The Empress | Symbology & Interpretations | Tarot Card Meanings
- Amber Jayne Benjamin
- Feb 17, 2022
- 6 min read
Updated: Apr 14, 2024
The Empress is the card of Venus and the divine feminine, she represents femininity and motherhood in all her splendour. A creative and grounded lady for some, but a caring and nurturing role model for others.
The Empress symbolises beauty and brings the fruition of harvest and abundance. She is the ultimate card for motherhood and depicts the 'birth of creation', whether literal or symbolic.
In numerology, The Empress tarot card resonates with the energies of creativity, fertility, and abundance. Representing the number three, it symbolises manifestation, growth, and the power of creation.
It embodies a nurturing and fertile energy, highlighting the potential for new beginnings and the flourishing of ideas and projects. This card often signifies a period of creativity, prosperity, and maternal instincts, urging individuals to connect with their intuition and embrace the abundance surrounding them.
Astrologically, the Empress card is associated with the planet Venus and the zodiac sign of Taurus. Venus, the planet of love, beauty, and harmony, reflects the Empress's themes of nurturing, creativity, and sensuality. Taurus, an earth sign ruled by Venus, reinforces the card's focus on abundance, stability, and the material world.
The Empress draws upon Taurus's grounded nature, encouraging a connection with nature, a deep appreciation for beauty, and the cultivation of stability in one's life. This astrological association infuses the card with qualities of beauty, love, and a strong connection to the Earth's abundance.
The Empress Keywords
Upright Keywords | Reversed Keywords |
Fertility, a mother figure, the creation of a new project, the divine feminine, nature, nurturing, and abundance, self-care, engaging in creative hobbies, children, caretaker | Creative blocks, being dependent on those around you, lacking the divine feminine, fertility issues, lack of creative projects, creative delays, lacking self-care |
Imagery & Symbolism
The Empress depicts a feminine woman who adorns a flower-printed white dress, wears a crown and is seated elegantly in an outdoor environment. She is surrounded by trees, grass, wheat and water, representing the different elements of life. She holds a sceptre and next to her, the symbol of Venus is shown in a heart.
Venus Symbol: Symbolises the Green Goddess of love, sexuality, and beauty, Aphrodite.
Heart Shapes Shield: The heart symbolises love and romance. The shield offers protection. The symbol of Venus is inside the shield, showing that The Empress is protected by love.
Crown with Twelve Stars: Symbolises authority and rulership, as well as the joining of heaven and earth.
Sceptre in Right Hand: A symbol of authority and masculine power. Although The Empress is a feminine figure, she holds authority and power in these realms.
White Robe: Symbolises purity, honesty, and healing, as well as connection to the crown chakra.
Red Cushion: The red cushion indicates passion, sensuality, and love. The Empress symbolises comfort and relaxation.
Field of Wheat: The fields of wheat surrounding The Empress symbolise abundance and growth.
Waterfall: The waterfall symbolises nourishment, cleansing, purity, and flow. It can also symbolise being a natural healer.
Trees: The trees symbolise the Empress' connection with nature and mother Gaia. She is connected with all things life and nature.
The Empress Tarot Card Meanings
UPRIGHT
The Empress symbolises a new creative project to which you can devote yourself will come along. You will feel connected with your feminine side, and produce something you care for. The Empress also symbolises mother figures and is an excellent card for fertility and nurturing abundance. Alternatively, she can represent your actual relationship with your mother.
REVERSED
In reverse, The Empress can indicate a lack of internal self-care for yourself in general readings. The Empress can also mean that there is a lack of nurturing energy for the divine feminine side of things, as well as a diminished connection to children and animals.
The Empress appearing reversed will indicate that you need to nurture your soul and practice appropriate self-care methods. You must be in touch with your divine feminine side. Alternatively, The Empress can indicate that you are not taking the role of being a 'mother figure' seriously which can hinder your relationships.
LOVE & RELATIONSHIPS
UPRIGHT
The Empress can suggest fertility within relationships or the desire for motherhood. If clarified with a Page court card, or an Ace in any suit, this is an excellent sign for the fertility of children and new beginnings and opportunities.
The Empress can also indicate creative and nurturing relationships where both partners contribute towards an ideal goal. There is a healthy balance of security and comfort within a relationship and a strong sense of stability and commitment.
REVERSED
The Empress can suggest a relationship where there is a lack of nurturing or divine feminine energy. Both parties need to equally nurture the relationship for it to work towards healthier growth.
The Empress can also indicate a relationship where a person is too smothered or controlled by another figure - also known as 'helicopter-parenting'. This person may not trust their other half's independence and has trust issues. It is time to make self-love and self-care a priority and focus on your own material and emotional needs. You may be neglecting your own needs and are too focused on another's needs.
CAREER, JOB & BUSINESS
UPRIGHT
The Empress appearing in a career, job or business reading is a positive sign for creative endeavours that will be presented with great rewards of abundance and material wealth. This can predict creative projects you can commit to, and be respected for. This will also be a time for personal growth in your work.
REVERSED
The Empress in reverse can represent being in a job or career that doesn't allow you to express your creative side. You may feel as though you are making little progress and you may feel insecure in your job. There may be a lack of confidence in what you are doing, and you may feel stuck in the wrong career path. You must express yourself in your work, and it may be a time for a change in your environment.
FINANCES & MONEY
UPRIGHT
The Empress represents an abundance of wealth and material comfort in the financial department. She can portray a generous or giving nature and be able to share material wealth. Typically, The Empress appearing in a financial reading will indicate comfort and security. She also represents self-worth and is self-sufficient, meaning all your abundance is due to your hard work.
REVERSED
In reverse, The Empress can lack financial abundance or feel insecure about finances. There is a possibility that you could be stable, but still lack financial comfort and reassurance. This can also indicate a lack of confidence in finance.
Alternatively, The Empress in reverse can indicate dependency on another individual's finances. If there are any other court cards, particularly those in the Pentacles suit, it may indicate that you are relying on another person's financial wealth for comfort and security. This may work in the short-term, however, long-term it means you are not self-sufficient.
WELLNESS
UPRIGHT
The Empress can suggest fertility for those looking to bear children and is a great card to receive in a reading relating to children. The Empress can also indicate self-care and nurturing of oneself. You must be more creative and expressive to nurture your emotional and spiritual wellness back to balance.
REVERSED
The Empress can indicate fertility or hormonal issues which would need professional medical advice. Sometimes The Empress can indicate lethargy or comfort activities to the detriment of your wellness.
PERSONALITY & ARCHETYPES
UPRIGHT
As an individual, the Empress portrays a healthy and caring divine feminine energy, who is respected and nurturing in nature. This individual is full of a giving nature and has strong boundaries. The individual is connected with their emotions and is connected strongly with children, animals, and nature.
REVERSED
The Empress can represent an individual who has lost their strength and willpower. This individual may be lacking the self-care they need to heal themselves and may be too preoccupied with other people's affairs.
POSITIVES & ADVANTAGES
The Empress holds the purity of a person's spirit and the aesthetics of beauty and is a significant card of healing and maturity.
As an advantage, the Empress is a positive card for new creative projects. She can predict that you will tap into your creative side or you will be working on some new hobbies.
This Empress can predict a period of healing, renewal, and growth, both emotionally and spiritually. It may suggest letting go of past wounds, embracing self-care practices, and focusing on personal growth and development.
NEGATIVES & DISADVANTAGES
The Empress as a negative or disadvantage can signify a lack of self-care and respect, creating vulnerability in an individual. She can also signify blocked creativity and femininity, being unable to express herself due to suppressing her emotions. She can signify infertility and parenting issues, such as being unloved or unnurtured.
