choose love
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Tarot Alley uses the Rider Waite type of deck for our meanings, symbols, interpretations, etc.
The Lovers represents all the love that makes the world go ‘round. This is so much more than just sexual or romantic love. It includes self-love, familial love, platonic love, asexual love, community love, and every other type of love.
The Lovers are about how you express your love. How do you show the people in your life that you love them? How do you find and welcome love into your life?
Love is an action; it is a thing we do, not (just) a thing we feel which means that love is a choice. You must choose to express and accept love.
Take a look at the Rider-Waite Lovers displayed to the left (or above).
What is your first impression?
Who are these people? What are they doing? Where are they? What does the imagery say to you?
There’s no right or wrong answer here, just your interpretation.
Astrology: Gemini
Element: Air
Numerology: 6 (collaboration, cooperation, interaction)
Common Symbols
- Roses to represent love
- Two things coming together to create one to represent completion
Keywords & Concepts
- Love
- Compassion
- Partnership
- Care
- Union
- Relationships
- Harmony
- Choices
- Together
- Romance
the Lovers for Personal Growth
Now is a good time to deal with outstanding issues related to sexuality and relationships. Rather than be overwhelmed with Hollywood-style passion, consider the extent to which your qualities might be balanced or enhanced by those of your potential partner. In other areas, find your passion and pursue it.
Ask Yourself:
- What guides your choices?
- What is your heart leading you to do?
- How might this decision transform you as a person?
- Who are the players in your situation and what choices do they face?
- What enlightenment might you achieve by bringing together opposing points of view?
- In your situation, should you honor the letter or the spirit of the law?
- If you were Cupid, whom might you bring together to resolve your challenge?
Interpreting the Lovers
When the Lovers appear it represents the time to choose to act with love. Whatever the problem, question, or difficulty is, the answer is acts of love.
Love is an action and it’s time for you get to work.
The Reversed Lovers
How you read reversals is a personal choice. You can ignore reversals and read them as if the card is upright (this is what I often choose to do) or you can interpret reversals as variations of what they would mean upright. There are 3 common ways to read reversals: as a negative interpretation, as an opposite interpretation, or as a block on the upright interpretation. Check out How to Read Reversals for more information.
Negative: A negative reversed Lovers suggests that you’re ignoring love.
Opposite: An opposite reversed Lovers means that you’re ignoring love.
Blocked: A blocked reversed Lovers indicates that you’re ignoring love.
That’s right, all the reversals mean the same thing here. You’re ignoring love when making decisions.
Examples of the Lovers
Specific Interpretations
Specific situations are the general interpretation (from above) used for a specific situation (love, career, etc). There is no need to memorize these (or even look them up) if you understand the general interpretation. However, here are some basic interpretations for some specific situations:
Love & Relationships
When it comes to love and relationships, the Lovers is one of the best cards in the deck. It’s the cards of soulmates and intense bonds.
If you’re in a relationship, the Lovers represents a fresh romanticism starting in your relationship.
If you’re single, the Lovers suggests you won’t be for long!
Reversed
Negative: A negative reversed Lovers suggests a false soulmate or false bond. Do you feel like you’re being shown and are showing love through actions? Be sure of it.
Opposite: An opposite reversed Lovers also means falseness. Don’t stay in a relationship – or start one – with someone who doesn’t show their love with actions or who you’re not willing to show your love to with actions.
Blocked: A blocked reversed Lovers indicates something is preventing you from giving/receiving the loving actions that you want.
Professional Life
Professionally, the Lovers represent choice. Options for change are abundant right now.
This isn’t necessarily a good thing. Many of your options aren’t going to result in good fortune. Be sure to evaluate all of your options and choose the one that involves love. (Remember, love isn’t just sexual and romantic. This could be a fabulous new business partner, it could be to choose the option that is best for the love of your family, etc).
Reversed
Negative: A negative reversed Lovers suggests an abundance of negative choices. Remember, choosing nothing is an always an option. Only go forward with love.
Opposite: An opposite reversed Lovers means a lack of choice. Remember, only act with love right now!
Blocked: A blocked reversed Lovers indicates that you’re ignoring love in your decision making.
Health & Wellness
The Lovers card signifies the love and support you’ll need to navigate through a health issue. It might be your health issue, or it might be you providing that love to someone else.
The Lovers card can be read literally as a heart health issue. Now is not the time to be ignoring your heart.
Reversed
Negative: A negative reversed Lovers suggests a struggle to obtain/give the necessary love during a trying time.
Opposite: An opposite reversed Lovers means a struggle to give/obtain the needed love during a difficult health time.
Blocked: A blocked reversed Lovers indicates you’re not willing to give/accept the needed love right now. Why?
the Lovers Tarot Card Meaning
The Lovers card means it’s time for you to take the action of choosing love. Choose someone you love today and show them how much they mean to you.
Once you feel comfortable with the Lovers tarot card meaning, check out the next card in the tarot deck: VII – the Chariot Tarot Card Meaning.
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