Readings
Two Cards
If you are trying to make a very important decision in your life and you don’t know which path to follow, if you are really doubtful about the consequences the crossroads tarot spread will help you to find your way.
The Emperor
Upright
Authority, establishment, structure, a father figure
The Emperor is the father figure of the Tarot deck, suggests that you are adopting this protective role (regardless of whether you are male or female), affording for your family, and protecting your loved ones.
Similarly, the Emperor represents a strong and charismatic leader. Status and power are necessary to you, and you are most comfortable in a leadership role where you can direct others. You have a clear vision of what you want to manifest, and you arrange those around you to manifest your goal. You listen to the advice of others, but you prefer to make the final decision.
The Emperor reflects a system defined by rules and regulations. You create law and order by applying policies or guidelines to a specific situation. Be strategic and highly organized in your approach by sticking to your plan until the end.
The Emperor card also implies world knowledge and expertise. You have gained valuable wisdom and living experience, and now you enjoy offering guidance to someone who might benefit from it. You may be a teacher, coach, boss, or just a good friend who likes to take the knowledge and pass it on so that others can be as wise and powerful as you.
Reversed
Domination, excessive control, lack of discipline, inflexibility
The reversed Emperor requests you to assess your relationships with responsibility and discipline. Are you expressing too much or too little of these in your life right now? Are they serving for you or against you?
In the reversed position, the Emperor can be bossy and inflexible in his thoughts. The card can suggest an over-use of authoritative power. It could be you or another person, often a boss, partner or family member. And it may be because of deep insecurities and self-doubts.
Recognize the position of power in your life. Are you declaring your power and dominance in a way that leaves others feeling weak? Or are you giving away much of your personal power to please others? Try to find a solution where you start from a place of personal power and enable others to do the same. Power can be equally distributed – you don’t need to take it from others, nor do you need to give yours away.
Sometimes, the reversed Emperor asks you to stand up to authority. You may feel fed up with an oppressive boss or a hierarchical organization and feel forced to enter a more flexible and adaptive environment. Maybe you aspire to be your own boss and work independently by starting up your own business.
In a love reading, the reversed Emperor hints that you may be in an unbalanced relationship and it‘s making you unhappy. Your partner has become overbearing, possessive and dominating. This dynamic is putting tension on the relationship and blocking the flow of energies between you.
The Lovers
Upright
Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices
The Lovers card represents understanding connections and meaningful relationships. The appearance of this card in a Tarot reading shows that you have a beautiful connection with a loved one. You may have found your soul mate or life partner, and the sexual energy between you both goes way beyond lust to something that is very spiritual and almost Tantric. While the Lovers card usually refers to a romantic bond, it can also represent a close friendship or family relationship where is the flow of love, respect, and compassion.
Lovers is a card of open connection and raw honesty. Showing that the man and woman are naked, they both have learned to open their hearts to one another and share their sincerest feelings by being in their most vulnerable states.
On a more personal level, the Lovers card represents getting clear about your preferences. You are figuring out your own philosophy. Having gone through the instruction of the Hierophant, you are now ready to establish your spiritual experience and decide what is and what is not essential to you. It’s time to go into the external world and make choices for yourself, also staying authentic and genuine in all your efforts.
At its core, the Lovers is about choice. The choice about who you want to be in this lifetime, how you connect with others. To make good choices, you need to be transparent about your personal beliefs and values – and stay true to them. Now, more than ever, you must prefer love. Choose the best version of yourself.
Finally, the Lovers card inspires you to unite dual forces. You can bring together two parts that are seemingly in contradiction to one another and create something that is ‘whole’ and harmonious. In every decision, there is the same amount of advantage and disadvantage, opportunity and challenge, positive and negative. When you accept these dualities, you build the union from which love flows.
Reversed
Self-love, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values
While The Lovers card signifies pure love and harmony, reversed, it can indicate a time when you’re not in tune with those elements around you. You may find your relationships are troublesome and communication is challenging. Does it seem as if your relationship is cold and you are just not on the same page? If so, look back to the reason you have this person in your life. If you love them, know this moment will pass and the best you can do is bring love and compassion to the situation. In some cases, you may realize that you have simply grown apart and it’s time to move on. If your relationship continues with arguments and a lack of respect for one another, then it could be time to let go and do what is best for you both.
The Lovers reversed can also indicate that the feelings within a relationship are not common. One person may be more emotionally connected than the other, and this could lead to failure later down the path. You may be hesitant to open your heart to the relationship for fear of getting hurt.
If the Lovers reversed shows up in a reading, you might face a difficult decision with significant results. Instead of making a decision based on your values, you try to avoid responsibility for your actions. Reversed Lovers urges you to think again because you can’t just get away with it and choose the path most in alignment with Highest Good – no matter how tough it might be.
Reversed Lovers may also recommend being in conflict with yourself rather than with external forces. It shows a struggle to balance your inner world. They will lead you to make better decisions next time. You may want to go back to the energy of the Hierophant card and search for the guidance and advice of a spiritual mentor.