3, The Empress

THE EMPRESS

Shield: The Empress abides by one motto: “From love I do come, from love I do go” and her shield is a testament to this creed. The Empress knows (as we all should) that when we enter all situations with the shield of love, we are always protected. When we envelope ourselves with a force-field of love, there is no need for fear. The shield is a paradox – we think of protection – yet the emblem of love (Venus, a heart) is pictured on the shield. The paradox is that where there is love there is instant protection, yet to love also requires our vulnerability.

The Empress represents mothering, giving birth, nourishing life, nurturing and caring for others, cherishing the world expressing tenderness, working with children. The Empress represents welcoming abundance, enjoying extravagance, receiving lavish reward, luxuriating in plenty having more than enough, feeling rich. The Empress represents experiencing the senses, giving and receiving pleasure, focusing on the body, appreciating beauty, feeling vibrantly healthy, being earthy, and doing physical activity. The Empress also represents responding to Nature, relating to plants and animals, embracing the natural, feeling connected to the Earth, going outdoors, harmonizing with natural rhythms.

The Empress and the High Priestess are the two halves of the female archetype in the major arcana. The Empress represents the fertile, life-giving Mother who reigns over the bounty of nature and the rhythms of the Earth. From her come all the pleasures and joys of the senses and the abundance of new life in all its forms. The Empress encourages you to strengthen your connections with the natural world which is the ground of our being. Too often false sophistications and pleasures take us far from our roots. Let the Empress remind you to keep your feet firmly planted in the Earth. In readings the Empress can refer to any aspect of Motherhood. She can be an individual mother, but as a major arcana card, she also goes beyond the specifics of mothering to its essence – the creation of life and its sustenance through loving care and attention. The Empress can also represent lavish abundance of all kinds. She offers a cornucopia of delights, especially those of the senses – food, pleasure and beauty. She can suggest material reward, but only with the understanding that riches go with a generous and open spirit. The Empress asks you to embrace the principle of life and enjoy its bountiful goodness. As he grows, the Fool becomes more and more aware of his surroundings. As with most babies, he first recognizes his Mother – the warm, loving woman who nourishes and cares for him. He also comes to know Mother Earth, who nurtures him in a larger sense. The Empress (3) represents the world of nature and sensation. A baby delights in exploring everything he touches, tastes and smells. He cannot get enough of the sights and sounds that enchant his senses. It is natural to delight in the abundant goodness of Mother Earth who surrounds us with her support.

OPPOSING CARDS

• Emperor – fathering, order and discipline, regularity
• Death – principle of death
• Four of Pentacles – miserly possessiveness
• Nine of Pentacles – refinement, sophistication

REINFORCING CARDS

• Lovers – sexual fulfilment, pleasure
• Star – generosity, free-flowing love
• Nine of Cups – enjoying the senses
• Seven of Pentacles – material reward
• Ten of Pentacles – affluence, luxury, physical comfort

Tree Number: 14

Ruled By: Venus

Hebrew Letter: Daleth