There is nothing in the lower trumps that suggests uncertainty, soul-searching, or hard choices. The Fool, Juggler, Papess, Empress, Emperor, and Pope all live according to their natures, each in his or her own niche. But the lover finds the world turned upside down, and finds himself placeless, floating in limbo. Giving in to love means forsaking the clear, narrow life role defined by society. It may even involve breaking religious law, which urges responsibility, chastity, and conformity.
Love threatens the status quo.
The choice is depicted explicitly in the Tarot of Marseilles, in which the victim of Love stands between his seductive beloved and his critical chaperone . . . The direction of Cupid's arrow shows that the die is already cast. Love defeats propriety, just as trump VI defeats trump V. Venus's complement is Mars, the god of war. There is perhaps a premonition of it in the Emperor's insistence on principle over compassion. But the Emperor's real interest is in a lawful, orderly society.