Question: I am seriously considering going into business with a friend of mine - Patricia.  We are thinking of opening a small clinic in a town near us.  Could Michael comment on this as well as our friendship?  Patricia and I almost instantly "clicked" and seem to give to each other effortlessly.  We have talked about multiple ventures over the years, but this just feels really right, for both of us.

Note: This is a question, shared with permission and with names changed, asked by someone wondering about the energy in a relationship and any past life associations.  These types of responses are often informative in private sessions and can validate some intuitive knowingness we all have.

The connections between you and the woman Patricia are many and varied. To begin with, there are past-life associations that bear an energy imprint to this day. The most significant of these was a mother-daughter relationship in east Africa in the 1700's. Slavery was just beginning in that area but your region was still fairly safe. You lived in a village with a widely-renowned sage, and travelers came from all over to meet this man and hear his wisdom. You were the mother in this relationship and part of your time was spent serving this man, as he was unmarried and the people of the village cared for him, making meals, cleaning, etc.

The reason why this relationship is still salient today is that at puberty, the daughter now known as Patricia was sold to the man the sage to become his wife. This was not uncommon in that region at that time, and young girls were often sold into marriage with older men. Although this wise man was gentle and kind for the most part, Patricia resented being traded away from her family and began to elicit a relationship elsewhere with an attractive young unmarried man. Although extra-marital affairs were highly tolerated in that place at that time, because of the status of this wise man it was determined by the village that it was best for the fragment now known as Patricia to discontinue her affair and to remain with the wise man. She again was unhappy at this, found herself pregnant with the child of her lover, and chose to leave the village and her family and people to see what the wider world would bring. This leaving was very difficult, and her young man chose not to accompany her.

Soon this woman found herself in a city, alone and unknown, and could not find suitable employment to keep herself and her baby, and so was forced to give up the baby to as more affluent family. She then eventually returned to her home village, alone and, in her eyes, in shame. She died of a wasting disease several months afterward, and never really felt reconciled to her relationships with her family, even though they welcomed her with open arms. The guilt was on her part, and some of that exists today. Patricia feels something of an obligation to be the friend and helper of you. This is not a conscious feeling, but is hidden very deeply inside, but it is still a large part of what drives her actions ion this relationship. Still, a business venture between these two fragments would more than likely turn out well. There are other things that draw these two souls together that have created a strong bond, and a likely outcome of a joint venture would be success.

There are other connections drawing these two souls together. There is indeed an agreement of a facilitating-type regarding business, another reason for seriously considering the merits of such a venture. This agreement is mutual, and there are no other requirements. It may be acted upon or not without creating karma if the choice is to renege. Another agreement between these two fragments is of providing mutual emotional support. Often two or more fragments will choose to bond together in such an agreement, similar to but of course quite different from a spiritual guide agreement, and this emotional support can be provided for a short or long period, as the people in questions decide. In this case, there is a long-standing agreement of this type and we see that the souls in question have already not only noticed this connection but have both derived much comfort from it. The third agreement between these souls is of a procurement nature. This is the least-concrete of the three agreements, as there are so many other variables at work. Basically, there is an agreement to draw toward and introduce a mate prospect. There are potential mate agreements awaiting each of you, and although you may choose not to act upon this agreement at all, there is/was a mutual agreement to perform this service for one another should you each be in a position to wish it. As of yet, we see that neither one of you has acted on this agreement, but that is not to say that things may change in the future and you may choose at some later time to do so.