The Lovers
The Children of the Voice; the Oracle of the Mighty Gods
The marriage of opposites begun: choice, analysis, and the union that follows from telling things apart.
| Trump | VI of the 22 (Atu) |
|---|---|
| Letter | ז Zain, “sword”, value 7, Simple letter |
| Path | Path 17, Binah to Tiphareth |
| Astrology | ♊︎ Gemini, mutable Air, May 21 – Jun 20 |
| Old title | The Children of the Voice; the Oracle of the Mighty Gods |
| Rider-Waite | The Lovers |
| Colour | Orange (King scale) |
In a reading
Union of opposites, attraction, choice, the marriage that changes both partners; analysis followed by synthesis. Badly placed: indecision, superficial or unequal union, division.
Working with the card
| Do | Choose with open eyes; bring the two sides into the same room. |
|---|---|
| Bring | Curiosity, honesty about what attracts you. |
| Beware | Indecision, splitting, wanting both and committing to neither. |
| Ask | What am I being asked to join, and what must I first tell apart? |
Correspondences
On the card
A hooded hermit-priest with outstretched arms marries a dark king and a fair queen; a red lion and a white eagle stand with them; a dark and a fair child (Cain and Abel) and the figures of Eve and Lilith attend; the Orphic egg wrapped in a serpent rests below, and a blindfolded Cupid draws his bow above.
Kabbalah
Zain, the sword, on path 17 from Binah to Tiphareth: the sword that divides so that the pieces may be consciously rejoined. Understanding sends its light down to Beauty, and the Son learns discrimination.
Astrology
Gemini, mutable Air, ruled by Mercury: the twins, the mind that sees two of everything. The decans of Gemini are the Eight, Nine and Ten of Swords.
Number
Six, the Naples number of self-conscious mind, the hexagram, Tiphareth. Zain's value is 7. The card is the first half of a pair completed by Art (XIV), in which the couple married here are fused into one.
Depth psychology
The syzygy: anima and animus meeting, the coniunctio of the alchemists, the ego confronting its inner opposite. Jung called the union of opposites the central task of the second half of life; the card sets the problem that Art resolves.
Thoth and Rider-Waite
Waite's naked couple beneath an angel in Eden becomes a full alchemical wedding with officiant, witnesses and the egg of the work; the Cupid and the twins keep the theme of choice.
The sign in depth
| Dates | May 21 – Jun 20 |
|---|---|
| Type | Mutable Air |
| Ruler | Mercury |
| Exalts | No planet |
| Weakens | Jupiter (detriment) |
| Motto | “I think” |
| Body | Arms, hands, lungs |
| Opposite | Sagittarius, Art |
| Gifts | Curiosity, wit, communication, versatility, youthfulness |
| Shadow | Superficiality, inconsistency, gossip, nervous scatter, two-facedness |
More in the astrology chapters: Gemini.
Related cards
Pairs with
The decans of Gemini
- ♃︎Eight of Swords InterferenceJupiter, May 21–31
- ♂︎Nine of Swords CrueltyMars, Jun 1–10
- ☉︎Ten of Swords RuinThe Sun, Jun 11–20
Courts ruling Gemini
Other paths touching Binah
Other paths touching Tiphareth
Correspondences follow the Golden Dawn system as used in Crowley's Book of Thoth and Liber 777. Paintings by Lady Frieda Harris, © Ordo Templi Orientis. Where sources differ.