As an embodiment of Mother Nature herself, this card represents the life force that flows through fertility, sensuality, beauty, and creation. The Empress carries the weighty yet enchanted spirit of femininity and has significant implications for your soul’s feminine-masculine balance.
If this appeals to you, this article can guide your tarot journey and help you explore your subconscious and conscious mind—so keep reading!
The Empress Tarot Keywords
Upright card (keywords)
A new opportunity, Abundance, Maternal care, Nurturing, Pregnancy, Stability
Reversed card (keywords)
Domestic problems, Financial issues, Stagnation, Unwanted pregnancy
The Empress Tarot Card Description
The image of The Empress varies slightly across different tarot spreads. She’s generally illustrated to appear like a full-figured woman with long flowing hair, shrouded with the energy of the Empress and a tranquil aura you can sense by just looking at her. As the symbol of Venus in the tarot deck, she holds a heart-shaped shield, while her crown of stars represents her connection to Mother Earth’s cycles through the months of the year.
She is dressed in a fine robe lined with pomegranates, the fruit that symbolizes fertility and abundance. She appears regal, trusted, and powerful, seated upon a lavish bed of red velvet cushions. In some iterations, the Empress is even illustrated as pregnant.
In the Rider-Waite tarot deck, she is often displayed with a lush forest and peaceful stream in the background, again hinting at her divine connection with Mother Earth and life in and of itself.
The Empress Upright Position
If you are performing a general reading and you’ve uncovered an upright Empress card, get ready to float into a year of alluring and celestial feminine energy.
This doesn’t mean that this card is specific to people of the female gender; we all have a delicate balance of the feminine and the masculine constantly tipping back and forth within us, like our spiritual Newton’s cradle.
In terms of health, pulling the Empress card is a powerful indication of pregnancy and fertility. In fact, it is such a powerful indicator that you should definitely take precautionary measures if you are sexually active and do not intend to create another member of the family.
On the other hand, if pregnancy isn’t possible nor a part of your current life, the Empress embodies plenty of other health-related indications, most importantly emotional and creative health.
This card highly encourages you to participate in a type of self-care that allows for creative expression and the nurturing of social relationships. This means you should take the time to rejuvenate your artistic side and reconnect with the creativity you were born with, whether it was dancing, painting, singing, or even cooking—whatever helps you tap into that ‘flow’ state of mind where you totally give yourself to the moment.
At the same time, nurse your emotional health by caring for your loved ones and bringing your maternal side to the forefront.
Love Meaning
Let’s be honest: if you’ve pulled the Empress in your love reading, you’re probably a person who is already fluent in the language of unconditional love. You know how to give love effortlessly, and you’re not afraid to ask for it when you are fragile, which is a sign of strength and wisdom.
In terms of predictions, the Empress is a fabulous card to pull if you’re single and looking for a deep, fulfilling partnership. Buckle up because a crazy, passionate romance is about to unfold, and it’ll hit you when you least expect it.
Here’s a spicy bonus: the Empress is one with fertility, which is also a sign that good lovemaking is on the horizon.
Career Meaning
The Empress is all about abundance, which also relates to your career. You will find that your career will grow considerably, especially if you work in an artistic environment or start a creative project that aligns with your needs.
Meet others with appreciation for their new ideas and creative energy, and you will find that gratitude comes right back at you, and your good fortune will ascend along with it. The Empress upright is a sign that whatever you have going on—that idea you want to pitch, the project you’ve been managing, or the business you’ve been running—now is the to develop it and make it successful.
Finances Meaning
When it comes to your finances, take advantage of the divine feminine running through you right now. If you’ve been thinking about a significant investment, trust your gut and go for it; just remember to exude generosity and share the wealth when it extends its hand to you.
The Empress Reversed Card Meaning
It’s not always the case that the reversal of a card is negative, but in this case, it does come in almost like a reality check. Try to approach this with a glass-half-full mentality.
The Empress reversed probably implies that you’ve been neglecting your feminine side and personal power. Instead of focusing on generosity, self-care, and love for others, this card usually indicates that you’ve been a little lost in the material realm rather than the spiritual one.
Maybe you’ve been struggling with an intrapersonal loss or lack of confidence due to an unfortunate social occurrence, and perhaps you’ve been busy wallowing in your woes. But fret not—the point of tarot readings is to shine a light on the darkness so that you can embrace personal growth and reinstate your celestial balance.
It’s always about work, work, work with you—so much so that your health has become a second, third, or non-existent priority. While we applaud you for your Girl Boss attitude, getting the Empress Reversed means we must prescribe that you get on the self-love train immediately.
You’ve been feeling lazy and lethargic, even on the days you don’t do much. Now’s the perfect time to get in your comfort zone and book a trip to the spa, order your favorite take-out, or take some well-deserved vacation time.
Getting burnout from work could result in other things affecting your mental state, like issues surrounding your body image. Snap out of it! Love your body, and remember that it is a vehicle for your precious soul and the very thing that has gotten you this far in your life. Seek nature, walk in the park, and touch some grass.
Build a healthy relationship with yourself. You’ll be fine, we promise!
Love Meaning
If the Empress upright means that your ‘the one’ is on the way, the reversed Empress means potentials surround you, but none align with your zodiac sign or current situation. This might sound discouraging, but take it as an opportunity to self-reflect because this conundrum is most likely due to your relationship with yourself.
You haven’t been you, which means you haven’t really been revealing your true self to them, either. It can be easy to focus on insecurities and fear of rejection, but you must shift the compass to the valuable traits you bring to a relationship. Trust yourself; you’ve always been beautiful, powerful, and inspiring.
Career Meaning
We can feel the sexual tension between you and quitting your job from all the way over here. We get it; your work environment feels unfulfilling and monotonous, and maybe you’re feeling like nobody is appreciating the effort you’ve been putting in. There’s no outlet for your creative ideas, and you’re feeling stuck.
The problem is, it might not be the time to fully trust your instinct right now due to the height of your emotional insecurities, so don’t take any life-altering decisions just yet. Instead, meditate on it, pinpoint what is making you so unsatisfied, and see if you can pick up a new hobby in your free time that could give you the answers to your future career shift.
Get into biking on the weekend or take up pottery after work hours. You’ve seen it before: how a hobby can develop into a side hustle and a full-blown business—that could be you! Take baby steps, and watch your cash flow while you explore!
Conclusion
Whether you pulled this card upright or reversed, the Empress reminds you to be compassionate to yourself and others. As the most feminine card in the deck, take her presence as a sign that you must embrace your kindness and creativity and tap into your maternal side once more, especially when it comes to your inner child.
Like the Great Mother, the Empress watches over you, almost as a reminder that it is so incredibly important to watch over yourself.
Ready to explore what the cards have in store for you? Speak with a psychic or get your free tarot reading. The cards are calling!
