Most people in modern society know the story of Adam and Eve. They were made in the Garden of Eden together, crafted specifically to be the perfect couple. Presumably, they were in the deepest of love. Eve was told by God to never eat a certain fruit, or else she would die. A serpent, however, told her that she would not die if she ate the fruit and that it was perfectly good for eating.

Eve had to make a choice. She knew that Adam was siding, at the time, with God. Should she risk eating the fruit and betraying her husband, or stay away from the fruit and risk never knowing what wonders it held? And what of Adam? When his wife came to him with the fruit, he had a choice to make as well: between his lover and his God. What love meant more? Who was to say? That is the story of the Lovers card.

On the face of the Lovers card, we see both Adam and Eve. Eve stands near the tree bearing the forbidden fruit, the snake found around it. Behind Adam stands a burning tree. Between them, a great Angel hovers in the clouds, spreading its hands wide.

Every relationship has choices – whether it's the relationship with a spouse, lover, friend, family member, or with yourself. The choices that rise are sometimes between seemingly equal factors. How do you choose between your God and the woman you love? Should you stem curiosity and not eat from the tree, and be forced to live your life the same as you always have? The choices we remember are never the easy ones, and this card can refer to the seemingly impossible choices we sometimes come up against.

What would the Lovers card be without love? Yes, this can mean that a relationship is in your future, or that you are currently experiencing love. This love, however, is usually not the infallible variety people often desire. This love tends to come with its share of drama. Old boyfriends get thrown into the mix, new love affairs creep out of nowhere... the list might go on. This love that you will experience, are experiencing, or have experienced... is troubled.

Love Is All There Is

Love doesn't come into play only in romantic relationships. What if you are in love with an idea? What if the flames of passion are driving you to open a business? Start an organization? Join a rally? We can fall in love with many things, and the drama can be just as apparent. These things we pursue lovingly will hold their allotment of trouble – only you can decide if that trouble is enough to leave those things you love behind.

When considering the Lovers card, ask yourself these questions. Have you been putting off any big decisions? Has a loved one (or thing) been driving you up a wall? What actions should you take to remedy the troubling situations you have landed in with your loved ones?

A very similar card to the Lovers is the Two of Cups – oddly enough, the Two of Cups represents a more stable, caring variety of love than that of the Lovers card itself. Ten of Cups can be what the Lovers leads to if all goes well in a loving relationship. The positivity, connectivity, and joy of the Ten of Cups is all that any Lover could want!

What The Lovers Means for You Today

When the Lovers card shows up in your reading it can signal many different things. The meaning that most people hope for when seeing this card is that they will meet a new partner or have some romantic experience with their partner. While this is one potential meaning, more specifically it is referring to the universal love that is ever-present in every moment. When we see someone we love or see something beautiful, it allows us to let our guard down just long enough to let in a little bit of that omnipresent love. The person or situation serves as a permission slip to allow yourself to feel love, but the love doesn't come from the other person, it just seeps into the cracks between your thoughts. Open up and let the cosmic love and light shine through!