Card of the Moment

A grand, epic love affair…

Just like the Two of Cups but on a much deeper, larger scale, the presence of The Lovers card in a reading often indicates that love and romance is in, or about to enter your life in a big way. This is a very significant relationship where there is strong mutual attraction, often sexual, but where love and passion also exists. You can be sure to experience an intense feeling of intimacy and being soul connected, which can lead to marriage.

This development is all very exciting for one’s love life, however because The Lovers is a Major Arcana card, just like all the trumps cards in the Tarot, it represents a ‘big’ event in our lives; one which we all must experience to learn and grow. Just like The Fool, as we embark on our life journey, we will inevitably encounter all the challenging aspects of these ‘big events’. Having passed through the stage of The Heirophant where we are governed and influenced by our parents, when we’ve reached the point in the journey of The Lovers, we feel ready to make our own decisions, whether we really are ready or not, hence why there’s a rebellious, adolescence energy surrounding the card. To find out more about the Major Arcana, the Minor Arcana, and how you can learn to read the Tarot click here…

In essence, The Lovers is more about one having to make an important decision or choice and then having to face the consequences of what that decision or choice may bring. This is often relative to love relationships where one must choose between two lovers or between a lover and someone or something else that is important to one such as family or career. The person needing to make such a decision often finds it difficult to do so, as usually they are presented with what’s considered ‘the sensible choice’ but is somewhat less desirable and someone or something that they truly love, want and lust after but may be seen as inappropriate. Because the choice made is often driven purely by our desires rather than from a place of maturity, wisdom, and mindfulness, the consequences of that choice will be long lasting and sometimes devastating. Think Romeo and Juliet, Adam and Eve, which are depicted in the Rider Waite version shown here and in the Greek myth of the Trojan Prince Paris and Helen of Sparta. In this great myth, Paris was commanded by Zeus to judge a beauty contest between three goddesses; Hera, Aphrodite and Athene after a quarrel broke out amongst the goddesses as to who was the loveliest. Hermes was sent to inform Paris of his mission. At first, Paris refused to do it, knowing full well that the two goddesses he didn’t choose would never forgive him. But Hermes threatened him with Zeus’ ire. Paris then offered to split the Golden Apple he was to give to one of them amongst the three as how could he choose between them? But Hermes wouldn’t accept that either. He just had to decide. Hera offered him rulership of the world if he chose her. Athene offered to make him the mightiest of warriors. Aphrodite offered him her sensuality, the cup of love and promised him the most beautiful mortal woman in the world. Paris being young and not yet clear on his innermost important values chose Aphrodite without hesitation. As promised, he was rewarded the beautiful Helen, queen of Sparta, except she was already married. Paris’ choice and his affair with Helen resulted in the breakout of the Trojan War and ultimately the downfall of Troy.

Although perhaps not quite as devastating as Paris’ story, we all endure whatever consequences come about as a result of our choices in love. We will sometimes make what seems to be a ‘mistake’ or ‘wrong decision’, which is inevitable, yet necessary for our growth and learning because at this stage of our lives we are not equipped with the worldliness and maturity to make decisions that reflect who we truly are, but rather we make them simply based on our desire.

With the Lovers card, we are faced with a difficult decision and depending on which path we choose, it will either take us to a good place or not so good place.

So overall, it’s appearance may or may not be a welcome card in a Tarot spread, depending on where you stand in the ‘love triangle’, the surrounding cards, the nature of the question being asked and the position in which it falls.