February Plans - Valentine Obligation

I've got a lot in store for this month in order to catch up on two weeks lost to The Plague: Cleaning the Bedroom, setting up an Altar to Erzulie Freda (been putting that off for the last 4 months), various Love Spells, Cleaning the Kitchen, and finally having Chili Night (an event I've been promising people since before Christmas). Figures that I'm cramming so much into the shortest month!

I've always liked February, and Valentine's Day in particular. I supposed that as a Witch and Happy Lil' Heathen, I should be talking more about Imbolc, but honestly, it doesn't mean anything to me. I will wish my followers and fellow Pagans/Witches a Happy Imbolc, but I don't look at it as a holiday in my beleif system.

Valentine's Day, however, is one of my favorite holidays. When I was little and in grade school, we used to have little V-day parties and make paper mailboxes, exchange Valentines, and gorge ourselves on candy and cupcakes. My school had a rule that EVERYONE in the class had to get a Valentine, even if we were bitter enemies. I found that out in First Grade when my teacher pulled me aside and said that, even tho I loathed the little shit-head who would make my life a living Hell for 6 years, I still HAD to make him a Valentine. When you're 7 years old, it's utterly unfair. But as I grew older and became the school's outcast, I was grateful for the rule that I would receive exactly 20 cards on V-day, regardless of if anyone truly liked me or not.

I kept up the tradition of getting little Valentine's and candies for my friends all through high school and college, and even brought in a few lollipops and cards for co-workers at various jobs. I've already picked up some cute Puppy & Kitten cards for my current co-workers and will be making cupcakes as well.

However, I'm once again stuck with the one person I loathe (Darth A-Hole) and the dilemma of do I give him a Valentine or not? I don't want to outright make it clear that I despise him, and even other co-workers who hate him included him in the Christmas Card Pile this year. I honestly have half a mind to include a little invisible-ink sigil on his card, just to make it clear that I'm only doing this out of obligation. But that's the Wicked Witch in me talking, so I'll probably just find the most generic Valentine in the box and give it to him. Maybe there's a less-than adorable breed of dog in the bunch...

Anyway, expect more posts and maybe even a few Altar pics, once I get things cleaned and set up. January was a lost cause, and so Feb will be Mulligan Month around here.