Moving Sideways

This week I'll be using the Oriental Tarot, created by Claudio Foudraz (1846), reprinted by Giordano Berti and published by Rinascimento. As a companion booklet, I'll employ Lee Bursten's Universal Tarot of Marseille. Paired with it is the Art of Asia, an oracle I created myself for personal use. Today's draws are the Lovers and "A Crab on the Seashore" by Utagawa Kunisada:

          My first thought when I saw this card was a woman's struggle between choosing the man she loved versus choosing the man her parents chose for her (an arranged marriage). Does she make her choice out of family obligation or follow her heart? If her parents truly care about her (and this isn't a financial transaction), then they might be looking down the road toward her future happiness. I've read that many arranged marriages work out successfully, and that the couple learn to care for each other over time. But it would definitely complicate the matter if her heart is already tied to another. What will the cost be for both choices? The Crab artwork has been paired with a quote from Aristophanes: "You cannot teach a crab to walk straight." In other words, you can't change the true nature of a someone. Is she an independent minded woman who's not afraid to blaze her own trail, or a traditionalist who prefers to stay on a well-traveled path? The crab is also an astrological symbol of Cancer, a sign that wears its heart on its sleeve and takes great pleasure in home and family. Hopefully she'll think long and hard before she makes a decision, so she won't wind up as someone's crabby wife.