Bruegel Tarot - The Lovers

[contrascarpe]

Sorry for the delay - its been a busy week.

For our next card, I wanted a major. I believe Spoonbender requested we do the Lovers but I deleted your PM Spoonbender by accident. If my memory is not correct, let me know and I will do the card you requested next (but I think I got it right, lol).

We take a minor departure from the minors to the majors. While the dominant themes of the minors include having an equal number of people and trump themes to correspond to the card number, and also the depiction of a scene in each of the four seasons, each unique to the trump, the majors are a bit different. The striking quality of these cards is the depiction of the key scene in color while all background is shown in a muted sepia type of quality.

Here we have three people. While most RWS decks show two people in this card, the common definition in the card is choice and/or balance. So wouldn't it make sense to show three people?

Here we have a man standing between two women. The man is no prize, aesthetically speaking, but he sems to have a warm smile. To his right is a lovely lady wearing a pretty red dress. A growth of flowers frames her next to one of her shoulders. She appears to be standing on a comb, perhaps another symbol of beauty. Behind her in the background a painter stands at his easel - we can only guess that he is about to create a beautiful work of art.

The second woman stands to the man's left. She is a frumpy older woman, dressed in the clothes of someone hard at work taking care of those she loves. She is carrying what appear to be traps for rodents, but instead of flowers at her shoulder, the rodents themselves are crawling on her. At her feet is a pie with one piece missing.

Behind the man, cupid sits on top of a tree. He has a blindfold on but is smiling. He is also sitting in some sort of contraption with a hoop in it - at first I thought it was cupid's bow, but I am doubting that now.

The man himself is pointing to the beautiful woman and smiling. It appears that he has made his choice ...... or has he? After all, there is a piece of pie missing. Perhaps he is full from the pie and is temporarily blinded as to who he should choice. When he is hungry again, would he make a different choice? Choice and balance are good definitions (for me anyway) on this card. You have to balance all your needs in life.

One other symbol on the deck which I have not mentioned and I will leave to others if they want to discuss. There is some sort of creature standing in shallow water not too far from the artist. I cannot tell if this is a water buffalo or a pig.

From the LWB - "Love, Choice. Love passes through the eye of a needle (love is an unstoppable force).

 

[gloria]

The Lovers…a card of choice….and so well represented here.
First, I saw this as a mother, son and girlfriend scenario. “This girl’s no good for you son – she’s nothing but a floozie!!”
The cherub. If he is able to pass through the eye of a needle, surely this symbolises distinct lack of love?
I reckon this card is more to do with LUST. The girl’s red dress…colour of passion….would confirm this.
The guy looks very wistful. What’s a man to do? Stay with a stable, secure albeit boring and humdrum existence? Or go for the whirlwind heady romance…for how long.....who knows…who cares?
He seems to be giving it a lot of thought. Maybe he’s thinking if he plays his cards right, he can have his cake and eat it too!!
I have my doubts somehow. The woman in green (envy?) means business. She has emptied the traps…they are ready and waiting for the quarry……!
G.

 

[gloria]

Just a couple of things here......have only just seen blindfold on cherub...well they say love is blind!
In my view the cherub if he is able to pass through the eye of a needle, (I hadn't looked at LWB Dan) surely would make him fluid-like, flowing freely, not solid or rigid and therefore unstable.
I see that as a rake at the hem of the girl's dress. So could this symbolise raking over old ground?
Oh dear....could mean this guy has been tempted by a pretty face before!
G.

 

[Tarotmyst]

Is the thing the lady in red is standing on a ruler? (should that be rule?)

It reminds me of the old fashioned wooden ones we used to have at school and brings to mind the saying - 'give a man an inch and he will take a mile'.

 

[gloria]

It reminds me of the old fashioned wooden ones we used to have at school and brings to mind the saying - 'give a man an inch and he will take a mile'.

Oh tarotmyst...how true!!!

 

[spoonbender]

The Lovers

I really enjoyed all of your interpretations! I hope I can add something worthwhile here.

Well, what first struck me about this card is that it goes right back to L’Amoureux from the Tarot of Marseilles (see attachment); a young man has to make a choice between two women. The young man - well, he’s not that young anymore – smiles in a childlike, kindly manner. He holds up his one hand, perhaps shrugging his shoulders, or perhaps showing that he has made his choice. He - quite aptly - stands on a crossroads, symbolising that the choice the young man makes, will lead him down a whole new road in his life. Much depends on this choice...!

The woman to his left is dressed in a green robe with a white apron. She looks rather crude and seems to be quite older than the young man (as Gloria suggested, she could the young man's mother). She holds up her arms as if she’s just about ready to grasp the young man and take him home with her. Around her waist hang four rattraps, while two rats are crawling on her shoulders. I loved Gloria’s interpretation: “She has emptied the traps… they are ready and waiting for the quarry…!”

To the man’s right hand side, however, stands a reasonably young woman, dressed in a quite elegant red dress. She’s a blonde (of course!) and smiles sweetly while holding a bouquet of pink flowers.
I too thought she’s standing on a ruler, Tarotmyst. It made me think of the Dutch proverb “to measure is to know”. On the Marseille-card, the blond woman points to the young man’s heart, as if showing that his choice must come from that place, that he must know in his heart that the choice he will make will be the right one. Maybe, she here likewise slides the ruler to him, to show him that he must know for sure what he’s choosing for?
Either way, this woman certainly seems to be the better choice – but maybe that’s misleading – the most attractive path isn’t necessarily the best path... The pie on the ground is missing a piece, and makes me feel that something’s missing – that something’s incomplete. If I were that guy, I’d use that ruler (so to speak), and make certain that I knew what it is I’m choosing for!

Above the scene hovers a little Cupid, clapping his hands with delight. He’s passing through the eye of a needle and is blindfolded, showing that love can strike anyone, anywhere. As the LWB says: “Love is an unstoppable force”.

The painter in the background may show that, like a painter, who puts heart and soul into his work, the young man here must put his heart and soul into his choice. Or perhaps the painter shows that, if the young man makes the right decision, something beautiful and picturesque is on his way.

Further in the background is a pig wading in the water – it’s definitely a pig, even his little curly tail is shown! This is what I found out about the pig:

Contrary to popular belief the pig is a very clean animal. [...] Those with this medicine need to be in charge of their personal space and will not tolerate others rearranging it. [...] Domestic pigs demand punctuality and dependability especially at feeding times. A solid routine is important to this animal. [...] The pig teaches you how to remain focused and develop a solid secure foundation in your life. [...] Pigs intuitively know how to respond in any situation. They are good swimmers and have great strength. Their listening skills are acute. [...] If a pig waddles slowly towards you, it’s time to stop, reflect and listen to the sound of your inner knowing.

Doesn’t this fit perfectly with this card?

Any comments/thoughts/remarks? I would appreciate it if someone took the time to reply (hint!).

Warm regards,
Spoonbender