VI The Lovers

In our journey through the Major Arcana we now move to The Lovers, an archetype of following our desires, of making choices, of courage, vulnerability, openness, connection, and surrender. We have left the middle, three-card transition of the row of the mind behind (Empress, Emperor, Hierophant). Throughout that transition we were subject to learning and to others’ expectations of us. Now we are grown and have released those expectations. Now, for the first time, we are out on our own, following our own desires and making our own choices.

This archetype represents the process of individuation. In some ways it may feel safe and/or comfortable to stay within the expectations of mother, father, society, or doctrine, but, if we let those expectations override our own desires, we do not fully individuate.

I view this archetype as one of following our hearts and  desires into relationships that are lasting, supportive, and which leads to new understandings of life. I see this as both following our sexual desires into relationships with others, and following our desires generally into relationships with things and activities we value and hold dear.

In this archetype the dualities of masculine and feminine (or two dualities within the masculine, or feminine, in the case of same-sex couples) are united and balanced under the divine light of love. Here the ego concedes. We release our total independence in order to harmonize with another.

Through the experience of connection with another, through the experience of love and physical union, we glimpse oneness and divine transcendence. In unity with another, we glimpse a path to the divine. This is an experience that is unavailable to us as individuals. We come to a deeper meaning and significance of life together than we could on our own.

Within the card we see the following symbolism:

The triad: the angelic, female, and male figures represent the idea of duality of masculine and feminine opposites brought into harmony by love. The triangular position of the three figures symbolizes stability.

The male figure represents reason. He seeks to transcend reason, so he looks toward the woman and to passion.

The female figure represents passion. She seeks to transcend passion, so she looks toward the angel and to the divine.

The angel: is an emissary for the divine.

The sun: is the enlightened state that we see in the cards for the first time since The Fool.

Tree of Life: stands behind the male figure and represents desire. It connects all forms of creation.

Tree of Knowledge: stands behind the female figure and represents the knowledge of good and evil, the knowledge of duality, which connects heaven and the underworld. Eating the apple and acquiring this knowledge of duality, according to ancient goddess traditions, is what starts us on the path of life and living in the material world.

The serpent: is unconscious wisdom. Unconscious wisdom offers us the knowledge of good and evil with which we begin our lives in the field of time, the field of opposites. It could also be viewed to represent a kundalini awakening.

The mountain: represents wisdom uniting reason and passion.

Their nakedness: to me represents vulnerability and the courage that it takes to be truly open with another. That vulnerability, letting one’s guard down, showing one’s true self, hiding nothing, fosters and powers connection. The experience of being seen, understood, and accepted, leads to love and unity with another.

Next time we’ll complete the first row of the Major Arcana by looking at The Chariot.