VI : The Lovers

The Lovers

Attachment or combination · Conflicting choices · Partners · Relationships · Union

The Lovers Tarot card

The Lovers's Meaning

Your first instinct will most likely be to associate this card as representing love, but, much like love, it does not possess a simple nature. Not only does love comes in many forms, but the Lovers may indicate important or difficult choices ahead in your life. This is bad, in that the choices it portends are generally mutually exclusive, paths to two very different futures, but also good, in that it also confirms that at least one of those paths will take you to a good place. As such, if you happen to find it in your spread, you should consider it carefully, but not fear it. It tells a story of difficult choices, likely painful, but that the correct decision and a positive outcome are within your grasp.

Past

By becoming more in tune with yourself, you will be more able to connect with others. The emotional burden of a recent conflict will soon be lifted and a successful resolution reached.

Present

There is an approaching conflict that will test your values. In order to progress, you are going to have to make a decision between love and career. Neither will disappear forever, but the choice will shape your priorities.

Future

It will benefit you to remember that opposites are two sides of the same coin; there is not one without the other. The right choice will be made only if you have accepted others and yourself.

Yes / No Key Interpretation

The Lovers suggest being at a crossroads somewhere in your life. While this card is highly symbolic of relationships, love, and togetherness, it could also be revealing a positive business partnership or teaming up to move forward in your life. The answer to your question is yes.

Key Dates, Timing, and Astrology.

 Gemini

Key dates: May 21 to June 20

Tarot Cards - The Lovers

The Lovers (L'Amoureux) The Children of the Voice; The Oracle of the Mighty Gods Card Number: 6 Key Number: 17 Rulership: Gemini Hebrew Letter: Zain Translation: Weapon or Sword Numerical Value: 12

Divinatory meaningUpright - Harmony and union, choices to be made using intuition and not intellect.  Difficult decisions to be made not necessarily about love.  Some form of test and consideration about commitments.  Abstract thought, internal harmony and union, second sight.  Possibly a struggle between two paths.

Ill Dignified or Reversed - Contradiction, deception, disharmony, duality and one's own internal conflict.  Infidelity, and romantic disturbances.  Indecisiveness, postponing choices and a warning not to make important decisions at this time.

Lovers Tarot Card Meaning

Lovers Card Symbols

An angel or cupid, a man and a woman, two trees (in Waite, it is Adam & Eve with one tree having a serpent and apples) - in some decks one tree is flowering, but the other has fruit. Also in some decks there is a man standing between two women.

Lovers Tarot Story

The Fool comes to a cross-road, filled with energy, confidence and purpose, knowing exactly where he wants to go and what he wants to do. But he comes to a dead stop. A flowering tree marks the path he wants to take, the one he's been planning on taking. But standing before a fruit tree marking the other path is a woman. The Fool has met and had relationships with women before, some far more beautiful and alluring. But she is different. Seeing her, he feels as though he's just been shot in the heart with cupid's arrow.

That's how shocking, how painful is his "recognition" of her. As he speaks with her, the feeling intensifies; like finding a missing part of himself. It is clear that she feels the same about him. They finish each other's sentences, think the same thoughts. It is as if an Angel above had introduced their souls to each other.

Though it was his plan to follow the path of the flowering tree, and though it will cause some trouble for him to bring this woman with him, the Fool knows he dare not leave her behind. Like the fruit tree, she will fulfill him. No matter how divergent from his original intent, she is his future. He chooses her, and together they head down a whole new road.

Lovers Tarot Meaning

New readers often ask, "What is the Lovers' card about? Is it about finding love?" Yes, and no. It is possible that the original name of this card was "Love." The oldest decks call it "The amorous one," The Lovers being a mistranslation. So really, it's about one person being "in love" with someone or something.

Many books, however, define the card not as "Love" but as a "choice." And the images that have been used for this card make it even more confusing. The original trump featured a man and a woman with a cupid above them about to shoot his dart (into which? Cupid's arrows only make the one they strike fall in love). Later decks had a man choosing between two women, or a man meeting his true love with the help of a matchmaker. Still later, with Waite, we have an Angel above Adam and Eve. The Angel stands for Raphael, who is emblematic of Mercury and Air, with Adam and Eve related to Gemini (sign of Mercury) in that Eve split from Adam and is, essentially, his twin.

And the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge indicates Adam and Eve choosing to "know" each other in every sense of the word.

This connection to Gemini means that the Lovers card is NOT about "romance" or passion. Romantic emotions are typically related to water. And blazing passion is associated with fire. Gemini, an air sign, is about messages and making contact. It's about the psyche.

In addition, at #6 the Lover's card is about "harmony." Thus, it is about something that speaks to you, that you "know" and recognize as your other or mirror self (twin), and which makes you feel harmonically balanced or complete. You may experience this psychic attraction to something small like a pair of shoes you have to have, or a rock band whose music says all you ever wanted to say. Or you might be drawn to something huge, a plot of land you want to own, or someone else's boyfriend/girlfriend who, at first sight, makes you think: "That's my husband/wife."

In interpretation, the card indicates that the querent has come across, or will come across a person, career, challenge or thing (a puppy, a car, a house) that they will fall in love with. They will know instinctively that it was meant for them, even if it means diverging from their chosen path (that is the "Love" part). On the other hand, their common sense must also make a decision on whether or not to go along with this psychic "choice." There is often a measure of hardship or cost that comes with giving into this spiritual attraction.

Thirteen's Observations on the Lovers

The Lovers' card often confuses readers as its most common interpretation is about making a choice. If we examine it closer, we see this does go along with the name (or mis-name of the card). Two choices are involved with the card. First, your soul or psyche is making its choice. It recognizes this other person/thing as being your spiritual twin or as harmonizing with you; you become "amorous" for it.

Now the rest of you, the demands of your life, your emotional heart, passionate soul, can agree or not. That's the other choice. You will feel powerfully drawn to this career, challenge, person or thing so much so that, no matter how scary, how difficult, irrational or troublesome, you will be inclined to go for it. This is LOVE. But you will also know that it comes at a cost. Maybe the person you're attracted to isn't a romantic and your dreams of a wine-and-roses love affair can't be. Maybe they don't set you on fire and you can't have the passion you want. Or maybe this thing/person is just inconvenient.

Your friends and family may also weigh in. They may think you're crazy, may argue with you not to get involved. You, yourself, might think its madness to change your life or break with your community in order to have this. Coming after the Emperor with his imperial rules, and after the Hierophant with his communal faith, The Lovers acknowledges a spiritual power that often defies earthly laws and religious traditions. Obeying this urge can be foolish, dangerous, selfish, thoughtless, earth-shattering.

Yet you can say "no" to this attraction. You do have that choice. If, however, you don't allow yourself to try and make this person, career, challenge or thing a part of your life, you may regret it, profoundly and forever.

Some frequent keywords used by tarot readers are:

• Love relationship ----- Union ----- Passion ----- Sexuality

• Pleasure ----- Humanism ----- Desire ----- Personal beliefs

• Individual values ----- Physical attraction ----- Connection

• Affinity ----- Bonding ----- Romance ----- Heart

Following the Marseilles Tradition, also there are:

• Choice ----- Doubt ----- ----- Dilemma ----- Temptation