Not having much luck in love lately? Relationship falling apart? Maybe its those upside down dried flowers in you have hanging in your hallway, (oh so chic in Martha Stewart Land but the kiss of the death in Feng Shui circles.) Or maybe its the antique full length mirror in your bedroom ...

Feng Shui (pronounced Feng Shway) is the ancient Chinese art of rearranging design elements so that they harmonize with your enviroment. Several systems are used to determine what should go where to enhance the love life, but the one that applies to anyone reading this is the Pa Kua system. In Pa Kua, the southwest corner is the love sector of your home.

First of all get a compass, and find out what exactly is in the Southwest corner of your building. Is there a bedroom there? Good. A toilet there? Bad. It means your romantic prospects are getting flushed away. Is your Southwest corner a badly lit storeroom full of clutter? Also bad. It means your love-life will be as messy as well. In fact, no matter what room that corner is located in, it now becomes your job to enhance it as best as you can, by getting rid of clutter and using decor. You are also going to rehaul the southwest corner of your bedroom to double your chances of attracting romance.

What's in southwest corner of your bedroom? A closet? Bad. A vase full of beautiful flowers? Good. That will greatly enhance your chances of attracting a suitable partner.

To attract a partner, Feng Shui experts recommend putting a painting of peonies, or a vase of the flowers there. You could substitute any flower for the peony (as long as its not prickly like a cactus), but whatever you do make sure the flowers are fresh. The Chinese hate dead or dried flowers and would prefer that you have those rather than any kind of decay in a spot that signifies your love life. Also lucky for romance, is a pair of wooden ducks or a painting of two ducks (as ducks mate for life) If you don't like how formal these ducks look, you can always do what I did and put two rubber ducks in your southwest corner.

Mirrors on the ceiling, especially full-lenght ones, or mirrors on the walls in the bedroom are a big no no, as they symbolize portals through which an interfering third party's energy can enter...Feng Shui masters don't like to invite voyeurism.

If you don't like Chinese decor, you could use my favourite westernized Feng Shui tool -- the Lava Lamp. Pink glowing goo moving up and down in your romance corner is sure to send out a sensuous vibe. Pictures or statues of loving couples or love friendly Goddesses such as Venus and Aphrodite would also help activate the love sector. As the southwest corner is symbolized by the earth element, it is also helpful to place crystals there, with the most suitable choice being rose quartz. If you want to go all out, you might want to also consider painting that corner or adjacent walls a bright red, also to symbolize passion. Whatever you do, don't go overboard...you could end up with a bedroom that looks like a Chinese brothel, or worse yet, invite somebody over who is familiar with Feng Shui who might go ³Hmmmm...I see ducks, flowers, crystals, red walls ...I better get out of here! This person is just a tad too desperate for me!