The Lovers

The Lovers, a major arcana card, is represented by the number 6 which holds themes of harmony of opposites, purpose, and wholeness. This card is part of the first cycle of the major arcana and has to do with the importance of moving toward individuation, a Jungian term meaning integration or being un-divided. It is the goal of inner work to become more of who one is in order to be able to more closely relate to others. 

This week, I started my 14th year of teaching. Through the years, I have noticed changes in my teaching style that have been informed by my study of the tarot. One of these changes in my style is to bring a bit more mystery into my teaching by reminding students the importance of developing the skill to hold multiple truths at the same time. This message is connected to the goal of individuation, which is to resist bifurcating yourself or the world into categories of good and bad and instead find ways to hold the tension of opposing forces. 

The Lovers card is a reflection of this ability to integrate the powerful forces of opposing energies (head and heart, feeling and intellect, unconscious and conscious, masculine and feminine). The wisdom in this card is connected to locating the parts of yourself and perhaps your external world that are not easily understood or comfortable to be with. I frequently invite students to notice what emerges when they are introduced to the narratives of others. What thoughts or feelings arise that point to biases? What exploration is needed to begin to dive deeper into their own psyche and bring awareness to the parts of themselves that inform interactions with others? How can they work toward sensing and feeling into what arises and blend that with what they are learning from the knowledge embedded within textbooks? What efforts are made to become more curious about themselves and how do these efforts enhance their abilities to become more curious about others? 

In general, this card highlights the importance of partnership, partnership with all the parts of oneself, and partnership with others. This card  invites us to move away from individualism (very different from individuation) and toward the understanding that “part of each of us, is in all of us.” (Quinn, 2009, p. 66).

References

Quinn, P. (2009). Tarot for Life: Reading the Cards for Everyday Guidance and Growth. Theosophical Publishing House.