The Lovers

The Lovers (VI) is the sixth trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.

Lovers
drawing by Robert M. Place
For other uses, see The Lovers (disambiguation).

Interpretation

According to A.E. Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot, the Lovers card carries several divinatory associations[1]:

5. THE LOVERS.--Attraction, love, beauty, trials overcome. Reversed: Failure, foolish designs. Another account speaks of marriage frustrated and contrarieties of all kinds.

In some traditions, the Lovers represent relationships and choices. Its appearance in a spread indicates some decision about an existing relationship, a temptation of the heart, or a choice of potential partners. Often an aspect of the Querent's life will have to be sacrificed; a bachelor(ette)'s lifestyle may be sacrificed and a relationship gained (or vice versa), or one potential partner may be chosen while another is turned down. Whatever the choice, it should not be made lightly, as the ramifications will be lasting.

The Rider Waite Tarot deck changed the scene in this card from its traditional depiction of a couple receiving a blessing from a noble, or cleric, to one of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. A common interpretation of this card is that it represents a choice but a more elaborate interpretation would be that it represents an irreversible choice. As Tarot came from the predominantly Catholic cultures of Italy and France, the symbology of a marriage union would have been understood in those countries as an unbreakable bond and irreversible decision. A. E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith may have decided to move with the times and, being based in England which is predominantly Protestant, felt that the traditional symbolism was in need of updating. The Rider Waite card includes the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil with a serpent wrapped around its trunk. The symbology of no return from making bad decisions, and the consequences of innocence lost, would be more widely understood from this imagery.[2]

The Lovers is associated with the star sign Gemini, and indeed is also known as The Twins in some decks. Other associations are with Air, Mercury, and the Hebrew letter ז (Zayin).

The nudity of the figures show they have nothing to hide from each other.[3] Also, the tree of knowledge is behind the woman, whereas the tree behind the man is bearing 12 trefoil flames, representing the signs of the zodiac.[4]

References
  1. Waite, Arthur Edward, 1857-1942. (2005). The pictorial key to the tarot. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications. ISBN 0-486-44255-1. OCLC 57549699.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. "The Lovers Tarot Card Meaning & Interpretation | Articles at Phuture.me". phuture.me.
  3. Gray, Eden. "Complete Guide to the Tarot." 1982. Crown Publishers, New York, NY.
  4. Gray, Eden. "Complete Guide to the Tarot." 1982. Crown Publishers, New York, NY.
  5. "Lot 8 - Live and Let Die". Christie's. 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2020. A selection of ten prop tarot cards designed by Fergus Hall, used by Jane Seymour as Solitaire in Live and Let Die - [...] The cards comprising 'The Fool', 'Death', 'Justice', 'Queen of Cups', 'High Priestess'(2) and 'The Lovers' (4), the back of the cards with a red and white 007 design;
  6. Williams, David (2015-07-27). "The GQ Guide to James Bond: Live and Let Die". GQ.
  7. Tait, Amelia (8 August 2018). "Why millennials are looking for meaning in tarot cards". New Statesman. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.