There's a common misperception that there's only one soulmate for you. But the truth is, you may have a bunch of different soulmates, and not all of them are destined to become the greatest romantic relationship of your life (although some just might). Get to know the different types of soulmates, and you may start recognizing people in your life right now.
1. Karmic Soulmates
Karmic soulmates are people with whom you share a karmic connection. This could be a romantic relationship, but it doesn't have to be. It may not even be a pleasant connection. Karmic soulmates come into your life to help you have a specific experience, rebalance energy from previous lifetimes together, or help you along your path in life. These soulmates may appear as romantic partners (particularly past romantic partners), but they can also be people who have been in your life for a short period but ushered in extreme changes or self-understanding. Karmic soulmates often bring max results in minimum time.
2. Members of Your Soul Group
Your soul group is a group of souls that spend lifetimes together... and also do life between lives together. When you're not incarnated, you work together on growing and learning as souls, and when you incarnate together lifetime after lifetime, you put that energy into practical application. These soulmates often fulfill the role of family and close friends in your life. You most likely have a close personal connection with them throughout your life.
3. Soul Contracts
Soul contracts aren't from your soul group. These are other souls with whom you've made a contract for a particular purpose in this lifetime. These could be very short interactions or long-term relationships in your life. For example, say you wanted to experience yourself as someone who gives. Another soul could step up and agree to be one person who allows you to experience that in this lifetime, perhaps showing up as a person without a home to whom you give money. You have thousands of these throughout your life, and you also play that role thousands of times in other people's lives.
4. Romantic Soulmate
Not everyone has a romantic soulmate every lifetime, and some people have more than one. But in general, a romantic soulmate is a soul with whom you go through lifetimes together as romantic partners. In the entire history of your soul, you may share several lifetimes with one romantic soulmate and then share another set of lifetimes with another. Romantic soulmates are usually long-term life partners with whom you have an immediate connection, you're continually drawn to each other, and you probably have a short or long-term romantic partnership. You may not connect with a romantic soulmate in every lifetime.
Related: 18 Signs Your Soulmate Is Thinking of You Right Now
5. Kindred Spirits
While this isn't necessarily a romantic connection, it can be. Rather, kindred spirits are two souls who just "get" one another. You may have similar life experiences and viewpoints, and this is someone you feel safe and comfortable with. These often appear in your life as besties, mentors, parents, or children.
6. Twin Flames
A lot has been made about twin flames recently. Some people believe twin flames share your soul with you... just in a different body. So they often have experiences similar to yours. It's like you're two halves of the same whole. This can be a romantic connection, but it isn't always. It can also be someone you're incredibly close to. The purpose of a twin flame relationship is that you challenge and push one another to grow and learn.
Different Types of Soulmates
We idealize the concept of soulmates, believing it's our one true love with whom we are destined to go through this lifetime (and many others). And while this is how some people experience romantic soulmate relationships, it's not the only type of soulmate or soulmate relationship. A soulmate is another soul to whom you're connected and who can help you grow. In truth, everyone is a soulmate of some kind, as we're all connected and from the same source.