Valentine’s Day is one of the few holidays
that reaches all of us, regardless of our age, religion, gender, or
relationship status. It’s splashed everywhere with images of romantic love,
date nights, flowers, chocolates, and starry-eyed couples.

At the same time, young children are inundated
with cute card exchanges, parties, and of course, plenty of candy. More than
any other holiday, it celebrates an important aspect of every human being’s
life: Love.

All You Need Is Love

When I worked in bookstores, those of us
behind the counter always found the holiday amusing, as woman after woman came
in to buy hearts-and-flowers books and gifts, while male customers invariably wiped
out our stock of the Kama Sutra and other sex manuals.

“Love”
means different things to different people. But the pure, sweet, innocent
adoration between two kindergarteners deserves the word no less than the
besotted teenager, the bride on her wedding day, or the husband caring for his
wife’s daily needs, even when she no longer remembers who he is.

If we are in a relationship, Valentine’s Day
is an opportunity – or perhaps, intense pressure – to express our appreciation
toward our significant other. If we are not in a relationship, it may prompt
sadness, regret, and loneliness, or it may spark happy memories and an
appreciation for our newfound self-love.

In our 60s, we may be widowed, divorced,
married, joyously single, or longing for connection. In any case, we cannot
escape the holiday’s prod to focus on love, all its attendant joys and sorrows,
and specifically, its place in our own lives.

Find the Sweet Spot

In Feng Shui, there is one area of your home
associated with Love and Relationships. In your bagua – the nine-square grid of
your floorplan, with the wall where your front door is creating the bottom line
of the grid – the Love and Relationships area is the top
right corner section, or far right, as you face your front door wall from the
outside.

Its power color, unsurprisingly, is pink. Whether
you are in a solid, happy relationship, an unhappy one, or none at all, you can
help this area of your life by giving this part of your home a little special
attention.

Clean, Clear, and Color

First, as always, this area needs to be cleaned
and cleared of clutter. It should reflect you as you are now and should be
filled with things you love. Remember that getting rid of things you don’t
love, use, need, or want in this area will help to clear the obstacles and
impediments to your fully joyous love life.

If the idea of the color pink repels
you, remember that there are many, many variations of this color, from fuchsia
to rose gold, salmon to mauve, creamy champagne to cotton candy.

Reds and whites –
which make pink when combined – can also be used here, in moderation.
Bring in pinks in paint colors, fabrics, furniture, and artwork. Pink flowers,
such as peonies – real, artificial, or in artwork – are also good here.

Coupling Off

Another important addition you can make to
this area is an obvious one for loving relationships: things in pairs. The
traditional Chinese pair is two mandarin ducks, but a Western version might be
a modern rendering of two swans.

Hanging a set of two pictures or one picture
of two birds is a nice, easy way to start. Pairs can be furniture, objects, candles,
or knickknacks, for example. Choose items that symbolize love to you, such as
heart shapes or figurines of loving couples.

I also like to use sets of decorative bookends
for this purpose, as it’s an easy way to get two items that clearly go together
or match perfectly. And you do not have to have any books at all in the area to
use them beautifully.

Words and Images

This is the place for love affirmations,
quotes, or poetry that is meaningful to you, either in wall art, framed on a
tabletop, or written down and kept in a pretty box.

If you are in a relationship, place here
photos of your beloved and/or of the two of you together in happy times. Wedding
photos, souvenirs from happy trips or events, or love letters in a beautiful
box are all good ideas.

Love Is Everywhere

You can also find the Love and Relationships
area of all the other rooms in your home – using the door to the room as you
did your front door, and finding the far right corner of the room from there – and bring in a bit of pink or red, or some
things in pairs, happy personal photos, or love affirmations.

Just a couple of candles, a pink picture
frame, or a red pillow can add a little spark of love energy in any room.

I Believe in Miracles

All of these enhancements can help whether
your love relationship is happy or unhappy, or you are not in a relationship
but want to be in one, or you are happily alone, learning to love yourself.

Maintaining, improving, and attracting a
loving relationship call for the same love energy to be freely flowing and
healthy.

Avoid dark blue and black, wavy shapes, mirrors,
pictures of water, and water features in the Love and Relationships areas, as
these represent the Water Element. Water douses Fire, which is the Love area’s
power Element.

You can use Valentine’s Day to remind you of
the power of love, and the importance of it in all of our lives. Let it inspire
you to get to work on the Love and Relationships part of your home.

Are you content with your relationship status?
What do you think you’re lacking? Would you readily experiment with some Feng
Shui enhancements? Which ones sound most interesting and doable? Please share
in the comments below!