Discussion on Tarot; The Empress

[Mithrea]

In the Renaissance Deck The Empress (L'Imperatrice) wears gorgeous flowing gowns or red and pink with lots of frills and jewels. She holds a fan and something that I have no idea what it is :lol:. There is a peacock in the corner.

With the Witches Tarot, she wears a crown and wears simple pink gown with a red cape. She is sitting in the grass with many daisy like flowers around her and she is holding one. While I have always thought she is pregnant, now I am looking at it more closely, I think she may or may not be pregnant. But her breasts are very full and perky. It definitely looks like she is not wearing a bra! ;) Good for her, I don't either. She is also sitting in front of a tree and some sort of bush with pinky flowers and one with white flowers. The sun and the moon are both clearly visible and the card is framed by a black and a gray semicircle. This is one of my favorite cards in this deck.

The Empress is almost two different women to me. She is the most feminine card in the deck. She represents motherhood, and all of the things that have to do with the female cycle. She represents everything you think of when you think of your Mom; baked goodies and other good food, home, hearth, warmth, and generosity. She is very connected to nature to me and I connect her to the element of earth.

But I also think of her as bounty and pampering. I think of her sometimes as a bit of a diva. My sister tells people about me all of the time, "Holly is all about being a girl." :D I always think about that when I see the Empress. Make up, facials, hair care, spas, sex, pleasure, etc. Just relishing your womanhood and being confident in your sexuality.

I can't really say what she means to me in a reading because for some reason, I can't read her individually. I need to read her in relation to the cards around her.

[Emy]

I really like the empress card (I'll attach a picture of it later...)

The empress stands for growth, harmony, pregnancy, motherhood, abundance...

Her color is green and she seems to be connected to everyday life. She is filled with the kind of energy that stands for creativity, creation and love. She often inspire us to take time to decorate or paint.

The empress stands for womens holy body. She feels connected to the earth through the power of creation that she has in her womb.

I'll attach a photo in a while of what the empress looks like in my deck. It is an interesting picture with (as always) lots of animals in it. I'd love to hear your thoughts about the empress, and especially what you feel the symbols in my card stands for. :)

Blessings

[Emy]

oki here is the photo :)

please share your thoughts on this card :)

[Mithrea]

Well, the bee is a symbol of productivity. The flowers and fruit symbolize bounty.

The frog, pelican, and fish are all connected with water. In feminist criticism, the female is most closely associated with water and fluids, saliva, blood, milk, etc.

Separately, I believe the frog is a symbol of good fortune. Fish can also represent bounty. But birds and fish also symbolize wisdom. In Catholicism, the pelican is a symbol for atonement and redemption. In alchemy it symbolized blood because it appeared to pierce its own breast to feed its young its own blood. So it is a symbol of sacrifice.

Still really loving your cards Emy ;)

[Flaire-FireStar]

What would the door in the background of the card represent? :huh: That one's got me all confused now. :lol:


To me, the Empress represents motherhood and all things related to the feminine energies. Usually you see a river or stream of some sort and a field of corn or something.... I think the water represents the natural flow of things, but it could be something else too.... where as the fields are usually growth.

In my Dragon Tarot, the Empress is carrying a baby dragon in her arms, the cracked egg is lying at her feet. That card really represents motherhood to me, especially in the way that she holds the young dragon. In this card, I don't think the water & fields are shown though. This deck is usually different from the other 2 I use. :)

[Mithrea]

The door . . . Hmmm. . . the fertility of a newly opened door? I have no idea though because the door is closed. A door is an outlet which could remind us of creativity. I will think on it some more :)

[Lavender]

I see the Empress as a kind of mother of the world. The one who gave birth to everything. More of a creative energy/force that gives birth to all things...like the potential to create.

[Semele]

I think the door is more of a veil to the other world. We can access it through total love and letting go of all expectations.

[Emy]

Originally posted by Semele
I think the door is more of a veil to the other world. We can access it through total love and letting go of all expectations.

I think so too, it is probably a veil to the other world.... :)

[Mithrea]

I bought two new decks today and now I have three out of four Empresses that are turned to show their profile. Only one of them is pregnant so that isn't why.

Any thoughts on why the Empress would be shown in profile?

[Faery-Wings]

I love the Empress card. She radiates goodness, fertiltiy, motherhood, compassion, love. She represents Demeter to me, the Goddess I work with most and am closest too. When I see the Empress in a reading, it is a great comfort to me. This card brings me a lot of happiness and good things.
:hearteyes

Chris

[Mithrea]

Okay here is first pic . . .

[Mithrea]

and another . . .

[Mithrea]

Okay so they may not be full profile but they are turned toward the right more than any other major arcana card in their respective decks . . .

[Silver Venus]

Interesting about the profiling of her. Maybe, her as the mother of all has somehting to do with this?

Ill have a look at my cards too Mithrea and share my thoughts when I have a little time to think clearly :)

[Silver Venus]

Originally posted by chryssi1
I love the Empress card. She radiates goodness, fertiltiy, motherhood, compassion, love. She represents Demeter to me, the Goddess I work with most and am closest too. When I see the Empress in a reading, it is a great comfort to me. This card brings me a lot of happiness and good things.
:hearteyes

Chris

I agree! and also think she is a lady of great wisdom and substance, she is whole, complete and a magnificant feminine force.
She represents growth, new beginings, a new birth, start, influence, emotion ~ she has the ability to makes things grow and is very feritle. All growth, physical, spritual, and creative is down to her as she is the universal mother.

She is a very down to earth, practical, warm hearted, natural and creative woman who is in total control of her self created earthy garden ~ her bee's like in Emy's card represent the fact that she is the Queen Bee!

Control and growth are the key to her poses and representation in my cards I feel (the secret, mythic and scared circle).

[Faery-Wings]

Celtic Dragon Empress~I love this card! The Empress is part of the woods, her gown flows and become the water and Earth beneath her. The roses she carries represent life, and fertilty. As most of the other Empresses, she is pregnant. She is at one, and at peace with Nature around her. She laughs lovingly with the dragon who is breathing life's energy towards her. This is a Mother Goddess card too- it shows that we are blessed.