There is something obvious in the air now — something electric, unseen and undeniably chaotic. We are in a shifting threshold where worlds are no longer colliding but separating due to energetic and frequency changes. The higher frequencies of a new world emerging are moving away from the lower, materially focused world that is combusting and breaking apart.

Because of this unique time, each of us is being challenged to look clearly at the relationships around us. Every relationship in our life must be seen as a mirror, magnifier and messenger. In this transitional era, relationships are less about romantic fairy tales and more about awakening. They are spiritual assignments wrapped in human emotion.

Through the people who come to me for readings, I am constantly studying relationships — new ones entering my clients’ lives, difficult ones being addressed. They come in all forms: husbands, wives, lovers, in-laws, bosses and business partners. Many of my clients express that some new connections feel ancient. Many are meeting partners who force them to move deeper into their soul connection — either through intense pain that triggers spiritual growth and awakening, or through a conscious awareness that they are together for a deeper purpose than simply to “get married” and live out a traditional life story.

During periods of planetary transition and collective awakening, relationships are accelerating. You may either meet your soul tribe or soul mate, or experience intense shake-ups in relationships that force rapid growth. This is not accidental; the Universe is orchestrating it. But not all intense connections are the same. And because it is Valentine’s Day — a celebration of love and relationships — I thought it would be fitting to write about the nuances of these connections.

First, there is the soul mate. This may be one of the gentlest of these sacred bonds. A soul mate is someone your soul has traveled with before. There is easy recognition upon first meeting. While popular culture often portrays soul mates as romantic partners, they can also be friends, mentors, or even family members. Their purpose is support, companionship and shared growth. With them, you feel seen. There is harmony, even in the midst of challenges. Soul mates walk beside you, and that shared journey carries a deeper purpose that your togetherness fulfills. Soul mates anchor us in love so we remember who we are.

Sometimes, people mistake an initial energetic and magnetic attraction for a soul mate bond. In reality, that can simply be chemistry. Inevitably, this intense energy may reveal itself as a karmic relationship. We call these connections to us because of unfinished business from past lives — lessons left unlearned, wounds left unhealed, patterns repeated across lifetimes. Beneath the chemistry lies a curriculum.