It is all around you; the colors RED and PINK rule this month.

It sure is good for business, the first boost for the economy after Christmas, but before you go out and spend a bundle on your Sweetheart, ask yourself what Valentines Day means to you. Do you just feel obligated to buy the roses, or chocolates, or any items associated with this “Day of celebrating Love” Here is a brief history of the origins of Valentines Day which I found searching Google:

February 14 is Valentines Day, the day on which we celebrate and explore love in all it’s many ideals. How a day for lovers came to be celebrated during the middle of February is an interesting and ages old story. The story of Valentines Day begins during the heyday of the Roman Empire, which held a festival every February. This Lupercian Festival was held in honor of the God of Fertility and during the festivities young men would get to choose their mate. At the time marriage was a common occurrence, but when Claudius became Emperor he changed all of that. Fearing that men would refuse their duty to fight because they would not want to leave their wives behind, he outlawed all marriages. Young couples still fell in love though and still wished to marry and they took these desires to the Catholic Bishop Valentine who, understanding love, began to secretly marry couples. When Claudius found out, he had Valentine arrested and ordered put to death. While waiting in jail, Valentine began exchanging letters with the jailer’s daughter and soon had fallen in love with her. The day he was to be beheaded, he wrote her one last note and signed it: ‘From Your Valentine’.

In 496 A.D. Christianity had taken over Rome and Pope Gelasius outlawed the pagen Lupercian Festival. Knowing it’s popularity, he looked to replace it with something more ‘appropriate’ and set aside a day in February to honor the martyr St. Valentine. Even though in 1969 the church removed St. Valentines Day from it’s calendar of ‘official’ holidays, it is still widely celebrated today.

Let me share my thoughts on love with you. I believe that “love” is one of the most misunderstood and misused words today. This may sound like a bold statement, but bear with me and keep an open mind. Love is openness; when you open fully, your love can flow unimpeded; you give and receive love. When you open you heart to love, you also open your heart to hurt.

This is the only reason we so often hold back. We protect our hearts, we are afraid to be hurt; we don’t want to feel pain. We close down to protect our vulnerability. By doing so, we are not fully alive, and this is precisely where our un-fulfillment comes from; the yearning to feel love. And then it happens, we “fall in love”.   Isn’t it amazing that we say fall in Love… what happens if you fall into anything? There comes a time when you want to get out. Relationships that feed on the need to receive love from that special person are bound to fail. Why? Because if that special person withholds love, we are miserable.

Another misleading phrase we use in relationships is: My “Other“or  “Better Half“. With this we make a sad statement that we are only half a person; we need another to be whole. Now there are two crippled people needing each other to create a whole?   Is there any doubt that this can only lead to an un-fulfilled life? I think so. How can you be true to yourself and the essence of your Being which is Wholeness and Love, when you seek wholeness through another person? Most of us do this out of fear to be lonely or unappreciated.

Did you ever realize, that the very fact of your existence is already the greatest appreciation you could ever receive? You are this one very special, unique person that made it into this beautiful world. This very gift came through the gift of love. This alone makes you whole. You have been given life in order to give your gift of love to the world in your very special and unique way.   Your openness and love are the gifts you give to others as much as to yourself. If you would stay open to love, no matter what happens, your face would light up, your eyes sparkle, and you would move with grace through any obstacle.

If you practice staying open to love, not just to your lover, family, and special friends, but to All, you begin to look like love; irresistibly beautiful, healthy, radiant and strong.

If you go out with your Valentine to celebrate your special love, have fun and let the thrill ignite your passion again. Then for the rest of the year hold this fire of love in your heart and let it shine for all to see.

Love has many faces; it is all around you just waiting to be truly seen, felt, and appreciated. When you allow yourself to see only with the eyes of love, there will be no more stress in your life. Life becomes easy. Your fear will fade away because you know who you truly are.

For you, who are alone, or not attached to a Lover, rejoice in your Wholeness! Fill your surroundings with your uniqueness, dance, sing, and celebrate your freedom. There is no lack of anything in your life, unless you believe so. Get rid of this illusion. The whole world is waiting for your spark of love. Let it shine in frequent smiles, express it with kind words and deeds. As much as you can give of your loving heart, you will receive back; just don’t demand it to happen from your ego.

 Stay open to love and love will find you. It is a universal law; “the law of attraction “, or “like attracts like”. It works.

The greatest gift of love you can give yourself is: Forgiveness.

Nothing compares; it is the ultimate ticket to a life of peace, joy and freedom.

We will explore more of this in my next article. In the meantime, spread your love like “Tinkerbell’s “ gold dust. Be generous and exuberant with everything in your life, and celebrate the Love that You Are.

Your Partner in Health,

Angelika Christie