III The Empress
Nurturing, Fertility
Essential Meanings
Keywords
Productivity, Creativity, Nature, Abundance, Life Forrce, Material Prosperity, Pleasure, Joy, Comfort, Sexulaity, Sensuality, Beauty, Satisfaction, Expression, Desire, Power, Elegance, Harvest, Mother Figure, Maternal, Feminine, Intelligence, Protection, Receptivity, Positive Influence, Creation, Manifestation
Element
Earth
Yes/No/Maybe
Yes
The Empress embodies both crearivity and intelligence. She is the epitome of the female essence in all forms. The mother archetype, the Empress provides and creates life. She protects, support, educates and cares for others, while maintaining great strength, conviction and authority.
The Empress reflects fertility of the body and mind. She symbolises feminie energy, which is complementary to the Emperor's masculine energy. Serene and relaxed, she is the more emotional and nurturing of the two sovereigns. Cosidered a goddess of love, she is associated with material comfort , sensuousness and sensitivity - as well sas the planetVenus, which guides how we feel about being in a partnership.
Her card represents close and happy relationships, abundance and fulfilled potential. It also stands for the transformation of knowledge, the Empress shares and uses hers. She also expresses her creativity through her connection to nature and children.
Golden Art Nouveau
Symbols
Crown
The Empress wears a crown of 12 stars. It is a symbol of rule and authority that reflects her dominion over fertility, reproduction and creativity.
Sceptre
Her ceremonial staff expresses her power over the material world. It also indicates her combination of intellectual and emotional intelligence.
Throne
The Empress sits on a throne, representing stability and her intellectual capacity to rise above trivial thoughts and concerns.
Heart and Venus Signs
These indicate the female nature of the Empress and her ability to rule and nurture without strife or violence. They also express her qualities as a mother.
Nature, Water and Plants
This is her intimate connection to the power of life and vital energies.
Radiant Wise Spirit
What the Card Says
If the Empress card could speak to you, these are the words she would say:
'I am the essence of creativity and feminity thriving within you. Never doubt your power to manifest and transform the material world as you have imagined it. I am your greatest champion and encourage you on every step of your journey. You are safe within my nurturing arms. You will always have my support and reassurance. I will listen to you and love you forever. I see the potential within you and know you have the power to realise it. Let's create extraordinary possibilities together.'
Description
Historically, the Empress is perched on a throne, sceptre in hand and crown upon her head, She is often depicted surrounded by abundant nature.
Visconti-Sforza This Empress wears a regal gown bearing the emblem of Francesco Sforza: three sets of three interlacing rings. Her hands are green, showing her connection to nature. Her shield, meanwhile, bears the image of an eagle, an icon of empire. Birds are symbols of the soul.
Marseille The tips of the Marseille Empress's crown reflect the sun's rays. This crown is a symbol of her creative and destructive power.
Pictorial Key In this deck, she wears a crown of 12 stars, indicating her divine connection with the mystical realm and the cycles of the natural world (12 months and 12 signs of the Zodiac). She sits in a field of wheat, representing fertility, abundance and growth. The sign of Venus is inscribed on her shield.
Lesson
The Arcanum of the Empress will teach me to apply infinite creativity, nurturing and passion to everything I do.
Thelema Affirmation
I am one with creation. Take time to appreciate this Earth's abundance.
Harmonious Teachings
Success, ambition, fertility, abundance, material wealth, stability.
Alternative Names
The Mother, the High Queen
Card Reversals
The Empress card has different meanings depending on which way up she appears.
Upright
Creativity and protection. Wealth, marriage, fertility or luxury. Anything is possible. Pregnancy and sensuality. The answer is yes.
Reversed
A stifled artist. Scattered resources. Infertility or psycological problems leading to instability. Less passionate and more rational.
Marseille Keywords
Fecundity, creativity, power, intelligence
Pre-Raphaelite
Indulge the natural urge to create.
Fertility, ideas, creativity, desire, the ability to express oneself, Mother Nature.
Further Exploration
Studying the subjects listed will help you to gain a greater understanding of the Arcana:-
Venus/Aphrodite, Demeter, Nurturer, Fairy Godmother, Corn Mother, Mother Earth, Gret Mother, Motherhood
ViceVersa (Back)
The abundance of the Empress is still indicated on this side, but it is tempered with a message to also think of the future. Step back and take a look at the bigger picture as well as the present. If you want your happiness to last, take it seriously.
ViceVersa (Front)
The Empress brings abundance to every aspect of life, so her appearance is a sign of good fortune. The context depends on you, for she is generous and will give you what you truly desire and need. If you need to heal, you can expect increased well-being. And if it is love you desire, the Empress brings that in abundance too. She is particularly associated with marriage and children, but all fertility springs from her, in every realm.
Universal Celtic
Here the Great Mother is a girl with a naked torso covered by her hair. She spreads out her skirt, which bears images of mountains, valleys, animals and birds. She stands in water and behind her are clear waterfalls. It is nature that speaks to us, inviting us into a world of simplicity.
John Bauer
A woman sits on a rock by a lake. Her feet dangle into the water, creating small ripples. She has a blue bird resting in her hand and wears a laurel crown on top of her long, red hair. Communion with nature, cultivating peace and harmony with your surroundings, taking care to enjoy the little moments of life.
Arcanum
Illuminati
Thematic Meanings
More advanced meaning can be read when you draw the Empress in a reading, depending on the subject you are exploring.
Personal Life
Love: The object of your affection will be won with intelligence and inner qualities rather than with the veneer of outer beauty.
Work: The capacity for invention requires a degree of pragmatism and determination.
Money: This is a means to achieve goals, not an objective in itself.
Divination
Answer: A simple gesture or kind word of understanding will help you overcome many difficulties.
Tip: Use your intelligence to achieve your goal - and be certain that your idea is a valid one.
Timing: The number three expresses the growth of something that has already been created.
Psyche and Soul
Self-Esteem: Practice humility. t is our shared human experience, not our intellectual gifts, that helps us appreciate one another.
Meditation: Once you set your goal, let yourself be guided by your intuition in order to achieve it.
Spirituality: Learn to appreciate everything that surrounds you.