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UPRIGHT KEY

Nurture

REVERSE KEY

Neglect

TREE OF LIFE ENGLISH

Heh

TREE OF LIFE HEBREW

ה‎‎

ASTRAL SIGNATURE

Venus

KEYWORDS

Fertility, Nurturing, Nature, Motherhood, Beauty, Wisdom, Truth, Birth

MICRO DESCRIPTION

The Empress is pregnant with possibility and is the perfect vessel to bring our ideas into manifestation. She represents love and compassion by nurturing everything around her with the spirit of the Divine Mother. She is the essence of Mother Earth, emphasizing the beauty in all of creation through sensual awareness, and the one who will give birth to a new consciousness.

MICRO READING

The appearance of The Empress is an invitation to become connected with the beauty in the world, and the beauty within yourself. She is nurturing, embodying the motherly energy of both the planet and those who take care of each other. When you draw this card, it is an indication to express your female energy, get connected with someone who can support and nurture your own growth, or spend some time in nature - with the great Mother herself.

EXPANDED DESCRIPTION

The Empress is the Divine Mother, the supporter, the nurturer, and the child-bearer. The Empress is a motherly figure with deep compassion towards everything in her life.

She is the highest level of female energy and embodies the powers of a queen, symbolizing love, maternity, intimacy, and our deepest emotions. She is also very special, in that she represents the mother of Christ - the one who will bring forth a new child of higher consciousness (represented by the Hierophant). By her nature, she embodies very nurturing energy, one that is necessary in both men and women alike, and one that is very much needed again in the world today. 

This card calls on you to get in touch with that feminine aspect of yourself. Tune your senses to the inherent beauty of the natural world, and allow the most nurturing aspects of yourself to flow through you and support those closest to you in your life, or those who just need some love. 

The Empress holds the Earth at her belly, which shows the inextricable link between the planet, nature, and all mothers everywhere. She is perfect, whole, beautiful in her own right, and takes care of all life on the planet simply by loving them. To this note, we must also practice observing the "birth of a child" beyond simply a physical human child. The child can be a project, an idea, or anything which you are nurturing and growing at this time. 

In front of her there sits a shield, embroidered with the geometries of the four elements, the geometry of creation, the sound of the universe, and the holy trinity. The shield acts as a paradox as it is not meant for battle, but a reminder that in love, you are always divinely protected.

This card asks us to tap into our emotional understanding of the world. Sometimes, we become too caught up in the logical analysis of reality and forget to use our intuition and love to navigate us through life. We must also remember that hurt people hurt people, and more often than not when someone is being angry or hurtful, it is because that is how they feel on the inside. The solution to this is never more anger but instead expressing the gentlest and most nurturing forms of love. 

There is much value in our emotional intelligence that often gets overshadowed by logical intelligence, and this is the time for that emotional intelligence to be spoken and listened to; it is through this emotional intelligence that you will bring the most beautiful creations into this world.

The Empress is naturally caring and nurturing in her being - and this card invites you to do the same. Create a space where you can be fully open, vulnerable, and able to express yourself freely. Open up your heart, spend some time in nature, and get back to your roots. 

P.S. Many may notice that The Emperor and The Empress positions have been switched from traditional Tarot decks. This was done incredibly purposefully. For those interested in learning why, we have written about the decision on the Major Arcana page, and have written in even greater detail in "The Book of Patch", available in our store now.

REVERSED DESCRIPTION

The reversal of The Empress means a disconnect from that which she loves, and a blocked sense of creative, flowing energy within you. When she is out of balance, her nurturing feminine energy cannot stand on its own, so she neglects that which is important to her. In this state, she is filled with lethargy and apathy, unaware of the damage this disconnect is causing. The Empress reversed may also speak to challenges that you have with your mother (or as a mother to your children), and something that needs to be addressed in your personal life. 

To turn this reversed card upright, inward reflection and deep meditation will be your saving grace. Your creative blocks come from somewhere inside of you that you are neglecting, or something that you are holding onto—whether that means having things look the way you want them to, or other kinds of expectations. The best thing you can do for yourself, therefore, is to be your own "mother," nurturing yourself, giving to yourself, and allowing yourself to relax. By doing so, you will lower your own inner defenses and see what the true core of the problem is. Then you will be able to release your worries and embody your divine feminine energy once again.