Two people are shown, presided over by a winged angel who has its hands raised in blessing. Over all is a bright yellow sun. In the background there is a mountain.
The people are naked. Behind each is a tree. Behind the woman the tree bears fruit and has a snake coiled around the trunk. Clearly this is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil – and the humans are Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Behind Adam we see a tree with flames as its fruit – the Tree of Life.
In this image Adam and Eve are not fallen; They are being blessed by the angel.
Eve is looking heavenward; Adam gazes at Eve. This hints that one needs to approach Spirit through the feminine aspect, the Unconscious. It is not a rational activity; reason alone cannot bring you to Spirit.
In a more down-to-earth interpretation, this card is the first one in which a person breaks free from parental and societal restraints and begins to choose for himself. It is a part of growing up, to leave home and seek out one’s own destiny. Finding a mate is part of that process.
While this card might often stand for what it shows – a pair of Lovers – it also may represent a choice to be made. In fact, in some decks this card is called the Choice.
Possibly the Choice is whether to partake of the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Keywords: Innocence. Moral or ethical decision. Exalted Love.