The Empress as the Tarot Deck’s Mom: A Look at the Impact of Major Arcana Card Three
I don’t know about other tarot readers, but I tend to have strong opinions when it comes to decks, individual cards and the energies that vibrate from them both. The Empress has always been my jam. She is a gorgeous card in nearly every deck I come across, and she seems to exude this energy that I connect to easily.
In the Fountain Tarot, the deck I use most often and the one represented here, I love that The Empress is a woman of the water. She stands tall in a lush garden, and you get the sense that she created, nurtured and grew every bit of abundance around her. Who wouldn’t want a little bit of that?
I like to joke that she’s the MILF (mom I’d like to fuck, for those blissfully unaware of the term) of the tarot deck. She’s a hot mama who certainly isn’t going to take any shit—especially from people who dare to mock, harm or otherwise abuse those she loves and helped to bring into this world. And while The Empress is a mother for sure (nurturing, caring, warm), she is also the divine feminine energy that exists in nature, on Earth and of the universe.
Remember that we are all mothers in some way or another, even people who identify as men or nonbinary or something else entirely. We all have feminine energy within us because we all have the ability to give birth, if not to children then to ideas, energies, manifestations of our wildest dreams. When The Empress appears in a reading, she is there to comment on the state of the life cycle, from life to death, creation to destruction. She will provide insights about whether you’re currently allowing things to flourish or letting impatience and an infertile state prevent you from thriving. Take note of her lessons. Mother knows best.
Spread 1: Connecting to the Shadow Fosters Growth
I love the way this spread came together because it has an interested balance between the Moon and reversed Sun. When we explore our shadow selves, our illusions, the parts of ourselves that we purposefully hide from the world, we naturally pull away from our sunnier sides. This may feel like a bad thing. Shouldn’t we seek to stay in the light? Not always. In refusing to except and illuminate these darker crevasses of our being, we encourage them to build to a fever pitch, eventually overwhelming us by appearing in excess.
The Empress and reversed Devil provide some context for what’s going on in between the push-pull of lunar and solar vibes. The Empress is supportive of this endeavor. She knows that it is essential for future growth. Understanding what lies in our darkness will enable us to live more fully in our light. There cannot be bold creation or confident action without nurturing self-love. She tells us to be patience with ourselves as we explore the unknown depths of our souls and psyches.
Similarly, The Devil assures us that we are not being indulgent in this endeavor. The action is controlled, and we are harnessing the forces we must in order to learn what we need to flourish later on. We are warned not to lose ourselves in this fact-finding mission. Once we learn some unhappy truths, it may be tempting to wallow or continue to hide out in the shadows. Instead, we must learn to cultivate a continual balance within ourselves. The Empress is a good sign that we are learning what we must from our emotional depths. It is from this place that we will foster growth and find our center.
Spread 2: Individual Success at Any Cost
My immediate reaction to this spread is to recall the Hall & Oats classic, Rich Girl. Not familiar? Here’s the crux:
You're a rich girl, and you've gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
You can rely on the old man's money
You can rely on the old man's money
It's a bitch girl but it's gone too far
'Cause you know it don't matter anyway
Say money, but it won't get you too far
Get you too far
Too far? Maybe, but I don’t think so. In my opinion, this spread is the perfect call out to anyone who has pursued individual success (ie, money) to the point of snobbishness, stagnation, greed and general power hungriness. The cards support this assessment in a number of ways. Let’s begin with the reversed Empress.
In this orientation, The Empress is indicative of impatience and an unwillingness to care. She represents an inability to foster growth because she is in a position of infertility. I get the sense that this position is also a sign that there is a lot of anxiety around this inability to create, produce, advance.
The Strength card is also reversed, which tells me that willpower, determination and other fiery sorts of energies are going unrestricted right now. There’s a lot of anger coming from this card in reverse. When Strength is not mindfully cultivated and controlled, it can be unleashed to the detriment of everyone, particularly the person to whom this wrath belongs to. This card tells us what happens when we use our powers abusively to get what we want. The lion is a respected leader, the so-called king of the jungle. Turned on his head, he is a cowardly kitty.
The two nine cards opposing one another help to flesh out this message further. While things look peachy keen for the Nine of Coins, she is a representation of individual successful. She walks along through the abundant harvest that she created. The Nine of Cups in reverse indicates that these individual accomplishments are accompanied by a tendency to cling greedily to the resulting wealth. Normally a card of joy and prosperity shared, in this orientation, the Nine of Cups is selfish, corrupt and superficial. He’s a Rich Girl, and he isn’t about to share the old man’s money with the woman around him or anyone else.
While this all sounds a little gloom and doom, the spread provides an opportunity to go within and notice where we are grasping desperately to our accomplishments. Where can we bring others to the table or share our resources with those in need? When the tarot calls us out, it’s in our best interest to listen. This level of stuckness is uncomfortable and very likely unsustainable. Thanks to the cards, we now know what’s causing these issues and how to go about fixing them.
Spread 3: Overindulgence Breeds Conflict Breeds Disillusionment
If you thought that upright Major Arcana cards were always a good sign, this is a spread that will certainly challenge that belief. First, it’s important to note that all four cards have the element of water represented in them. Cups cards are always associated with water, emotions, intuition, flow (or lack thereof), and The Empress is standing in a lake surrounded by a lush garden. There are a lot of feelings infiltrating this spread.
Starting with The Empress, we learn that there’s a big focus on abundance, indulgence and prosperity. Although I don’t often think of The Empress as a representation of overindulgence, the cards around her support this assessment in this particular case. The reversed Three of Cups is an indication that decadence has lead to discontentment and a bit of love lost. The cups so aligned in their upright orientation have led to feelings of ingratitude and resentment in their current position. Instead of being filled up, the water in the cups is spilling as it’s poured out.
If there was ever a visual representation of that vibe, it would be the upright Four of Cups. The gentlemen in the card is clearly miserable, a real glass-half-empty kind of dude. It appears that he’s experiencing the hangover of having imbibed a bit too much. His cups, once filled with a delicious elixir and the promise of a good time, are now a reminder of what happens when we consume to the point of excess.
The reversed Ten of Cups confirms that balance has been lost. There’s disconnection from the source, and what should be a triumphant victory of success built over time is instead causing conflict and grief. Taken holistically, this reading is a reminder not to “get high on our own supply.” Indulgence is healthy, and operating from an abundant mindset is a beautiful thing. When we continually expect more and more, however, we often lose sight of what we wanted all along. Rather than energize us, our “things” overwhelm and suffocate us.
Similar to Spread 2, this reading is a call to go within and clean house. Where do we need to cull the weeds from the flowers? What is growing so much that it is suppressing the energies, ideas, creations that we’d prefer to flourish in its place? It’s time to get our hands dirty in the garden, ensuring that the fertile ground is not being coopted by invasive species and poisonous vines.
Spread 4: Whatever it is, Let it Die
This is one of those general energy readings that would require some clarification to get to the heart of the matter, but one thing is abundantly clear: Something seriously needs to die. It probably isn’t you. Don’t worry, The Death card is only scary if you watch made-for-TV movies. The real meaning is that something has reached the end of its lifespan, and this usually refers to an energy, project, relationship or anything that isn’t serving its purpose any longer.
I can tell this is the case here because of The Empress in reverse. She is confirming that something has reached a place where it can no longer thrive. It is stagnant and unable to progress. Continuing to hold on will only breed additional misery, uncertainty, dissatisfaction and anxiety. Because you’re not in the space to be able to nurture and care for this thing, it is best to let it die so that something new and better can grow from its ashes and remains.
The good news is that you have two powerful Kings supporting your decision. Allow them to be your allies as you make difficult choices and your guides as you travel on the path to rebirth. The King of Wands is a powerful creator who will help you see the possibilities, be inspired by your new conditions and find success to whatever you set your intentions to. The King of Swords provides wisdom along the way. He is perceptive, intelligent and filled with integrity. He will not let you go astray on your new journey. Trust in these two father figures and allow the promise of future growth put all that is dying to rest for good.