Tarot card Lovers the original version, pastel on paper. Featured in my book Howling at the Sky.
Sun in Gemini, tarot card Lovers, represents the duality of our brain on the point of becoming conscious. The duality of the brain is illustrated by the union of the Maiden and the Serpent. The figure descending from the sky is the appearance of human consciousness and self-awareness.
The Influence of Paolo Uccello’s Painting Upon the Lovers
Saint George and the Dragon by Paolo Uccello
On a first glance at Paolo Uccello’s painting, it seems the male hero rescues the maiden from the clutches of a menacing dragon. However, a closer examination reveals an intriguing twist: the maiden herself holds and leads the dragon by a chain around its neck. This subtle detail transforms the dragon from being a fearsome jailer to a domesticated creature, perhaps even a pet or a lover.
The Hero
In this revised interpretation, the Serpent and the Maiden represent a magickal adventure threatened by adversity, the heroic figure. The hero, depicted as emerging from the sky, rashly intervening in a sitution he perceives through a lens of traditional heroism—saving the damsel from a perceived monster. Yet, the maiden stands as a symbolic stimulus for overcoming fear. She demonstrates mastery over what typically invokes terror by holding the dragon’s chain. Her presence incites the hero into action, not out of necessity but through his perception of duty. This act liberates him from his intimidations, represented by the dragon, forcing him to confront and overcome his fears. The painting thus offers a layered narrative: on one level, it displays a conventional rescue scene; on another, it challenges the viewer
It is not the maiden who is liberated but the male when his desire for her is strong enough to overcome his fear.
Sun in Gemini Decans
Major Arcana card Lovers is the archetypal voice behind the Minor Arcana cards Eight, Nine, and Ten of Air, Swords.
When failure to interpret the meaning of these Minor Arcana Cards arises let your mind naturally fall back upon the image of the Lovers to listen to its message.
Eight of Air, Eight of Swords. Shortened Force
Nine of Air, Nine of Swords, Despair and Cruelty
Ten of Air, Ten of Swords, Ruin
Overview
Sun in Gemini illustrates how nature challenges us to determine if we possess the resilience, wisdom, and strength to achieve our desires. Through these trials, we grow, adapt, and transform, proving our worthiness. In the face of challenges, our true character is revealed, and we become capable of reaching our fullest potential.
Inspired by “The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind” by Julian Jaynes
My rendition of The Lovers tarot card defines in its imagery the clash of modern consciousness rising within humankind, thus preempting the automatic responses of previous generations.
Before approximately 1000 BC, bicameral mind theory believed that humans responded robotically to the impulses of nature. Heard as ancestral voices these impulses over time developed into the voices of gods.
The serpent featured in the card is raw nature. It is the source of hallucinated ancestral voices that converse with the maiden, our receptive creative selves.
She makes the ancient sign of welcoming or honoring to the serpent, her lover. This is not a sign of worship, but a greeting of equals.
Perseus, the figure descending from the sky, is the appearance of modern man and a new way of thinking brought about through an increase of emphasis of logical thought.
His drawn sword, symbolic of a pen, represents the origin of writing, a radical stimulus culminating with the end of the old ways symbolized by the serpent.
Hallucinated conversations, exorcised through writing, negated our ancestor’s need to listen to personal impulses and needs, thus causing gravitation to reliance upon another man’s opinion over our one’s revelation.
The desert background is the state of our lives through the impact of no longer trusting, listening or hearing the vocalization of nature’s ancestral voices. It is symbolic of the loss of love.
The serpent becomes a threat because it is now the misunderstood voice of natural force.
See Dream Linguistics for techniques to renew communication with ancestral directives.
I been listening to Alan Moore and reading Jaynes book as well. These are all very thought provoking.