Feng Shui Questions

A few months ago me and my husband got divorced. My question concerns our bed, which we bought together, for the two of us. The bed is only a couple of years old and it's good so I'm thinking - what should I do with it? Can I keep it or should I get rid of it as soon as possible in order to be able to find a new, long-lasting love relationship?

Thanks for your help! - G.H., Sweden

Karen's reply:

In Chapter 15 of Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, I explain how important it is to start a new relationship in a place where neither partner has lived before, and I also believe it is wise to start with a new mattress. Mattresses become deeply imprinted, and if you don't want the new relationship to go the same way as the old, then it's not a good idea to immerse yourself in all the old energies every night when you go to sleep.

Of course not all relationships have mileage, so it's wise to wait until you're sure of this before going to the expense of moving house or buying a new mattress.

If your bed is only a couple of years old and the divorce was an amicable one, just thwack it to vibrate all the old energies out of it, and don't worry about getting a new mattress until you have found a wonderful new man to go with it. But if your marriage ended, my best advice is to dump the mattress and give yourself the best possible chance of moving on to something better.

Dear Karen,

My father has lived in the same house all of his life. It is a house that was built by his parents, and the place where he and his children grew up. Recently he and his girlfriend have decided to move in together. They have decided to move into her house, as it is in a better area and would be a better investment.

This leaves my father in a difficult position. He needs to move out of and sell a house he is extremely attached to in order to move forward in his relationship. He and his girlfriend have experienced some moderate squabbles and tension regarding his delays in selling his house. There are some repairs and preparations he would like to make that she feels are unnecessary. When I suggested to my father that he should do whatever he would like to prepare himself to move, he said, "No, I don't think so. I'd like to take the house and put it in my back pocket."

Any suggestions?

Karen's reply:

In my consultancy work I have seen that it is always problematic when one partner moves into the home of another.

My advice to any couples setting up home together for the first time is always to do so in a place that neither person has lived in before. Therefore I strongly recommended that both your father and his girlfriend sell their properties, pool their finances, and buy a new home together.