The Lovers

Upright Meaning

The Lovers stand naked beneath the angel Raphael, whose name means 'God heals.' Behind the woman stands the Tree of Knowledge with the serpent; behind the man, the Tree of Life with twelve flames. This is not simply a card of romance — it is a card of choice, values, and the alignment of what you desire with what you believe. The original Marseille version depicted a man choosing between two women; the Rider-Waite recasts this as the union of conscious and unconscious.

Reversed Meaning

Reversed, The Lovers indicate a misalignment between your actions and your values. A relationship may be out of balance, or you may be avoiding a difficult choice by pretending the conflict doesn't exist. This card reversed asks: what are you sacrificing for the sake of harmony, and is the cost too high?

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