Signs & Symptoms of a Soulmate Encounter
by Kathlyne / Kathlyne.com

"I seem to have loved you in numberless forms, numberless times, in life after life, in age after age forever."
     - Rabindranath Tagore

If you've ever fed some shiny quarters into a slot machine and had the thrill of matching just the right elements across the board, the one armed bandit lets you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you're a winner. Lights flash, bells and whistles sound and music belts out of this metal noisemaker. If you're very fortunate, a cartoon character may even dance across the screen singing praises that you have the winning combination.

Don't you wish finding your soul mate was just as obvious an encounter? Are there any tell-tale signs that you may be overlooking? Actually, you may be surprised to find that there are some bells and whistles and maybe some twinkling lights to alert you that a soul mate is within reach, only the signals may be somewhat subtler than the gambling experience.

What factors set a soul mate apart from just any other Saturday night squeeze? There are certain indicators that are associated with a genuine soul mate encounter, but first you must learn to recognize them. So when you ask yourself, what does it take to qualify someone as a soul mate, here are some reminders you can post in your dating Rolodex.

  • Feeling a sense of déjà vu - we've done this before, we've been here before. Familiarity with surroundings and people associated with the soul mate candidate.

  • A synchronicity of events or outside forces that bring you together. It's as though the universe takes over to control your destiny. You may be reading the same book and know the same people. Things are just a little too coincidental.


  • Immediate attraction and chemistry. Love at first sight. Physically comfortable togetherness.


  • Although you've just met, you deeply understand one another. There is an immediate kinship. You just click.


  • This person has surfaced in your dreams. You recognize the face and mannerisms.


  • You both have interests in a particular culture or country. A yearning to explore these areas. The same foreign dishes may appeal to you too.


  • An intuitive feeling that this relationship was predestined. Upon meeting, you just knew you would be together.


  • The recognition of the soul is most often found in the eyes. The soul mate's eyes seem to just pull you in. Also, the voice is another telling sign. The sound of the voice may strike a familiar chord.


  • If you must force feelings, that person is not your soul mate. A true soul mate opens your heart naturally and effortlessly.


    • You may not recognize these signals immediately given that awareness of a soul mate may be a gradual process. Often the connection is revealed over a lengthy period of time. Chicago psychic Teddy O'Hearn had this to say about the search for a soul mate, "We must learn real love through countless lifetimes of giving and receiving, of dealing with imitations and misconceptions of the real thing, of learning to cope with enmity, in order to achieve a complete education in lovemaking which will make us fit for the reunion with the divine soulmate."

    Thomas Moore tells us that the soul needs amorous sadness, "It is a form of consciousness that brings it's own unique wisdom." He reminds us that one of the problems with caring for the soul is to acknowledge the need of pathos and tragedy. "If we view love only from a high moralistic or hygienic peak, we will overlook its soul settling in the valleys." Yes, love hurts!

    It's not unusual to think you've met your soul mate, only to determine later when things go awry, that you were wrong. The correlation between you may have been more of a physical nature yet lacking in some of the more essential dynamics to qualify the relationship as authentic soul mate material.

    "You would rather throw stones at a mirror?
    I am your mirror, and here are the stones."
          - Rumi

    Don't expect your soul mate to be perfect. Is love ever perfect on the earth plane? Terra Wolfe, author of Soul Mates: A New Age Guide to Finding Your One True Love relates "A soul mate is not a person who comes into your life and loves you the way you want to be loved. Rather a soul mate will often love you the way you need to be loved." In any event, the purpose of a soul mate is to assist you in your growth process.

    If you think you've lost in love, think again. Don't be afraid to love again or you may be missing out on some valuable lessons. If you allow your head to rule your heart, often you are missing out as the heart recognizes its next teacher. How will you know if you don't explore the possibilities?

    Open your heart and soul and when you hear those bells and whistles next time, expect it to be a winning combination.

    Kathlyne hosts "About.com Soul Mates" forum at http://forums.about.com/ab-newage3. Visit her website at http://www.kathlyne.com or email her at k.bramante@att.net.


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