In his best-selling book, The Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav discusses the important of creating spiritual growth across all areas of your life. This is done through the expression of integrity and authentic power.

One of the most powerful, but often overlooked areas for spiritual growth comes from our deepest and most intimate relationships. Zukav outlines a new paradigm for relationships by introducing the concept of spiritual partnerships, rather than marriage.

In this post we’ll dive into what a spiritual partnership is, and how you can create partnership in your life.

What Is a Spiritual Partnership?

A spiritual partnership is a partnership between equals for the purpose of spiritual growth.

This is the definition that Zukav outlines both in The Seat of the Soul and his subsequent book: Spiritual Partnership: The Journey to Authentic Power.

To understand this idea, we must recognize that personalities are not equal, but souls are. No one is more important than you, and also no one is less important than you. When we have superiority or inferiority issues in our lives, those ideas are based in fear.

It is not possible to create a truly spiritual partnership when one of the partners is coming from a place of fear. In this way, the only way to have a spiritual relationship is to be truly equal.

This equality arises from one’s sense of authentic power. It arises from the soul, rather than the self.

Read more about authentic power.

The second part of creating a spiritual partnership is the focus on spiritual growth. Zukav writes that in a traditional marriage, the primary focus of the two individuals is the perpetuation of material aims. Traditionally, husbands and wife work together to create security, which can take the form of owning a home, amassing wealth, and raising a family. The primary motivation of the couple is to survive together in the physical world.

As we grow spiritually, however, the physical demands of the world around us become less important, and we find we become more focused on spiritual growth. A true spiritual partnership will recognize this commitment between the two individuals. While they may still work together to own a home and raise a family, there is also an undercurrent of spirituality between the two individuals. Each is committed to the other’s growth.

Guidelines for a Spiritual Partnership

Creating a spiritual partnership in your life does not have to be difficult. It does not mean you have to forsake the traditional roles of marriage, or follow any specific set of instructions in order to grow together.

It is, at its heart, a commitment between you and your partner. This commitment has several guidelines.

Equality

The first, and perhaps the most important, guideline for a spiritual partnership is that you and your partner respect each other’s equality in all matters. This means learning to value your partner’s opinion as equally as you do your own, and taking the time to truly understand their perspective. It also means learning to love their desires as well, and to see that their best interests are also your best interests.

Trust

The second component to consider is trust. Trust is essential in any relationship, and in a spiritual relationship it takes on even greater importance. In order to be completely open and honest requires not only trust, but the willingness to be vulnerable. It requires the cultivation of a trust so deep that any issue can be discussed openly, with each partner’s full awareness that the issue is helping them to grow.

Honor and Respect

Another guideline for spiritual partnership is honor and respect. This means recognizing that even in moments when the relationship is trying, your partner is playing exactly the role you need for you to take your own next step. Sometimes this may look like love and support, while at others it may look like disagreement. When you approach the relationship from a soul perspective, rather than the ego, you are able to see this service more clearly.

Growth

Lastly, underpinning all true spiritual partnerships is a mutual commitment to growth. Spiritual partners recognize that they are not just personalities walking through the physical world, but are soul’s progressing through a much broader spiritual journey. As you commit to each other’s growth, you open yourselves to allowing new ideas and perspectives to live a fuller, happier, and more loving life together.

Interview with Oprah on SuperSoul Sunday

To learn more, listen to this amazing interview with Gary Zukav and Oprah from SuperSoul Sunday, where he discusses the details of creating an equal partnership.

Spiritual Partnership Quotes and Insights

“The archetype of spiritual partnership reflects the conscious journey of multisensory humans toward authentic power.”

“In a spiritual partnership you learn that wanting what you want is not enough, but that you must both want it deeply and create it every day, that you must bring it into being and hold it in being with your intentions.”

“[Spiritual partners] see matter as the densest, or heaviest level of Light that is continually being shaped and reshaped by the souls that share this sphere of learning. They consciously cocreate their experiences with each other, with an alive Earth that loves Life very much, and with a compassionate Universe.”

“If you wish the world to become loving and compassionate, become loving and compassionate yourself. If you wish to diminish fear in the world, diminish your own. These are the gifts that you can give.”

“Love is not a passive state. It is an active force. It is the force of the soul.”