Like the Light and Shadow Tarot (the other deck I’m presenting to the list), the Wheel of Change Tarot expresses the idea of a union of oppisites through the use of a mixed couple: dark and light seen in the man and woman who stand facing each other. Their hands join to form a lemniscate, while two trees intertwine their branches in the background. He is dressed in orange and yellow, and is crowned with a sun; she is wearing blue and purple, and a moon shines above her head. But between all these opposites grows a rose, whose stem unites the trunks of the two trees. And so, no matter how many things seem to separate us, we can always create something in common. Opposites don’t only attract; they need and complement each other. Alexandra Genetti sees the Lovers as our first moment of recognizing "the other," either within or outside of ourselves. Here, we acknowledge the opposing forces that meet and interact. At the same time, it is through this union that we truly understand the identity of the individual parts.

From the book:
"When the Lovers card appears in your reading, it indicates recognition of what is self and what is other in the context of relationship. The card is a symbol of partnership and collaboration, but also of the division and isolation we sometimes feel in relationship. This is also part of the consciousness of duality symbolized by the Lovers. The Lovers represents any relationship in which the parties to the action are partially or wholly defined in the context of their interaction. For example, a buyer and seller can exist only in the relationship they form by their interaction; one cannot exist without the other, and the terms of sale become meaningless.

"The Lovers card, which shows the duality of the human condition, is closely related to the Temperance card, which shows the relationship developing into action that will bring a new realizatio of relatedness. In the Lovers, however, we deal with the primary opposition and discovery of self and other. It could also symbolize internal parts of the individual, such as mind and body or feeling and spirit. This is the dawning of human consciousness and discovery, as we mirror the elements of our selves against the backdrop of the world and our human partners. It is a time in which you may see clearly what is a part of you and what is a part of the world outside. This will help you to discover the delights and travails of friendship and love."

Marisa Antonaya