Studying the Cards: Six-- The Lovers

Interpretation given by my Everything Tarot book states:
Although many readers interpret this card as basically about romantic love, it is allegorically a statement about union--of opposites, whether people, such as a man and a woman, or inner conflict. The Lovers refers to discrimination in the making of choices, and the male and female figures are symbols not only of human love and marriage but also of the dual nature of ourselves. We all have opposite traits within ourselves that need to be reconciled and lived with, just as well as married couples, or any other sort of partners, experience conflict that requires making choices, sometimes tough ones, and effecting reconciliation.
When the Lovers appears, it is pointing to this need to heal an inner rift. Although it can herald a romantic involvement, it most often turns up when a critical life decision must be made, sometimes in connection with a love relationship. There are obstacles to be overcome, both within and without.
This card suggests that you are at a crossroads--you have to consider all of the ramifications of the situation and carefully make discriminating choices in order to further your own development and to accommodate the needs of others in the situation. There may be much activity in the form of short trips (one person may live in another place, for example), or you may be commuting to contact business partners.

In a reading:
This is a card of cooperation, of working together in coalition with others to accomplish joint purposes. It stands for attraction of any kind, not only of the romantic variety, and for any venture requiring harmony, union, and cooperation. There can be an indication of a choice being required between two factors of equal worth--but the choice you make will be the right one. Or, two or more forces or people may have come together in your life in pursuit of a common goal. This may be a temporary conjoinment for some specific purpose.

Description:
My books says that there are two basic images for the Lovers. The first basic image is a pair of young lovers, though how they are placed and clothed depends on the deck. Some are naked, though mine are clothed. Some are standing apart, some are touching; my deck shows the male holding the female with her head resting against his chest. On many decks, there is an angel overhead blessing the union. In my deck, there is a pair of white doves, each holding the end of a pink ribbon that wraps around the couple. In many decks, the imagery suggests that there is a choice and that there may be a union. The second basic image depicts three people, suggesting that the third party was an influence on the relationship of the other two. In decks that have three people, there is often "cupid" pointing his arrow at one of the women, implying that the man had to make a choice between them.

Details I've noticed:
On my card, there is a man and a woman embracing. They both look peaceful and content, with their arms around each other and her head resting against his chest. There are ribbons wrapped around the two, and above them are two white doves with their wings spread out, each holding an end of the ribbon. To me, this symbolizes love and a union of sorts. Not just a union though, but a blessed union, one that is surrounded by happiness. I do not believe that love is restricted to a man and a woman, so I believe the reason they are depicted as a man and a woman is to resemble opposites. The yin and yang qualities. That means that it can also represent a union or coming together of a single person; acceptance of who they are, a union of all of their qualities. It can mean agreeably joining ones physical world with their spiritual realm; this is the meaning I like the most from this card and the one I think resonates strongest to me. At the front of the card, across the bottom and trailing up the sides, are rose vines. The vines have both the roses and the thorns, with the dark green leaves setting off the bright pinks of the roses. The woman is also holding a rose. I'm not sure exactly how to translate that, but I know it has something to do with making a choice. As if the vines represent there being two options, the flower or the thorn. Obviously no one is going to choose the thorn, which means that since she picked the rose, she made the right choice. That tells me that if this card represents a choice to be made, the one you choose will be right for you. There is also a single pink butterfly in the center of the rose vines. The beginning of something new, the rebirth of a person, having made a decision to transform, starting fresh with all their new self-discoveries. The sky overhead appears to be at sunrise, with the clouds parting to shine a white light onto the Lovers.
The Lovers is also represented in the number six. Six is all about social responsibility, about caring, compassion, and a time to be simple and calm and resolve any issues that the storm that was number five has caused or left behind. Six is about harmony with yourself and your surroundings. It's a time to relax and enjoy the rewards from the planning and action you took. With the six, "you are comfortable with both yourself and your circumstances."
What I gather from all this is that the Lovers represents a few different things. It can sometimes represent an actual union between lovers, between two people who have chosen to share a romantic relationship. It can sometimes stand for a choice to be made, though your decision will always be the right one. Often times it not only means a decision, but that there is some sort of inner conflict between two parts of someone, and a choice has to be made to make peace between the two. It is about joining ones physical world with their spiritual world, and accepting the different parts of oneself and becoming "whole" with the different aspects of the person joined together amicably. Sometimes this is only a temporary joining; butterflies do not live forever. This card is enhanced with the Six. Being comfortable and happy with what you have, accepting and enjoying yourself and your surroundings. It's about harmony, and solving problems (making choices) to better yourself.

Update:
Today is February 8th, 2014. I am going back over the cards I have already studied to see if I notice anything new. The Lovers card doesn't seem to have anything new that I haven't already taken note of. It is about a union, sometimes between two people and often between different parts of ourselves. We must accept all of ourselves, both the good and the bad, to form the union. Six is about harmony and reconciliation after the chaos of Five. This card can also represent a choice to be made, but have faith that you will make the right choice.