The Lovers and The Devil: “I Double-Dare Ya!”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is the third in my series of essays examining the trump cards of the tarot as “numerological counterparts” that present “alike but different” versions of a common theme. This time I’m looking at two cards that express the number “6,” those “strange bedfellows” the Lovers (VI) and the Devil (15=1+5=6). Esoterically, Six is considered a number of harmony and balance but these cards escape that distinction to a lesser and greater degree, respectively. In the cartomantic vocabulary of playing-cards, Six is sometimes called “Paths,” which is more to the point.
The Lovers enjoys widespread (and to my mind overstated) esteem as the ideal articulation of the blissful “soul mate” or “twin flame” paradigm, but it is much more complex and typically more problematic than that. It is related to the cerebral element of Air through its correspondence to the mentally nimble but drily literal sign Gemini, and it represents “critical discrimination” through its association with the Hebrew letter meaning “sword,” the emblem for which severs, dissects and analyzes (not something you want in a romantic relationship). Historical renditions of the singular-noun image for “the Lover” show a man apparently deciding between two women, one more seductive than the other. Modern decks tend to visualize a strongly emotional and physical (even sexual) liaison between a couple, which seems to be stretching the original premise in deference to the plural version of the title.
In my own practice I stop short of amorous assumptions and usually interpret it as representing a two-pronged choice or “crossroads” in an important, more-often-than-not unromantic, decision, one fork of which leads to resounding success in the Chariot and Strength and the other to unseemly temptation in the Devil, which is pictorially similar to the Lovers. This resemblance (which originates with the two acolytes in the RWS Hierophant card and doesn’t appear again in the form of human engagement until Judgement) provides one of the most compelling reasons for correlating the two. The man and woman in the Lovers are innocent (like Adam and Eve before the biblical Fall) and are guided by an angel (who may or may not be Eros), while in the Devil they are jaded and corrupted by an excess of libidinous stimulation through being chained (however loosely) to their tormentor, who is really an objectification of their own carnal appetites. One displays superconscious direction and the other subconscious or even unconscious urges, but both are ultimately human in scale.
The Devil almost comes across as an antidote to the overly saccharine modern vision of the entwined couple in the Lovers, who often seem exhausted by their exertions. At its best, the Devil exemplifies unchecked creative energy that can be sublimated in productive ways rather than merely being dissipated in sensual dalliance. So how do I “matrix” these cards to reflect a developmental story with the Lovers at one end and the Devil at the other?
Let’s suppose that a young person is a virgin who is seeking that first sexual adventure. They have idealistic adolescent notions about love but they are constantly tortured by raging hormones and peer pressure. Once the Lovers and the Devil are placed, the first card in an intervening pair might describe their fantasies about what to expect and the second one the reality of that initial experience. The “quintessence” card blending the two could reveal the psychological fallout from processing the conflicting emotions that could arise from this intimate exposure.
The 10 of Wands alludes to juggling an unruly load of fired-up anticipation and apprehension (or perhaps — if you’ll pardon the masculine innuendo — it’s only the daunting prospect of “big wood?”) but it could just as easily be anxiety and guilt brought on by the Lovers’ indecisiveness. However, the 2 of Cups suggests that it will actually be a lighthearted and pleasantly charming experience with a gentle and sympathetic partner, and the Devil chimes in with “Getting there is half the fun!” But the Hanged Man warns not to expect anything lasting out of the encounter since it conveys being “left hanging” (although I don’t think it portends a life of celibacy after this first taste). Elementally, the 10 of Wands appeals most eloquently to the Lovers for encouragement while the 2 of Cups is well-favored by both the Devil and the Hanged Man. (These two aren’t exactly the “cheerleaders” I would want on my side in this event since one exemplifies a “hard” cynicism and the other a “soft” stoicism that make me think “You’re damned if you do and you’re damned if you don’t.”) The advice would be “Keep it casual and don’t let the Devil talk you into anything “kinky;” just relax, allow nature to take its course and you will be fine as long as you can accept “goodbye” instead of “I’ll text you tomorrow.”
A second example would be an entrepreneur who is contemplating a business association that might be tempting but could bring with it some questionable ethical practices. The first of two “in-process” cards could reveal his moral ambiguity about the proposition and the second one the impact that his involvement could have on his self-respect (not to mention his ability to sleep at night). The “quint” card I would read as commentary on how well he will be able to live with himself after the deal is done.
This is a grim scenario out of which nothing good will come. The unsettled 5 of Swords shows that he is at war with himself over the decision and is not in a sufficiently coherent frame of mind to be reasonable about it. The 10 of Swords indicates that he will be “worked over” by circumstances and “left for dead.” The Devil as the “quint” card doubles-down on the first iteration; the implication could not be any clearer that he should run far away from this opportunity as fast as he can (it has overtones of a “drug deal gone bad”). As Ronnie James Dio sang, once you become ensnared “You can release yourself but the only way is down.”
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on April 12, 2023.
