In the Celtic tradition, there is a beautiful understanding of love
and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul
love; "Anam Cara" may sound like some new French perfume, but it
actually refers to the Celtic spiritual belief of souls connecting and
bonding.
In Celtic Spiritual tradition, it is believed that the soul radiates
all about the physical body what some refer to as an aura. When you
connect with another person and become completely open and trusting
with that individual, your two souls begin to flow together.
Should such a deep bond be formed, it is said you have found your
"Anam Cara" or soul friend.
Your "Anam Cara" always accepts you as you truly are, holding you in
beauty and light. In order to appreciate this relationship, you must
first recognize your own inner light and beauty. This is not always
easy to do. The Celts believed that forming an "Anam Cara" friendship
would help you to awaken your awareness of your own nature and
experience the joys of others.
The "Anam Cara" was originally someone to whom you confessed,
revealing the hidden intimacies of your life. With the "Anam Cara",
you could share your innermost self, your mind and your heart. This
friendship was an act of recognition and belonging. When you had an
"Anam Cara", your friendship cut across all convention, morality and
category. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the
"friend of your soul". The Celtic understanding did not set
limitations of space or time on the soul. There is no cage for the
soul. The soul is a divine light that flows into you and into your
Other.
This art of belonging awakened and fostered a deep and special
companionship. When you love, you open your life to an Other. All your
barriers are down. Your protective distances collapse. This person is
given absolute permission to come into the deepest temple of your
spirit. Your presence and life can become their ground. It takes great
courage to let someone so close. Where a friendship recognizes itself
as a gift, it will remain open to its own ground of blessing….. When
you are blessed with an "Anam Cara", the Irish believe, you have
arrived at that most sacred place: home. This bond between friends is
indissoluble: "This, I say, is what is broken by no chances, what no
interval of time or space can sever or destroy, and what even death
itself cannot part".