Gli Amanti: The Lovers
Verse
“One travels the path of lightning,
the other, the path of the serpent.
Despite the inevitable
collision of their meeting,
they reach out for one another.
Finally,
two who were once solitary
find completion and
harmony in their duality.
Their decision to become one
unifies the world
and they find truth
in each other,
and a new path
together.”
Keywords
Upright: Love. Temptation. Union.Morality. Harmony of opposites. Choices. Choosing your own path.
Reversed: Discord. Imbalance. Self-love. Stay true to yourself. Resist temptation.
Correspondences
Sign: Gemini
Aroma: Juniper, ylang ylang, and violet
Description
Until this point, the cards in the Fool’s journey treated the masculine and feminine, light and dark, divine and material, separately, but here is where they finally come together in perfect harmony as The Lovers. In the Hermetic Tarot, it is known as ‘Children of the voice divine.’
The Lovers is a card with a depth of meaning and can be read literally or more metaphysically depending on the circumstances. Literally, it points to love, passion, temptation, and sexual union. At its core, it represents strong connections and harmony. This connection may be with a lover, friend, family member, or within yourself. It can also represent choices and balancing right and wrong. Love is a choice you make. When you decide to love someone you are deciding to always choose them. It asks you to consider the teachings of all the cards that came before it, but ultimately establish your own values to live by. Openness and honesty are as important in relationships with others as it is within yourself. Only when the way you feel is in balance with the way you act can you be truly happy and accept love. The Lovers may reveal that you have found that balance. However, not everything is black and white. You have to accept the dualities that life throws at you and find harmony between seemingly opposing forces. Overall I believe this card is a statement about the enlightenment that can only be found in love. No matter what you believe in there is no denying the power of love to heal, strengthen, and overcome obstacles. Love is pure magic created by the unification and harmony of opposites. Strong partnerships are delicate and require balance.
The reversed Lovers may reveal some discord or imbalance in your life, either internally or externally in your relationships. It asks you to focus on self-love instead of placing too much value on love you may not be receiving from others. When faced with a difficult decision you may be tempted to abandon your ideals, but this card urges you to stick to your guns and be true to yourself even in the face of hardship.
Design
This is one of the only cards that I consulted the Tarot de Marseilles on because of how iconic that depiction is and how different it is from the RWS. I like the idea of choice being the primary condition for love. Choosing who you love is like making a contract. And you don’t just choose them once, you have to continue to choose them every day. Of course, this card can be read as a non-romantic contract or relationship too.
I’ve always really liked stories where angels (or demons) fall in love with humans. It’s forbidden, it’s an ultimate sacrifice, and it’s choosing the one you love over divinity. There’s just something about that that does it for me. Some examples I love are the manga Wish by Clamp, and the film Wings of Desire (the basis for City of Angels but better.)
I also chose to add the symbolic arrow to emphasize the relationship between this card and Temperance which is ruled by Sagittarius. On a personal note, my parents are Gemini and Sagittarius so it makes me think of them.
I aimed to create a sense of continuity throughout the major arcana and one of the ways I did that is repeated imagery. The volcano appears for the first time here, far away and dormant as a warning and foreshadowing presence. The next time it appears is on Temperance where it is still dormant, then The Devil where it erupts, and finally The Tower where it fully explodes. Traditionally, the volcano is also present to represent latent passion between the lovers.
Key Symbols
The two figures: The grounded figure represents the masculine principle and the conscious mind. The figure above represents the feminine principle and the subconscious. The wings on the figure above represent divinity. With their hand on the other’s cheek, they tilt their gaze upward toward the heavens. This illustrates the conscious mind passing through the subconscious to transcend to a place of enlightenment, or the super-conscious. She looks down to meet the lower figure’s gaze and descends toward material temptation. They are connected physically through touch and mentally/spiritually through their gaze.
Arrow: The arrow is a symbol of Sagittarius, which is the star sign that rules over Temperance—a card closely linked to this one. It is also emblematic of Cupid, the god of desire.
Volcano: The dormant volcano in the distance is symbolic of untapped passion and the inevitable destruction that comes later in the Tower.
Color Theory
Purple - Spirituality
Red - Grounding and Passion
Orange - Pleasure and Desire
