Tarot & Writing: The Lovers – Two become one?

“Love will tear us apart” - Joy Division

To be in love and be loved is surely related to this card, right? Sure. That is one of the explanations of this card and it does come up as an actual marriage at times. But in the old days this card was also known as The Choice. If you study the illustration you can see the man looks at the woman on this card. He needs her to get in touch with the divinity and cannot reach the higher self without her. His actions are often based on the psychical world and thus inspired by the sexuality. She is driven by a higher perspective and therefore looking upwards to the angel. If you are familiar with Carl Jung’s work, you may recognise that this card is related to the anima and animus; our inner parts: the male part (acting, outward energy) and  the female part. So what choices need to be made in your life? What are grand decisions? Will you choose the more earthly, materialistic approach to life? Or will you be living (and loving) by a more divine outline?

Writer’s energy:
Every good novel needs a bit of romance; a hero and a heroine. This card is an ultimate card to explore the different meanings to this card. The male and the female energy. They may very well be longing to connect on a spiritual level with each other and belief they are each other’s other half and that this is a fated relationship. Just think about the classics when you write about love;  Romeo & Juliet and The West Side Story. And when your characters meet each other in your writings and it would work out well for them from the start, there would be no story to tell! Your readers would be bored and put the book aside. Working with the energy of this card to build a story line around the two lovers can help you write an enticing love story. After all this card has it all: two lovers from different backgrounds and they approach the world from a completely different perspective. How will that end? What difficulties do they encounter solemnly through the different perspective? Just start writing down possible dilemma’s between them and the story will start to evolve before your eyes. 

Example:
To get you started on a problem between your hero and heroine (and a possible break-up and reconciliation), here are Joy Divisions’ lyrics:

When routine bites hard,
And ambitions are low.
And resentment rides high,
But emotions won't grow.
And we're changing our ways,
Taking different roads.

Questions:
What seems to be the problem?
Where do they fight about?
What are your characters backstory?
What stands between them?

Astrological correspondence: The star sign Gemini. Thoughtwise this star sign is always doubting, moving into different directions.

Tarot & Love: How looks deceive

So... You think you pulled some promising tarot cards for your new love interest. Have you really? Mind those cards!

(Rider-Waite, 9 of Cups)

Nine of cups
Aaah, the sweet ‘wish card’! All your wishes will come true or so it states in many tarot books. Excellent for relationships, no?  No. I’ve seen this card come up way too often for someone who is very content with himself and focussed on pleasuring his own needs at his own time. Not yours. So careful of your heart there. You are an addition to his self value and can be simply transferred into one of his trophies, which he is so proudly showing right behind him. Booty calls? Oh yes.

(M. Greer deck - 6 of Cups)

Six of cups: All good, right? Nostalgic emotions, feeling that child hood safety with someone, he is actually offering you a cup and making you feel all cared for. However, this card can come up in some pretty nasty situations also. For example representing a lover who is too overbearing. He will take everything right out of your hands and make sure HE deals with it for you. Or in other words: taking your personal acting power away, all under ‘the cover of love’. A technique used by Lover Boys for example. They will take your personal power away by offering help and caring for you. And then slowly making themselves the one person you can still trust.
I have also seen this card come up where the love affair was really as the cards shows it: in the past.

(M. Greer deck - The Lovers)

 

The Lovers : Well surely the Lovers will provide you all you ever dreamed of? This has got to be your soul mate, the man you grow old with, and the absolute one. Right? Err... Well... More often no than yes. The original card was called ‘The Choice’ and that is exactly what this card comes up for most. It represents duality as well (and duality between the man and the woman and what they need in a relationship). Have a good look at the man you are currently dating. Why were you attracted to him in the first place? Is this what you really need? Will he provide you sheer lust or will it be goodness on all levels. The card wants to think about going ahead with this person and ask yourself the question: will this add to my future happiness or will it decline my happiness. Examine!
On a side note: The man in the Lovers is also shown a choice between the two women: the heavenly angel above and the earthly woman below. So just check if you are really the only one in his life. 

(Rider-Waite - Ten of Pentacles)

10 of Pentacles
Hooray! Solid family life awaits you and contentment and a long future lies ahead! Look at how wealthy the family is, how they build their empire and how all generations are shown in a single card. Sure. That or Mister Love Interest  thinks you are actually not going to fit into his ‘value system’, upbringing and family traditions. You are not good enough for him. So he will not bring you home to introduce you to the family and let you in, but decides he will stay true to his family and their traditions and will let you go moving on to a girl that is a match.

For all these cards (as always) look at the combination of the cards. What else is showing?  What is your overall feel when you look at your spread?