VI: The Lovers

It might be unexpected for my first article about the tarot to be about the sixth card in the deck, but there are reasons. First, there is no end to the amount of people who seek out the cards in search of answers in love, and if ever there was a card that everyone knows to hold your breath for… well, that’s the Death card, but not only does that card not mean what it says on the tin, it’s not what we’re talking about today. Second, I personally found myself needing to talk about it. So, whilst I will be explaining the card as much as I can for you, just know this one is kind of for me.

The Lovers

Everyone wants The Lovers to appear when they ask the cards about their crush, and sometimes it does. However, just as with all matters of the heart, it’s best to incorporate just a little bit of old-fashioned thinking before diving in.

When I was first learning tarot, I saw The Lovers as purely romantic because that’s what it looks like. Two naked individuals staring at each other, beneath the outstretched wings of an angel and standing, unafraid, hiding literally nothing, in a picturesque scene. So, naturally I was slightly thrown off when I learned the primary meaning of The Lovers is choice. For those more experienced in matters of the heart, perhaps that’s not so surprising, but as a dateless teenager I had no understanding of the logic. Now though, I have a better frame for this picture. The Lovers are the sixth card of the Major Arcana, following The Hierophant or The Pope/Priest. The major lessons of The Hierophant teach us what society expects from us; our duties, our obligations, the beliefs that supposedly all of society upholds and will expect us to uphold. The Lovers defy this. Much like the recent Netflix series, Bridgerton, explores: there are things society expects from us; be it chastity, success, authority and responsibility, and, in the absence or defiance of these things, discretion and secrecy. The Lovers defy this. The Lovers seeks out pleasure, satisfaction and a sense of belonging to something still bigger than ourselves yet smaller than the world. The Lovers want what they want, not what others insist on pressing onto them.

So, before we get into any more card-based philosophy, I’ll indulge those who came for simple answers.

Upright Meanings

Choices, Strong Bonds, Friendships, Relationships, Aligned Values, Love, Bliss

Immediately, I suspect some of you see ‘Friendships’ listed and are sceptical. Surely, if you were to ask about you and a person with whom you have a platonic relationship, then The Lovers wouldn’t appear, *gasp* unless… No, you’re not necessarily going to be thrown into a Will-They-Won’t-They with that friend you’ve had for 10 years.

The Lovers, when talking about two people, refer to a pair who choose to stay in each other’s lives. Whether it be a case of aligned goals or beliefs, or you’re both in a phase of your life when you have oodles of time and patience for one another, or if you simply remain by one another’s side out of loyalty and love. The Lovers show that you are both there because you want to be. If this card should appear in other readings, the following may give you the direction you’re looking for:

Career

In this situation, you’re likely to be faced with a big choice regarding the future of your career. It may be the classic “Do what I love or do what will best provide” scenario. This card invites you to think very carefully about what it is that you want from your career; do you want enough to support yourself while you do what makes you happy, or will you sacrifice a dream for the financial security that we all need. Don’t feel that simply because The Lovers have appeared that you are being told which path to take. After all, The Lovers do not yield to the demands of those who consider themselves authorities, The Lovers do what feels right.

Health

The Lovers regarding one’s health often deal with matters of the heart. The angel with their wings spread across the top of the card is Raphael, literally translated as “God has healed”. Raphael has been known as The Healer and the Angel of Air; feel calm in the knowledge that respiratory or cardiovascular issues are likely to improve.

If you are a smoker, this card might recommend quitting for the sake of your heart and lungs. Of course, most things can be interpreted as a sign to quit smoking if the coughing becomes frequent enough.

Relationships

This is what most of you are here for, and you may be disappointed to here that The Lovers does not always mean happily ever after and it almost never means that your battles with love, friendship or romance, are over. If anything, you’re just getting started. The Lovers suggests that you’ve found a person with whom you share an incredible bond, be it platonic or romantic, someone you want in your life for the foreseeable future.

With this person, however, you will be expected to overcome the many obstacles that life brings. Now, you will be assailed with not just the trials and tribulations of your own life, you may be expected to assist this other person in theirs. The theme of choice becomes key in these instances, as does the imagery of the card. The couple are reminiscent of Adam and Eve, beneath an apple tree with a snake coiling around a branch and a divine overseer protecting them. The problem here is that Adam and Eve are still safe, enclosed in the Garden of Eden, unaware of the oncoming pain and suffering. It is easy to be in love or stick with another person when things are easy, the choice comes when things become more difficult. Do you trust this person to stand by your side as life hurls stones at you? Will you stand by theirs? The bliss of The Lovers reveals the second edge of the angel’s sword; what will you choose once the serenity is shattered? Will they choose to stand by you and defend your happiness with you? The cards suggest that such a strong bond is not only possible but available to you, so long as you keep up your end of the bargain.