The Lovers

Tarot-The Lovers

Here we find a slightly different kind of card. The focus of it is a type of personality or person based on a character flaw and not the entire psychology of an archetype. Yet it is also a part of the archetype discussion by virtue of the impact it has on individuals. The Lovers are a warning of obsession or addiction. It can be to something as mundane as chocolate or as deadly as psychotic lust. Whether the person is a single obsessive or a multiple addiction this card warns of the danger inherent in allowing something to take control of our life.

When this card is found crossing the querant it alerts us to the possibility that the person is being exposed to chemicals or substances that may be dangerous to that individual. Often it is often substances that are prescribed for a short period and are designed to be used for pain relief. Whether it is medicinal or recreational it is not to be taken lightly. When the card turns up in the hopes and fears position it usually tells us these same subjects have been of concern and may still be a major influence although it generally isn't the querant but someone close.

Addiction to sex is a recognized condition with deep psychological roots. Just as the dependence on the rush from a sudden discovery of attraction can become an obsession, the fixation on one particular person can become a "fatal attraction".

Sex, food, thrills, lust, alcohol, drugs, attention, religion, hysteria; whatever the particular is this is not a card to be ignored. It is the warning sign that must be taken seriously. Daredevils, stuntmen and women, gigolos, alcoholics, extreme dieters, drug dealers are some of the occupations of those influenced by this card.

TV and the movies mistakenly use this card to foretell the characters are going to fall in love or find their destined soulmate. It's more likely the 2 of Cups would show up for a sudden discovery of love.

As both men and women are prone to the "addictive personality" this card shows both man and woman. To read it clearly we must determine which of the possibilities it's drawing our attention to.

Ask yourself if you know someone who lives from crisis to chaos to emergency. Often there can only be short periods in this person's life that remain clam or neutral. They must find value in their lives by inflating the importance of whatever it is that's going on around them. Munchausen's syndrome by proxy is such a condition. A parent (usually a mother) will exaggerate the severity of her children's health issues to gain attention for themselves. In it's most dangerous extremity it endangers the life of all the family.

It sounds like such a nice card it's a shame it really means what it does.