Relationship Heaven and Hell

From the Mythic Tarot, the Ten of Cups:

After Eros discovered everything Psyche had done for his mother in an attempt to win him back, he forgave her for her betrayal. As a wedding present, Zeus allowed Psyche to sip ambrosia, the drink of the gods that made her become immortal. Now the two lovers were united as equals, instead of god and mortal. The ending of the story reminds me how hard it is to find fulfillment and happiness when one partner feels "above" the other in some way. I've seen finances, education, family connections or outward beauty used to keep one partner in line while the other ruled the roost. But only respect and unselfish love - mutually extended - can create the kind of joy and contentment that even the gods would envy.

From the Symbolon Deck comes "Disaster:"

Contrasting these two cards, the one above seems to illustrate relationship heaven while this one is a look at relationship hell. And it's not just spineless, weak single folks who get caught in these chains. Plenty of business partners looking for security and success have hooked up with people they later found out were master manipulators. Once devoted to them and their ideals, they have taken a peek behind the curtain at reality. What they thought was the glitter of gold, they now understand is only the shiny handcuffs securely fastened around their wrists. Hopefully they'll detach themselves from these relationships but won't forget the hard lessons behind them.