The Lovers is card VI of the Major Arcana in the Thoth Tarot. In a reading it speaks of choice, union, duality and love. In the Golden Dawn system it corresponds to the Hebrew letter Zain, path 17 of the Tree of Life between Binah and Tiphareth, the element Air and Gemini in astrology.
choice · union · duality · love · analysis
What does The Lovers mean?
A choice must be made with heart and mind aligned; a meaningful union or alliance is possible.
Everyday meaning
Love, attraction, important choices between alternatives. It points to relationships, alliances and decisions that call for deep involvement.
Psychological meaning
It represents the meeting of inner opposites and the moment of conscious choice; also the tension between reason and desire.
Initiatic meaning
Path 17 from Binah to Tiphareth, the letter Zain (the sword, 7) and Gemini, the Air sign of Mercury: the sword that divides in order to make union possible. It is the beginning of the Chymical Marriage, the meeting of opposite principles that must in time fuse.
The shadow side
Ill-dignified, the Lovers signal indecision, infidelity, idealisation, or choices that divide a person against themselves.
The Lovers reversed
The Thoth Tarot is traditionally read without reversed cards: the reader judges from the cards around it whether a card is well or ill dignified. This is its ill-dignified or blocked reading:
Inner division, a conflict of values, unbalanced relationships, or a fear of choosing that leaves everything in suspense.
The Lovers in love, work and spirit
In love
Strong attraction and a meaningful bond; or a crossroads in love that calls for honesty.
At work and career
Partnerships and collaborations; decisions between two paths, to be weighed with analysis and integrity.
In spiritual practice
The union of opposites as a path: first the analysis that distinguishes, then the synthesis that unites.
Kabbalah, astrology and the Hebrew letter of The Lovers
Zain ז (7) · path 17: Binah – Tiphareth · Air · Gemini
Crowley on The Lovers
Crowley makes it the first stage of the alchemical wedding: a black king and a white queen are joined by a hooded figure beneath a Cupid loosing his arrow, and the work begun here will be completed in Art (XIV).
Frequently asked questions
What does The Lovers mean in the Thoth Tarot?
A choice must be made with heart and mind aligned; a meaningful union or alliance is possible.
What does The Lovers mean in love?
Strong attraction and a meaningful bond; or a crossroads in love that calls for honesty.
What does The Lovers mean for work and career?
Partnerships and collaborations; decisions between two paths, to be weighed with analysis and integrity.
What does The Lovers mean reversed?
The Thoth Tarot is traditionally read without reversed cards: the reader judges from the cards around it whether a card is well or ill dignified. This is its ill-dignified or blocked reading: Inner division, a conflict of values, unbalanced relationships, or a fear of choosing that leaves everything in suspense.
What are the Kabbalah and astrology correspondences of The Lovers?
In the Golden Dawn system The Lovers corresponds to the Hebrew letter Zain, path 17 of the Tree of Life between Binah and Tiphareth, the element Air and Gemini in astrology.
