Hey there, I'm Gotham Chopra and this is Holy
Facts, the show where we take you on a tour
of the weirder side of religion and spirituality,
from Hollywood spiritualists to the Mayan
apocalypse.
On this episode, we’re turning our attention
to all things Romance and Love.
So step aboard this enchanted carriage ride
and let us sweep you off your feet with our
heart-shaped box of knowledge.
[Intro Music]
One of the most enduring symbols of love is
Cupid, the Roman god of desire.
Although he’s often depicted as a fat naked
baby, the Cupid of mythology was actually
a young naked man.
Although this guy didn’t get the costume
quite right, he is right on the money with
the general Cupid-like behavior.
Cupid, the son of the love goddess Venus,
flew around shooting people with arrows, causing
those hit to fall in love.
Not to be confused with OKCupid’s arrow,
which causes those hit by it to go on terrible
first dates with weirdos who look nothing
like their profile pictures.
Humans have always looked for a quick love-fix
– a metaphorical arrow to the heart of one’s
beloved.
Evidence of love spells and love magic dates
back to Ancient Greece.
As far back as the 4th Century BC, women practiced
magic and used spells to preserve their beauty,
which would in turn keep their men interested.
Can you imagine, people resorting to extreme
measures to stay youthful?
Boy, ancient Greece was a different time.
… Or not.
Pagans and Wiccans still practice love spells
and you can even purchased a personalized
love spell cast on your behalf if you’re
really feeling desperate for a Valentines
Day date.
Although if this lady and her wall of spices
is your best hope at securing a lover, the
battle’s already kind of lost, don’t you
think?
Valentine’s Day commemorates St. Valentine,
a third century Roman Catholic martyr.
There’s a lot of conflicting information
about just who Valentine was, and even how
many Valentines there were.
One story goes that Valentine was a priest
who tried to convert Emperor Claudius to Christianity
and as a result was beaten with clubs and
beheaded.
Oh, romantic!
It wasn’t until the 14th Century that Valentine’s
Day began to be more associated with love
than with a dead Catholic martyr.
Composing and sending love poems became a
common Valentine’s Day activity and in the
1850s an enterprising young woman named Esther
Howland began mass-producing the first Valentine’s
cards.
Which you should feel free to tell anyone
who claims it was the other way around, that
the greeting card industry invented Valentine’s
Day.
But hey, can we get serious for a moment?
We’re allowed to do that right?
Occasionally?
Love is probably the most powerful human emotion
we possess.
It drives us to do fantastic, illogical and
profound things.
People in love know it to be the most spiritual
state of existence because it is the best
feeling in the world.
Probably sounds kind of hippy, but I for one
think that the world and everyone in it would
be a lot better off if we just had a little
more love flowing between us.
Call me crazy, and that wouldn’t be the
first time, but I say we test this theory
and see what happens.
How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day?
Have you ever put a love spell on anyone?
Let us know in the comments or by uploading
a response video.
