The particular lessons that have to be learned before the next spiritual level is reached define the particular type of relationship that is chosen to achieve it. Some relationships show with at least one of the partners becoming love addicts in their relationship to the point of not being able to move out despite personal damage or have the feeling of being "stuck", which in itself also brings personal damage, the needed lesson to solve their karma may be to realize they are seeking love from outside themselves when the real issue is to love themselves, or realize well that the relationship means loving and being loved at the same time. We do not talk of real love here, we refer to staying in a relationship for different reasons, like fear of personal image or other personal loss, or a mind make up that hasn't become conscious for the person.
Other relationship karma occur with the partners playing either one the role of victim or victimizer, persecutor or persecuted, rescuer or rescued. These type of karma is usually brought by wrong and rigid ideas about control in the relationship of one or both of the partners. The set of beliefs that accompany this type of relationship hold both persons back from growing spiritually and emotionally. The end of the relationship, the suffering, and the social rejection that is involved may bring the necessary learning for both.
Relationships where one of the partners is dependent upon the other bring power issues that are common in relationship karma. The power issues tend to be solved usually by the side of the dependent, and tensions appear when it is time for the dependent to take back the power he or she gave up in the relationship. The power struggle brings a learning for both parts
Retributive karma is another relationship type of karma. It involves a compensation for the person that was betrayed or rejected without regard for hurt feelings in a past life. The partner who betrayed or rejected the other in a past life may find in the actual life that he/she is betrayed or rejected by the other. This type of karma lesson doesn't by itself means a separation or deep emotional scars because of the reparation aspect. The lesson may be here about the importance of being loyal and/or handling rejection toward others in this and future lives.
Other relationship karma may involve patterns of infidelity or betrayal. The needed lesson for this may be the experience after the infidelity is discovered by the other and the hurt feelings raising negative intensity into the relationship, the abandonment of the relationship by the betrayed one, and even the abandonment by the third person involved to avoid responsibilities or other potential problems. The learning with this may be about sincerity in the relationship, recognize and solve the communicational mistakes, the lack of understanding of the needs of the other, or simply to recognize wrong relationships.