VI. The Lovers

[sweeneyish]

VI. The Lovers

 

 

Two lovers embrace each other on the shore of a lake, in the middle of a vast desert. The female lover has her head thrown back, her eyes closed and her hair drifting towards the emotional depths of the lake. 

 

The male lover had his eyes opened wide, deep in the throes of passion. He wears a purple hat that is reminiscent of a soldier. A venomous snake bites his ankle, unnoticed.

In the sky, the Deviant Moon displays its full power, its intoxicating energy flowing into the pair. 

 

Here are a few details I noticed looking over the card this morning. First, the female lover is one of the only characters depicted without the crescent moon face (we only see half the male lovers face, so we could assume he has the same crescent moon face as the other inhabitants - maybe). 

 

The female lover’s hands are loose and relaxed, and her body flows quite naturally. The male lover is tight and rigid, his posture almost awkward, his hands tight. 

 

This is the first card where we see the full

power of the Deviant Moon on display, including its face. 

 

This is also the first card in the Major Arcana that is obviously not located in the city. Even the Empress is not clearly out in the wild, and she has the tiled floor. Here we are in a new setting: a desert. 

 

A fun fact from the companion book: The female lover is the same inhabitant depicted in the V of Pentacles. It looks like the relationship didn’t pan out…

 

Keywords: Passion, harmony, romance, partnership, union, duality, intimacy, relationship

 

Some questions for your consideration:

 

1. What does the snake symbolize? Why is it there? 

 

2. Why are these Lovers in the desert? 

 

3. Who are these characters, and how did they meet? 

 

4. There is a dramatic shift in narrative from the Hierophant to the Lovers. Is there any connection between these two cards?

[AnomalyTempest]

You know, the first thing in my mind as I was reading your description of the male and female characters is the masculine and feminine approaches to sex. Is she thinking of the Queen while doing her "duty". Males can hyperfocus during sex. They are THERE in the moment. Women often let there minds wander. Dishes in the sink, the kids, the job, can't we just have a quicky and get it over with so can sleep? I'm sure there are men who might obsess this way and have trouble being present but it is mostly presented as a female thing.

 

Edited to add: That moon is sure shining a beam on them. In most decks I kinda think of this as a Voyeur card. Someone is spying!🤣

Edited May 14, 2022 by AnomalyTempest

[AnomalyTempest]

1. What does the snake symbolize? Why is it there? 

    Been thinking about this this. Don't know yet. Maybe he is drawn in so much to what he is focused on (gettin' some) that he let other matters go until they turned up as that snake to bite him in the ankle.

 

2. Why are these Lovers in the desert? 

     I thought it was the beach. However, if it is a desert, did they let their passion take over to point of neglecting the rest of their lives turning their world into that desert? Just throwing that out there.

 

3. Who are these characters, and how did they meet? 

    I keep wanting to turn this into a spread and ask them these questions.

 

4. There is a dramatic shift in narrative from the Hierophant to the Lovers. Is there any connection between these two cards?

    Maybe he is skipping church to meet his lady. Although perhaps she is the main character since she is in another card as well.

 

I haven't really had time to think about these like I did some of the others but I don't want you to feel the topic is being ignored.

[Flaxen]

I’ve been taking some time to gather my thoughts on this card. There are so many interesting details to ponder!

Her fingers and toes are very long, almost like claws and her hair looks snakelike. She seems to be more in touch with the instinctual ‘wild’ realm of the Empress. His hat is reminiscent of the Emperor’s and his body looks almost metallic - he is more ‘civilised’. There is a union of opposites here. 
 

1. What does the snake symbolize? Why is it there? 

My first thought is that he has been ‘bitten’ by passion. The perspective also depends a bit on whether the snake is venomous or not - it could be a warning that this relationship could be toxic/painful. It also links back to her hair - she has sunk her teeth into him and he cannot resist. 
 

2. Why are these Lovers in the desert? 

They have been parched of love previously, nothing has grown in their emotional life.  Now that they have found each other, there is a chance to create an oasis. It also looks to me like they are standing next to a body of water - the oasis? 
 

3. Who are these characters, and how did they meet? 

This is such a tricky question! I get the sense that he is from the city while she is from the wild countryside. It was a chance meeting where each was intrigued by the difference in the other. 
 

4. There is a dramatic shift in narrative from the Hierophant to the Lovers. Is there any connection between these two cards?

The Hierophant is probably quite threatened by their passion and their willingness to give in to desire. I can see him being a proponent of the dualism of the Cathars - the body and soul are separate. The soul is divine and linked to the Good God and while the material world (and our bodies) are created by Evil God. Souls become trapped in the body by the act of procreation. He would see the world in very black and white terms, I think. At the very least, he’d want people to control their passions.