With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, we at Peaceful Dumpling have been thinking about alternative ways to celebrate the polarizing Hallmark Holiday that involve less waste, more chic—and more meaning. We also desire for our version of lovers’ day to be inclusive of singles, non-binary love, self-love, and all of the gorgeous stuff in between. And thus I propose a beautiful way to creatively explore your own way of loving: The Inner Venus Altar.
In the mythos of Astrology, your Venus placement is said to offer insight into your romantic inclinations—who you love, what you love, how you love. Therefore, spending some time thinking about your Venus placement (this is a fun way to find out if you don’t already know your placement) can be a fresh way of reflecting on your love language, and, you know, feel little ~cosmic~ while doing so. “The placement of Venus in our chart indicates how we relate to aesthetics, relationships, and wealth,” Juliana McCarthy, author of The Stars within You, explains, “Venus tells the story of how we connect with partners and friends. If our sparkle and social graces are apparent, we know Venus is present.”
Whether or not you ultimately identify with your Venus sign is a little besides the point. The idea of this exploration is to find a new angle to think about the role that love plays in your life—your partnerships, your friendships, your self-love, your tastes. What makes you feel love most intensely?
Do you love people and things that are daring? Unconventional? Classic? Comfortable? What situations or mindsets bring out your “sparkle” and “graces”? Are you turned on by intellect, romantic gestures, loyalty, humor?
Quickly journal or create a list to get your thoughts on paper. Silence your inner critic or any expectations of what you should be writing—just be honest and judgment-free. Part of the purpose of this activity is to love the way you love.
Now comes the really fun part. Create your Inner Venus Altar.
How to Create an Inner Venus Altar for Self-Love
For the week of Valentine’s Day—or for the rest of the month of February—you can tweak your current altar set-up or create a new one to celebrate what Venus, or love, means to you! Here are just a few ideas to spark your creativity.
What makes you feel sexy? Place something that represents your sexuality in your altar. This may be kind of challenging, so you’ll have to get creative. A print of a beautiful painting, a gorgeous bottle of perfume (my pick!), a book of poetry, a small figurine, a luscious smelling candle?
Choose something to represent what you want to birth in the near future. One aspect of love/sex that we don’t really talk about on V-Day is fertility (can’t imagine anything about making babies on a candy heart!). Of course, fertility relates to much more than literal reproduction! What personal projects need to be fertilized with your love and attention? Place something on your altar that represents what you most desire to create.
Bring in a natural element. What do you love in nature? Aside from flowers (which for the most part aren’t really in bloom at the moment), I love bare twigs with striking asymmetry (and if that doesn’t have Venus in Aquarius vibes, I don’t know what does!).
Write a letter to your Inner Venus. On your nicest stationery, with your favorite pen, write a love letter to your Inner Venus, thanking them for helping guide you to the loves in your life. Celebrate your fondest experiences in love. Place the letter on your altar and reread from time to time.
Add music. If you feel like being even more creative, create a playlist that represents your Inner Venus (whether or not that includes your Venus placement). These should be songs that ignite your love, passion, and every sexy fiber of your being.
What your favorite way to celebrate your love style?
Related: 10 Lovely Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day As a Modern Feminist
Balance Your Star Sign With These Magical Zodiac Perfumes
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Photo: Photo by Dương Trần Quốc on Unsplash
