Love doesn’t win. It transcends.
How The Lovers are breaking barriers.
When I sit down to conduct a reading with someone I've just met, especially if they're unfamiliar with Tarot cards or the art of reading, I find myself being asked the same questions: "How do the cards know?", "Do you have a large collection of decks at home?", "What's the worst card you can get in a reading?", "Are the cards going to tell me I'm going to die?" and so on. However, there is one question that I inevitably field during 95% of all cold readings: "How did you get into reading Tarot?"
Those of you who have been following my Tarot journey for the past year or so may have come to understand that my first interactions with Tarot cards were through film and television. Whether it was shows like Charmed or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or movies like Now and Then or The Wizard of Oz, the fantastic, occult, supernatural (and Tarot by proxy) imagery had a profound impact on my visual lexicon. However, there was one film in particular that left the biggest impression on me: the 1973 James Bond film Live and Let Die. This movie had it all: Roger Moore (arguably the best old-school Bond, and not up for debate), New Orleans (my second favorite city), crocodile jumping (I mean, come on!), a young Jane Seymour (her first feature-length film), misrepresented voodoo, and...Tarot! When I first saw the film, I wasn't quite sure what the psychic Bond Girl named Solitaire was doing at her opulent desk with that deck of cards, but I knew that I wanted to be her—costumes, makeup, hairdo, cards, and all.
It’s been said that Salvador Dali was commissioned to create the deck that would eventually be used in the picture, but due to creative differences and timing Fergus Hall’s Tarot of the Witches was used instead. Even though we won't be using the beautiful illustration from that deck in our exploration of The Lovers card this month, I wanted to first highlight its appearance in Live and Let Die. On its own, The Lovers card denotes divine equality, alignment, and truth, shining an angelic light on the bond between two parties so harmonious that it seems to have been birthed by the Universe itself. However, within the context of this movie, The Lovers has come to represent deceit, trickery, and falsehoods. Without getting into the weeds of the plot, Mr. Bond literally stacks the cards against the young Solitaire, compiling a deck completely comprised only of Card VI. He then goes on to pressure Solitaire, asking her to choose just one card from the deck. Of course, she can only select The Lovers, leading her to believe that fate has compelled her to fall into the spy's open (and horny) arms.
The Lovers and The High Priestess cards, as seen in Ian Fleming’s Live and Let Die.
Live and Let Die, Eon Productions/United Artists, 1973
My personal relationship with the Tarot can be summed up by the larger message delivered via The Lovers card. The Tarot has become a conduit for clear and open communication, not just for myself, but with others, allowing raw honesty to take the helm. This card has become a symbol of choice - the choice of who we want to become and how we connect with others on different emotional levels. Simply put, this card makes us consider what we stand for and, for me, Tarot is a part of who I am. Although it is unfortunate that my first core memory of the cards comes from a film that has many problematic moments, I am happy that I can reflect on that now and use the meaning of The Lovers to articulate the relationship I have with the Tarot.
For this month’s exploration of The Lovers, I have selected five decks that show us the complexity and nuances of this card: the Smith-Waite® Tarot (Borderless Edition) by Arthur E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith, the Terra Volatile Tarot by Credo quia Absurdum, the Fyodor Pavlov Tarot by Fyodor Pavlov, the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot by Uusi, and the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris.
VI. The Lovers. Clockwise from top left: the Fyodor Pavlov Tarot by Fyodor Pavlov (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.), the Smith-Waite® Tarot (Borderless Edition) by Arthur E. Waite and Pamela Colman Smith (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.), the Pagan Otherworlds Tarot by Uusi, the Terra Volatile Tarot by Credo quia Absurdum, and the Aleister Crowley Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley and Lady Frieda Harris (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.).
In a wide range of decks, the central focus of The Lovers card traditionally depicts two figures, often one male and one female, standing or sitting together. They may be shown facing each other, looking into each other's eyes, or engaged in an embrace, representing the theme of love and partnership. In the context of today (specifically contemporary dating, marriage, or relationship culture), we might find ourselves rolling our eyes at The Lovers card. With the traditional gender binary being questioned, or in some cases put aside altogether nowadays, wouldn't we think of this card as outdated, or even more colloquially, canceled? Before we start pointing our fingers at the perceived insensitivities of this card, let’s dive a bit deeper.
Throughout history, the binary has been the framework for most cultures. In Hinduism, the concept of Shiva and Shakti represents the masculine and feminine energies respectively. Shiva is associated with the static and unchanging aspects, while Shakti represents the dynamic and creative aspects of the universe. If we turn to Greek philosophy (as well as Jungian psychology), the concept of Logos and Eros was very much alive—where Logos represents the rational and logical aspects, and Eros represents the emotional and intuitive aspects of human nature. And in Japanese philosophy, the concept of In and Yo, which are similar to yin and yang, has links to the balance that exists within nature. In represents the receptive, passive, and feminine aspects, while Yo represents the active, assertive, and masculine aspects of the universe. In essence, all of these frameworks represent the concept of duality and how opposing forces are interrelated and interdependent, and that achieving balance and harmony between them is essential for understanding the nature of existence, and more subtly within the Tarot.
However, that's not to say that we couldn’t tap into the energy that exists outside the boundaries of the binary gender spectrum when we see The Lovers card. When I first dove into the Fyodor Pavlov Tarot by artist Fyodor Pavlov, coming across his depiction of The Lovers, I squealed. Not only are the two characters standing side-by-side, hands wrapped in the ribbons of a handfasting ritual, but they live proudly as trans individuals. The inclusion of trans bodies in The Lovers card of course highlights the complexities of love and relationships beyond the conventional norms, but also reminds us that the balance of energy in the Universe is profound and multi-faceted, transcending the simplistic viewpoints of social society.
As we shift our focus from the physical realm of The Lovers card, we start to notice some spiritual nuances, particularly the presence of what could be deemed the "third character" in most of the selected cards. An angel or Cupid/cherub figure often appears in The Lovers card, representing higher spiritual guidance, divine blessings, or the power of love. Both the Terra Volatile Tarot and the Thoth Tarot depict a Cupid/cherub (Thoth also includes an ominous, god-like being), while the Smith-Waite® Tarot portrays a large angel. The appearance of these religious-leaning characters may carry a patriarchal overtone, suggesting that a higher power approves of this union.
Similarly, in the Fyodor Pavlov Tarot, we see a bleeding heart wrapped in thorns and set aflame, commonly referred to as the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus within the Catholic faith. Its inclusion in the card's depiction is quite profound. Could it be that the artist is making a comment on the "approval" of LGBTQ+ folks, specifically by religious institutions of the Christian persuasion? Perhaps. But what is more powerful in terms of the story could be that these two individuals simply know that their choice to love one another is beautiful, regardless of who sees their union as "fit," "appropriate," or even "sacrilege."
Now that we have covered all the "players" in The Lovers card, let's further examine the environment they inhabit. Card six often places our characters in a lush garden or paradise-like setting, symbolizing fertility, abundance, and the ideal state of being. However, it can also allude to the biblical Garden of Eden, representing the innocence and purity of God's love before Eve ate the apple from the Tree of Knowledge. If we view this card through a biblical lens, the meaning shifts. The story of Adam and Eve was one of proving love, rather than celebrating and rejoicing in it. Similarly, the snake that occasionally appears in the card denotes temptation and the rejection of all that is good and just in the world. However, if we take a more Earth-based, pagan approach to our visual interpretation, we can deduce that the tree represents rootedness and stability, while the apple represents fertility and abundance, and the reptile companion denotes change, transition, and growth.
The Lovers generated by artificial intelligence.
For the longest time, The Lovers has always been a challenging card for me to connect with, whether it's the heteronormative, cis-gendered relationship depicted or the religious overtones and iconography that imbue the card with a sense of shame. I'm incredibly relieved to see contemporary artists and creators flipping the script on what love looks like. As I've become more at peace with the card, choosing to focus on the positivity it signifies, I've also been able to ignite the excitement that the card represents within myself, too. As Solitaire states in Live and Let Die: "I've been gifted with a rare talent, Mr. Bond. I can see things that others can't."