{"id":952,"date":"2014-02-11T20:51:12","date_gmt":"2014-02-11T20:51:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kheopsinternational.com\/blog\/?p=952"},"modified":"2015-07-13T17:05:29","modified_gmt":"2015-07-13T17:05:29","slug":"valentines-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kheopsinternational.com\/blog\/valentines-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Valentine’s Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, Valentine’s day is known primarily as a day for celebrating romantic love with gifts like chocolate and flowers, but its history has a darker side that not everyone is familiar with.\u00a0 Saint Valentine’s Day was created on February 14th<\/sup>, as a feast day.\u00a0 More than one Christian saint named Valentinus existed, and most of their stories involved some form of martyrdom.<\/p>\n

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In one of the original stories, Saint Valentine of Rome was imprisoned for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman empire.\u00a0 He also performed weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry.\u00a0 According to legend, he healed the daughter of one his captors.\u00a0 Before his execution, he wrote a farewell letter to her signed \u201cYour Valentine\u201d.<\/p>\n

Valentine’s day was not associated with romance until the Middle Ages, when it was first written about by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Parliament of Fowls<\/i> .\u00a0 Later, it was popularized in 18th<\/sup>-century England where it took on the role of a purely romantic holiday. Lovers expressed their feelings with flowers, sweets and handwritten valentines greetings.\u00a0 As time progressed, handwritten love notes gave way to mass produced greeting cards and the holiday became the more commercialized, modern version we know today.<\/p>\n

Although the current holiday is used to promote the sales of jewelry and other gifts, Valentines are not merely for lovers.\u00a0 In many places, school children exchange small cards and treats. Co-workers often get in on the celebration by bringing treats to work and wearing red or pink.<\/p>\n

In recent years, many people have become a bit disenchanted with the direction Valentine’s day has taken and have chosen to refocus the attention back to where it belongs \u2013 the spirit of LOVE in general.<\/p>\n

On Valentine’s Day, you will see several groups who focus on raising consciousness and awareness, while other groups direct their energy towards fighting for equality and justice for all people.<\/p>\n

Whatever one’s thoughts on Valentine’s day, there is always a place in the world for more love.\u00a0 Spreading love to others costs nothing and can be done regularly.\u00a0 Love is, after all, the most healing vibrational energy there is.\u00a0 All the great spiritual masters have taught us of the value and importance of love above all else.<\/p>\n

Valentine’s day is all about the heart, making it a great time to focus your attention on the heart chakra; the center of unconditional love. Located at the center of the chest, the heart chakra focuses on issues of love, grief, anger, and loneliness. When you direct healing towards this chakra, it clears away these emotional blockages, allowing you to experience the full effect of unconditional love and unbridled joy.<\/p>\n

The Heart Chakra is represented by the color green.\u00a0 Use green candles<\/a> or singing bowls<\/a> to help heal and attune your heart center through meditation.\u00a0 Find a positive creative outlet to explore and release any harmful emotions that may be preventing you from moving forward in peace and joy. Use this time to focus on attuning to love in all its forms and you will reap many benefits body, mind and soul.<\/p>\n