3 The Empress

Keywords: fertility; Earth, the element and the planet; nature; birth; abundance; wealth; maturity; strength

Archetypes: mother; Mrs. Cleaver; Barbara Bush; Mother Nature; the Goddess; Margaret Thatcher

Correspondences:

Number/3

Planet/Venus

Element/Earth

Astrological Sun Sign/Taurus

Upright Interpretation:

This card carries the energy of every maternal authority figure that’s ever touched your life. She’s everyone from your own mother, to your fourth grade elementary teacher, to that crabby old woman who lives across the street– you know the one, that solitary woman who’s tiny but formidable, the one that everyone is afraid of. The Empress is the epitome of female fertility and abundance, in all aspects of life– physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally. She is it. This icon wreaks of flower seeds yet to sprout; babies yet to be born; creatures dropping their young in fresh green fields. She is the summer breeze on a hot day, and a howling winter gale around the roof of the house. I Am…She Is.

Reversed Interpretation:

Something has died; something has not sprouted; something is wilted and sick; something has not been born. This ominous icon holds her scepter aloft with defiant and blazing accusation. The energy of Taurus comes racing to the forefront, stubborn and willful, belligerent, plowing through life and circumstances and people, showing no mercy. The Empress reversed is wilted vines; decaying fruit; soured milk; depleted supplies; meager sustenance.

Study Questions:

1. What is your first impression of this card?

2. What does this card mean to You?

3. Are there details on this card that especially stand out for you? If so, write them down and explain.

4. How does this card define relationships?

5. How does this card define financial circumstances?

6. How is this card relevant to health issues?

Affirmations for Meditation:

1. I will plant seeds of love.

2. I connect with the Feminine Mysteries that are part of me.

3. I embrace my maternal instinct, to mother all things.

4. I will protect the Earth.

5. I will learn to nurture myself.

A Tarot Reading for The Empress:
The Empress ~ The Devil ®; 7/pentacles; 10/swords

The Empress is Mother Earth and Mother Nature in a nutshell, all bound together in a glorious pattern of birth, life, death, and re-birth.  But is this pattern always flawless for The Empress in her life?  Certainly not.  The Empress has fought her own battles, often in secret and most likely in shame.  But she’s won, even if she won’t share her story with you, even if she keeps her past to herself.  You’ll find, when touched by her, that there is a feeling of regeneration in her energy.  She is a survivor.

The Empress is the perennial mother, the caretaker of every living thing under the sun.  And this is truly how she feels, how she sees herself, and this is what she aspires to be and to do.  She is The Nurturer.  She’s good at it.  Beneath her capable hands, all things will flourish, whether this be children, businesses, personal relationships; whatever she decides has possibilities for expansion and growth, whatever it is that she decides needs protection and a little extra care, it will flourish and blossom under her dominion.

As with most caretakers, the world takes them for granted, assuming that they are an endless well of nourishment for the world and all things in it.  The problem with this is that the vessel will become depleted if not given a rest, an opportunity to replenish itself.  The Empress should never be taken for granted.  If you appreciate her in your life, then make sure that you look out for her as well.  Whatever is needed to restore the energy; give time, give praise, give back to this Mother of the Earth, so she can continue to instill her magic into the world.

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©2015 Amythyst Raine