The Lovers Beckon Us to Become Balanced

Osho Zen Deck
The Lovers card in Tarot can cause much confusion. Many automatically assume that it means love will be crossing their path (the Tarot’s Two of Cups more aptly signifies true love), when really the card is more about balancing and merging the male (The Emperor) and female (The Empress) energies in oneself than about experiencing love with another. We must all no matter what sex we are balance our male energy/yang with our female energy/yin to attract and sustain the loving relationships we wish. The corollary is if we are unbalanced within ourselves, we will attract unstable relationships.
From my experience of first love at sweet 16 up until my separation from the father of my eldest daughter in my mid-thirties, I could never get enough affection or reassurance to appease my fear of abandonment. Such a fear may have rooted from feeling abandoned by my father at one year’s old when my parents divorced. No doubt many of us born after WWII in the Western world have confronted such fears with the break-down of the traditional family unit. This fear of abandonment fueled my position of vulnerability in relationship to the men in my life. Ironically, in retrospect, I was always the one to leave my adult relationships so I did not actually ever have to re-experience the pain of being abandoned myself. Please look out for my future posting on The Devil to read more about how we often become what we fear as a way to overcome it.
When the Lovers card appears in a reading, you can expect that one or more lovers will be in your path, but more importantly expect to come to terms with what you need to balance in yourself. If there is more than one lover crossing your path, then you are looking at the complexity of your own psyche. If you have trouble knowing who is the right one for yourself, then that reflects a dilemma in yourself about how to integrate your different sides. What you will find is that no matter what form a lover takes in looks, ethnicity, religious background, gender orientation, mannerisms, or personality, the same relationship dynamics will re-occur with any and all your lovers over time until you recognize and reconcile your own emotional patterning. After three serious long-term partners, all very distinct from each other, I realized that no matter what they were like, I always ended up feeling the same, second to their other interests.
A partner or lover will always mirror back both strengths and weaknesses within your self. So for a woman, the significant men in her life mirror her male energy. Likewise for the man, the significant women in his life mirror his female energy. If you become critical of what you see in the significant other, then you must examine what you may need to change in your self (see my previous article on the Magician). It’s easy to point the finger at the other and not admit your own weaknesses. It took me years of relationship struggle before I realized that the weaknesses I saw in my male partners were a sign that I needed to strengthen my own male energy (see my previous article on The Emperor).
Soon after the revelation about my own male energy, I became engaged to the most respectful and supportive man (now my husband) I had ever met and we went on a holiday adventure to Istanbul. There perched along the beautiful Bosphorus Sea, we visited the spectacular Topkapi Palace, dating back to the 14th century Ottoman Empire. Within the palace walls, we entered the very cloistered former harem. At once within those windowless blue-tiled walls, I knew with every cell of my being that I had been there before, not in this life, but what must have been many lifetimes ago. I could not help but weep and weep as I felt the memories of confinement and absolute subservience in that sad place. Then, holding the hand of my fiancé, when we exited the harem suites, I leapt with joy at the sense of total freedom I felt in leaving with a man of my choice, a man with whom I could feel equal not subservient. Interestingly, my older brother, did some research on our family genealogy (see www.23andme.com) and found it rooted back to a Turkish woman. So this magical experience gains factual validation!
Here see how the Major Arcana in the Tarot represent levels of experiential learning whereby the previous lessons of the Magician, Empress, and Emperor clearly must be integrated in your mastery of the Lovers. Just as Genevieve explains in her previous article on The Four Elements in Relationships that each zodiac sign evolves to a greater level of complexity, so it is with the Major Arcana of the Tarot.
May 22, 2009 8 Comments
Categories: Intuitive Arts, Tarot, Uncategorized |
Tags: Intuitive Arts, Tarot, The Lovers
8 comments
Well if this is true, I need help. My ex’s are weak, impotent, selfish, clinging, verbally abusive, emotionally abusive, physically abusive.
How can it be that my inner male is so weak, I am quite masculine oriented, extremely independent, far beyond any of my ex’s. They are the ones that needed me.
I was suffering in most of my relationships from lack of sex because they all had impotency issues.
I am very feminine but strongly masculine in my undertakings and values and life in general. My Motto is “I need no one” but I do have needs. That being, intimacy. If these men are mirroring my inner man, then I am totally confused.
I pulled the Empress, Death, the Magician, the Lovers, Sun, Fool and Outcome Devil.
The fear card was the Lovers. How can that be? All I fear is being abused in love. So I guess alas the outcome of the mystery of attraction, the Devil.
It all comes to me thinking, screw love and intimacy and sex. I’ll just live alone like a hermit, because it becomes obvious I am doomed.
Yes, a tad on the dark side this evening.
Tired of trying to find a mate.
JoJoe,
This sounds like a very complex issue for you. This article was written by my daughter, Danielle Vierling, so perhaps she is the one who needs to respond. I’m the astrologer and you give no indication of your astro-patterns which often give clues regarding relationships, particularly if outer planets are involved with the Sun, Moon, Venus, or Mars. Don’t give up however! Acknowledging your own needs is the first step, and then saying ‘No’ sooner to those you see won’t be able to respond to those needs. Many of us get addicted to being ‘needed’. Tis true. Alone time affords us time to contemplate, reflect, and create new strategies for moving towards intimacy once again. I wish you the best!
Hi Genevieve,
Thx for your sharing.
I met a friend who is gay this year and very soon we become soulmate friends. In the summer we were very close and had very good relationship, but recently we had some misunderstandings and I have no idea what to do. Interesting thing is no matter Our relationship is good or bad, very often I got this “lovers” card many times. May I have your interpretation, please? Thank you very much!
Jodie—I have passed this comment on to my daughter, Danielle, who is the tarot expert. Hopefully she will be able to respond soon!
Thank you so much Genevieve, I’m here waiting. 😉
You’re welcome Jodie. I believe she has responded.
I have been working with the Osho Zen Tarot for about a month now. It is best in relationship for those who never settle down at one place. To know about the past and future & Relationship Tarot is best.
Thanks for the extra tip, David. I love the Osho deck as well.
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