The Empress

The Empress is the archetypal Earth Mother, the Anima, the Feminine Principle, Demeter, Freyja and the Goddess of Fertility. Ruled by Venus, the planet of love, creativity, fertility, art, harmony, luxury, beauty and grace.

The main feature of this card is the Empress herself, a full-figured woman with blond hair and a peaceful and calm aura about her. On her head she wears a crown of stars, showing her connection with the mystical realm of angels and fairies. She is dressed in a patterned robe of pomegranates, symbolic of fertility and is seated upon a luxurious array of cushions and flowing red velvet with the symbol of Venus emblazoned upon it.

The Empress is surrounded by a beautiful, lush forest with a stream running through it, demonstrating the Empress’s deep emotional connection with Mother Earth and life. She draws her sense of peace from the trees and the water and is rejuvenated by the energy of nature. In the foreground, golden wheat springs from the ground, reflecting abundance from a recent harvest.

The Empress shows a deep connection with our femininity. Femininity translates in many ways – beauty, sensuality, fertility, creative expression, nurturing – and is necessary in creating balance in both men and women. The Empress calls on you to connect with your feminine energy. Create beauty in your life. Get in touch with your sensuality through taste, touch, sound, smell and sight. Draw on these senses to experience pleasure and deep fulfilment. Treat yourself to a day spa, learn massage, enjoy a fine dining experience, or simply spend more time with your partner. Discover new ways to creatively express yourself, be it through painting, music, drama, or other art forms. This may be the perfect time to take up a new hobby that enables you to access this part of yourself.

The Empress may also indicate pregnancy or birth. Look to other cards in the reading to confirm if this is an actual pregnancy or birth (for example, the Ace or Page of Cups or the Four of Wands) or if it is metaphorical (for example, the Ace of Wands). On a metaphorical level, the Empress may represent the birth of a new idea, a product, or a new way of being. New ideas and projects will be implemented resulting in the success of all your projects and interests. Bring forth those ideas that have been growing and developing inside of you.

The Empress encourages you to spend time in nature. Use your holiday time not to stay in fancy hotels in busy cities but to explore nature by pitching a tent or hiking through its beautiful terrain. Allow yourself the time and the space to enter into a different frame of mind in which you can truly connect with Mother Earth and receive her into your heart and mind. Take a trip to your favourite natural setting, be it a forest, beach, mountain or lake and simply sit for a couple of minutes, hours or even days to breathe in the energy that surrounds you while marvelling in the beauty of the earth. The Empress highlights that you are grounded in the material plane (a stabilising influence), yet you can reach into higher planes of consciousness through your connection with nature. You have the potential to connect between the Earth and the Universe.

The Empress is a deeply nurturing and caring card. If you are a mother yourself, you may be exploring your ‘mother’ role even more deeply than you have before and truly appreciating the gift that has been bestowed upon you. You are blessed by maternal, protective forces or influences. For fathers, the Empress encourages you to nurture your children and open the lines of communication between you and your child. Encourage growth and development of your children, and be there to support and guide when needed.

More broadly, the Empress encourages you to connect with others by nurturing, caring and supporting those around you. Find ways to support dialogue and open communication, creating a space to openly express your feelings.

When we allow ourselves to truly experience the connections with Mother Earth, our femininity and those around us, we create abundance and radiance in our lives. Take a moment to reflect on the love that surrounds you and build on this energy to create even more abundant love in your life. Know that love is limitless. A wonderful affirmation associated with the Empress is, “I bring forth my creations with joy. I love and nurture them to fruition.”

Similarly, the Empress indicates that the Universal energy is about to intervene in your life. It may be just enough to give you a glimpse of a miracle or it may be even more. You may or may not know whom or what brings such good fortune but the care and nurturing that will result come as no accident. What appears to be coincidental good luck may actually be the result of a series of good choices you have made. It is your turn to have things work out in your favour, to be blessed and to feel nurtured. Know that you are worthy of receiving this loving embrace.