Eventually, the Fool faces two new challenges.

He experiences the powerful urge for sexual union with another person. Before, he was mainly self-centred. Now he feels the balancing tendency, pictured in the Lovers, to reach out and become half of a loving partnership. He yearns for relationship.

The Fool also needs to decide upon his own beliefs. It is well enough to conform while he learns and grows, but at some point, he must determine his own values if he is to be true to himself. He must start to question received opinion.

The Lovers card shows a naked man and woman standing beneath the angel, Raphael, whose name means ‘God heals’ and represents both physical and emotional healing. The angel blesses the man and woman and reminds them of their union with the Divine.

The couple stands in a beautiful, fertile landscape, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. Behind the woman stands a tall apple tree, with a snake winding its way up the trunk. The serpent and apple tree represent the temptation of sensual pleasures that may take one’s focus away from the Divine. Behind the man is a tree of flames, which represent passion, the primary concern of the man.

The twelve flames suggest the twelve zodiac signs, the symbol of time and eternity. The man looks to the woman, who watches the angel, showing the path of the conscious to the subconscious to the super-conscious, or from physical desire to emotional needs to spiritual concerns.

The volcanic mountain in the background is rather phallic and represents the eruption of passion that happens when man and woman meet in full frontal nudity.

In its purest form, the Lovers card represents conscious connections and meaningful relationships.

The arrival of this card in a Tarot reading shows that you have a beautiful, soul-honouring connection with a loved one. You may believe you have found your soul mate or life partner, and the sexual energy between you both goes way beyond instant gratification and lust to something that is very spiritual and almost Tantric.

While the Lovers card typically refers to a romantic tie, it can also represent a close friendship or family relationship where love, respect and compassion flow.

The Lovers is a card of open communication and raw honesty. Given that the man and woman are naked, they are both willing to be in their most vulnerable states and have learned to open their hearts to one another and share their truest feelings.

In a reading, this card is a sign that by communicating openly and honestly with those you care about, you will create a harmonious and fulfilling relationship built on trust and respect.

The Lovers card also represents becoming clear about your values and beliefs. Having gone through the indoctrination of the Hierophant, you are now ready to establish your belief system and decide what is and what is not essential to you.

Ultimately, the Lovers is about choice.

The choice about who you want to be in this lifetime, how you connect with others and on what level, and about what you will and won’t stand for.

In order to make good choices, you need to be clear about your personal beliefs and values – and stay true to them. Not all decisions will be easy either. The Lovers card is often a sign that you are facing a moral dilemma and must consider all consequences before acting. Your values system is being challenged, and you are being called to take the higher path, even if it is difficult. Do not carry out a decision based on fear or worry or guilt or shame.

Finally, the Lovers card encourages you to unify dual forces. You can bring together two parts that are seemingly in opposition to one another and create something that is ‘whole’, unified and harmonious.

Numerology of Card: 6

This is a number that is focused on worldly concerns such as fertility and carrying on the family line and reflects caring, loving, understanding and nurturing. It represents a true and unfaltering concern for family and for others we love.

Astrology of Card:

The Lovers card is ruled by Gemini, the sign of communication, but also of duality. The same principles of light and dark, masculine and feminine, are present in this astrological sign. It is yin and yang, and just like The Lovers card, it is the mix of these two energies that makes it so amazing!