The Lovers

[GateKeeper]

Love relationship ----- Union ----- Passion ----- Sexuality
Pleasure ----- Humanism ----- Desire ----- Personal beliefs
Individual values ----- Physical attraction ----- Connection
Affinity ----- Bonding ----- Romance ----- Heart

Following the Marseilles Tradition, also there are:
Choice ----- Doubt ----- ----- Dilemma ----- Temptation

Mythopoetic approach

The Lovers represent the impulse that drives us out of the Garden, towards adulthood. Sometimes, that impulse manifests as curiosity (Eve, Pandora, Psyche); sometimes it manifests as sexual desire (the basis of much great literature, as well as ordinary romances, most teen movies, and even horror films); sometimes it manifests as duty (a soldier heeding the call). Whatever it is, once we have stepped past the threshold, there is no returning to the garden.

The Lovers is associated through its cross sum (the sum of the digits) with The Devil, Key 15. He is often the source of the impulse, or that thing inside of us that responds to it. The Devil's energy is absolutely necessary, absolutely deadly.

The Lovers also represent raw desire.

Hajo Banzhaf suggests that if the Major Arcana is seen as a map of the Sun's circuit of the Sky, The Lovers is high noon. Consciousness is at its fullest. Frequently, cards show the Sun in the position of noon. Two trees, bearing fruit and flame, represent the intoxication of the material world.

When The Lovers appear in a spread, it typically draws the Querent's attention to whatever impulse drove her from home, to whatever impulse made him move out, reject the faith of his fathers, made him accept the call. That original impulse should be honored, but if it dominates the Querent's life, it will grow tiresome. The call must be renewed.

It can signal that an examination of the Querent's relationship with the garden is needed, be it exile or absence. Sometimes, it can be useful to go beyond Eden and talk about other gardens: the bittersweet Kingdom of Logres built by Arthur to keep back the rising dark for a generation, the idyllic Hobbits' Shire in The Lord of the Rings, or just a happy childhood. Look for misty eyes of memory, or bitterness at the lack of a past paradise.

The Lovers are also a reminder that we need others to become fully human. Lovers, friends, adversaries - each one teaches us, each one stretches us.

Alternative decks

In the "Flemish Deck" by Vandenborre (c.1750 – 1760), the card is called L'Amour ("Love").
In the Marseilles Deck, the card shows Prince Paris of Troy choosing between Hera (wearing a crown, on the left-hand side) and Aphrodite (on the right-hand side wearing a wreath of flowers on her head). This has sometimes been drawn as Aphrodite (on the right-hand side wearing a wreath of flowers on her head) introducing Queen Helen (on the left-hand side wearing a gold crown) to Prince Paris (in the middle) while Cupid (hovering above) points his bow and arrow at Paris. It symbolizes making a difficult choice.
Another interpretation of the Marseilles Deck depicts two women holding on to each arm of a man. The laurel wreath of victory is worn by the woman on the left, who the man gazes at, while she holds up her free hand to ward him off. The floral wreath of love is on the head of the woman on the right, who touches the heart of the man with her free hand. It symbolizes how you want what you cannot have.
A version in which the Lovers have their hands clasped over the altar or clasping the hands of a child between them is sometimes called Marriage or Unity; sometimes an angel is shown in the background. It links the card to XV.The Devil and XX.Judgement, who use similar artwork.
In the Vikings Tarot, this card shows Frigg with her golden sandals standing between the brothers Vili and Ve.
In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Lovers is represented by Kotori Monou.
In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Lovers is depicted by the Judgment of Paris, who chose Aphrodite (the goddess of Love), who in turn awarded Paris the most beautiful woman, Helen, which began the Trojan War.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lovers