The Lovers in Samhain tide: Chiaroscuro and connection

Happy almost November! Due to my travel schedule, The Alchemy of Tarot went on a short hiatus, but now we are back and ready for the Samhain season! In this time of introspection and shadow, Tarot readings allow us to gain insight and purpose as we journey inward.

Rider-Waite Tarot

We are well on our way through the 4th card of the Major Arcana, and this week we encounter The Lovers card.  At first glance, this card appears to represent romantic or sexual union. This element can sometimes exist within a given reading, however depending on the querent, this card can also highlight different kinds of love, different relationships, different connections. The Lovers can represent the union between two people,  a spiritual union with the Divine, or a chance to deepen our relationship with our higher self. How can we deepen our connection to the world around us? How do we better explore the idea of "love" in its many guises? Some possible ways might be through meditation, prayer, or spending more time in nature... maybe we can give our animal companions a big hug!

Some readers also interpret The Lovers as a card calling for choice. Perhaps this interpretation is best served when focusing on the figures illustrated in the card. We see two nude figures, palms facing upwards, one male, looking forward, one female looking upwards towards the heavens, standing in a grassy meadow surrounded by a range of mountains, as a figure of an angel (perhaps Archangel Raphael) appears overhead. The figures stand close to one another, but still appear separate. There is not much dynamic interaction between them, and it appears that they are more focused on their individual experiences rather than a shared experience.  We also see an upwards position of the palms, and this  may represent an opening to spirit, a welcoming of the Divine. This also allows for the figures illustrated to better receive the blessings that appear to be conferred upon them by the open palm gesture of the angel above.

In the Tarot of Transformation deck, The Lovers appear to lay together in a state of bliss surrounded 

by a swirling vortex of universal energy. The angelic figure here appears as a large bird soaring upwards, and either enveloped by, or creating, a bright prismatic light that radiates throughout the upper half of the card. Enclosed within this larger bird figure are the silhouettes of two smaller birds, repeating the motif of soaring towards the heavens. Viewing the card, we can see juxtapositions of light against dark in the lower half of the card, and then the just described upper half. This chiaroscuro allows us to reflect on the dynamic of our own natures, and the nature of relationships. We are, and exist in, an interplay between light and dark. There is no creation without our shadow sides, and we require the light to see our creation manifest. 

And in the spirit of this Samhain tide, we honor our individual chiaroscuro, our shadow, our connection with this world and the worlds beyond. Have a Blessed Samhain!

If you would like to book a Tarot reading, Reiki or intuitive session, please email me: abraxasintuitivearts@icloud.com and make sure to visit me on FB, Twitter, and my new website www.abraxasintuitivearts.com!