Love

In the Tarot deck the sixth card is usually called 'The Lovers' but, halfway through painting this one, I found some history on it. Originally it was just love, which I think still suits it best. This card isn't about two people. This card is about passion. It's about a passion for life, knowing what you love and going after it. It can be love for another person, but it can also be love for a place, a career, a memory...anything. Pure, genuine, true love.

When I started painting these cards it was because I love tarot and I wanted to explore all the symbolic meanings in the cards whilst giving them my own twist. As I worked on these lovely dolphins, and reflected on how each card has suited where I currently seem to be on a personal level, it occurred to me that they all have a strong Buddhist undercurrent. As I've studied them more and more I've realised this entire project has become an exploration of parallels in different belief systems. No matter how you package it, the way to live a good life is universal.

I've come to realise that tarot cards don't tell you anything you don't already know. They just make it obvious. Buddhism is based on mindfulness, self awareness, being in the moment and accepting what is simply as it is, without conditioning it. Tarot cards don't tell us that something will or won't happen. They just show us exactly where we are. Meditation is about being exactly where we are, in the present moment.

I have eight cards left in the major arcana. I will finish them when I finish them. I will learn what they have to teach me.