Soul Mate vs. Twin Soul

What exactly is a Soul Mate? A Soul Mate is a kindred soul with whom you have a special connection, spiritually as well as physically. Now don't get the idea that physically means sexually or through a love type relationship, because it doesn't. It can be platonic, it can be as mother and daughter and so on.   A Soul Mate is unique to others we share time, experience and karma with in that they come into our lives to help us learn a major spiritual lesson that will hopefully propel us over a deep chasm that has long been part of our spiritual psyche. A soul mate can be a lover, a friend, someone who suddenly comes into your life and then just as quickly moves out (after the lesson is over).   They don't come into every incarnation, which is one of the things that make a Soul Mate special. I've noticed that a lot of people think the person they're married to or madly in love with is their soul mate. That's a sweet thought, but it doesn't work that way. Those people who you feel this unique closeness to are simply souls that you have spent many lifetimes with in the past. You have varying degrees of karma to share with these souls on many levels on for many subjects. They are special in their own right, but they are most probably not a "Soul Mate".   What is a Twin Soul? A Twin Soul is a little harder to explain. At the time of your creation into a spiritual essence, you were created with an equal counterpart. Many people call this simultaneous creation of two spiritual beings the birth of Souls, thereby making your counterpart your Twin Soul. These two souls progress along their spiritual paths on a very individualistic basis. Never incarnating together, and most likely not even in the same solar system. It's part of the Universal balance, the creation of Yin and Yang so to speak.

Sources: 1, b1, b4, b13, b15, b18, o2