February is a time of change. The winter ice begins melting away and the wind holds a promise of Spring. Traditionally, cultures from around the globe have marked this time of the year with festivals that purge the cold and death of winter and make ready the earth for the rebirth. In the East, for example, the festivals of Setsu-bun in Japan and Li Chum in China exorcise the evil demons of winter through purification rites. Li-chum also celebrates fertility; bamboo and paper effigies of a water buffalo (which symbolizes new life) are carried through the streets by a procession then set on fire to cause the prayers of prosperity to be taken up to heaven by the rising smoke. In ancient Persia, Spenta Armaiti (the women's festival) consisted of fertility rites performed by temple priestesses in honor of the Goddess Spandarmat, the Goddess who dwells within all women. During February, the ancient Egyptians honored Nut, the goddess of the sky and heavens, by performing rituals mimicking the divine act of sex between the earth god Geb and the sky goddess Nut, which created the world.

Norway, Finland, Greece, and the ancient Celts all had feasts to honor the return of the Sun (god or goddess) after the darkness of winter. Echoes of these celebrations can be seen in the Christian celebration of Candlemas, the day when the Church traditionally blesses candles, which itself falls on the same day as the Celtic celebration of Brigit, the Great Mother Goddess, one of whose rituals is the purification and burning of candles.

And where does our St. Valentine's Day fit into this continuum? It's no coincidence that the Catholic-tinged festival of romantic love takes place during February. The name of the month itself comes from the ancient Romans and their festival, Lupercalia. Beginning on the Ides of February --- February 15 or so --- priests and priestesses would gather at the cave of Lupercal to honor Faunus, the rural god of crops and herds, as well as the wolf Lupa who, in that cave, suckled the infants Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. Afterward, priests would sacrifice a goat (symbol of fertility) and a dog (symbol of protection) to the gods, anoint themselves with the blood, and run through the streets whipping onlookers with a thong made from the goat's skin. Women took great pains to get a whipping, as it was believed to help ease childbirth and promote fertility. The goat straps themselves were known as februa, hence the name of the modern month. Also during the festival, young men would draw the names of eligible girls from a pot or urn. These couples would be paired up until the next Lupercalia, often in intimate ways. The custom of drawing names lasted into the Middle Ages. The young man would wear the slip bearing his love's name on his sleeve (thus the phrase "to wear one's heart on one's sleeve") and attend to his chosen lady with flowers, gifts, and words of affection.

Time has changed the ritual from one of fertility to one of commerce. Now there are pink hearts on ready-made cards and sales everywhere, a ritual cleansing of our pocketbooks. The love expressed on Valentine's Day tends to be one manufactured by Hallmark, not one based on either divine love or earthy, communal sensuality. Although there might be some "naughty" stores that have a connection to the past celebrations of the flesh, the American St. Valentine's Day has little to do with the ancient traditions of Spring.

How can modern lovers celebrate the departure of their old winter selves and make themselves ready for the new life of Spring? Orgies and blood sacrifices are probably out of the question for most, but heart shaped trays of chocolates and tawdry negligees aren't really the best choice for intelligent and caring sweethearts either. Take a cue from the ancients and let astrology guide you. The astrological system we use is the same that the Romans and Greeks created to help them understand the emotions and psychology of the people in their lives. For those of us who want to shower our loved ones with more than physical and emotional attention, the insights of astrology will help you divine what gift is most appropriate.

There are people out there who might not equate books with Valentine's Day. But books themselves are sensual delights --- the smell of the paper, the feel of the cover, the way the letters look as they swirl together. Books as presents say that you care very deeply about the person you are gifting, that your feelings for them go beyond the physical. The brain is the most evolved erogenous zone of the body. And after all, wasn't it your lover's intelligence that sparked your interest in them (well that and the way their black pants fit)?

Book Ideas By Sign:

Aries: Action loving Rams will get a charge from REMEMBERING THE BODY: Body and Movement in the 20th Century by Bruce Mau, Friedrich Kittler, and Gabriele Brandstetter (Hatje; ISBN: 3775709053). The artists/writers reflect the myriad issues surrounding the body, focusing on the representations of the body in movement. Animalistic Rams will find kindred spirits in this book that nurtures their interests in medical, political and physical issues.

Taurus: The Bulls love creature comforts. They are invigorated by luxury and sensuality. CHIHULY'S PENDLETONS: And Their Influence on His Work by Dale Chihuly and Charles J. Lohrmann (University of Arizona Press; ISBN: 1576840158) will tantalize them. Glass artist Chihuly pares beautiful pictures of Native American blankets with text about his love for the form and how his collecting influences his art and his life.

Gemini: Mercury, the god of communication, rules the sign of The Twins. Their love for words will be well served by THEY CALLED HER STYRENE by Ed Ruscha (Phaidon Press Inc.; ISBN: 0714840114). The book by the visual artist melds ideas of traditional narrative and graphic style --- a perfect gift for the sign that adores both rare documents and art galleries.

Cancer: Present the sentimental moon child in your life with the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EPHEMERA: A Guide to the Fragmentary Documents of Everyday Life for the Collector, Curator, and Historian edited by Maurice Rickards and Michael Twyman (Routledge; ISBN: 0415926483). Crabs love of ritual and romantic ideals, combined with their creative talents in collecting and decorating, make them the ideal Victorian scrapbook keepers and family historians.

Leo: Cream is good for Kitties. And FRESH CREAM: Contemporary Art in Culture (Phaidon Press Inc.; ISBN: 0714839248) is good for the creative Lion in your life. Ten curators from cities as far-flung as Moscow, London, Bangkok, and New York chose the one hundred artists in this second installment of a biennial publication. These new works will make the make the color, design and, most of all, style loving Lion purr, and their impulsive, enthusiastic nature will allow them the freedom to rip open the plastic cover without worry.

Virgo: The Virgin is a cultured visionary with an innate ability to grasp the complexities of the material world. SISTER WENDY'S STORY OF PAINTING by Sister Wendy Beckett and Patricia Wright (DK Publishing; ISBN: 0789468050) will appeal to their precision with its enlarged, detailed views of paintings and text that key you into the minutiae of art through the ages.

Libra: Beauty ruled Scales will swoon over TROPICAL HOUSES: Living in Nature in Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Java, Bali, and the Coasts of Mexico and Belize by Tim Street Porter (Clarkson Potter; ISBN: 0517704625). Intelligent and dreamy, the pictures and text will captivate the romantic Libras whose whole beings will long to be swept away to a private paradise. And their love of color and harmony will be charmed by the pictures of lush natural realms and exquisitely decorated homes.

Scorpio: The scorpion loves the unexpected detail, the secret thing that makes each person a unique being. The ornamentation-loving scorpions govern the creative ways that people around the globe adorn their bodies; it is also the focus of (UN)FASHION by Tibor and Maira Kalman (Harry N. Abrams; ISBN: 0810945002) and it will capture the interest of the Scorpion. There is no text to accompany the photos, thus intuitive Scorpions will be able to explore the words, prejudices, thoughts, and deep, hidden human motivation behind everything.

Sagittarius: The Archer has a deep yearning to learn about foreign cultures. This sign also the rules travel and journalism, making AFRICAN JOURNEY by Pete Turner and Gordon Parks (Graphis Press; ISBN: 1888001992) a perfect gift. Spanning a three-decade expedition through the continent, Turner's photographs cover subjects from indigenous peoples and exotic wildlife to geological oddities and will enchant the wild soul of those born under this sign.

Capricorn: The Goat is the earthiest of signs. Highly mathematical thinkers, this sign will quickly loose themselves in THE STORY OF ARCHITECTURE by Jonathan Glancey and Norman Foster (DK Publishing; ISBN: 0789459655). Goats have a fetish for how things work, so this book's emphasis on structural and technical innovations that enabled architects to progress will delight them.

Aquarius: The Water Bearer is as deep as the proverbial ocean. The sign most truly interested in spiritual discovery will be enchanted by THE DALAI LAMA'S SECRET TEMPLE: Tantric Wall Paintings from Tibet by Ian A. Baker (Thames & Hudson; ISBN: 0500510032). These ancient murals illustrating the path to spiritual liberation (an Aquarian goal) guided the Dalai Lamas in a form of mystical contemplation called Dzogchen --- the most secret practice in Tibet's Tantric tradition.

Pisces: Emotional and intelligent, the Fish is also a lover of fantasy and make-believe. The Faux worlds created by Arthur Tress in FISH TANK SONATA (Bulfinch Press; ISBN: 082122686X) are exactly what these watery ones are looking for. The poem/text that accompanies the pictures will resonate with The Fish sign's desire to live in harmony with the natural and spiritual world.

And for your best girlfriend no matter what her sign...

--- Kali Burns