The way that the Lovers and the Devil operate as "athbash" partners is admirably illustrated in the Rider-Waite Smith deck, in which the two images have essentially the same structure. And yet - the elements all tend in different directions. In the Devil card, we can see the two partners chained to the base of the infernal throne, and kept prisoner there. The fire from the Tree of Life has transformed into a torch which sets the male figure's tail alight, and the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge manifests as grapes on the tail of the woman. This in general could refer to pain/pleasure dynamic that can so easily entrap us. Addiction, toxic relationships, dependency on cultic or societal pressures to the expense of one's authentic voice: all these are "solutions" to the problem of suffering that end up generating more in the long run. The Devil, in this understanding is a downward spiral - spinning however slow or fast, around the proverbial drain.
The Lovers, on the other hand implies an upwards spiral - the man and woman are set free, yet before them is a daunting obstacle - a great mountain. This implies a shift from being governed by pleasure/pain towards being spurred forward by accomplishment and values. This is like a pilgrim's spiral journey up the Holy Mountain, and it brings the couple closer and closer together, just as the Devil brought them in a sense, apart.
It is easy enough for the one to slip into the other of course - the upwards journey can be subverted and take a downwards turn and the downward spiral can be reverse and redeemed.
Somewhere in the balance of these two, the harsh aspects of both are ameliorated. The Christian devil as "enemy" is gradually replaced by the figure of challenge as "difficult ally", and then ultimately nature and Fertility - the allness of Pan.
The Holy mountain is not what it seems. All those who climb to its summit are changed by it. No creed holds fast here. The hills grow green again. There is innocence recovered - even in the darkest places.
Ask yourself, "What seeming paradoxes am I now able to resolve". The answers may show you the door to another dimension.
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