The Empress is another female archetype in the Major Arcana, but unlike The High Priestess she is a more down-to-earth figure and represents a far more approachable principle. She is more of a mother full of love for her children; she stands for love and mercy. Both cards stand for memory and the subconscious, but the subconscious of The Empress is based more on creativity and procreation. Although she is a motherly figure, she also stands for sexuality, passion and beauty. With feelings as her rudder, she puts intellect in second place; feelings always come first. On a higher level she represents Shakti, Nature as a whole. She is the ruling principle of all life. This card leads us towards more reflective, joyful and emotional behaviour, so caution is advised when more intellectual analysis is required. She can represent pregnancy and fertility in the physical sense, but also the birth of a creative project or an involvement with nature. Numbered three, it is the first card that symbolizes material reality. Three is the sum of one (The Magician, animus, self-consciousness) and two (The High Priestess, anima, the subconscious). According to Waite's "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot", The Empress is the Garden of Eden, the Earthly Paradise. Waite defines her not as Regina coeli (the Blessed Virgin Mary), but rather as Refugium Peccatorum, a fruitful mother of thousands. The Empress can also be interpreted as Demeter, the goddess of abundance. She is a giver of earthly gifts, unlike her daughter Persephone (The High Priestess), who is a giver of insight.
On the card
The Empress holds a heart-shaped shield, a reminder of her former aspect as a virgin huntress. With the number 3 as the card's significator, she is the meeting point of The Magician, the conscious mind (1), and The High Priestess, the subconscious mind (2). Conscious and subconscious bring forth manifestation, which is further indicated by the stream behind her. The stream falls into a pool, symbolically representing the meeting of our conscious and subconscious mind. One has the impression that this stream is a natural continuation of the stream that originates in the dress of The High Priestess, showing us the role of the subconscious in creation. There are twelve stars on her crown, representing the signs of the zodiac. These are the twelve aspects of the universe that stand behind the manifested world and the Nature she represents. The Hebrew letter for this card is Daleth (the door). She is the door for all living things before they step into this world. She is a conduit of life into our world. Her sceptre and her heart-shaped shield with the Venus sign symbolize Venus. Venus is the female astrological principle and the aspect of the mother, but also of the lover. This astrological principle speaks to us through beauty, art, creative imagination and the natural energies of The Empress. Symbols of fertility are all over the card, in the lush nature and the plants that obviously grow in abundance. The Empress's dress with its pomegranates is another clue, and the corn beneath her feet also hints that The Empress is connected with the ancient Greek goddess of fertility, Demeter. The fruits of Nature are also visible in the red blossoms on her robe. These are the same flowers that grew in the garden of The Magician. Here, through the channel of the subconscious in The High Priestess card, they are manifested. We can think of her as Mother Nature, a role that seems all the more natural when we see the symbol of the all-giving Sun in her right hand, and we can also note the shy allusions to her pregnancy. Indeed, she reclines on a pregnancy pillow, showing us that Mother Nature is constantly giving birth, which is why Qabalists call her "the Constant Becoming".
Upright
The Empress encourages you to strengthen your connections with the natural world. Through simplicity and connection with the Earth we can gain true abundance. There is a strong sense of motherhood in this card, though not necessarily a wanted one. Beauty and happiness combine in this card in a state of bliss and enjoyment. You can taste the sweetness of success. The card can suggest material rewards, but only with the deeper understanding that riches go hand in hand with a generous and open spirit. This card promises fertility, progress and a happy home life.
Reversed
Possible squandering and dissipation of wealth that brings misery or discomfort. Stop losing energy through greed or depression.