The Empress
The journey of the soul is a long and ever-changing route. One of endless learning. Recently I hosted a women’s circle where we discussed the theme of being vs becoming. We dove into the idea that there is no real destination, there is only the path.
The ebbs and flows.
The ups and downs.
Our human experience is meant to be filled with a continuous growth and change.
We are always becoming but the Empress reminds us to BE.
She is the mother incarnate. She is warmth and softness and home. She represents beauty, creativity, and kindness.
After the power of The Magician and the mystery of the High Priestess, her lesson for The Fool is love. As he comes upon her quietly seated in her garden he can exhale.
Light
“I am ready to give birth to my abundant future”
(The Divine Feminine, Motherhood, Fertility, Sexuality, Empathy)
When pulled upright, The Empress indicates profound healing and blessings. Like the warmth of a mother who is always cheering for you, she comes to tell you that you are on the right path. She reminds you to love and nurture the situation at hand.
HOME- This could show renovations or home improvements. It could indicate moving to an upgrading space. Literally or metaphorically tending to the garden of your space.
RELATIONSHIP- She represents happiness and peace in relationships. If you pull this card while single, she could indicate it’s a good time to explore romantic love. If you pull while already in partnership, she reminds you to nurture and care deeply for this connection.
CAREER- In a career reading, this card shows abundance. Security and safety in the role at hand. She says that you will be successful and abundant.
Just like motherhood, The Empress represents the gateway to new life and growth.
Shadow
“You can’t save anyone if you are drowning.”
(Infertility, emotional overwhelm, need for self-care, hyper independence)
If you pull the card in reverse, or upside, the meaning shifts to represent the shadow side. We all have a light and shadow side and it’s normal to experience both in life. Our goal is to learn to notice what our shadows our telling us.
Somewhere along the way, I believe society pulled the Empress card in reverse and set it as the standard.
The shadow of The Empress might show that you're pouring all of yourself into care giving, leaving the garden of your own soul depleted. It can show that your relationships or projects are asking too much of you.
This card in reverse reminds us that we are worthy of the same amount love we pour into everything and everyone else.
Astrology
The Empress is associated with Venus. The planet of love, relationships and abundance. She embodies the idea of universal love not just for the world around her but herself as well.
Element
The universal mother could have no other connection to that of Mother Earth. She manifests he abundant and beautiful life be being deeply connected to nature.
Chakra
The Empress is connected to both the Heart and Sacral Chakara.
The Heart Chakra is of course associated with our ability to love. When we are disconnected from ourselves or have difficulty loving ourselves, it can be hard to put love into the world. Similar to the Empress - we must love ourselves unconditionally to be able to spread that love with the universe.
The Sacral Chakra is connected to sexuality and reproductivity. When blocked we can feel guilt, blame, shame, lack of control. It is impossible to ignore the fact that the connection to motherhood and sexuality are so tied together despite the fact that we live in a society where women are told that their sexuality is a sin yet expected to act as mothers.
Symbolism
The Empress has a shield with the symbol of Venue to show her connection to that of the planet and all it represents.
The wreath below her crown is meant to show peace and success.
She sits in a beautiful abundant garden to show that she is able to love unconditionally only because she is loved unconditionally by the universe. She is able to meet the needs of others because her own needs are met.
Her pearl necklace is a symbol of wisdom, and the 7 beads represent the alignment of the 7 primary chakras.
The Pomegranates of her dress represent fertility, death and rebirth.
The Starry crown with 12 stars is a connection to the religious meaning for Virgin Mary… “Clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of 12 stars”. Another irony is the card representing sexuality being connected to a religious mother-figure represented as a virgin.
The Fool meets The Empress to learn about true femineity and womanhood because society would only teach him the card in reverse.
What would change in your life if the Societal Standard of womanhood was turned right side up?
Thanks for learning Tarot with me.
XOXO,
Maykayla
Realtor || Gatherer || Herbalist || Tarot Enthusiast
***In this series we will walk the Fools journey together - one card at a time - starting where every journey always does: with a soul that is ready to begin.
Come back tomorrow as we follow along while the Fool meets The Emperor.
If this series resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
What are your thoughts on the Empress?
Do you think there is any insights I missed or left out?
Do you feel like society pushes the reverse meaning of the card on women?