Every year on September 13th, National Soulmate Day invites us to celebrate the people who’ve touched our souls and if you think that only means romantic partners, you’re missing the profound beauty of what this day actually represents.
I’ll never forget my first National Soulmate Day after my divorce. I was scrolling through social media, watching couples post saccharine tributes to each other, feeling that familiar sting of being “left out” of yet another holiday. Then my best friend showed up at my door with coffee and a card that read: “You’re my soulmate, and I don’t need to kiss you to know that.” I cried. Not sad tears relieved ones. Because someone finally acknowledged what I’d always felt: soulmate connections transcend romance.
This article explores the true, expansive meaning of National Soulmate Day and why celebrating all your soulmate connections might be the most spiritually significant thing you do this year.
What Is National Soulmate Day? History and Origins
National Soulmate Day is observed annually on September 13th in the United States. While the exact origins remain somewhat unclear (like many modern observance days), it gained traction in the early 2000s as people began seeking ways to honor their most meaningful relationships beyond traditional Valentine’s Day celebrations.
Unlike Valentine’s Day, which is heavily commercialized and romance-focused, National Soulmate Day emerged with a broader intention: to recognize the people who fundamentally understand us, support our growth, and feel like “home” to our souls regardless of relationship type.
The Evolution of the Celebration
What started as primarily a romantic observance has evolved significantly over the past two decades. As our collective understanding of relationships has deepened, and as more people recognize the spiritual significance of non-romantic bonds, National Soulmate Day has become increasingly inclusive.
Today, people celebrate:
- Romantic partners and spouses
- Best friends and platonic soulmates
- Family members who “get” them
- Mentors and spiritual teachers
- Even pets who’ve provided unconditional soul connection
This evolution reflects a cultural shift toward recognizing that soulmate energy isn’t confined to a single relationship type or person.
Beyond Romance: The Expanded Definition of Soulmate
The word “soulmate” has been hijacked by romantic culture, but its true meaning is far more expansive and spiritually rich.
What Is a Soulmate, Really?
A soulmate is any person with whom your soul has a pre-existing agreement or deep recognition. These are the people who:
- Feel immediately familiar, even upon first meeting
- Catalyze significant growth and transformation
- Reflect aspects of yourself you need to see
- Provide unconditional support on your journey
- Share an energetic resonance that transcends logic
- Understand you in ways that feel almost supernatural
Author Richard Bach captured this beautifully: “A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks.” Notice no mention of romance required.
The Science and Spirituality of Soul Recognition
While soulmate connections feel mystical, there’s actually fascinating research on why certain relationships feel so profound:
Psychological Perspective: Dr. Suzanne Degges-White, professor and counselor, explains that we’re drawn to people who mirror our values, resonate with our attachment style, and meet our core emotional needs. These connections create neural pathways associated with safety, belonging, and recognition.
Spiritual Perspective: Many spiritual traditions teach that souls travel in groups, incarnating together repeatedly to support each other’s evolution. A “soulmate” is simply another member of your soul family, playing whatever role will best serve both of your journeys sometimes romantic, often not.
I’ve experienced this with my childhood best friend. We met at age seven, and there was immediate recognition. Thirty years later, despite living on different continents, our connection remains unchanged. We’ve never been romantic, yet she’s witnessed and supported my soul’s evolution more than anyone. That’s a soulmate.
The Five Types of Soulmate Connections Worth Celebrating
National Soulmate Day is the perfect opportunity to honor the full spectrum of soul connections in your life.
1. Romantic Soulmates
Yes, these absolutely count they’re just not the only ones that count.
Characteristics:
- Deep spiritual and emotional intimacy
- Profound physical and energetic chemistry
- Shared vision for life and growth
- Ability to navigate conflict with love
- Mutual commitment to evolution
How they serve you: Romantic soulmates teach you about vulnerability, partnership, commitment, and the dance of maintaining self while in union. They’re your mirror in the realm of intimate love.
A colleague once told me: “My husband is my soulmate not because we never fight, but because even when we’re furious with each other, there’s an underlying knowing that we’re on the same team.” That’s romantic soulmate energy.
2. Platonic Soulmates
These are your ride-or-die friends, the ones who know your soul without the complication of romance.
Characteristics:
- Unconditional acceptance and support
- Ability to be completely authentic
- Shared values and spiritual understanding
- No romantic or sexual attraction (and that feels perfect)
- Lifelong commitment without formal contract
How they serve you: Platonic soulmates teach you that love doesn’t require possession, that intimacy exists beyond romance, and that you can be deeply connected while maintaining total autonomy.
3. Karmic Soulmates
Not all soulmates are meant to stay. Some arrive to deliver specific lessons, heal particular wounds, or catalyze necessary transformation.
Characteristics:
- Intense, often difficult connection
- Bring up unhealed trauma for clearing
- Relationship may be temporary but impactful
- Often feel compulsive or addictive
- Leave you fundamentally changed
How they serve you: Karmic soulmates crack you open, force you to confront your shadow, and ultimately liberate you from old patterns even though the process is rarely comfortable.
4. Companion Soulmates
These are the people who walk alongside you for long stretches of your journey—family members, long-term friends, or partners who may not be “forever” but are deeply significant.
Characteristics:
- Comfortable, stable connection
- Mutual growth and support
- May evolve or shift over time
- Provide consistent presence
- Feel like “home” or “family”
How they serve you: Companion soulmates offer the gift of witnessed living. They see you change, grow, struggle, and triumph. They provide the security of consistent connection.
My sister is my companion soulmate. We’re very different people, but she’s been there for every major life event, every transformation. She knows my history because she’s lived it with me.
5. Soul Family (Including Pets)
Sometimes soulmate energy shows up in groups or even in our animal companions.
Characteristics:
- Group resonance and shared purpose
- May be biological family or chosen family
- Animals who provide unconditional love
- Collective support and belonging
- Recognition of shared mission
How they serve you: Soul family reminds you that you’re not alone, that you belong to something larger, and that love takes infinite forms.
If you’ve ever had a pet who seemed to understand your emotions better than most humans, you know this connection is real and valid.
Why National Soulmate Day Matters for Conscious Living
In a world increasingly focused on individual achievement and surface-level connections, National Soulmate Day calls us back to what actually matters: meaningful relationship.
It Challenges the Romance-Only Narrative
Our culture is obsessed with “finding the one,” as if romantic partnership is the ultimate goal and every other relationship is secondary. This creates:
- Loneliness in single people who feel incomplete without romance
- Neglected friendships because we prioritize romantic partners
- Undervalued family bonds that deserve celebration
- Missed opportunities to recognize soul connections that don’t fit the template
National Soulmate Day disrupts this narrative by insisting: All profound connections deserve recognition.
It Encourages Gratitude Practice
Gratitude is one of the highest-frequency emotions we can cultivate. Taking time on National Soulmate Day to consciously appreciate the souls who’ve impacted your journey creates:
- Neurological rewiring toward positivity and connection
- Strengthened relationships through expressed appreciation
- Increased life satisfaction by focusing on what’s working
- Spiritual alignment with abundance consciousness
Dr. Robert Emmons, the world’s leading gratitude researcher, found that people who regularly express gratitude for relationships experience significantly higher levels of wellbeing and life satisfaction.
It Honors the Sacred in Everyday Relationships
We’re trained to seek the extraordinary the twin flame, the once-in-a-lifetime love, the dramatic spiritual awakening. But National Soulmate Day reminds us that the sacred is often found in the ordinary:
- The friend who texts “thinking of you” at exactly the right moment
- The sibling who shows up with food when you’re too depressed to cook
- The mentor who believes in you before you believe in yourself
- The dog who greets you like you’re magic every single day
These are holy moments. These deserve celebration.
How to Meaningfully Celebrate National Soulmate Day
Here’s how to honor this day in ways that actually deepen your connections and spiritual practice.
For Romantic Soulmates
1. Share Gratitude Specifically
Instead of generic “I love you” statements, get specific:
- “I’m grateful for how you stayed calm when I was spiraling about work”
- “Thank you for making me laugh even when I don’t feel like it”
- “I appreciate how you see my potential even when I’m doubting myself”
2. Create a Ritual Together
- Write letters about what you’ve learned from each other
- Take a nature walk and discuss your individual and shared dreams
- Create something together art, music, a vision board for your connection
3. Recommit to Growth
Use National Soulmate Day as a check-in: How are we supporting each other’s evolution? Where can we do better?
For Platonic Soulmates
1. Show Up With Presence
Quality time matters more than grand gestures. Have a real conversation no phones, no distractions.
2. Acknowledge the Depth
Tell them what their friendship means. Most people never hear how much they matter. A text saying “You’re my soulmate and I’m grateful for you” can be profound medicine.
3. Create New Memories
Do something you’ve never done together. Novel experiences strengthen bonds and create new neural pathways of connection.
For All Soulmate Types
1. The Soulmate Gratitude List
Write down every person who’s touched your soul romantic, platonic, family, mentors, even those who’ve passed. Next to each name, write one specific way they’ve impacted your growth.
2. The Unexpected Reach-Out
Contact someone who doesn’t expect to hear from you but deserves to know they’re appreciated. The friend from high school who supported you through your parents’ divorce. The teacher who saw your potential. The ex who taught you crucial lessons.
3. The Self-Soulmate Practice
Here’s what most people miss: you are your own primary soulmate. Before celebrating external connections, honor your relationship with yourself.
Journal prompts:
- How have I been a soulmate to myself this year?
- Where have I abandoned myself and need to recommit?
- What does my soul need me to know today?
For Those Who Feel They Haven’t Found Their Soulmate(s)
If National Soulmate Day brings up grief about connections you feel are missing, that’s valid. But consider:
Reframe the Search:
- You may already have soulmates you haven’t recognized
- Soulmates often appear when you’re not actively seeking
- Your relationship with yourself is the foundation for all others
Use the Day for Intention:
Create space for soul connections by:
- Being the kind of friend/partner/person you wish to attract
- Healing wounds that keep authentic connection at bay
- Putting yourself in environments where meaningful bonds can form
- Trusting divine timing rather than forcing connections
The Spiritual Significance: What Soulmates Teach Us
Every soulmate in your life romantic or otherwise is ultimately teaching you the same thing: how to love without condition, recognize without judgment, and connect beyond ego.
They Mirror Your Evolution
Soulmates reflect where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re growing. The friend who knew you before your awakening reminds you how far you’ve come. The partner who challenges your patterns shows you what still needs healing.
They Prove Love’s Infinite Forms
Our culture wants to put love in boxes romantic love, familial love, friendship. But soulmate connections reveal that love is actually a spectrum of frequencies, each valid and necessary.
They Remind You You’re Not Alone
In our darkest moments, when we feel profoundly isolated in our experience, soulmates whisper: I see you. You’re not crazy. You’re not alone. Keep going.
That’s not just emotional support. That’s spiritual medicine.
National Soulmate Day as a Spiritual Practice
What if, instead of treating National Soulmate Day as a Hallmark holiday, we approached it as a spiritual practice?
September 13th becomes a day to:
- Practice conscious gratitude for every soul who’s impacted your journey
- Reflect on how you’re showing up in your soul connections
- Release connections that have completed their purpose
- Recommit to the relationships that are still actively serving growth
- Honor the sacred in the ordinary
- Recognize that every meaningful connection is preparing you for deeper love
Final Thoughts: Expanding the Circle of Celebration
The true meaning of National Soulmate Day isn’t about posting the perfect couple photo or finding “the one.” It’s about recognizing that we are surrounded by souls who’ve agreed to walk with us, teach us, challenge us, and love us in whatever form that takes.
Your romantic partner is a soulmate. So is your best friend. So is your sister, your mentor, your dog, and that person you met once who said exactly what you needed to hear and changed your trajectory forever.
They all count. They all matter. They all deserve celebration.
This September 13th, expand your definition. Honor every connection that’s touched your soul. Send that text. Write that letter. Have that conversation. Because soulmates aren’t just about what we receive they’re about what we recognize, honor, and celebrate in return.
And maybe, just maybe, the truest celebration of National Soulmate Day is simply this: showing up for the souls in your life with the same love, presence, and recognition you wish to receive.
That’s not just a holiday. That’s a way of living.