Weekly Forecast: Taking the Lover’s Path

It’s that time of year…when the calendar flips to February, spring is in the air (at least in Houston), and our thoughts drift naturally to love and other related sports. It’s once more Valentine season, whether we like it or not.

Are you in love with love, or are you a skeptic? Seeking romance, content with your relationship, or ready to toss it all out the window? Whatever you feel, rest assured that you can find something valuable in Valentine’s Day. 

If you read the “Be Our Valentine” blog posts this week, you already know that meanings and significance evolve with time to suit the current era - so why not adapt this holiday for your own purposes? Romance is perfect for some, while you might find that helping your community, spending time with your kids or grandkids, or celebrating your chosen family makes more sense to you.

This week we have a beautiful deck dedicated to legendary love - mostly the romantic kind, but with plenty of room for all of us to see how we can get the most out of Valentine’s Day. Let’s get into it!

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The Path of Love

Kris Waldherr is an artist and fiction writer with a broad catalog of fiction and non-fiction. Her soft, lush art style is an ideal fit for enchanting Tarot and oracle decks like this week’s choice, the Lover’s Path Tarot. 

Waldherr features well-known historic and mythic couples to demonstrate Tarot concepts with insight to personal growth. As the creator of multiple decks, she often chooses alternate card titles to better emphasize the underlying meanings.

For each week’s forecast, I pull cards just as I would for any reading. This time, to my surprise, all three came up as Major Arcana! If you have had Tarot readings, or you’re a reader yourself, you may know that this is unusual. 

Major Arcana cards represent archetypes of human development from innocence to completion, and speak to us of deeper themes in life. Keep this in mind as we review the reading, because this could be a profound time for you and your loved ones.

Self-Love: Strength - Brunnhilde & Siegfried

In Germanic mythology, Brunnhilde is a Valkyrie, daughter of the god-king Wotan and herself an immortal. Brunnhilde defies her father to save a mortal’s true love, and later finds love with the mortal’s son.

As ever, Strength in the Tarot is about not brute force or fantastic deeds, but rather about inner fortitude, character, and integrity. When no one is looking, do you still choose to do what’s best? Stay true to yourself and learn to be honest about your weaknesses - so you have the opportunity to turn them into strengths.
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Romantic Love: Balance (Temperance) - Venus & Vulcan

The exuberant, flighty Roman goddess of love and beauty, Venus, was matched with Vulcan, the god of fire, volcanoes, and the forge - who lived with a physical deformity. Their marriage was designed to create a balance between perfect and imperfect, and in the end becomes an example of “opposites attract.”

If you’re in a relationship, this card will feel close to home. No matter whether you’re mirror images or completely different, only a good balance will complete the picture. Divide responsibilities evenly and take time to play as well as work.

Searching for someone? Don’t be too focused on perfection. The right person for you will be someone whose traits balance your flaws, and vice versa. Find a true connection with someone who loves you at your worst - and makes you want to do your best.

Passion: Temptation (The Devil) - Paolo & Francesca

Remember where we mentioned “other related sports” at the beginning? Here’s where things get spicy. In most decks, this card is the Devil, which stands for attachments, materialism, and other things that pull us away from our better selves.

Yet Waldherr defines this key as Temptation, featuring Francesca da Polenta and Paolo Malatesta, who fell in love when Francesca was tricked into an arranged marriage with Paolo’s brother. Considering our context, this definition seems somehow more accurate.

If you’re seeking some adult-type fun in your near future, Temptation may actually be very good news - instead of something to resist, it may be something to dive into. Everyone has needs, and if yours are feeling a little neglected, this card holds the potential to show you a good time.

(Remember that if you’re free to do so, there’s nothing wrong with finding someone new and enjoying their unique company!)

For those who are committed to someone, give some thought to what you might have been missing lately, and to what they may appreciate. Putting your focus on making love (or just getting down) can reduce your stress and bring you closer. Everyone wins!

Final Thoughts

There’s so much more to love than romance, and so much to express to each other even when it’s not Valentine’s Day. Attraction, compassion, stability, a sense of home - all these and more are valid to how we care for other people. Put love at the center of everything you do; that’s how we make our lives truly special.