ginger- a stimulant to the circulatory
system
Nutmeg - the Chinese believe this spice
is a powerful aphrodisiac, especially for the male
Oysters - this sensual
food is very nutritious and high in protein
Truffles - the Greeks
and Romans believed the Truffle's musky scent stimulated
and sensitized the skin to touch.
Could
be the ideal Valentine gift! |
Valentine
Cards with a loving touch |
If
you plan well ahead and you want to give your Valentine card that
extra romantic touch, then send
your pre-addressed, pre-stamped Valentine’s card inside a
larger envelope to
the
post office at the address below, and get your card franked with
a 'Lover' stamp:
Ann Noble
Lover Post Office
Brown Bonnet
Besomer Drove
LOVER, Salisbury SP5 2PN
Or send it to Loveland, Colorado. The post office will postmark
it LOVEland, Colorado and it will also be hand-stamped with a love
poem. Send
your pre-addressed, pre-stamped Valentine’s card inside a
larger envelope to: Postmaster, Attn: Valentines, Loveland CO 80537 |
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