Alchemical Love: Plato's Symposium
"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." — Carl G. Jung
When the majestic arcana of The Lovers (Arcana VI) is revealed on the reading mat, the immediate concern usually orbits around a romantic partner; however, its profound esoteric background transcends earthly romance to speak to us of the soul's great choice and the sacred, complex coniunctio oppositorum or union of opposites.
The Myth of the Androgynous
In the immortal pages of Plato's Symposium, the playwright Aristophanes tells the poetic myth that, at the dawn of time, humans were spherical and double entities, carrying a defiant completeness that the jealous gods decided to split in half. Since that primordial exile, we wander tirelessly through the labyrinths of the world yearning to reunite with our mythical "other half." In the symbolic language of Tarot, The Lovers sublimely embody that nostalgic longing for indivisible unity, while simultaneously confronting us with the unavoidable tension of moral choice: the compelling invitation to choose the path dictated by the wisdom of the heart, rising above the mere impulse of blind instinct.
The Chemical Wedding
In the hidden, mystical space of The Witch's blog, we devoutly hold that true love, in its highest expression, is a transcendental alchemy, the long-awaited "Chemical Wedding" of ancient adepts. It is not a simple casual encounter, but the fiery amalgamation of two sovereign souls who consent, in the crucible of surrender, to undergo a mutual and profound transformation. The appearance of this card is a luminous reminder that you do not embark on the search for another being to fill an existential void, but so that, like divine mirrors, you both reflect and enhance the intrinsic light that already shines in the sanctuary of your being.
Bibliographic References
- Plato. (c. 385–370 BCE). Symposium. (Specifically Aristophanes' speech on the divided nature of the human being and the search for wholeness).
- Jung, C. G. (1946). The Psychology of the Transference. (Addresses the alchemical symbolism of the coniunctio and the transformative power of intimate union between two souls).
Do you feel destiny is asking you to make a momentous choice born of the heart? The oracle illuminates your path.