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With just a cursory examination, we might be tempted to dismiss the Lovers card (Card Six in the Tarot’s Major Arcana) as merely a romantic illustration of the loving union of two people. Indeed, on one level, this card is about love and romance, but there is much more to it than that, and a more detailed investigation of it yields some profoundly spiritual comments on these topics.

The Lovers card in the most common deck today (the Rider-Waite-Smith deck) depicts a man and a woman standing on either side of the card. Behind the woman, there is a serpent twined around an apple tree (symbolizing the Tree of Knowledge), and behind the man is a tree bearing twelve flames (symbolizing the Tree of Life). Above them, and beneath a golden sun, an angel rises up from a cloud. This card’s allusion to the Garden of Eden, with its archetypal implications of temptation and pivotal decisions, is clear. In many older decks, the Lovers card depicts a man who seems to be choosing between two women––sometimes where one appears to be a vamp and the other, a virgin––and Cupid, ready to let fly his arrow, hovers above them.

On one level, then, this card is about choices in general, such as those between temptation and respectability, lust and love, or a spiritual path and a material one. Of course, it is also about relationships, so it contains advice to choose a romantic partner carefully and wisely.

On a deeper level, though, this card stresses the importance of choosing love itself. While it is true that love, like Cupid’s arrow, often arrives unexpectedly, it only grows and blossoms in the fertile soil of a heart that has chosen to love. As the French dramatist, Jean Baptiste Racine, said, “None love, but they who wish to love.” And that choice is not a one-time thing. For our relationships to succeed, we must choose love over and over again, which is not always easy to do. Often we are faced with circumstances wherein we may choose things like judgment, fear, or rejection instead of love. For example, when our partner makes a mistake or does something hurtful, we can choose love or we can choose anger and condemnation, or when we are confronted with temptation, we can choose either love or betrayal.

In the Rider-Waite-Smith Lovers card, a mountain looms up in the background between the man and woman, which can represent the many challenges that separate us from each other––things like jealousy, egotism, and our illusions about ourselves and about each other. However, the angel at the top of the card spreads its arms above both of these figures in an attitude of benediction. This implies that our common spirituality can unite and bond us if we choose to let it, and guidance from our higher self can help us overcome the obstacles that separate us.

 Although this card’s domain includes romantic love, it is not limited to that. This card also advises us to choose love in all of our relationships, including those with our friends, co-workers, and neighbors. This is an easy choice when the other person is pleasant and agreeable, but it can be difficult when it is someone with divergent beliefs or someone who has wounded us in some way. But in that case, choosing love is even more vital, for it joins us under the wings of Divinity and is an important step toward healing our relationship. In fact, it is an important step toward healing ourselves as well

James Ricklef is a Los Angeles based Tarot reader, teacher, and freelance writer. His new book, "Tarot Tells the Tale," published by Llewellyn Publishing, features sample Tarot readings for well-known historical, mythical, and fictional characters. To schedule a Tarot reading (either private readings or readings at parties) or to inquire about his Tarot classes, contact him at knighthawk111@hotmail.com. For more information about his work, see his website: http://home.att.net/~jwricklef