By Lorraine Kemble
6. Lovers
Image from RWS Tarot
Rachel is in a fragile state and finds herself at a personal crossroads. She feels a severe loss, of course, apart from looking after her beloved children. At least she has been able to form a network of several compassionate friends. After some time, she eventually agrees to meet a man on a blind date who is a friend of a friend, instigated by an acquaintance from her library.
Their first date feels vivid and natural. Steve is an occupational therapist living in a rural suburb of Bristol, commuting every day to London because of a stable job and recent promotion. They see each other again, and although Steve is magnetic, he owns an indecisive character trait. The date lacks substance, and Rachel experiences an intuitive feeling that all is not as it seems; however, Steve seems overly keen, phoning her every day.
Rachel's birthday dawns; he insists on taking her to the theatre and staying in a London hotel. She basks in him spoiling her and Rachel, still not being broad-minded, savors it, convinced it's because of her birthday. They inevitably relish a night of passion; Rachel has the familiar, gnawing, sickly feeling in her stomach. She feels that it was amiss of her to have willingly agreed to stay.
Finally, Rachel unwittingly finds out that Steve has been leading a double life. He is so-called happily married, leading a family life with two children. Rachel feels dreadful about this tangled deception, and she cannot morally understand why he wasn't honest with her. She berates herself, vowing that she will never again become involved with a lover.
The imagery of The Lovers Tarot card reveals a naked man and woman. The angel Raphael whose name means 'God heals'; blesses the couple, reminding them of their sacred union. Reminiscing the Garden of Eden, the woman stands in front of an apple tree, a snake winding up the trunk. Behind the man is a tree of flames, representing passion, disclosing his lust. The twelve flames are suggestive of the twelve zodiac signs, representing eternity. The man looks to the woman, who believably watches the angel, showing the path of the conscious to the subconscious, or from physical desire to emotional needs and spiritual concerns. The volcanic mountain in the background typifies the eruption of passion that happens when man and woman meet the subconscious or physical desire to emotional and spiritual concerns.
The predominant zodiac sign of The Lovers is Gemini as if they're two sides of the same person.
Astrologically, The Lovers are ruled by Mercury, the planet of communication.
The previous installment can be found in the November issue of Tarot Sushi. Watch for the next installment in the December issue.