SageTarot Journal
The Lovers from the Rider–Waite–Smith tarot deck
ArcanaMajor · VI
Suit—
ElementAir
AttributionGemini
Major Arcana · VI

The Lovers

In shortA choice about what you actually value.

Upright

unionvalues-based choicealignmentattractioncommitment

This is more than romance. The Lovers is about a choice that defines who you are, which is why it turns up so often for decisions that look like relationships but are really about identity. Work out what you value, rather than what you think you should, then choose in line with it. Where the card sits well, it also promises real partnership: two things that belong together, joined without either one shrinking.

Reversed

misalignmentavoided decisiondisharmonychoosing against yourself

Something is out of line — either between you and another person, or between what you say you value and what you actually do each day. This card often marks a decision you have put off so long that circumstances are about to make it for you. It can also mean a connection where the attraction is real but you want different things from life, which is a harder problem than it first looks.

In the pictureThe angel Raphael blesses from above while the two figures stand naked and unashamed. Behind her, the serpent and the tree of knowledge; behind him, the tree of flames. Notice she looks up at the angel and he looks at her — the chain of attention runs through the human to the divine.

The turn

Name the value you are actually choosing for. The right decision usually becomes obvious once it is named.