The crystal ball

Toronto Sun - January 4, 2004 - By Valerie Gibson

The new year stretches ahead -- pure and unblemished -- so far.

Won't take me long to make more than a few muddy footprints on it, as always.

I must admit my life is a constant churn of activity as well as an ever-changing emotional event, both good
and bad.

This is especially true when it comes to my dating and love life.

I dated up a storm in 2003 with very mixed results -- most of them didn't exactly register on the Richter Scale
-- far from it in fact. Most went by with only a shudder.

Despite the fact the type of relationship I most enjoy is with a younger man, I have actually dated in the past few years a wide range of ages. What this has done is convince me I was absolutely right in the first place.

There were a couple of bright spots in the emotional department (both younger) at the end of the year, quite exciting and initially full of promise, but they haven't turned into anything tangible.

Despite the hazards, drawbacks, rejections, humiliations, frustrations and failures of contemporary dating, I still enjoy meeting and dating guys, and am still optimistic about finding someone to laugh and love with.

So what of 2004? Will this be the year I'll meet Mr. Special?

Could I be suddenly swept off my feet or maybe I already know him and the relationship will grow into Something Big? Wouldn't it be great to glimpse into the future!

Well, why not do that?

Two people who do just that on a regular basis are renowned Canadian psychics and clairvoyants, Robert Lindsy Milne and Deborah Levin.

Both based in Toronto, I visited to ask them to gaze into their crystal balls and tell me what they foresaw in my love life for 2004.

As a cat lover, Levin was anxious about connecting to information which could help me find my cat Patience, who was stolen last year. However, she also carefully studied my human romantic connections.

First up, she said, was a strong image of a man who was either coming into my life this year or might already be here. But I didn't recognize the tall, slender, fair-skinned, frizzy-haired intellectual in his late 40s or early 50s
she described.

"He may be a vegetarian, is connected to books and writing, is politically-minded and rather jaded about relationships," she said. But she cautioned me to be careful as this wasn't going to be a long-term relationship.

Too bad, as he sounds really interesting.

I asked her about the men I met at the end of last year.

'EXPAND MY HORIZONS'

One was unsuitable she said because he's deceitful. "He's still in another relationship." Ah. I'd already worked
that out.

The other is "very nice" and "could be good for me and offer a very pleasant relationship," she said. All right!

But she made a strong point that I should "resist" getting too deeply involved with someone this year as I am meant to "expand my horizons" rather than spend time on a relationship.

"There are lots of doors opening for you this year," she said, "You should be concentrating on those and not miss any opportunities by being committed to someone."

She gives me a wry smile. "You're going to be tested on this though."