The author examines the role of relationships in spiritual growth. He argues that marriage is an outdated archetype and that contemporary multisensory people partner together in spiritual partnerships. These are not focused on external power but on mutual spiritual growth. Too many people live without reverence, hurting and exploiting each other. These individual actions influence broader humanity, as individual relationships are microcosms of nations.

Successful partnerships require experiences that will help both people grow, as well as love, trust, and commitment. People’s ability to grow together will depend on the depth of their intention and action. When individuals help each other grow, it positively influences their groups and communities. People living remotely with little contact with others and fewer temptations have less karmic importance, while people living in cities who influence others have greater karma and more responsibility. 

Zukav believes that people who attain a high level of influence must resist being contaminated by the negative aspects of the collective unconscious. Such people can push through and release others’ fears, moving everyone forward (he cites Gandhi and Jesus as examples). He points to Jesus’s experience of being tempted by the devil to illustrate that people only gain authentic empowerment by overcoming challenges. When individuals do this, they affect not only their own evolution but also that of the whole world.

Zukav’s discussion of marriage and spiritual partnership takes place against a backdrop of declining US marriage rates from approximately the 1970s onward (Curtin, Sally C., and Paul D. Sutton. “Marriage Rates in the United States, 1900-2018.” National Center for Health Statistics, Apr. 2020). Various factors explain this trend, from greater accessibility of divorce, to increased age at the time of first marriage, to the sexual revolution and women’s liberation movements. The latter is most significant to Zukav’s analysis, as he implicitly aligns marriage with the pursuit of power and instead advocates for egalitarian partnership.

Chapter Lessons

• Approach relationships as respectful and mutually beneficial partnerships.
• Focus on spiritual growth instead of pragmatic, survival-based considerations.
• Individual relationships affect larger social groups.

Reflection Questions

• What do you think of Zukav’s concept of spiritual partnership? How is it similar to or different from your experiences of relationships?
• If you’re currently in a relationship, how might that relationship’s goals and qualities affect your family, community, and even nation?
• How do you feel about Zukav’s claim that some people have more responsibility than others simply by virtue of where they live?