Finding Love in the Major Arcana

By Louise Docker from sydney, Australia (My heart in your hands) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I teach an informal monthly tarot class at my residential resort. You might wonder why I take time out of my busy schedule to teach a free monthly class in my community’s recreation hall. I do it for many reasons. It’s my way of giving back to the community I love. It’s my way of turning neighbors into tarot friends. It’s also my way to put tarot into the hands of people who might not otherwise be exposed to it, and see what happens. I guess I am a tarot evangelist.

At our February meeting, I focused on love, in honor of Valentine’s Day. I decided not to highlight romance, but unconditional love.

We did a series of exercises using the Major Arcana and the suit of Cups. My favorite was this.

I asked each class member to choose the one Major Arcana card they felt represented the high vibration of unconditional love. To avoid confusion, I took the Lovers off the table.

So, excluding Major Arcana 6, which of the Major Arcana cards most clearly expresses the high vibration of unconditional love?

There’s no right answer, obviously. My twelve-member class had some definite favorites.

The Empress was the most popular choice. Who knows unconditional love better than a mother?

Strength was also popular. The gentle strength and compassion that tames the lion is indeed an expression of unconditional love.

A few people chose the High Priestess. While this wouldn’t be my first choice, I like the idea that deep internal wisdom would bring us to a place of unconditional love.

One person chose Temperance. That would be my choice, too.  The alchemy of Temperance, with it’s careful balance and blending, perfectly describes the active process of love for me.

What card would you choose to represent unconditional love?