6. The Lovers

The fork in the road.

Upright

A choice, especially between rationality and sensation. Or, love generally.

Reversed

Interference from a meddling third party, relationships out of balance.

Element: Air

Sometimes, cards in the Tarot don’t mean what we think they will mean. Death means change rather than disaster, and The Hanged Man is more of a willing, living martyr than one put to their death. The Lovers is somewhere in the middle— it can mean love and harmony, but it can also mean a choice. Showing an image of a man and a woman in the Garden of Eden, this card indicates a crossroads is at hand. The choice is between rationality and sensation: choosing to stay in the garden or eat the fruit. In the context of a relationship, it can mean that a question of commitment has arisen, or some other potential fork in the road.

When reversed, the dominant image is of the angel and the serpent. The Lovers reversed indicates interference from a third party in a matter that would otherwise stay between two people. This issue may be romantic in nature or not, but either way, there’s a snake in your garden. It can also generally indicate that relationships are out of balance and need to be examined, and perhaps choices made, before you can be set right.