Once upon a midnight scrolling, I stumbled upon an Instagram ad for a soulmate sketch service by psychic Tina Aldea. For just $35, I could see a sketch of what my soulmate looks like.
I’m OBVIOUSLY going to pay for that, I said to myself as I pulled my rose gold AMEX out of my pizza money wallet.
But before we get into the rest of the story, we have to go back a few years earlier.
🌙The First Time I Got Scammed by a Psychic
Monica and I were having boozy brunch in Georgetown. Two bottles of champagne later (the first expensive, the second not expensive because we were already drunk from the first) we decided to go to a psychic.
We found psychic Jessica in a room off of a second floor nail salon on Wisconsin Ave, which of course is where the best psychics can be located. I went first and I’m not going to lie, my reading was a little generic. But psychic Jessica claimed that I had burned by a past lover and had a curse upon me that was preventing me from meeting my soulmate (mind you, I was still in my marriage and very clearly wearing a wedding ring on my ring finger at this point so this was kind of a ballsy move on psychic Jessica’s part).
Monica’s reading on the other hand, was incredibly accurate. And by the way, Monica was confirmed to already be with her soulmate. So if I paid a little extra, psychic Jessica would give me some bath salts, crystals, and candles that could help lift the curse so I too could meet my soulmate.
We don’t have to tell you what drunk Lexie decided to do. (Not all drunk purchases I made that day were as foolish. I also bought a faux leopard fur Free People coat from Anthropologie that I get complimented on every time I wear it.)
I wish I could tell you this was the last time I paid psychic Jessica, but it was not. She knew I was very attached to the idea of finding my soulmate, and she used that to get more money from me at least two more times. When I finally started wising up, I decided to ask her about this soulmate of mine.
“I want to know more about my soulmate. Is my soulmate a man or a woman?”
Psychic Jessica fumbled. My sexuality had never come up in our readings together.
“I… I… see both,” she said.
“Can you have two soulmates?”
“No. No you cannot. But you can have more than one twin flame.” (This is actually not even accurate, my more on that in a minute. For the record, I do think Psychic Jessica was the real deal and very gifted, but I also think she saw a sucker and took advantage of me.).
Now Back to My Online Soulmate Sketch Experience
Okay, so now you understand my obsession with finding my soulmate and why I absolutely needed to pay $35 to probably an internet scam service to get a drawing of what my soulmate looked like.
I filled out my credit card information on the Tina Aldea website only to find out it’s going to take DAYS to get my soulmate sketch. Well. Unless I pay extra to get it expedited in six hours.
I have waited this long to find my soulmate, surely I can wait a few days, right? WRONG. I needed to know THAT VERY DAY what my soulmate looked like.
I pay the extra charge. Transaction one complete.
BUT WAIT.
A video pops up that says I’m one of the 0.1% of the population that also has a twin flame. HERE WE GO AGAIN.
For an additional cost, I can also get a sketch of what my twin flame looks like.
Let’s take another brief pause from the story because really, what’s the difference between the two?
🌙 Soulmates vs. Twin Flames: What’s the Difference?
💞 What Is a Soulmate?
A soulmate is someone you’re spiritually connected to in a way that feels… familiar. Comforting. Like a leopard print Barefoot Dreams blanket you got influenced by Khloe Kardashian to buy on a cold Virginia night.
You’ve probably shared lifetimes with them. Maybe you were lovers in one, siblings in another, best friends in yet another. Soulmates are part of your soul family — beings your spirit has traveled with before and will likely meet again in other incarnations.
Soulmate Signs:
- Instant sense of comfort or déjà vu
- Supportive, balanced, nurturing energy
- Can be romantic, platonic, or even professional (yes, your business partner could be your soulmate)
- Often long-term, steady connections that help you grow
You can have many soulmates in a single lifetime. Each one arrives to teach you something, heal something, or simply walk alongside you for a while.
🔥 What’s a Twin Flame?
A twin flame is… another story entirely.
This isn’t just someone your soul recognizes. This is you, reflected back. Twin flames are said to be one soul split in two bodies — divine mirrors who come together to spark radical spiritual growth, transformation, and sometimes chaos.
Yes, it’s electric. Yes, it’s intense. No, it’s not always cute.
Twin Flame Signs:
- Deep, immediate connection that feels fated or larger than life
- Highly emotional or even volatile dynamics
- “Runner and chaser” phases — one person pulls away while the other clings
- Often romantic, but not always meant to last forever in the 3D
- The relationship forces you to confront your deepest wounds and shadows
You only get one twin flame. The journey can involve separation, union, more separation, and (if you’re both ready) a final coming together once you’ve done your healing work.
🌗 Key Differences — The Quick & Witchy Guide
| Aspect | Soulmate | Twin Flame |
| Number | Many | Just one |
| Energy | Loving, supportive | Intense, magnetic, often triggering |
| Purpose | Companionship + growth | Spiritual awakening + shadow work |
| Vibe | “I feel safe with you” | “You’re blowing up my entire life” |
| Longevity | Often long-term | Often comes in waves or cycles |
Soulmates are your healers. Twin flames are your initiators.
One helps you build a life. The other burns your old one down so you can rise from the ashes.
Both are sacred. Both are powerful. And both are exactly what you need — when you’re ready.
So next time you feel that soul-deep pull to someone, ask yourself: Is this peace… or fire? The answer might tell you everything you need to know.
Which Brings Us Back to Our Online Soulmate Sketch Story for a Final Time
To no one’s shock I’m sure, I made a second transaction on the Tina Aldea website to get a sketch of my twin flame.
BUT WAIT.
Something is blocking us from meeting. A curse. FOR A THIRD TRANSACTION, I can have the curse lifted that’s preventing me from meeting my twin flame.
Here’s a little tip from someone who’s not a new witch on the block anymore, if a psychic tells you that you have a curse, dark energy, etc. blocking you from money, your love life, health, etc., it’s usually a scam. If you agree, the curse removal may involve candles, rituals, or talismans… but it never ends. They’ll keep asking for more money to “fully clear it.” This isn’t spiritual work — it’s manipulation.
So that was where I drew the line with Tina Aldea–after I had already made two transactions with her online services.
But since those deeds were done, let’s take a look shall we?
My Soulmate Sketch
Ladies and gentlemen, my soulmate is…. Ryan Gosling:
My Twin Flame Sketch
And here is my twin flame sketch:
I’m not going to lie, when I saw my twin flame sketch, he looked familiar. He reminded me of someone I met in my twenties – just once, but I had happened to have a boyfriend at the time.
And because I wanted to show one of my friends how similar I thought they looked, I needed to look this guy up. When I found him on Instagram, the first thing I noticed was that he was not only sober but also a sobriety coach. The second thing I noticed was a post from just TWO DAYS before saying he was going through a separation with his wife.
As someone who believes in divine timing, this seemed a little cosmic to me. I had been sober-curious for a while (as I write this, I haven’t had any alcohol in over a month and I’m feeling really good about it). Perhaps the universe wasn’t bringing this guy into my life for romantic reasons, but as an encouraging sign to quit drinking?
So Is the Online Soulmate Sketch Worth It or a Scam?
My guess is, if you went through the steps on the Tina Aldea website, you’d probably get the same prompts as me (even if only 0.1% of the population have a twin flame and even fewer of that population suffer from a curse blocking them from meeting the twin flame).
But getting the drawing is still super fun. Instead of paying for it, you can use AI to generate a soulmate sketch. I have chatGPT creating one for me right now and I’m sure there are others you can use.
And Ryan Gosling, if you’re reading this, I’m ready to be soulmates if you are. 💞
