The story associated with The Lovers card is an Ancient Greek tale called The Judgement of Paris which goes something like this…

Three goddesses were arguing about who was the fairest one of all (you know a story isn’t going to end well when it starts with a quote from Snow White’s wicked stepmother, lol). So a Trojan mortal by the name of Paris with a reputation for fairness was brought in to make the call (geez, talk about gods passing the buck. Guess they were too smart to bite.)

The contenders included Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. Hera was the wife of the head honcho Zeus. Athena, the most beloved goddess of the Ancient Greeks. They even named a city after her. Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Each offered Paris a bribe. Hera said she would make him Lord over Europe and Asia. Athena promised he would be successful in every battle he fought. Aphrodite took her clothes off. Hmmm, wonder who he chose…Nah, we all know it’s a no brainer. Paris was a MAN. Before those clothes even hit the floor he handed Aphrodite the title (and we all know which part of his anatomy chose the winner. Hint: It wasn’t his brain.)

Big mistake. HUGE. Because in return Aphrodite promised him the hand of the most beautiful woman on earth. None other than Helen of Sparta (later Troy) who was already married. But the damage was done. Paris was determined to claim his prize. And so he did. This was the trigger for the Trojan War that cost countless Greek lives. You can’t help but wonder whether Aphrodite was one of those mischievous sprites of ancient times who liked to throw the odd bomb into human affairs or maybe Hera and Athena cast an evil spell over her to get back at Paris like the wicked fairy godmothers of ancient lore.

It just goes to show you shouldn’t meddle in the affairs of the gods. And that love can be a dangerous tricky confusing business. But you knew that already, huh. What else might this story be telling us about The Lovers card?