"The Man and His Two Wives" impressed me as a child because of the polygamy angle, but I have a particular appreciation for it now as an adult coping with trichotillomania.
I've posted before about how early versions of the Lovers card showed a man choosing between two women (as opposed to the done deal portrayed in other decks). If the card is meant to signify choosing between Virtue and Sensuality, then it appears that the man in our fable has waffled on the question and failed to make that choice. Having surrendered, he is subject to the caprices of both women, passively allowing himself to be plucked bald.
Thus, the fable offers an interesting elaboration on the card's challenge: whatever you're going to choose, you'd better get around to doing it while the matter is still in your hands. Everyone knows that of the two we're supposed to choose Virtue, but perhaps it's less damnable to actively explore the wrong choice than it is to lose the agency required to make any decisions at all.
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