Everything You Need to Know About Soul Contracts from Creation to Resolution

Have you ever wondered about what guides you in life? You may feel intensely pulled towards someone you just met, or that a relationship you have is the universe trying to send you a message. You could be experiencing something sometimes called a soul contract, or an agreement between souls made before birth. As you move through life learning your lessons, let this article lead you through some common questions and answers regarding soul contracts.

Things You Should Know

Soul contracts are agreements made before birth between you and your soul family. They carry over through many lifetimes before being completed.
There are three kinds of soul contracts: positive, negative, and neutral. All three teach your soul a lesson but express themselves in your life in different ways.
A soul contract ends when your soul has learned its lesson.

Section 1 of 6:

What is a soul contract?

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A soul contract is a relationship between souls, decided upon before birth. In many belief systems, it is thought that your soul moves through many lives as it tries to reach its highest potential. The guiding lessons of your life are determined before birth in something called a soul contract. ^{[1]
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- This agreement helps place you in a body where the appropriate circumstances and souls can guide you.
- Soul contracts may express themselves in all sorts of on-Earth relationships, like between family members and romantic partners, but also with people you’ve had brief encounters with. All you need to be in one is to learn a powerful lesson.
- A single soul contract will often span many lifetimes before it is completed.
- Remembering everything that has happened across your lives would be overwhelming—it’s hard enough to deal with some things in this life already—so new bodies are allowed to start fresh with no past memories.
- The idea of soul contracts comes from the Gaia philosophy, an idea that organisms interact with their environments and affect nature to maintain the conditions of their lives. ^{[2]
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- While soul contracts are a part of many spiritual beliefs, there is no empirical evidence pointing toward their existence.
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A soul contract is a way to neutralize past life karma. Some believe that the lessons you learn during the soul contract balance your karma , as well as teach you and meaningfully change you. ^{[3]
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- Karma is the accumulation of the effects of your past life’s actions. It is thought to determine experiences in your future life. ^{[4]
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- If you behaved poorly towards others in a past life, a soul contract can be put in place to teach you better behaviors through experiencing similar dynamics but reversed.
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A soul contract is decided on by your soul family, or soul group. A soul family is a group of soulmates, or souls linked to your own across lives, equivalent to the kind of family you have on Earth. Your closest relationships will be with your soul family: it is your biggest support system in all your lifetimes. ^{[5]
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- Although your soul family can overlap with your Earth family, the two groups do not necessarily have to have the same members.
- It is possible your soul didn’t form a contract before birth, but there’s really no way to tell.

Section 2 of 6:

Different Kinds of Soul Contracts

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Positive, negative, and neutral Like all relationships in our lives, soul contracts can be easy, hard, or so casual we don’t really think about them. Each kind of contract serves a purpose and guides us to our best selves in different ways.
- Positive contracts are easy, loving relationships where we feel cared for by another person. An example of a positive contract would be the relationship between loving partners.
- Negative contracts, on the other hand, make you feel like you’re being put through a trial. The lessons you learn through these can be thought of as “tough love”. Remember, your soul and its family put you in one for a reason!
- Neutral contracts are neither hard nor easy. Even if you don’t have strong feelings towards someone, they can have major effects on your life. You may see a friend’s parent model nurturing behavior that you want to imitate or have a classmate teach you good study habits.
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Karmic contracts Karmic contracts between souls express themselves as the “necessary evils” in your life. They are considered a negative soul contract. The karmic dynamic teaches your soul through pain and suffering, with the goal of pushing you to break a karmic pattern . ^{[6]
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- Karmic contracts can take place between you and controlling bosses, backstabbing friends, or manipulative partners.
- For example, you may have a soul contract in place to teach you about boundaries that expresses itself through a pushy friend.
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Soulmate contracts The soulmate contract is an enriching relationship expressed through love and kindness. The relationship will be easy and nurturing, and might possibly follow the ending of a karmic contract. The relationship between soulmates is a positive contract meant to teach self-love. ^{[7]
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- Soulmates are often thought of as romantic partners, but the relationship can also be between friends or family members.
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Twin flame contracts A twin flame contract is rare, as it is the phenomenon of one soul split into two bodies. These relationships are incredibly intense— meeting a twin flame will feel like looking in a mirror. In fact, the twin flames will mirror each other throughout their lives, even when they are not in contact. This relationship type is one of pure love and self-discovery. ^{[8]
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- The twin flame contract takes place over six stages:
  - Yearning. In this stage, the twin flames are looking for their perfect partner and haven’t met yet.
  - Meeting. This is when they are first united.
  - Emotional overwhelming. This stage is marked by the intensity of the flames’ feelings for each other. Since they are both on incomplete journeys with other soul contracts, they will not be ready for their flame partners.
  - Separation. After the fourth stage, one flame will break from the other due to the intensity of their emotions. Usually, one flame will flee the relationship, and the other will chase after it.
  - Surrender. During the period of separation, the flames will work on their outside problems without the support of one another. When their issues have been resolved, they will stop fighting being together.
  - Union. In this stage, the flames usually stay united for good. This is the equivalent of becoming one soul again.

Section 3 of 6:

Signs You're in a Soul Contract With Someone

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Since the purpose of soul contracts is to change and guide you, there is a good chance that the people who have the most influence in your life are in contracts with you. These can be your parents, siblings, partners, teachers, or friends. ^{[9]
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If you meet someone and already feel you’ve known them your whole life, there may be a soul contract in place between you. You may know things about them without having to be told and feel incredible intensity towards them right after meeting. ^{[10]
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Your partner in a soul contract is there to help you learn a lesson. If you have a relationship with someone who you recognize teaches and challenges you, you may have a soul contract with them. ^{[11]
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The soul contract affects you powerfully, so the actions of someone you’re in a soul contract with are going to affect you more than someone with who you’re not connected to in that way. If you are hypersensitive to someone’s actions, that can be a sign of a soul contract. ^{[12]
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The strength and pull of a soul contract can manifest itself as an obsession with the other person you’re in it with. You might think about them constantly or even dream about them. ^{[13]
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Maybe you and your partner are constantly breaking up and getting back together again, or you and your best friend fight often and separate before reuniting. Your soul contracts are intense and not always pleasant, so needing frequent space between yourself and the other soul is common. ^{[14]
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You experience your “shadow-self” around them. Through teaching you the important lessons of your life, your partner in the contract will expose parts of yourself you are not consciously aware of. Someone who makes you confront your deepest fears and insecurities may be in a soul contract with you. ^{[15]
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- Your shadow self consists of the parts of your personality you deem unacceptable and are difficult to face. You can address your shadow through shadow work ^{[16]
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Section 4 of 6:

Accessing Your Akashic Record

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Your Akashic record is a ledger of all your past, present, and future lives. Another way to look into your soul contracts is by accessing your Akashic record . It is a comprehensive list everyone has of every single action, thought, and experience your soul has gone or will go through. Your soul contracts are all recorded on it, too! ^{[17]
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- The Akashic record is part of the belief system of Theosophy, a philosophy that believes there is no higher power than Truth.
- The word “akashic” comes from the Sanskrit word “akasha” meaning astral light.
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Practice intentional meditation to access your record. There are many resources available online to help you access your record, but the simplest way is a meditation. Set your intentions to see your soul contracts, and then ask for any guides you may have to assist you. Calm your energy, and keep your mind open to anything that comes your way. ^{[18]
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- If a guide contacts you, ask their name and tell them you are looking for your soul contracts.
- It may not work the first few times, and that’s okay! Even if you felt like nothing happened, write down what you experienced, and try again.
- Psychics and mediums trained to access Akashic records can offer guidance if you feel stuck.

Section 5 of 6:

Ways a Soul Contract Can Be Resolved

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Sometimes, the contract completes itself. When the purpose of a soul contact has been reached on both sides (if you’re in a soul contract with someone, you’re there for their sake as well!) the connection drawing two people together will gradually lessen, and the contract will resolve itself. ^{[19]
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- Your soul contracts carry over across lifetimes, so don’t expect them to all resolve during this one. Your soul must fully learn the lesson before it is completed.
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Learn your lesson in a hard situation. Sometimes, soul contracts won’t be totally ready to end by themselves, even after you’ve learned your lesson. If you’re in a difficult situation where you’ve changed yourself accordingly, you can release the relationship in the physical world. ^{[20]
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- To release a relationship, set firm boundaries with yourself and the other person. If you’re still devoting time and attention to someone, they won’t fully be gone from your life.
- Some other ways to help you move on are journaling about your feelings and reaching out to other people in your circle.
- An example of a relationship that isn’t serving you but you have learned from is an abusive partnership.
- You can also release relationships in the spiritual realm through meditation and prayer.
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Take on an equivalent contract. If you haven’t learned your lesson yet but the situation is too much for you to handle, ask the universe to switch the contract for you. You still have to break the karmic cycle to end the pattern of this relationship, however.
- Since soul contracts are in place to teach you a lesson, switching the contracts won’t end this dynamic. To end a karmic contract your soul must be able learn why it was in the contract in the first place.
- Reach out to the universe through prayer to ask for a new relationship in your contract. Say that you understand you have a lesson to learn, and offer up options that you would take to try and continue that lesson.
- If you have an overbearing authority figure in your life but you aren’t sure why yet, pray to ask for a different, yet still overbearing, authority figure instead.
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Cut your energetic cords. This is the most extreme way to end a soul contract. It is a powerful ending, so only try this as a last resort. To sever the energetic connection you have with a person, follow a cord-cutting ritual like the ones below. ^{[21]
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- Take a salt bath to neutralize the energies in your body.
- Cleanse yourself with smoke by smudging herbs like sage and lavender.
- Write everything you want to say to the person down on a piece of paper (don’t leave anything out), and then burn the paper as a symbol of release.
- Visualize the cord connecting you and the other person and a pair of scissors. Meditate upon the visualization, and use the scissors to cut the cord. Send the two sides of the cord back into you and your partner, and express your gratitude for them before ending the visualization. ^{[22]
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Section 6 of 6:

What happens when a soul contract ends?

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Soul contracts are considered voluntary and always beneficial, even when they are painful. When you have learned your lesson, your relationship with the other person will necessarily change. When a soul contract is rewritten, the relationship becomes more positive, and can even change a negative situation into a loving one. ^{[23]
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Some soul contracts end with the release of a relationship. This can happen with a negative or positive relationship after you have learned your appropriate lesson. As soul contracts repeat themselves across many relationships, you know one has been released when you stop seeing certain dynamics in your life. ^{[24]
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The soul returns to heaven or another spiritual plane. Some people believe that after the soul contract is completed, your soul will leave your body to start creating new soul contracts for the future. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the body you have will die, just that a new soul will inhabit it.
- The new soul will express itself similarly to the old one, but will have adapted to the kind of life you’re living after completing the contract.

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How do you break a soul contract with someone?

Jennifer McVey, Cht
Spiritual Director
Jennifer McVey is a Spiritualist, Seer, and the Spiritual Director of Spiritual Answers and Solutions. With more than 22 years of experience, she specializes in manifesting, ghosts and spirit attachments, hypnotherapy, channeling, and spiritually based life coaching. Jennifer has also published 13 Affirmation Image and six Word Search Puzzle books in spirituality and self-help and has produced over 600 audio sessions.

Jennifer McVey, Cht

Spiritual Director

Expert Answer

Every contract that we have, we've made ourselves and bound it by our actions, words, and thoughts. In the grand scheme of your existence, you'll have to re-experience it from the aspect of it happening to you. By having a greater understanding of why something happened the way it did, it breaks its hold on you. It's that "aha" moment when you just get it, and everything disintegrates.

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Everything You Need to Know About Soul Contracts from Creation to Resolution

Things You Should Know

Steps

What is a soul contract?

Different Kinds of Soul Contracts

Signs You're in a Soul Contract With Someone

Accessing Your Akashic Record

Ways a Soul Contract Can Be Resolved

What happens when a soul contract ends?

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