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.