The Lovers Tarot Card Meaning

The Lovers card scene is inspired by the famous biblical story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, using the first human male and female to express the meaning of lovers and love. Waite uses the "Paradise" to depict "men and women in the world," which is a very special technique. The love between people is also the theme that this card wants to express. The story of the Garden of Eden represents entering the world and the secular realm. Strictly speaking, the choice of love between people is a representative of the secular world, which is also a departure from God. In fact, not only in Christianity, but also in many religions, this is the distinction. The initial human beings did not understand love, and Adam and Eve were just companions, they had to love and serve God together. Until the moment when men and women ate the forbidden fruit and began to understand love, the unique history of mankind was born, and a boundary was drawn with God.

Above the picture, there is a dazzling sun hanging high, which is a scene of light and peace. Under the sun, there is an angel with a pair of purple-red wings and hair like flames on his head. This angel is dressed in purple, representing nobility and loyalty, strong spiritual power, and high-level truth and healing power. The fiery purple wings show spiritual passion. And the flame-like hair represents the vigorous and sharp spiritual power. This angel is opening his hands and pouring down his influence to the people in the garden.

According to the biblical story, this angel is the guardian of the Garden of Eden, named Cherubim, belonging to the rank of cherubim. Cherubim is specialized in guarding sacred objects. In legends, it has four faces and many wings, and sometimes it is described as a spherical shape because it is related to the divine chariot and the holy wheel (related to the imagery of the four living creatures, and connected to these related cards). In the stories of Judaism and Christianity, God sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden of Eden, and in order not to let people eat the fruit of the tree of life again, he sent Cherubim to the Garden of Eden, holding a rotating sword of fire, guarding the tree of life.

In one of the Western esoteric traditions - alchemy, winged figures are often used to represent the unconscious. This winged angel can also be said to be an unconscious created by the thoughts of the two naked men and women on the ground, and they are observed by this unconscious created by themselves. The angel is under the sun and above the clouds, far away and hidden, and the two men and women on the ground seem to be unable to see the existence of the angel. The status of the angel is high, so the connection with the couple on the ground seems to be connected through the clouds, and the appearance of the angel in the clouds is also a way of the angel's appearance.

In this beautiful garden, there is a beautiful and peaceful scene. The protagonist is a man and a woman on the ground. They are not covered with any items, completely naked to each other, just like Adam and Eve when they first had their earthly bodies in heaven. They all open their hands and do not touch each other. However, we must also pay attention to the man's eyes full of worry and hesitation, looking at the woman's face, and the snake that is slowly crawling up behind the woman. The woman has an innocent look, looking up at the angel. Their expressions are not very happy and joyful, and they seem to have doubts and hidden worries.

Behind the man is a tree called "the Tree of Life". There are no leaves on the tree, but there are fruits on each branch. There are a total of twelve fruits on the tree, representing the twelve months of the year and the twelve zodiac signs, corresponding to the biblical Tree of Life, which will bear different fruits every month and have twelve different functions. Twelve is a complete number, loved by ancient peoples, and is also related to the twelve tribes of Judaism. The shape of the fruit is like a flame, and each fruit has three flames on it, representing the three stages of each zodiac sign, which is called decans in astrology, and contains the characteristics of other same-sign zodiac signs in the zodiac interval. There are a total of thirty-six zodiac intervals in the twelve fruits (zodiac signs), which can also be used as a unit of ten days in time, showing thirty-six ten-day periods in a year. This design symbolizes the timeliness, using the twelve zodiac signs to represent the change of seasons.

Behind the woman is this tree, which is the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil". This tree has dense leaves, and there are apples on it that are rich and fruitful, representing rich sensory ability. There are four fruits on the tree, representing the four elements of the secular world. This tree contains the understanding and knowledge of the material world. God gave Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden the "Tree of Life", and stipulated that all the fruits in the garden can be eaten, but only the fruit of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" cannot be tried, which is the "forbidden fruit" that God clearly ordered not to eat. However, the invader wants to tempt Eve to eat this fruit, and then instigate Adam to eat the forbidden fruit. The two trees are behind the two people, and they can also symbolize the characteristics and fate of these two people. The tree is a reflection of the person itself, Eve is related to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and Adam is the Tree of Life.

The trunk of the "Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil" is entwined by a snake, which is the invader of the Garden of Eden, and it is unknown how to escape the angel's eyes. The snake has entwined many circles, and finally, it lowers its head at the branches and whispers to Eve. For the pagan system, the snake represents the symbol of wisdom, so it is placed on the tree of good and evil, entwining this tree, which is a cultural choice of wisdom. The snake has the meaning of pagans, but it represents the devil relative to the Garden of Eden, and it tempts Adam and Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thus staying away from God and leaving the original primitive state. The snake finally tempted Eve to eat the fruit of the tree of good and evil, which means that mankind has made a choice - to stay in the Garden of Eden or to leave the shelter and face the adventurous life.

The inquiry of the identity of the snake is a key, and it is also the crux of the whole card - the positioning of the snake, which is the focus of the choice. The snake represents vitality, desire, and the awakening of self-awareness. The picture where the snake and the angel appear at the same time has a paradox. Who is driving the snake, is it a rebellion of the angel, or is everything in God's plan?

In the center of the ground, there is a protruding mountain peak, like a volcano that is about to erupt, implying a surge of passion. It is also a symbol of the fusion of the left and right men and women, and the fusion of the masculine and feminine. This was not in the Garden of Eden, the mountains in the Garden of Eden were all gentle, perhaps it is going to change the weather - when life is about to have a huge turning point, such a phenomenon will appear.

All the settings and plots are the same as the story of the Garden of Eden, and the story will also be staged like the plot of "Paradise" and "Paradise Lost". In the original script of the story, the angel finally drove Adam and Eve away, but the scene in the picture is still at the stage before temptation, so the subsequent development of this couple may not be the same, and it is unknown.

The Man and Woman

Representing the primal forces of masculine and feminine energy, these figures denote the potential for conscious choices, unity, and the duality of human nature. They are the incarnate form of attraction and desire, indicating the union of opposites and the balancing act of relationships.

The Angel

Hovering above, the angel symbolizes divine guidance and protection. The radiant sun behind the angel indicates blessings from the universe, emphasizing that love is a divine force that transcends our earthly understanding. The angel can also signify the higher self, overseeing the choices we make in our personal relationships.

The Flaming Tree & Serpent

To the man’s side stands a tree aflame, signifying passion, desire, and primal energies. On the woman’s side, a tree entwined by a serpent represents knowledge, temptation, and the Garden of Eden story. Together, they depict the dance between passion and reason, temptation and morality.

The Mountain

In the distance, a mountain rises, pointing towards the spiritual ascent and the challenges we face in relationships. It speaks of the hurdles and growth experiences that lovers must face and overcome together, elevating their bond.

The Clouds

The clouds surrounding the angel signify the unknown and the mysteries of love. They remind us that while we can make choices based on our understanding and intuition, there are always elements in relationships that remain beyond our comprehension, guided by the divine.

The Garden

Beneath the figures of the man and woman lies a verdant garden, symbolizing fertility, growth, and the potential that love brings. This garden is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, pointing towards the idea of paradise, innocence, and the primal state of being before knowledge brought about conscious choice.