The Hierophant: A man sits on a throne holding a sceptre in one hand and giving some kind of sign with his other. He is dressed in ceremonial robes and wears a crown on his head. Two men kneel at his feet looking subservient.

The Hierophant symbolises authority figures in our society such as priests, kings and presidents but also teachers, policemen and lawyers. This card represents the lessons taught us by society.

The Lovers: A naked man and woman. The epitome of love. Sexual love. Relationship. Intimacy. Funnily enough though, while the man’s looking at the woman she’s not staring back at him but at the angel in the heavens above.

This card represents choice. Who we choose to be in a relationship with. What we choose to focus on. What temptations we choose to succumb to and what we resist.

The Lovers card follows the Hierophant in Life Lessons Tarot (aka the Major Arcana). First we learn what society expects of us and then we choose which of those expectations we are going to adhere to. You can see this process being played out during childhood. Primary school children like rules and follow them without question. Teenagers experiment, trying different life experiences regardless of whether they’re legal or not.

The Hierophant Vs The Lovers.

Society Expectation Vs Individual Preference.

Tradition Vs Freedom Of Choice.

Which of these cards speaks most to you?