To be protected by the toughness and durability of love, while remaining connected to its rawness and tenderness… that is the sacred quest, is it not? And yet, so often it seems like we’re only capable of feeling one of these things at a time.

This makes sense when you remember that the heart’s chambers don’t beat in unison. They work in concert, though each has its own function. We experience wholeness and disparity in every instant — built for regularity but easily lured into quickening, prone to delirious nonsensical spasms.

Eros is a deep well that we never fully crawl out of; our amphibious nature prevents us from straying too far from the muck. We dive even further into it during Lupercalia season, probing for new undercurrents and fresh gouts of color, searching the slippery crevices between stones for the source of that beastly nature which is never fully dormant and guides our hands (sometimes roughly, sometimes gently) all year long.

Searching is finding. A grasping hand is its own prayer, an artistic statement in itself. A solitary sigh is still part of humankind’s collective song, and the sighs of two or more lovers are its chorus. The parts of us that sprout into full view are just a tiny part of the tale; to get the whole story, one must dig deeper and nestle among the swollen roots.

Historically Lupercalia is a celebration of lustful, drunken madness. You’ll find plenty of the usual examples among this season’s collection, but it can take surprising forms. The HEART BEET scent which provided a visual centerpiece for the launch presents vitally organic forms which are anything but bloodless; the relative chastity of treats like PISTACHIO AMBROSIA belie an erotic arrogance. And of course, our annual exploration of historical Shunga artworks is unparalleled in its frankness while still making a case for the simplicity and innocence of desire — perhaps our most natural state.

So climb into the well with us, or mash yourself against the earth and join us for a lovely slither among the stalks and tubers. Latch greedily onto whatever sparkles, and if a spirit takes hold of you, perhaps you’ll be moved to grasp it right back. In the memorable words of Tom Robbins: “Breathe properly. Stay curious. And eat your beets.”