Is a spiritual partnership the same as a marriage? It could be, but usually it is not. First things first: A marriage is between two people who promise each other to stay together no matter WHAT happens. This can be a very comforting thing, and it can also be a license for either of them to abuse, disregard or disrespect the other. Some marriages can continue a long time this way. Perhaps you have seen one. A spiritual partnership is between people who promise themselves to use all of their experiences to grow spiritually. They use their emotions to show them how to create constructive and healthy and joyful consequences instead of destructive and unhealthy and painful consequences. Can you imagine using a horrible, painful, can't-get-any-worse experience to grow spiritually? Those are among the best kind. Spiritual partners don't squander them by exploding in rage or dissolving into depression. Any number of people form a spiritual partnership: two people in a live-together, have-children-together, monogamous relationship; six people in a family; or co-workers who want to use their relationships to do more than complain, compete, gossip and judge. Of course, co-workers can appreciate one another, be grateful for one another and cooperate with one another, but when they set their intentions to do that all the time, they are already experimenting with a spiritual partnership.