Golden Tarot - The Lovers

Livia

The Lovers.
Check out the original version of this card at http://goldentarot.com/v1malove.htm
In fact at goldentarot,com there are early versions of most, if not all, the cards. This one in particular has a huge contrast between the two versions. I can’t tell which version I like better, too. The earlier version is more formal, and denotes to me a more permanent or structured relationship like a marriage or legal arraignment.
The final version has more of a “soul mate” connotation. I don’t believe in soul mates as most people use the term, but I do believe that there are relationships you are set-up to have. I married my high school boyfriend after we dated for almost 10 years, and people always tell me how lucky I am to have met my soul mate so early on (at least single people do) and that throws me because I don’t feel like a soul mate, or some cosmic relationship, I feel like we worked things out early on. Maybe that is what it is a relationship you are set to have, so that you can work things out, if you don’t you will have to in the next life, or purgatory or whatever you think happens next.
Anyway, the bird, and the angel are both symbols of a divine message, a blessing on the relationship that this is correct as the book says “deeper and more significant than previous relationships.
My only other note is that while these people are surrounded by nature, they seem one with it, they are naked for crying out loud, but there are no signs of fertility, like we see with the Empress. There is not fruit on the trees, or any flowers. Things are just green and alive.
Another note it seems that there is a misprint in the book because it mentions an eagle touching her head, when in fact it is a woodpecker (talk about trying to get a message through knock, knock, knock) over her head, and a finch at her feet (look carefully)

Could the greyhound be the fool’s dog? I can’t quite figure how he fits in…
 

retrokat

Thanks so much for all your persistence and insight with the Study Groups, Livia!

In my copy of the book (first edition, I think it's mostly second edition on sale by now?) it says an angel touches her head, not an eagle. Not sure how that got changed.

The significance of the Italian Greyhound is fairly personal. This card was made for a wonderful friend who happens to have an Italian Greyhound called Bella - who I love to bits, even though I'm 100% a "cat person". Dogs generally symbolise loyalty, and the most common type of dogs in Renaissance paintings were of course Italian Greyhounds, so there was also that meaning.

My favourite story about this card I mentioned on the original thread. My 90 year old Grandma (an ex-art teacher, whose husband was killed in the war over 50 years ago, and who never remarried) took one look and said "Huh! He hasn't got much to love with, has he?". I love her sense of humour :D
 

Livia

I am the one with the typo in my brain...It does say angel, I just transposed the letters when I read it
 

lark

Your grandma is a hoot Retrokat. :D
Maybe that's why the angel has to give her some extra encouragement......

One of the things I really love about this deck is all the Italian Greyhounds in it.
Since I have one myself and adore him.
They really are very special, unique little dogs.

The man on the Lovers card looks just like my brother-in-law Harry.
Well, at least from the neck up.

They look so shy like a couple on a first date.
I notice that all of the animals are on her side.
The dog and the little bird at her feet, and the bigger bird above her head.
Almost like chaperones.
She's tentative and undecided about him.
His hand movements say "Will you have me?"
Her hand says "Who me?"
But we get the feeling that with the angels prompting she'll have him in the end.
 

WolfSpirit

Retrokat I have to agree with your grandma ;) He looks like a nice guy though, not too impatient but waiting for her to come towards him in her own time. She is still looking for support from the tree and hooking her arm around it to be more stable. Think she can really do with some angel intervention, she looks lovely though.
I love the lush background of the card, and it is as if the angel is also illuminating the leaves, they shine golden around her (him ?)
 

KristinCali

I just love the lush, green, bushy background! Hints at fertility. And Mother Nature is a very sacred thing to me, so I feel this union is very sacred.