October is the Universal Month of 6 for love and family, and the number 6 card in the Tarot Major Arcana is The Lovers. I like to give the excus…uh, reason that I buy so many tarot decks is because of the different depictions of the same cards in a variety of decks give me a better understanding of their meanings.
When I first started learning tarot, I was curious as to why the meaning for the Lovers card included choice. Over time, I realized that choice and love goes hand in hand. There’s a whole big discussion that could come out of this, but basically, I personally believe that we do choose who (and what) we love, and that this choice is a basic human right as long as it is consensual to all parties involved. And for the record, I will fight to defend this right for every person.
A lot of my understanding about love and choice came by gradually, with not insignificant help from reading tarot for different groups of people. The depictions of the Lovers card in different decks add an extra element of depth to it as well.
From the image above, clockwise from top left, The Lovers, from:
- The Radiant Rider-Waite
- Shadowscapes Tarot
- White Numen Tarot
- The Wizards’ Tarot
We have four different decks depicting the Lovers, and while there is a lot of underlying symbolism in each of the cards, let’s keep it simple for now.
Love can be traditional. Love can be between same sex couples, opposite sex couples, non binary couples. Love can be non-sexual and platonic. Love can be non-sexual and romantic. Love can be familial. Love can be for the pursuit of your passions and interests.
The bottom line is, love is a choice. Granted, some of us have easier choices and some of us have more difficult choices, but regardless, it is a choice, and it is our choice. Choose the lover you want, the family you want, the friends you want, the lifestyle you want…Choose a life you love, filled with love.
