POSTED UNDER Tarot

III, The Empress

January 20, 2011 by Barbara Moore 5 Comments

Although this card is called the Empress, we interpret it more as a Great Mother or Mother Nature rather than any sort of political ruler. There is little about this card that brings to mind human laws or social rules. Instead, this is a card of lush richness. Abundance. The glories of nature. These things are the results of the actions and energy of this card.

The Empress, as the Great Mother, speaks of creation more than anything. The act of creation includes nurturing and caring for that which is created. The card is also one of beauty and love. Or perhaps more specifically about the way love beautifies one’s world.

While a rampant and abundant garden can be a thing of decadent beauty, one that is overgrown begins to strangle all that is within it. Love and care are good things, but too much leads to a feeling of being smothered. This is the interpretation often given to the reversed or ill-dignified position.

The image is from Ciro Marchetti’s deck, the Legacy of the Divine Tarot.

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Written by Barbara Moore
The tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore’s personal and professional lives for over a decade. In college, the tarot intrigued her with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, and history. Later, she served as the tarot specialist for Llewellyn Publications. Over the years, she has ...