The Lover's Path: Two of Coins

Sophie-David

In The Lover's Path Two of Coins, King Acrisius is attempting to juggle two coins. On his right arm he bears a coin in which the heart has turned grey, bloodless and without passion. This is the heart which is afraid of the prophecy that his daughter's child will one day kill him. On his left arm lies a coin in which the heart is still red, the physical bond he has with his daughter calls on him to provide for, protect and nurture her. It is very illustrative that on both sides of the equation he is weighing the materiality of coins only: love, insight or inspiration doesn't really enter into it. It is a contest between his physical and material security on one side - the heavier coin which has lowered the right arm in judgement - and the biological obligation to his daughter on the other.

As a father myself, I have very little sympathy for this character. To me there is no balance or choice to be made: like most parents, I would give my life for my child. Many parents though history have done so at a much earlier age than he would be likely to do, even if the curse cannot be avoided - and most Tarot readers would suggest that the future can be predicted but not preordained. His priorities lie in other directions: in the symbolism of the picture he is surrounded by a fog of unreality and disconnectedness. Acrisius has turned his back on the "mountains of aspiration" that were introduced in the Ace. But we don't have to like every card in the deck, that's not what Tarot is about. It is about life in its unfairness as in its triumphs: its about what is real.