A MUSING WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?

On a recent trip to the Maldives, I had the chance to experience a special “love guru” session with a visiting spiritual healer. I’ve been with my partner for over a decade and thought this might give us new perspectives and insights into our relationship. My partner was very sceptical, and when the healer visited our villa, asking for drawn curtains and lit candles, alarm bells started to ring. Still we played along, down to the humming mantras being played on her iPad. The session started with us sitting cross-legged and looking into each other’s eyes. We prayed hard we wouldn’t laugh as she told us to imagine that we each had a flower in our own hearts with a light emanating from the centre into each other’s hearts. Then, we had to place one hand on our heart and the other on each other’s heart.

My partner was then asked to climb onto my lap, our ears pressed side by side, and hum, so that our souls could hear the resonance of our love and open our chakras (all I could think about was the worsening pins and needles in my right leg, but I digress). All the while we were tasked with stroking and touching parts of each other’s face and body. I kept imagining an ugly pimple on the side of my face, and when roaming fingers started stroking my cheeks, the first thought wasn’t “That’s so soothing” but rather, “Have you washed your hands with disinfectant?” The effect was nothing short of an Absolutely Fabulous moment—I could just imagine Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley as Edina and Patsy having a “love prayer” session; mini cymbals clinking, candles ablaze and the air filled with the scent of incense smoke.

Needless to say, the session was marvellous for amusing afterdinner conversation. Have you ever been tasked to look into your partner’s eyes to see their soul? I thought not. Now, I come from a work environment where the your p Now, I come from a work environme BAZAAR teR BAZAAR team is famed for living their life according to the stars—astrology is as integral to the team’s survival as water and air. If there’s any mishap, we put it all down to Mercury being in retrograde. Even when we moved into our new offices, we went through a complete feng shui process that included rolling a pineapple into the premises to ensure good fortune. Recently, there was a tarot card reader at a Dior event—tarot cards featured prominently in its cruise collection, after all—and true to tradition, my teamwas first in line, asking all sorts of questions.

But somehow, it all boiled downto the one topic that mattered most: Love. I remember meeting the famed astrologer, Susan Miller, in New Yorkalmost 10 years ago. I was with Senior Fashion Editor, Windy Aulia. To him,a personal audience with Miller is the equivalent of winning Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket in real life. While a love guru and tarot cards weren’t able to give me serious insights into my relationship, would Miller be able to help? I turned to the Astrology Zone website and this was Miller’s summary for Leo that month: “You love to be in love. You love the thrill of the chase, the candlelit dinners, the romantic text messages, and tender moments together. You are usually jovial and in high spirits—this month, you seem uncharacteristically serious.

This can be a good sign, for you and your sweetheart may be getting ready to wed and discussing your future together.” Wow! That’s news to me indeed. Sweetheart, are you reading this? If all goes as Miller said, there might be bells ringing and champagne glasses clinking well into 2018. Perhaps the love guru did open some chakras that we never knew existed. If it calls for us to hum a tune and get our faces stroked, sign us up. There’s nothing we wouldn’t do for that thing called love. chakras that w calls for us to hu stroked, sign us wouldn’t do for what thing called love.