West Meets East©

By Caroline Patrick

Valentine's Day, Heart-to-Heart Healing

Valentine's week is a good time to reevaluate your current love relationship. Take a few minutes, or hours if necessary, and write down, "what isn't working." It takes two to make or break a relationship. Be honest and own up to your half of the problem. Take responsibility. Many times the problem came on board looking like an asset, disguised as a fixer-upper. What woman doesn't the challenge of sprucing up that special guy, while some men feel manly by rescuing that little cute little lady? Watch out folks, this is a perfect formula for divorce. If you don't love them for just the way they are, then the road gets rocky from the get-go! In my experience, what you marry them for is what you eventually leave them for … think about that for a while.

We would all be on better behavior if a marriage license required a yearly renewal. That might be too tempting to pull up stakes, but a ten-year renewal would probably do us all in! Cars, televisions, and children show their age. Cars and televisions can be replaced every few years, but children and relationships are worth the effort of hanging onto, in most cases that is. There are exceptions, of course. Feng Shui is one tool that can help ease us through troubled times. You can try therapy. This is also a valuable way to find our way back on track, with the help of a marriage counselor. Personally I find this is an invitation to say hurtful things to each other while a coach looks on. Eventually you must face each other and evaluate when, where and why, love turned into captivity. When? "When I wanted you to have everything you never had as a child and these things would fill that hole and heal your Boo Boo." Where? "In La La Land." Why? "Because then I would be the one you would love, worship and be indebted to for the rest of your life. Then you would never want to leave me, ever." Oh, by the way, I have never seen a sequel to Cinderella. I'm sure she and the prince went into therapy at some point. Slippers made of glass are a bit risky and don't come with a guarantee. Breakage is high and they aren't good for hiking on life's path. With that said, in the 1950's I was gifted with a record version of Cinderella. A chorus of chubby mice singing throughout her trying early life was one of my favorite stories. The Disney disk was played so many times it warped, and the record sounded as if the mice, ducks and other lurking animals had their tails mashed by the magic golden coach which took Cinderella and her Prince off to "Never-Never Land." I dreamed of my Prince coming to rescue me from my responsible parents.

To spruce up your love life, I am not going to tell you to put fresh flowers, flooded by romantic candle light, hang a curtain between an open bathroom and master bedroom floor plan design, or sleep on peachy, coral, pink sheets to bring skin-colored tones to your bedroom to promote passion (which can help). I am going to ask you to be honest, and to take ownership of why your love relationships falter. Lessons come to us in many ways. They lurk for a time, go away and return another day, in another way. God is talking. Take time to listen, or you will spend a life time not seeing the answers. Ask yourself, "What am I learning from this experience?" Observe and listen some more. What is your partner telling you? Connect heart to heart. Place your hand over his/her heart, fill it with bright light and remember why you came together. Heal each other. (Check the far back right section of the house and backyard for clues to marriage problems.)

ATTENTION: I WILL BE COMING TO BENICIA THE LATTER PART OF APRIL (around the 15th to 23rd). Please call now to book a consultation, "check-up," workshop or speaking engagement. Can't wait to see everyone! caroline@fengshuiartistry.com or (360) 434-1501.

WHAT IS CUSTOMIZED FENG SHUI MENTORING?

· It is for those wishing to study with me privately, with the experience of over 4500 consultations. ONE ON ONE, starting where you need to start.

· A six-month commitment is necessary.

· A monthly mentoring date is set for at least one to two hours of phone conversation, at different intervals.

· Packets are sent for you to study each month. Emailing and faxes will be part of the course as we go over floor plans.

NEW CLASSES COMING IN 2008……… THE YEAR OF THE EARTH RAT!

Please visit www.fengshuiartistry.com and click on www.moongateschool.com for current local and out-of-state class schedules in Feng Shui, Art and Medicine making with Herbs. Caroline is available for teaching and speaking engagements.

Caroline lives in the Northwest Region of the US, called The Puget Sound in Washington State. She is a Feng Shui Practitioner, writer, author and artist. She gives workshops in Feng Shui, Elements of Art; private mentoring for serious students lectures and writes for newspapers. She combines teaching and traveling to other locations, here and abroad. Her 2008 schedule includes workshop and classes in the Northwest, Southwest, Midwest and Alaska. She is available speaking, teaching and consultations.

Please consult your physician for physical problems as this article only gives ideas and suggestions. Caroline is not responsible for anyone using these suggested plants or advice for cures or healing any problem either medical or Feng Shui claims. This column and article is for entertainment only. Please seek help from a qualified physician, naturopath, herbalist or other certified person for treatment.

Caroline Patrick Caroline's Feng Shui Concepts Mt. Vernon, WA 360-424-1501

caroline@fengshuiartistry.com www.fengshuiartistry.com www.moongateschool.com