Greater Arcana Study Group—The Lovers

Richard

FWIW here's what I think is the symbolism of Trump 6, in accordance with Case's notion that it is the subconscious that communicates with the superconscious:

man: conscious
Woman: subconscious
Angel: superconscious​

The line of communication:
conscious <—> subsconscious <—> superconscious​

Question: How does this coordinate with the body-soul-spirit model?
 

Yelell

Something just occurred to me. I knew the RWS lovers and devil mirrored each other, but I didn't think about how those two cards never matched in previous decks. Since the RWS devil card is so similar to the TdM devil, Waite redesigned the lovers intentionally to make them into a pair of opposites. I don't catch on quickly.
 

Aeric

Something just occurred to me. I knew the RWS lovers and devil mirrored each other, but I didn't think about how those two cards never matched in previous decks. Since the RWS devil card is so similar to the TdM devil, Waite redesigned the lovers intentionally to make them into a pair of opposites. I don't catch on quickly.
I was under the impression that the card was redesigned to make it more representative of Gemini. Is there some subtle connection between Gemini and Capricorn that he wanted to suggest? The end of Spring and the beginning of Winter?
 

Richard

I was under the impression that the card was redesigned to make it more representative of Gemini. Is there some subtle connection between Gemini and Capricorn that he wanted to suggest? The end of Spring and the beginning of Winter?

1. 15 (Devil) reduces to 6 (Lovers).

2. Capricorn and Gemini are symmetrical (mirror imaged) with respect to the horizontal axis of the zodiac circle.

3. The Devil is a caricature of the Angel in the Lovers. (The Devil is a materialistic reflection of the spiritual Angel.)
 

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Teheuti

The Devil (as serpent) tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden - so the Devil was there, too.

Waite wasn't the first to think of the Lovers card as representing the Garden of Eden. There's a pre-GD style set of Trumps, possibly drawn by Westcott or Moina Mathers, that identifies this card as representing the Tree of Good and Evil.
 

Aeric

Why is the Tree of Life represented by small flames? I'm assuming it has something to do with the zodiac, but it makes the visual image of the tree almost look barren, lifeless, undesirable. Loftier spiritual knowledge over the earthly fruit of the Knowledge tree?

The Devil's lowered torch sets the man's tail on fire. How does this relate to the Tree of Life? The zodiac perverted?
 

Abrac

The flames represent the "Twelve Fruits of the Eternal Spirit of God." They are spiritual nourishment. They could correspond to the zodiac, but they are the essential reality behind the illusions of sense perception.

*Roman Catholic doctrine also has 12 Fruits of the Spirit and this could have and probably did influence Waite. The also have a doctrine of the 7 Gifts of the Spirit which Waite frequently mentions in combination with the 12 Fruits. Both are online and easy to find.

I see the Devil's torch pretty much as you said. In Levi's Baphomet, the torch is seen upright in the center of Baphomet's head, representing higher intelligence; and the pentagram is upright. In Waite's Devil they're both inverted. I see it as misuse of God's spiritual gifts; or spiritual delusion.