Souls Knit Together

Aspen groves have the same root system.

Friendship is one of the most enduring human experiences. References to friendship go back 8000+ years. The concept of friendship has endured every significant era, tragedy, evolutionary leap.

In his timelessly relevant book “Anam Cara”, John O’Donohue poetically lays out the Celtic concept of a “soul friend” (the English translation of Anam Cara). A similar concept is “Agape” — commonly translated as “divine love”. True friendship links the body, mind and soul of two people- with both contributing to each other without reduction of identity.

While every culture in every era put a premium on friendship, these modern times have seen a reduction or dilution of the concept of friendship. There are circumstantial friendships (classmates, roommates, co-workers, neighbors). There are digital friendships (friends and followers on social media, contacts in your database). There are strategic friendships (business, survival, combat). In modern romantic relationships, “friend mode” is seen as less than “boyfriend” or “girlfriend”.

So the concept of a “soul friend” in contemporary society may feel strange, foreign or woo woo. But I am a direct witness and participant in the experience of having mystical friendships. Outside of a few long-term friends, this is a newer concept in my life. It was when I began a spiritual- and self-examination around 2010, that I started…