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As the third card or Key 3 of the Major Arcana, The Empress tarot card represents creation, beauty, harmony, success, prosperity, and attraction.
The Empress is full of creative potential, beauty, and abundance. She is the fertile Earth Mother; the great goddess archetype; the power behind all your creative ideas, dreams, and desires. She is the life force that recreates you and everything else in the universe every second.
Symbolized by the planet Venus, she is an expression of the ultimate divine feminine, representing her power to nourish herself and others, her ability to receive, and the way she births all life into existence. As the source of all vitality and wealth, The Empress archetype is truly prosperous in all her ways.
She is a fountain of luxurious resources, love, and care. Her good fortune pours into others, nurturing all who receive her. Warm and compassionate, she makes a wonderful partner, friend, and teacher. Others feel safe and relaxed in her presence.
Unlike the passive feminine energy of the High Priestess, the Empress represents the active feminine principle. She intently creates and nurtures the immaterial into the material. As she transforms her desires into reality, she still maintains a state of ease and flow that is so characteristic of the divine feminine.
Like a gardener who tends to her flowers but still allows nature to grow a little wild as it pleases, the Empress lets her creations take form naturally, cultivating them in an organic, relaxed way. Though she is devoted and diligent, she is in no rush. She fully enjoys the here-and-now and trusts in divine timing; she is confident and patient.
By moving mindfully while trusting the Universe to provide, this queen has mastered the art of manifestation. She effortlessly conceives, attracts, and receives exactly what is hers. The Empress card is an invitation to step into the present, be intentional about how you’re spending your energy, and return to a state of flow with the Universe.
She is a reminder that you are constantly co-creating reality with what you are choosing to nurture in life. Create consciously.
Some questions The Empress invites you to ponder…
- What are you seeking to create?
- How can you nurture yourself, another person, or a situation?
- How are you taking care of both your needs and those of others?
- What actions must you take to regain your power?
- How do you nurture your creativity?
In this post, we’ll be going over The Empress’ Upright and Reversed meanings, as well as The Empress as a person (or significator) and The Empress as feelings.
The Empress Keywords
| Upright: | creation, beauty, harmony, success, abundance, attraction |
|---|---|
| Reversed: | idleness, codependency, negligence, selfishness, insecurity |
| Elemental: | Earth |
| Zodiac: | Earth |
| Planet: | Venus |
| Number: | 3 (creativity, effort, divine feminine) |
| Yes or No: | Yes |
Don’t have time to read? Check out this helpful video for key meanings of The Empress Tarot card!
The Empress (Upright)
The Empress is love, creative flow, and feeling comfortable in your own skin. This card asks you to have faith in your ability to attract to yourself what you want and need. She invites you to connect with your feminine energy; this can look like tapping into creativity, sensuality, or nurturing for self and others.
Reflect on what you are currently investing your time and energy into. What are you creating in the world? By natural law, we are constantly manifesting something. So when the Empress appears, she calls on you to be aware of what you are creating in life.
Also, she is a sign to look at how you are showing up for yourself and others. Take a soft, caring approach to a situation. Be gentle, kind, and loving – assume the role of the caretaker. Cultivate security, safety, and comfort for yourself and those around you. Be supportive of others, lead with love, and give back when you can.
Be a healing influence on a situation. Think motherly vibes! How are you nurturing yourself, and others? Are you treating yourself with quality attention, love, and care? How about others in your life? Remember, you can pour from an empty cup. Fill your cup first, then you can help fill others. Self-care is just as important as caring for those you love.
This card is also associated with art, beauty, and passion. How can you best express yourself? What do you want to create in life? Fully embrace what brings you happiness. Express yourself authentically – don’t let anyone or anything hold you back, including yourself! Start a new project, hobby, or business venture. Now is a great time to tap into your creativity.
The Empress (Reversed)
The Empress reversed reveals expression that is harmful or cold. There may be a withholding of love or it may even be used as a weapon. In reverse, the Empress becomes stingy – it can indicate a chilly, clingy, smothering, or emotionally unstable person in your life. There is emotional distance and disconnectedness from others.
This reversal may also manifest as an indulgence in oneself when restraint is required. Sometimes, it can indicate being overburdened, refusing to consider the truth, and overextending oneself to the point of exhaustion. You or another in your life may be responding to an emotionally charged issue in an overly intellectualized manner. It can also reflect creative blocks.
Watch out for smothering or over-mothering someone, especially to avoid confronting your needs. Over-helping folks may actually do more harm than good. Detach. Simplify. Set up sensible boundaries. Get rid of physical, mental, and emotional clutter. Recognize that you alone are in charge of your own happiness; you are powerless to affect the happiness of others.
Also, the reversed Empress in your reading is a sign that you may be stunting your growth by investing in the wrong things. You could be putting your effort into things that are unhealthy for you, the timing could be off, or external circumstances outside of your control can be a factor here. Pay attention to where you are spending your precious time & energy and how it is affecting you. Choose to nourish things that nourish you.
The Empress as a Person
The Empress represents someone as beautiful on the outside as they are on the inside. Creative, sensual, and down-to-earth, people signified by this card hold seemingly endless love and affection for others. Their very presence is healing and others enjoy being around them.
Though they how to have fun and relax, they are also responsible, attentive workers who know how to turn their dreams into reality. This person can be incredibly imaginative, artistic, and talented; they love learning new crafts, hobbies, or skills.
The Empress (Reversed) as a Person
The Empress reversed indicates someone who has lost their sense of self-worth or security. They may struggle with low self-esteem or codependency. These people can be prone to pouring too much into others and not enough into themselves; they should be careful to remember their own needs.
Alternatively, this person may be immature, overly dependent on others, and have little to give in return for all they receive.
The Empress as Feelings
The Empress speaks of deep affection, warmth, and adoration. If you received this card for how someone feels about you, then that means that they have genuine and loving feelings for you. This card is all about natural growth, so their feelings could be naturally blooming right now.
When it comes to emotions, it can show that someone may feel protective over you or want to take care of you. In my experience, when you see this card, you can usually trust that this person has your best interests at heart. They care deeply for you and want to help you grow.
The Empress can also suggest feelings of inspiration, so when she pops up in the feelings position, someone could be wanting to create or start something new with you.
The Empress (Reversed) as Feelings
The Empress reversed reveals feelings of codependency and neediness. Lack of self-confidence and low self-esteem may be an issue. This reversal suggests there is an emotional need to be nurtured.
Alternatively, it also comes up when someone is feeling somewhat cold, bitter, or apathetic. They may not be very invested emotionally or could be neglectful.
On the other hand, the Empress in reverse can show that someone loves deeply, but feminine, maternal, or nurturing instincts may not come easily to them. They could struggle with embracing or expressing their emotions.
To sum it up, the Empress tarot card symbolizes fertility, creativity, nurturing, and abundance. It represents the archetype of the divine feminine, embodying feminine instincts, compassion, and love.
When this card appears in a reading, it denotes growth, prosperity, and harmony. It teaches us to connect with and nurture ourselves, loved ones, and nature. The Empress is abundance and the power of creation, both in terms of physical fertility and the birth of new ideas or projects.
That’s all for the Empress tarot card meanings! To learn more about the Tarot, check out our Tarot Guide for Beginners, or explore the meanings of the rest of the cards!
