The Meanings of the 22 Major Arcana Tarot Cards – The Empress:
Introduction to The Empress
The Empress is Key 3 in Major Arcana of the Tarot deck. This card is ruled by the planet Venus and represents feminine power and wealth. The Empress is an earthy card that represents fruition and abundance. The Empress is a more mature and earthier female representation than that of the High Priestess. The Empress card represent love and sex in a more down to earth, practical matter, whereas the High Priestess represents the maiden archetype.
The Empress often appears in Tarot decks as a blonde woman on a throne outdoors in a wheat field. She wears a crown of 12 stars that symbolize her dominion over all the constellations of the zodiac. The Empress is usually clad in a flowing white gown covered with prints of pomegranates. She holds a scepter in her hands. The wheat surrounding the card is ripe to denote maturity. At the feet of the Empress lies a heart-shaped shield etched with the symbol of Venus, her representative planet. The pomegranates on her dress are symbolic of the nurturing nature of both the planet Venus and the Empress, while her free blonde hair expresses more the sensual side of both.
The Empress in an online Tarot reading has the meanings of a maternal, nurturing, sexually free woman. Women of power and authority are suggested by the appearance of the Empress in a Tarot reading. If she appears in a reading for a man, she may represent the woman of his sexual and romantic dreams. The Empress card often may stand for birth or a return to health after an illness. The card suggests material wealth along with a warm family life. The Empress is the birth card for those born under the zodiac signs of Taurus and Libra, as both signs are ruled by her planet, Venus. The Empress represents the number three in numerology, the number of expansion and is a secondary birth card for those with the Hanged Man as their primary birth card, as the number 12 is reduced to three in numerology. The Empress is also a birth card for those having the World as one of their birth cards as well.
The Empress Upright
The Empress Tarot card upright stands for renewal, nurture and a creative endeavor in either business or home. It denotes abundance in natural, emotional and material resources. The Empress is a card of sensuality and material success.
If the Empress precedes the Magician in a Tarot spread, diplomacy brings success. If the Magician card appears first, business will soon blur with pleasure. The Empress preceding the Chariot card in a Tarot spread means there will soon be a decisive victory in material matters. When the Empress precedes the Hanged Man in Tarot readings, it has the meaning of a voluntary return to nature, but if the Empress follows the Hanged Man in a spread, the meaning shifts to returning to nature and rural life primarily for financial reasons.
The Empress Reversed (RX)
The Empress reversed means blocked development and stagnation. This Tarot card in the inverted position can also mean fertility problems and depression. It suggests some wasted energy or financial hardship.
If the Empress reversed (rx) appears before another very strong Tarot card such as Death, the Tower, or the Devil, the cards will cancel each other out, regardless of the others orientation. The Empress reversed (rx) preceding the High Priestess reversed in a Tarot spread means vicious gossip. If the reversed Empress (rx) follows the reversed High Priestess, a secret involving a maternal figure will be revealed that may only be partially true.
The Empress in Regards to Love, Sex and Relationships
The Empress is the Tarot card of mature feminine love and relationships. She is highly sexual and a free thinker. Often the card is an indicator of maternal influence and relationships between mother and child. The Empress is a card of expansion and often means an actual pregnancy or another type of family addition, such as adopting a child.