Romanticize 17: Be Your Own Valentine
With these self-love spells and activities.
Regardless of whether or not I’ve been partnered on Valentine’s Days past, I’ve always maintained that it’s a scourge—a Hallmark Holiday of the highest order, and one that’s best ignored. But now that witchcraft has swooped into my life, I’m aware that the day’s roots reach much deeper than consumerism’s surface-level shine. Valentine’s Day is based on an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia, which honors fertility, health, and sexuality. In the spirit of the ancestors, for today’s Romanticize I’m offering up some alternative ways to mark the holiday, focused on pampering and loving yourself.
The Romanticize
Conjure some self-love.
The Advice
Plan a day or even just an hour that’s all about you and the foods, activities, and objects that make you feel happy and at ease. Order or make yourself something special to eat, get a massage or take a bath, enjoy a long walk in nature, buy yourself a beautiful bunch of flowers, cozy up in something soft and watch a comforting movie, crack open a new novel, light pink candles around your room and enjoy the blush-hued atmosphere.
Get witchy by keeping a piece of rose quartz with you all day (I meditate with mine on my heart) and pulling The Lovers card from your tarot deck to be displayed on your altar or somewhere else you’ll pass it often. Incorporate rose, lavender, and/or hibiscus into your routine for their magickal heart-expanding properties—drink tea made from the flowers, or use them in a bath soak, body scrub, or face mask.
If you’d like to explore the intersection of sexual pleasure with the healing and activating powers of crystals, I cannot recommend Chakrubs products enough. *wink*
Try one of these simple self-love spells:
Write a love note to yourself on a piece of paper, then scent the page with a spray of rose water or a drop of rose (or any floral) essential oil. Place it under your bed pillow. The next morning, put the paper on your altar or by a window (you can even poke string through it and hang it) to welcome positivity, abundance, and devotion into your life.
Sit facing a mirror, and place a lit candle between you and the mirror. Think of a self-love affirmation, for example: I am worthy of love just as I am. Stare at the candle flame and allow yourself to relax. Then look to the mirror and gaze into your own eyes, repeating the affirmation until you feel the warmth of the words expanding within you. Blow out the candle to set the intention.
The Inspiration
I decided to take a three-pronged approach to my self-love festivities: nature, pamper, devour. I began my day with a walk on a nearby trail, where I convened with the town’s gaggle of very confused geese who—instead of heading south for the winter—fly between local creeks nightly. They were communally napping by the waters’ edge, a hundreds-strong temptation for any off-leash dog that headed their way.
When I got home, I lit a pink candle and mixed up a soothing face mask using local honey and my favorite rose powder. I meditated in a spear of sunlight with my Lovers tarot card and rose quartz while the mask worked its magic, then rinsed it off with warm water. Not only did the treatment smell incredible, but it gave my skin a healthy pink glow!
Next, I put on some soothing piano music and whipped up a few favorite chocolate recipes from Abigail O’Neill’s Model Chocolate cookbook. Her nutrient-dense creations never fail to raise my mood, and they’re insanely delicious. First, I made myself a yummy breakfast of Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding with fresh raspberries, shredded coconut, and pistachio kernels sprinkled on top. Then I made Tangerine Almond Pralines and Lemon Sour Cherry Thins. I snacked on the goodies while cracking open the arc of an upcoming YA romance novel I’ve been eagerly anticipating.
I’d love to know the results of your Romanticize—feel free to share your experience in the comments, or tag me on Instagram. Until next Wednesday, fellow romantics!