Let’s fall in love with love, pleasure, and sexuality! As a Pagan community, we look forward to a celebration of Valentine’s Day. We know that our Goddess desires as much joy and love for us as possible. Our rituals and ceremonies reflect the sacred nature of Love in many manifestations. Let’s honor pagan love now and throughout the year.
All we need is Love... Mystery lingers over the origins of this holiday. We have to wonder, was there a St. Valentine? History shows him ministering to early Christian martyrs, and performing secret marriages. He is connected to early fertility rites and Spring, and is an icon of Romantic Love.
Wicca emphasizes sexuality
The earliest conception of Wicca was as an agricultural religion, celebrating fertility and the joining of the masculine and feminine principles to create the Universe. Indeed, the beloved Charge of the Goddess reminds us that “… all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals”, as heard in this lovely piece by Shawna Carol:
Valentine’s Day is a treat for Crowwommyn!
Naturally the Crowwommen celebrate Valentine’s Day! We design a special ritual, crafting valentines to give to each other! Our tables and floors are scattered with glitter, scrap paper, stickers and sharpies! Accordingly, we make and gift one another with our heartfelt love and devotion to each other and our circle.
Are you “crafty”? Do you love to create? Please consider adding a component of valentine card making to your Wheel of the Year. Amazingly wonderful craft supplies are available on Etsy. Crows are fond of collage, and save our magazines and calendars for this yearly indulgence in crafts, champagne and candy! Yes, Crows know how to make a ritual into a party!
Celebrate the Great Rite
At the root of these festivities is a fundamental truth for Pagans and Wiccans- the joining of male and female sensibilities. This is basic to our beliefs. The Great Rite is celebrated at Beltane, during Handfastings and at other times when we seek the completion of the Union of Chalice and Blade. In this ceremonial practice the sword or Athame held by the Priest is dipped into the Chalace of wine held by the Priestess to symbolize the sexual union of God and Goddess. Occasionally an actual enactment of the act of sex is a sacred part of the ceremony.
Alane of the Crowwommyn wrote a song called Chalice To Blade, depicting the joys of observing the Great Rite. It can be found on our album, Crow Goddess. In this song, the love between lovers is represented by the symbolic union of Chalice and Blade. “For there is no power greater than love.”
Concerning song writing, I wrote a song called Gods and Lovers to celebrate the old Gods and their influence on our personal Romance and sexuality. And note well, there is no mandate for only gender-identified male and female to create this ritual! Instead, all sexual identities are encouraged to participate- as long as the ceremony is consensual and as private as the parties wish.
A song emerges to acknowledge the Gods of fertility
My song has not yet been recorded in the studio, but, here’s a sneak preview. Yes, there’s a plan brewing to record some new songs this year; stay tuned! This is a little snippet from our rehearsal track:
The lyrics acknowledge the Ancient Gods of fertility and sexuality, as well as encouraging us all to revel in passionate joy shared with one another. Some lyrics include:
“Every man and maiden come
from Gods and Lovers, by Marilyn Leftwich (c) 2020
To the Garden of Delight
Satisfying wish and will
In the Greatness of the Rite.
Great God Pan, we bring our hearts to you,
There, approaching, comes the goat-horned one.
Sky-clad lovers, standing free and true,
See all acts of love and pleasure done.”
DIY sexual rituals
With your lover, you can create your own sacred sexual ritual. As we know, “all acts of love and pleasure” are pleasing to the Goddess! Do you plan to give your lover special gifts for Valentine’s Day? At the Etsy website you can find many sweet (or naughty!) gifts for Him, for Her or for Them. These items can suggest and stimulate further closeness and sexual exploration!
Whether or not you are partnered, Valentine’s day is a time to celebrate your own love of yourself. Crowsister Tara wrote about a Sex Goddess ritual we enjoyed a few years ago. Check it out for some exciting ideas about your own exploration of sex and pleasure in a ritual manner. Another of her posts is about creating an Inner Beaty ritual of self-appreciation. The Crow Women jump at any opportunity to show appreciation for ourselves and one another. You’ll find that delight sprinkled throughout songs and rituals on this website.
Our desires, our sexuality, our love making can enrich our lives spiritually. You may be blessed with the appearance of the God and the Goddess (in any sexual form or identity) while in the act of love. We only have to be open to the possibility, unafraid and able to surrender to the will of Spirit. You might indeed create The Great Rite yourselves, and find that as you gaze into your Lover’s eyes, or your own face in the mirror, you are gazing into the face of Deity!
Even without sex, we celebrate Love for all
There are non-sexual ways to immerse yourself in Love: enjoying Nature, community, the company of friends. Sink into a bubble bath! Play music and dance around the room! Adopt a cat or dog, bunny or bird, and enjoy a loving relationship! Create art and display it proudly.
Love giving is definitely shown in caring for others- family, friends, your coven, your community. Reach out with a phone call or card, share food, be there when someone is in need, volunteer at your local food bank or shelter, give gifts for no reason–although with Valentine’s Day approaching, gifts are appropriate and welcome. The Etsy website has a dazzling array of beautiful gifts, and the heart-shaped cookies are tempting me!
As a most valuable gift of love, we can give our care and support to the Earth, to our Mother, to Gaia. Let us act responsibly toward the environment by recycling, treading lightly, donating to environmental organizations, putting together a clean-up, volunteering with an effort to recover and repurpose abandoned land, and so on. You will find that these acts of love bring blessings back to you three times over!
Enjoy your Magical Valentine adventures!
I hope that your observance of Valentine’s Day is filled with Majick, Love and Pleasure in whatever form of manifestation is most wonderful for you! May the blessings of the season be yours.