Alternative Names: The Lover, Love
Number: 6
Astrological Sign or Planet: Gemini the Twins
Element: Air
Hebrew Letter: Zain
Key Meanings: Love and relationships, maturity, and decisions
The Lovers card in Tarot symbolizes (you guessed it) love, as well as romance, connection, attraction, and perfect harmony. The basic symbols of this card are an angel or Cupid, a man and a woman, and two trees. In some decks, there is a man standing between two women, and in some decks, one tree is flowering and the other has fruit. The Waite Tarot cards have Adam and Eve, one tree, a serpent, and apples.
Upright Meaning: Although many readers interpret this card as representing romantic love, it is allegorically a statement about union of opposites, whether those are a man and woman or inner conditions of conflict. The Lovers refers to discrimination in making choices. The male and female figures are symbols not only of human love and marriage but also of the dual nature within ourselves. When The Lovers card appears, it points to the need to heal an inner rift. Although it can herald a romantic involvement, it most often turns up when a critical life decision must be made, sometimes in connection with a love relationship. There are obstacles to be overcome, both within and without. This card suggests that you are at a crossroads. You have to consider all of the ramifications of the situation and choose carefully in order to further your own development and to accommodate the needs of others in the situation.
Reversed Meaning: When the Lovers card reverses, relationships go out of balance and the shadow side of your personalities enters the equation. A relationship is in crisis, and you may question your initial attraction as the values you once held as a couple feel corrupted. There may be inequality, betrayal, and dishonesty. The Lovers reversed is also an aspect of card XV, The Devil, which reveals lust, materialism, and addiction to negative patterns.
About the Deck: “Ciro Marchetti’s Tarot of Dreams” from Tarot.com.