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On the Rider-Waite-Smith Card, THE LOVERS, the Sun is the man, the Moon is the Woman, and the Divine Fire that is above the Abyss, is represented as Cupid or the Solar Angel on the Rider-Waite card, both symbolize the Divine uniting force. Dr. Paul Foster Case of B.O.T.A. Tarot, has stated that, the Sun is self-consciousness and that the Moon is subconsciousness. Dr. Paul Foster Case, considered that these are both aspects of the One Life Breath, each working half of the body. Mundanely we know them personified as the Male half and the Female half of the human brain. As Case has stated,"When the Solar and Lunar currents of the Life-Power are rightly perceived, rightly discriminated, and when their operation is kept in proper order, the personality of the man engaged in this practice becomes a free, unobstructed channel for the outpouring of the cosmic life force." Case considered THE LOVERS card to represent one of the dualities united by the Spiritual Self. Just as most Tantric, and Gnostic practitioner's do.

On the Rider-Waite-Smith Card, the Sun that is behind the Solar Angel is bright yellow signifying the Sun in our sky. It is the dynamo of energy that all flora and fauna of earth derive energy from. It also symbolizes the Ageless wisdom of potential consciousness. Therefore, the Sun is seen as a body of a Being; a Being in Qabalah, is an infinite and eternal Presence. The angel is Raphael, angel of Air (Intelligence) the element attributed to Gemini, the astrological sign given to this card. Raphael, is also considered to be the great archangel of the eastern quarter of the heavens. On the Waite card, he represents the subconscious and is therefore, related to the Fool. The color yellow indicates his airy nature and the violet robes carries out the same idea, because violet is the color-complement to yellow. Clouds also imply his airy nature. Raphael is considered to be the Life-Breath, prana, Superconsciousness. His influence is shown streaming from his hands to the lovers below.

The mountain below has several meanings: as the abode of the Gods (Sinai, Mt Olympus,Meru, Fujiyama). They also suggest climbing, aspiration and attainment. We all have peaks to climb and the inner incentive to action, the disposing element in our mind that leads to violation, has always been in the background becomes the idea of climbing above our present position. Hence, it also symbolizes what the Alchemist call the Great Work. Then there is the fact that the Mountain is often used to represent the phallic symbol of pregnancy and/or gestation, suggesting preparation, organization and like ideas. The man at right, is Adam, made to till the soil and is considered the "namer" of things. He is also the Magician of Tarot. Behind him is a tree bearing the 12 flaming fruits-The Zodiac. Each flame is tripled because astrologers subdivide each sign into 3 parts and/or decanates. Hence, this is seen as the Tree of Human Life and its fruits represent the 12 types and the 36 subtypes of personality and/or self-conscious expression.

The woman represents Eve, the High Priestess and the Empress. Behind her is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The 5 circular fruits on this tree represent the 5 senses. According to Waite, up the tree climbs the serpent of sensation, because temptation arises from the memory of sensation in the Subconscious. However, the serpent is also the symbol for wisdom and of redemption. This is because wisdom and liberation result from the right adaptation of the very forces, which at first, tempt us into mistaken action. Thus Dr. Waite says, "The suggestion in respect of the woman is that she signifies the attraction towards the sensitive life which carries with it the idea of the "Fall of Man", but she is rather the working of a secret law of Providence than a willing and conscious temptress. it is through her imputed lapse that man shall rise ultimately, and only by her can he complete himself."

The woman looks towards the Angel and the man towards the Woman. This because the self-conscious intellectual mind is the determining factor in personal consciousness, but does not directly become aware of the Superconsciousness (Greater Self). Self-consciousness does receive and transmit the powers of the Superconsciousness; However, conscious awareness of the nature of those powers comes careful observation  of the activities of the subconscious.  Powers and.or Divya Sidhies (Magic abilities) are developed from within, and the subconscious within is "the woman".  Development comes by response of the "inner" to the "outer".  Hence, the relationship of the subconscious to the self-conscious, should be one of loving intimacy. Therefore, the 2 lovers are shown nude. Therefore, this image warns us against the attempts to bully or coerce the subconscious.  Persuade the subconscious and it will do anything for you. By endeavoring to drive it harsly will enact the law of reverse effort, so that you get the result of the opposite of that which you wished to gain.  Again, discernment is  the key to a happy harmony between subconscious and self-consciousness.  The framer of suggestion, and/or identity is the self-conscious and therefore it carries the burden of discernment. 

The Jungian Tarot- the Lover, represents the Son as collective experience (The Soul/Solar Being). Here he stands with arms outstretched over the female and male figures. The sun and moon behind him, represent the male and female as the sexual dualities of manifestation. The Lover is seen as the original Man (Adam Khadmon) not in gender, but as the Divine Hermaphrodite. He is therefore, "author of the sun and moon...the source of all dualities and their reconciliation. Hence, 0=2 and the 2 come together to equal 1. Jung points out that the Christ (Solar Self) is androgynous, having reconciled the tensions of the opposites. The same must be said of Buddha, Osiris, and all other "dying and/or scarified gods".

Meditations  with The Lover, may have some difficulty because they may involved the direction of the self-consciousness towards the possibility of resolution with the unconsciousness, a condition of perception that has variously been called the "Atman", "the Higher Self", "Buddha or Christ within". Regardless of the way in which we address this figure, it is important to look beyond gender, 

This is an active path, for the self control and will attributed to Mercury, which directs the movement and integration of opposites is not passive, in fact, it is the fiery force or the Serpent Force known as the Kundalini which is masculine fiery force, united with the Feminine Watery force (flowing in waves as "serpentine:) both in equal measure and full of fiery dynamic, and inspirational qualities. This is a red-hot marriage, complete with Honey Moon and resulting "little death". There is a type of death here, as the process of crossing the Abyss between sexes means even the death of one's own identity of self. It's a willful and total self-destruction and immersion into the Divine. Thus, the Path of Zain,(the Hebrew letter for this card)- The Sword, is apropos. This type of self-annihilation is well described with a quote from the Gnostic Text, The Gospel of Didymos Judas Thomas where it is written that Jesus answered his disciples with: (22) "When you make the Two One, and when you make the inside like the outside and the outside like the inside, and the above like the below, and when you make the male and the female one and the same, so that the male not be male nor the female female;and when you fashion eyes in place of an eye, and a hand in place of a hand, and a foot in place of a foot, and a likeness in place of a likeness; then you will enter the kingdom." Jesus obviously knew of the Principles attributed to THE LOVERS/LOVER card, but then he was a Nazarene Gnostic Master which is a Qabalist; the Word Christos is Greek and refers to the Sun and since there never was a j in the alphabet until the 13th century, Zeus was the name used! . Hence, Zeus Christos which means "The Sun/Son of Zeus". Also, "The Kingdom" is the "Garden of Eden" in the esoteric sense of the Supernal Triangle (Superconsciousness). 0=2 until 2=1.

Therefore, we know this all to be symbolic, and the male is not superior to the female in anyway. They represent "aspects of energy". The symbolism of male is energy in a state of electric activity, outgoing (ejaculated)the catalyst of the creative principle. The female is considered the magnetic-creative principle of energy, enclosing and acting on the male principle to produce a third.

There are many approaches to the inner self: emotional, intellectual and devotion and/or all of the above. Optionally, The Lover can be seen as an abstract symbol or as an earthier Animus. But in any event, the Lover/Self must be addressed at the individual level before it is possible to approach the more universal qualities of the Magician/Son.

When THE LOVERS is thrown during a reading:

• It is stating a principle of  Art and Craft of Relationship.
• What is also suggested is the  magical image of the power of surrender in which one form is given up in order to attain another.
• Being involve in a process of cooperation.---combining energies for a common goal.
• Yin Yang attraction of polarities, or universal forces for one another.
• The power of sexual surrender to the Goddess within.
•  This card can also mean a love affair with some sort of trial or choice involved... be it marriage or profane love.
• There is the Tantric Philosophy here also, only through physical union with a female can either a man or a god, achieve true reality and the power to deal with it; A Spiritual/ sexual union, is required for shamans, priests, and holy men with the female is required before they gain full possession of their powers. This is also a process for Priestesses, who must be able to invoke the "Divine Phallus" through the Male before they can gain their Powers inherited from the Divine Hermetic Marriage.

when reversed, it implies:

• Childishness.
• Frivolity.
• Thoughtfulness divorced from practical consideration.
• Indecision.
• Self-contradiction.
• Sexual hangups.
• Self-consciousness and subconsciousness as antagonists.

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