Lovers in Marseilles Deck

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 02 Nov 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Lethe	02 Nov 2003
Following a similar theme to the Fool in GD tarot, something struck me about this picture. Please don't accuse me of being too Freudian here, but the woman on the right looks younger (although not by much) than the woman on the left. Could there be any inference of a choice between mother and lover here?

Thirteen	02 Nov 2003
Quote: Originally posted by Lethe Following a similar theme to the Fool in GD tarot, something struck me about this picture. Please don't accuse me of being too Freudian here, but the woman on the right looks younger (although not by much) than the woman on the left. Could there be any inference of a choice between mother and lover here? Absolutely. You're not crazy, there's been some discussion on this. Some theorize that the older one is a matchmaker, others that the man is chosing between an empty-headed bimbo and the older, not-so-pretty but wiser woman. The choice between mother and lover is just as apt, and certainly relates to the Biblical indicative that a "man shall leave his mother...." to join with a woman.

Rusty Neon	02 Nov 2003
Funnily enough, Paul Marteau in his book suggests that it's the other way around. The blue-haired woman, on the left hand side of the card, represents "profane love". Her blue hair "indicates the superficiality" of her spirituality. On the other, the blonde-haired woman on the right hand side represents, to Marteau, "spiritual love and love between the sexes in their most noble state". "Her long blonde hair represents the solar role and the inspiration that flows from that love." Note: The colours are based on the colours of his (Marteau) deck.

Lethe	02 Nov 2003
OK because here's how I viewed it. The man is looking at the "Mother", showing that there is already some kind of connection and the "Mother" has her hand on the man's shoulder perhaps representing maternal protection maybe even possession. Cupid however is about to fire his arrow, where upon the man may have to alter, finally, the relationship with his "Mother" after he becomes united with the "Lover" who as you will notice has her hand placed over his heart.

jmd	02 Nov 2003
I tend to see it very much as Lethe points out. In any specified reading, of course, the 'choice' is broadened further than a specific reflection on the image may suggest for reflective meditation. The choice between, for example, vice and virtue may at times be indicated. Or the choice between that which is comfortable, known and established, and the unknown paths yet to be travelled as one enters the future and meets one's destiny. In the History and Iconography section of the Forums, this card has also been discussed - and further discussions and insights would always be welcome, of course: VI L'Amoureux. For those who are unfortunately not in possession of wonderful Marseille decks, one version of its images may be seen here: Conver VI

nina	03 Nov 2003
Hello, In the little white booklet that comes with the Barbara Walker deck (Walker's PhD was in comparitive mythology) there is this passage about "The Lovers": "The Lovers has been interpreted as a young man's choice between mother and wife, body and spirit, virtue and vice, and so on. Because the elder figure is female, patriarchal interpreters preferred not to view her as the officiating authority at a wedding. However, elder priestesses did conduct weddings among gypsies and other non-Christian groups... the decorative flower garlands hint at the oriental doctrine of 'husbandship' considered a necessary step in the progresive enlightenment of a sage." I've always thought it important that this card has three figures and therefore while definitely associated with romantic love it also never loses it's latent meaning of "time to make a choice"- I think the two meanings are related and one should not be dispersed with. The RWS and Morgan Greer types tend to really bother me. -nina

jmd	03 Nov 2003
'The wedding' is indeed another appelation for this card - and in the Visconti-Sforza, is most probably this. In the thread on the Marseille lovers mentioned (and linked) above, I also attached two images reminiscent of this aspect of the card. Here are the first and the second of these images. Personally, I also view that the three figures, plus the cupid, are important to maintain, and wish that Waite and Colman Smith had followed the Marseille tradition a little more closely.

firemaiden	03 Nov 2003
Why does the cupid look so grumpy?

Lethe	03 Nov 2003
The Golden Dawn Tarot also dispenses with this imagery using instead the perseus myth, although different aspects of love are still apparent in the picture one has to readjust their thinking when trying to interpret it. Firemaiden - they all look pretty grumpy to me ;)

The Lovers in Marseilles Deck thread was originally posted on 02 Nov 2003 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.