Description
The Empress shows a heavily pregnant woman sitting on a piece of land in the middle of a river which splits around the island and reunites once passed. The woman wears a red dress and sits with her legs open, as though giving birth.

Her breasts are exposed above her dress. She is adorned with a multitude of necklaces, gold earrings and a crown of red roses. She holds half an apple in each hand. Her right hand is holding the apple half in the air showing us the pentacle shape at its core. Between her feet sits a basket full of multi-colored eggs. Small white star-shaped flowers grow on the ground beneath her.

Over her right should we see green hills and a tree bearing pink flowers. Over her left shoulder we see yellow hills and fields and a green tree bearing red fruit. Directly over the Empress' head we see an arch of stars with the Moon directly above her. The Moon seems to be bathed in blue and yellow beams emanating from the green & yellow hill directly behind the Empress.

From the Book
In the lives of women we can see five distinct phases: birth, the onset of menstruation, motherhood, menopause, and death. The Empress represents the middle of this pentad; she is the nurturing mother, who is the fertile and creative queen of the world. She is also the down-to-earth version of the cosmic World card, which also symbolizes the creative mother in the maiden-mother-crone triad of the Triple Goddess.

In interpretation this card represents elemental creativity and the actualization of creation. It is birth and creativity in every realm of life. Thus it represents feminine creativity, symbolized by pregnancy and birth and by growing things: flowers, eggs, and an abundant harvest. The Empress is symbolized in every good meal and happy home; she is evident in artwork and music.

When this card is a part of your reading it symbolizes love and joy in life, and in the process of creativity. It symbolizes the healthful nurturing we must put into our creative actions. It is a card of being with children and in mothering or nurturing them and the joy we feel in their independent creativity. It makes a good time to focus on
projects that require creative solutions. Projects that are begun under the tutelage of the fertile Empress are likely to success, just as she bears fruit out of her own body.

Bee's Buzz
This Empress is the embodiment of fertility, fruitfulness, growth and the cycles of life. The green hills and pink tree speak to me of Spring and life just beginning to awaken while the yellow hills and fields suggest Autumn and the time of harvesting and preparing for the cold, dark times to come.

The Empress reminds us that she rules over both these cycles. She nurtures us and supports us through the good times and the bad. Her breasts provide nourishment and her body is the source of new life and new growth. The Moon overhead reminds us of the connection many peoples see between the Moon and women. The eggs in her basket remind us of the potential for new life and the waters dividing around her reinforce its connection as the source of life on Earth. This card speaks of the bounty offered to us in our lives as well as reminding us that there are cycles that we all follow.

And we are all connected to the Earth, the waters and the stars. She is the mother of us all. If we honor and embody these traits we will find the way to bring these energies into our own lives. To enhance our fruitfulness, prosperity, creativity and nurturing. This card is not just about nurturing others but about embracing and nurturing ourselves as well. When I see this card it reminds me of the wonder I feel when I look at mountains and lakes as I drive passed. I am awed by their beauty and majesty and feel the connection to Mother Earth. I want to honor her and allow myself to fall into her embrace, knowing that I am safe, protected and loved.

As someone who has often lacked this type of nurturing in my life, I sometimes have difficulties connecting to this card. I do not see myself as an Empress (at least not in the traditional way of being a mother). But then I realize that this card is also about nurturing the creative energies of others and helping them to grow. It is about nurturing my own creative side and allowing myself to explore alternative outlets for this creative energy. The Empress is a reminder that there is a Great Mother in the Universe and that whether you see her as Mary, Queen of Heaven, as the Corn Mother, as the Lady or as Danu - call her what you will, she represents the same type of energy and nurturing support in our lives.

The Empress is seen every day in the bounty of the Earth and the gifts she offers us. Everything and everyone around us is nourished by the Empress. And this makes it easier for me to connect with this card. It is not just physical motherhood but spiritual motherhood as well. Being able to offer our bountiful gifts to ourselves and others and being able to accept the gifts others offer
to us.


Bees Blessings,
Debbie

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