The Lovers represent the sacred choice, the moment consciousness recognizes true reflection in another. Lovers face a beautifully dangerous path. This card bridges Understanding and Beauty. Attraction, love, beauty, trials overcome -- the union of opposites that makes the soul whole. Reversed: Failure, foolish designs. The heart's choice unmade or made poorly.

UPRIGHT: Attraction, Love, Beauty, Trials overcome

REVERSED: Failure, Foolish designs, Disharmony, Indecision

Here is the mystery and glory and archetypal duel of Love. Bear witness to The Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve, and a sublime angelic figure heralding a wondrous dawn. The serpent lurks, the opposing tree carries leaves of fire. It is the woman who aspires to complete man and make his time in paradise one of knowledge-gathering and mountainous passion; it is man who eagerly chews the apple gifted from woman without question. Above all, there is trust and truth in love. Whatever man shall be, the woman makes him so, for she births the generations and upkeeps Love as a primary motive. The Lovers on its face may be the most supernal in vision and meaning; it is love that counters evil and seals away the devils. It is compassionate love that Christ preaches above All. It is the coming together of the genders that creates the Great Work and makes an eternal life worth living. The card’s reversal deals with the inherent fall of Mankind, the separation of Man from Woman, being expelled from Eden (or failing to make the choice to seek or recognize Eden at all).

On the journey, the hero’s love is gained or tested, with a higher form of it coming after the trials are complete and greater understanding gained…

Bottom Line: When you draw The Lovers, consider your heart’s desires.

Tree of Life Path: Binah to Tiphareth -- Understanding x Beauty, the ultimate manifestation of Love, which requires soulful comprehension of that which is Beloved and the eyes to see past the superficial to the inner treasures.

A.E. Waite quote: “Behind the man is the Tree of Life, bearing twelve fruits, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is behind the woman; the serpent is twining round it. The figures suggest youth, virginity, innocence and love before it is contaminated by gross material desire. This is in all simplicity the card of human love, here exhibited as part of the way, the truth and the life.”

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