VI - The Lovers. Integration of Opposites

    

     The sixth card of the Major Arcana is The Lovers card. This card is traditionally one of the most commonly known, along with the Death card and the Hanged man and is just as often erroneously simplified to the point of losing it's meaning. It is a card you will often see depicted in movies as being the quintessential card for romance and unions. The card actually has far greater depth than it seems at first glance, pointing to deep esoteric meanings...of course it can also mean romance! It's all in how you read it.

    The card itself depicts a woman and a man in the biblical garden of Eden, behind them the two trees of Life and Knowledge of Good and Evil. Upon the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil sits a serpent. Above them, emerging from a cloud is an Angel who seems to be offering a benediction upon the two. Already we can see the card is heavy with allegory and religious symbolism. You may also notice a triangular aspect to the card, both with the three figures and the mountain behind them. This triangle is ascending upwards and so has a heavenly symbolic quality, suggesting something more than just a simple romantic coupling. The couple in the card are wearing no clothes, and while this can be seen as a direct interpretation of a biblical passage, I believe it relates to the lack of pretense between the two. That both elements come forward unadorned and free of ego.

     What the card is talking to is the integration of opposites, of male and female and of heaven and earth. The couples approach, heaven descends and the earth rises and all is well. Integration is strongly mentioned in the other cards such as Temperance and the Devil (which has many interesting parallels to this card if you lay them side by side!). Whereas the Devil suggests being bound by a union, the Lovers is about being set free by a union. That the Union of opposites in this case creates something far greater than just the sum of it's parts.

   When this card appears in a reading is concerned with bringing two opposites together. Those opposites don't always have to be male and female, it could relate to business mergers, to colours in a painting or sweet and sour in a dish. What is important is that this union is expansive and liberating, two parts that work better in conjunction. The angel is appearing because of the union of the two partners, symbolizing the higher aspect of the pairing. Unlike the Devil card, which is oppressive in it's nature and both elements are subjugated, bound and lessened by their union, this card holds powerful lessons in true synthesis as an act of expansive creativity. 

   The card is the sixth of the Major Arcana and the number six is a harmonious number, especially when it relates to the Kabbalah and the Tarot. Each of the elements has passed the halfway point and is well on it's path to completion. 

   For me in my life right now it symbolizes the need to further connect my spiritual life with my material life, that the two can come together to create something better each one lived alone. Many live their lives in only one sphere, hoping that when one is fixed they can then work on the other. It always leaves one feeling unfulfilled and lacking something. It also relates to relationships, of course, that when two beings come together it should be for something greater than what they can achieve individually. That such a union can create a powerful energy and magic, that can be used for creative and enlightening endeavors.

    The real meaning behind this card of course is Love, for Love is that powerful and energetic magic that appears between the two. That draws the Lover and the Beloved together, that springs not from either, but from their being together. As Jung said "The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemicals substances; if there is any reaction are transformed". It's positive aspect being The Lovers and it's shadow aspect being The Devil. 

   

V - The Hierophant

   Drawing this card has coincided with lots of situations that involve teaching, which is relevant as the Hierophant is a teacher, specifically a spiritual teacher.
    He is the embodiment of the external teacher, a person you can turn to in the real world that can help you ascend the ladder of illumination. Of course, this being may be a woman or a man, or even an institution of some type. Whoever they are they have a set of guidelines and a method of teaching that they follow. There is an element of dogma involved, which although has a bad reputation can prove helpful if applied correctly.
    I myself am a Reiki Master teacher, which means I have both the know how and the qualifications to teach others how to practice Reiki. In the past week I have received several requests for information about when and if I will be running workshops. I have not run any workshops out of my new practise yet, so it is going to be a new endeavor for me on some level. This always creates a small level of anxiety as I want to provide the best training possible, yet in the past have often exhausted myself in running workshops that involve giving too much of myself and my time.
    On the other hand I also attend several other workshops and have been enjoying being taught new techniques. Balancing this all is new and to realise one can be both student and teacher at the same time is a very helpful exercise in humility. I also used to presume that teacher was a level that one acheived when a sense of mastery was accomplished. Now, I see that things are not that simply cut. I do still believe that before you can be a teacher you must have a degree of competency otherwise you risk damaging your  integrity. But mastery is not a prerequisite.
     Also Zoe is considering taking a teaching course in Bikram yoga this year and it has both been in our conversations and in our minds. I think she would make an excellent teacher as she has a quiet competency in all she does, plus the fact that everyone immediately likes her.
      The hierophant in the card is represented as a papal figure, which for me has slightly negative connotations given its religious roots. It has an energy of orthodoxy and conservatism, of dogmatism and a disconnection from authenticity. He represents an external guide in the spiritual and for me the slightly negative connotations caused by the religious setting are only superficial.
     I have certainly encountered my fair share of poor teachers. Many simply lack a genuine connection or love of the subject matter (one feeds the other of course). Others enjoy a sense of superiority that the position affords them and the ability to make others feel inferior. These situations can all be exacerbated by hidebound interpretations and hierarchical structures.
     Then there are the good teachers, those who can open you up to new vistas. Who can infuse you with their love of the subject and a fresh perspective on an exciting subject. It is a shame that the bad teachers often outnumber the few great ones you encounter, but there are certainly great teachers out there to be discovered.
     The card has a great deal of symbolism, but the majority of it is connected to the papacy and the church. The major features to note are the twin pillars which are also featured in the High Priestess card (the Hierophant's female counterpart). Whereas the High Priestess represents internal teachings, the Hierophant represnts external or exoteric teachings. Both have their places.
     Exoteric teaching is often nessary for the masses who might lack the refinement to understand the intricacies of esoteric teachings, yet should not be excluded from the divine. Unfortunately in our day and age, esoteric teachings have fallen into disrepute and are viewed as the anti-thesis of exoteric ideologies rather than the outer protective shell. It mirrors in many ways the fall of the feminine into disrepute and the exultation of the masculine when in fact they are meant to function in unison for their mutual benefit.
     Sadly the pope represents a rather negative image compared than the spiritual and religious archetype he is meant to embody in this card.
    Inscribed lightly on the throne of the papal figure one can just make out the symbol for Taurus. Taurus is an astrological earth sign and as a result is not necessarily best suited to fine sentiments and esoteric or philosophical musings. Instead he can become stubborn or materialistic if not motivated by a more spiritual aspect from outside of himself.