Gemini: The Lovers

AstrologyTree of Life / QabalahZodiac SignsTarot CorrespondencesTarot Color BreakdownGreat Work BookMajor Arcana / Trumps

May 22

Written By M Fortune

The Lovers tarot cards from the Rider-Waite, Crowley Thoth, and Golden Dawn Tarot — *VI. The Lovers from* *The Rider-Waite, Thoth, and Golden Dawn tarot decks.*

The Lovers, whose esoteric title is “Children of the Voice, The Oracles of the Mighty Gods,” is generally considered a card of marriage or commitment to a life-altering relationship. Although this may be one meaning of The Lovers, it more specifically symbolizes the integration of opposing forces, with a need for honesty with oneself and others for such a union to succeed. It is the acceptance of a partnership or the decision to merge one’s life path in a way that has the potential for permanent change.

In this article, we will examine The Lover’s connection to astrology and the Tree of Life (Qabalah). This includes information about this card's zodiac, planetary, and elemental attributes, along with color and other magickal correspondences, and how these aspects shape The Lover’s unique characteristics and aesthetics.

For those using The Great Work Book to log their tarot studies, this is an excellent opportunity to add details about The Lovers. Example pages featuring The Lovers are included at the end of this article.

The Astrology of The Lovers

The Great Work Book showing journal pages for The Lovers, the tarot card associated with Gemini. Cards pictured are from the Rider-Waite, Crowley Thoth, and Golden Dawn tarot decks. — *The Great Work Book* *showing journal pages for The Lovers, the tarot card associated with Gemini.*

Zodiac Sign: The Lover’s Sign is Gemini.

Element: The Lover’s element is Air.

Ruling Planet: The Lover’s ruling planet is Mercury.

Modality: The Lover’s Modality is Mutable.

Dates: May 22 - June 21

The Lovers card is associated with the Zodiac sign Gemini. Mercury governs this Mutable Air sign, which rules the heavens from May 22 to June 21. Gemini expresses its Mercurian traits through intellectual curiosity, communication, and social activity.

Each zodiac sign is categorized into three modes: Cardinal at the start, Fixed in the middle, and Mutable at the end of a season. Mutable signs—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces—appear at season's end, suggesting a readiness for change and adaptability. Gemini marks the end of Spring, just before the Summer Solstice, symbolizing the transition into a time of growth, abundance, energy, and freedom.

As a Mutable sign, Gemini is the most flexible among the Air signs, with strong communication skills combined with adaptability—traits essential for the partnership symbolized by The Lovers.

Gemini’s Minor Cards

The Lovers card from Crowley's Thoth Tarot is pictured with its associated Minor Arcana cards, the 8, 9, and 10 of Swords. — *The Lovers card from the* *Thoth Tarot* *is pictured with its associated Minor Arcana cards, the 8, 9, and 10 of Swords.*

Each Zodiac sign is split into three sections of about ten days, called Decans. Each Decan is ruled by a different planet, providing additional influence to each Zodiac sign. As a result, a person's Zodiac traits can be expressed in three distinct ways, based on the Decan of their birth.

Each Decan is associated with a Minor or Pip Tarot card, marking the distinct qualities of each ten-day period. Consequently, every Zodiac Trump card has three corresponding numbered cards representing the initial, middle, and final phases of the Sun’s journey through that sign. Gemini, and therefore The Lovers, has the 8, 9, and 10 of Swords as assigned as Minor cards.

Decan 1: Jupiter • 8 of Swords, Shortened Force

The Eight of Swords is assigned to the First Decan of Gemini and is ruled by Jupiter from May 22 to 31.

Decan 2: Mars • 9 of Swords, Cruelty

The Nine of Swords is assigned to the Second Decan of Gemini and is ruled by Mars, June 1 - 10.

Decan 3: Sun • 10 of Swords, Ruin

The Ten of Swords is assigned to the Third Decan of Gemini and is ruled by the Sun, June 11 - 21.

Gemini on the Tree of Life

The Great Work Book’s Qabalistic Journal featuring Zain, the path associated with Gemini. The Lovers tarot cards from Rider-Waite, Thoth, and Golden Dawn decks are pictured. — The Great Work Book’s Qabalistic Journal featuring Zain, the path associated with Gemini.

Infographic of the Tree of Life (Qabalah) showing the path Zain and its connecting Sephiroth Binah and Tiphareth. Zain is the path of Cancer and The Lovers tarot card. — Zain, the path of Gemini, and its connecting Sephiroth Binah and Tiphareth.

All tarot cards can be mapped to the Tree of Life (Qabalah). Exploring tarot on the Tree of Life offers students new ways to study the connections not only between the cards but also in life itself. The Qabalistic system is an excellent way to learn the underpinnings of divinatory meanings by making associations with astrology, color, and many other correspondences.

On the Tree of Life, The Lovers is mapped to Path 17, Zain. Zain means “sword” and is located between Sephiroth (spheres) 3 Binah and 6 Tiphareth, Understanding and Beauty, respectively. Binah is known as the sphere of form, structure, and the divine feminine and is home to Saturn. Tiphareth, located at the center of the Tree, is home to The Sun and is considered the Christ center of the Tree. Their connecting path, according to Qabalistic teachings, is titled the “Disposing Intelligence,” which “provides Faith to the Righteous, and they are clothed with the Holy Spirit by it, and it is called the Foundation of Excellence in the state of higher things.”

Looking closely at these three components of the Tree—namely, the path from Saturn to the Sun—it becomes clear that the path of Zain is one where understanding becomes manifest through the union of opposing dynamics, as depicted in The Lovers card. Discerning intellect, symbolized by the sword, is the vehicle by which this integration is materialized into being.

The Colors of Gemini

The Lovers tarot card from the Rider-Waite, Crowley Thoth, and Golden Dawn tarot decks pictured with their qalabistic color palette. — The Lovers from the Rider-Waite, Thoth, and Golden Dawn Tarot decks, shown with the card's color palette for comparison.

Infographic showing the color palette of The Lovers tarot card, along with planetary and elemental references. — The color palette of The Lovers tarot card.

Behind the Tree of Life lies an intricate system of color associations. Developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, this system begins by assigning colors to the planets, elements, and zodiac signs and extends to 128 colors that correspond to the spheres and paths of the Tree of Life across its four elemental worlds: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.

Known as the Color Scales, this system associates specific colors with locations on the Tree of Life and has been used by many tarot artists to create a color palette for each card. Below are the color associations of Gemini and its tarot card, The Lovers.

Gemini’s Astrological Color

ELEMENT: Gemini’s Element is Air, which is represented by Yellow.

ZODIAC: The Lover’s sign is Gemini, which is represented by Orange.

PLANET: Gemini’s ruling planet is Mercury, which is represented by Yellow.

Gemini’s Color on the Tree of Life

Unlike the Minor Arcana, which are categorized into only one of the elemental worlds based on their suit, the Major Arcana are seen as expressing all four elemental worlds simultaneously and therefore have colors from all four worlds assigned.

FIRE: In the King Scale of Color (Fire, Atziluth), Gemini’s path is colored Orange.

WATER: In the Queen Scale of Color (Water, Briah), Gemini’s path is colored Pale Mauve.

AIR: In the Emperor Scale of Color (Air, Yetzirah), Gemini’s path is colored New Yellow Leather.

EARTH: In the Empress Scale of Color (Earth, Assiah), Gemini’s path is colored Reddish Grey, inclined to Mauve.

Summary of Correspondences for The Lovers

Often described as a filing cabinet for the forces of nature, the Qabalah is a free-association system that encourages individuals to map their own connections to the image known as the Tree of Life. Mapping tarot to the Tree is only one way to use this system. In fact, learning to make other associations on the Tree can improve your tarot studies by forming links to ideas, events, behaviors, and various other concepts related to a card.

Below is a summary of the correspondences covered in this article, along with several notable associations with The Lover’s path, Zain. A full list of correspondences can be found in Crowley’s 777 or the Thelemapedia website.

VI. The Lovers	CORRESPONDENCE	COLOR
ASTROLOGY
Zodiac Sign	♊︎ Gemini	● Orange
Element	🜁 Air	● Yellow
Ruling Planet	☿︎ Mercury	● Yellow
Modality	Mutable	---
TREE OF LIFE
Tree of Life	Path 17: Zain, Sword	● ● ● ● Orange, Pale Mauve, New Yellow Leather, Reddish Grey inclined to Mauve
Esoteric Title	Children of the Voice, The Oracles of the Mighty Gods	---
Golden Dawn Number	Sixty-three	---
Yetziratic Text	The Disposing Intelligence	---
Plants	Hybrids, Orchids	---
Stones	Alexandrite, Tourmaline, Iceland Spar	---
Perfumes	Wormwood	---
Gods	Castor and Pollux, Apollo (the Diviner)	---
Magical Weapons	Tripod	---
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS
Sound	D Natural	---
Alchemical	Separation	---
DIVINATORY MEANINGS
The integration of opposing forces, with a need for honesty with oneself and others for such a union to succeed. It is the acceptance of a partnership or the decision to merge one’s life path in a way that has the potential for permanent change.

Gemini in The Great Work Book

Traditional tarot decks such as the Rider-Waite and the Crowley Thoth incorporate astrological and qabalistic symbols, often requiring detailed note-taking to interpret these connections. The Great Work Book helps tarot students track this info efficiently. It begins with exercises for logging a card’s astrology and progresses to activities on the Tree of Life. Additionally, the book includes journaling pages for each Zodiac sign, Tree of Life location, and all cards in a standard 78-card tarot deck. Together, these pages become a personalized, DIY encyclopedia for your tarot journey.

Below are a few examples of the activity and journaling pages in The Great Work Book, featuring those related to Gemini and The Lovers tarot card.