from the hierophant to the lovers

hello, friends. we are right at the top of gemini season, moving from solid ground into soaring skies. and as i consider how these energies manifest within the tarot, i find myself eager to fly, ready to explore and expand, excited to give myself the space to stretch my wings and see what i can discover from a new perspective. taurus lets us slow down and experience each step in its fullness, feeling the earth underneath our feet, honoring every single movement that brings us closer to our goals. but gemini wants us to give ourselves room to wander, to see what we discover when we look up from our own progress and consider what those around us are doing.

take some deep breaths, and let’s dig in.

taurus to gemini

the astrological calendar takes us on an endless dance through the elements: fire, earth, air, and water, cycling eternally, giving us their gifts and pushing us to grow in different ways. times of earth often have us slowing down, considering our next moves carefully, implementing structure and intention and patience. these are the times when we map out our progress, when we calculate our next steps, when we strive for the things that we want with purpose and responsibility.

after identifying our next objective and setting some parameters for success with fiery aries, earthy taurus helped us establish a path and a pace, sinking into a rhythm that is sustainable for the long haul, finding deep pleasure in our work and balancing that movement with indulgent comfort. but we’ve been in that zone for awhile now, found a practice that lets us rely on muscle memory to keep moving forward - and airy gemini season is ready to help us brainstorm and explore, to collaborate with the collective, to imagine and fantasize about what else we can layer into our established work. now that we have a solid foundation, flight is safe, possible, even necessary. we zoom out of that granular analysis and take a bird’s eye view of our progress, looking both backwards and forwards, taking the space we need to stretch and move and dream.

with taurus, we grounded - and with gemini, we soar.

hierophant to lovers

in the same way, the fool’s journey helps us go from rooted tradition to expansive independence. the hierophant is all about remembering our past, honoring the histories and knowledge that have come before, finding connection within ritual and practice. this figure of taurus is one that holds keys to the universe, helps us understand the ways that we merge spiritual and physical. this is not a quick adventure but rather a lifelong devotion, a thoughtful and deliberate plodding, a steady and organized expedition.

i tend to think of the hierophant as a mentor or teacher, someone who motivates us to do our own thinking rather than someone who forces us to assimilate. in diving into collective knowledge, we reflect on what is known, and what remains unknown. sometimes the process of communing with others and exploring previous paths of thought and belief is what helps us identify what resonates with us. in joining a church, in beginning a degree, in opening ourselves to the ideas and insights of others, we can more fully recognize what we ourselves want and need from an intellectual practice. there’s friction in this work, even frustration, but it’s the kind that brings clarity. in reckoning with our past, we can begin to envision our future.

in contrast, the lovers is not a card that rejects this community - far from it. this archetype craves balance, harmony, being seen fully and completely for who we are. but unlike the absorption that we experience with the hierophant, this downloading and processing of information from outside sources, the lovers wants us to consider the discovered pieces we want to keep, and the ones we can discard. which ideas resonate, and which don’t? where do we find ourselves intersecting with others, blending in joyous communion, and where do we long to stand on our own?

the magic between the hierophant and the lovers is one of awareness and independence, the desire to work in harmony with both others and with ourselves. gemini loves collaboration, sharing data, discovering new insights - but all of this exploration is leading us somewhere. we are not just dreaming in a bubble, learning things that we keep to ourselves. instead gemini wants to identify who they are and find others with a like mind, building partnerships and collectives that are working towards specific goals in a specific way.

so much about our capitalist society focuses on the individual, painting success as something that happens in a vacuum. yet none of us are alone, not really - and in seeing this truth as something to celebrate rather than something to struggle against, we can find deeper magic in this archetype. who understands what you are creating? who shares your vision? who encourages you to dream bigger and brighter? who really sees you?

we often see the lovers as a card of choice, and in many ways, it is. but there is also triumph here, freedom, an embracing of our individual identity and a celebration of the ways that we discover complementary pieces in the identities of others. how do we see ourselves reflected in the people we love, the dreams we pursue, the communities we trust? what do those points of connection offer us? in choosing to leave old ways behind, how do we open ourselves up to different possibilities? and in allowing ourselves to dream of new worlds, how do we change the one that we are currently living in?

for more on gemini season and the lovers, don’t miss my latest round of tarotscopes live now at autostraddle. sharing my work on social media, commenting on articles, and forwarding my pieces to friends is an amazing way to help support my writing, and you can also leave a tip via paypal. thank you for being here, and have a beautiful gemini season!

this post features cards from the this might hurt tarot. all photographs by meg jones wall.