Greetings, Gifted Reader!
How was your Valentine’s Day?
Unfortunately, Gypsy Stars was busy repairing broken hearts as several of her clients experienced strained relationships with their special love interests.
Still, I found time to get into an animated conversation (with a friend and several strangers) about the meaning of the day.
In response to my friend’s inquiry about when Americans started acknowledging Valentine’s Day, I blurted out, “Since Hallmark figured out it could make some money selling greeting cards!”
All cynicism aside, I do find the pink and red color schemes for the day to be quite appealing. Anyway, a middle-aged gentleman sitting nearby informed us that the U.S. had been celebrating Valentine’s Day since 1914. I’m not sure if he’s entirely correct, but making it a holiday has meant selling a lot of candy, cards and flowers. But, there’s also a deeper meaning to the celebration. Just check this out:
So, what do you believe, Gifted Reader? Does the origin of the holiday matter as long as you express your love to your special someone on this day?
One of the best places to express any kind of love is Waikiki Beach, where I was fortunate to live as a practicing psychic for several years. The powerful Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawai’ian) vibration is a result of how Hawai'ians treated their aina (land), which they considered to be their ancestors and themselves stewards of. Thus, the area is rich with spiritual emotion.
Further, the pure physical beauty of Oahu makes it conducive for Valentine's Day trysts. When I first arrived in the area, I grabbed Scott Cunningham’s book, Hawai’ian Magic and Spirituality, and began actively searching for the scared spots he reveals. One of the most intriguing was the arrangement of four stones right next to the Waikiki Police Station where I’d sit to watch the sky for hours each night. Sadly, when I returned a few years later, the stones had been enclosed by a fence.
But the heiaus continue to remain standing. What is a heiau, you ask? They are places of worship and where Kanaka Maoli worked their sacred rituals. Generally built of stone, they are short walls shaped like circles or rectangles that are almost entirely closed off except for one entrance/exit. Today, one can see the fruit and ti leaf sacrifices dotting the tops of these incredible structures. But be careful if you visit heiaus as some are considered disturbing, like the one near Waimea Falls (that posts a warning) in the photo below. Here, it’s said, many young Natives were sacrificed on behalf of war—mirroring, perhaps, the story of St. Valentine.
Until next time, I’m…leaving you with good luck, light and love…oh, and nui aloha no.
Gypsy Stars
