Who is The Empress? Is she witch or goddess, devouring mother or Madonna, femme fatale or femme inspiratrice? The answer is probably all of these--as who among women is not? And what man does not have lurking in his depths a powerful feminine aspect by turns creative and vindictive; moved to compassion one moment and in a jealous rage the next!
- From Jung and Tarot: An Archetypal Journey by Sallie Nichols

LUSH VEGETATION, FERTILITY AND FECUNDITY - all are domains ruled by the fruitful Empress. A lover of beauty, protector of children, tender guardian - these are also expressions of this pervasive archetype.

Likewise, mothers of all types express the energy of The Empress - Mother Nature, Divine Goddess, Ceres, Kali, "Mama Bear", Mrs. Claus, Kuan Yin, "Wicked Stepmother", Mother Goose, and Lakshmi are but a few examples that show up in myth, movie and memoir (for more information, see my article The Mother Archetype here at PLW).

It could be said that the creative wand of The Magician (Trump 1) touches the brooding waters of the The High Priestess/Virgin (Trump 2), causing a burst of life exemplified by The Empress (Trump 3).

Symbolically, if The Magician represents the artistic tools at our disposal - brush, paint, and palette - and The High Priestess the pensive womb where ideas begin to gestate, then The Empress signifies the riot of color splashed upon the canvas, the creative abandon that refuses to censor or slow down in its flurry of productivity.

From Carol Brady (The Brady Bunch) to Mrs. Cleaver (Leave It to Beaver), Lily Munster (The Munsters) to Mr. Moms like the male caretakers in Family Affair and My Three Sons, the various expressions of Empress energy has gotten quite a bit of airplay on TV. Of all the archetypes in the world of symbol and of Tarot, The Empress, especially its permutation of Mother, is one of the most common and easily identifiable - perhaps because it's an influential pattern we all share, even if that energy takes the form of a hole represented by an absent mother (e.g. Harry Potter, Dorothy Gale, Bambi, the Von Trapp children, Orphan Annie, the Matchstick Girl, etc.) or an abusive, devouring one (A Child Called It, Mommie Dearest, The Manchurian Candidate, Cinderella, Snow White, etc).

Closely associated with the planet Venus, The Empress archetype can also exemplify love, beauty and seduction. In the Rider Waite version of this card, a heart-shaped shield stands in the foreground, bearing the astrological glyph of the Venus. As such, The Empress archetype also encompasses feminine sexuality, often symbolized by opening flowers, yoni, vesica piscis, round breasts, pregnant bellies and generous hips.

In astrology, Venus rules both Libra and Taurus. Libra, an Air sign, enjoys sensual pleasure, aesthetics, harmony, and refinement. Taurus, an Earth sign, revels in luxury, comfort, abundance and wealth. All of these can be associated with the realm of The Empress; in fact, she is often depicted in Tarot decks surrounded by wheat, beside rushing waters, clothed in rich fabrics, crowned with a tiara, and seated on a cushioned throne.

Like any archetype, The Empress contains a light/shadow continuum. At one extreme, this energy encourages wild proliferation born from intuition, longing, instinct, and emotion - without pruning, editing, analysis, tempering or restriction. One recent symbol of this end of the spectrum is Nadya Suleman, the woman with six kids who just birthed octuplets via artificial insemination. Her reason for this decision, although unmarried and unemployed? Because she was an only child who craved connection with non-existent siblings - and the overwhelming desire to be the mother of at least twelve children.

Other examples at the "too much of a good thing" end of the spectrum manifest as hyper-nurturing "helicoptering" (hovering) or "snow plowing" (removing real or perceived obstacles or challenges), resulting in debilitating smothering and, all too often, children who dare not stray too far from the apron strings for fear of injury, disappointment or failure. Saccharine pampering - often in the guise of dramatic "martyr" behavior focusing on sacrifice - discourages risk, self-propulsion, individuation and "leaving the nest".

At the other end of the Empress extreme lies barrenness, neglect, abuse, jealousy, demonization of the masculine principle, obsession, or abandonment. One image of this end of the spectrum is Mother Nature opening up her jaws in the form of an earthquake to devour her "children" (humanity), or to destroy them via Pele's fiery lava. Evil stepmothers of fairytales fall into this extreme, as do children-haters, animal abusers and cruel caretakers.

Another example of this end of the extreme are those in the "women's lib" movement who were quite vocal against "white males", exhibiting anger and sharp criticism that sought to emasculate rather than equalize. Extremist abortion foes, fueled by the principle of the "sacredness of all life", think nothing of bombing a clinic or shooting a doctor - as if one form of life, in their eyes, was somehow more important than another.

With these two extremes, it could be said that The Empress archetype encompasses the Creator/Destroyer continuum.

Not enough water can starve a plant but, surprisingly, more plants are killed by over watering. Without a life-giving flow of activity, stagnation occurs. Yet, rampant productivity without nurturing or boundaries can result in overcrowding, suffocation, deprivation and lack of resources.

Have a romp in the energy of The Empress. Ponder its implications not just in a Tarot reading, but also in your waking life - when it surfaces via conscious contemplation, meditation or symbol. Below are some questions to ponder for your edification... Consider journaling the answers to these questions for some surprising and illuminating wisdom direct from the welcoming arms and compassionate heart of The Empress:

1. What areas of your life are "dying on the vine"? Why? What would it take to supply those areas with life-giving energy? With nurturing? With an investment of time, energy or resources?
    
2. What does your spirit long to create? What physical, creative, or artistic act would fill you with excitement, purpose, and accomplishment? What would you need to make is so? What are you waiting for?
    
3. It is possible to be your own Mother, or nurturing parent. Take on this role for your inner child, or even for the adult aspect that might need some TLC. What needed things can you provide for yourself? What loving words do you wish you could hear? Say those words to yourself; dialogue with your soul by journaling your questions - and responses - to this exercise.
    
4. Look around you. What might need attention or nurturing? Who might benefit from your talents, creativity, healing gifts, bounty, or encouragement? Take the time to offer life-giving waters from your own abundant supply.
    
5. Is some relationship on "artificial life support", needing to be unplugged in order for you to be whole again? Are there weeds choking the seeds you have planted? What will it take to neutralize unchecked growth or emotional suckers in your life?

Text © 2009 by Janet Boyer
Art © 2007 by Alex Ukolov and Karen Mahony. All images used with permission.

Join us as Janet takes us on a romp
through each of the Major Arcana, one-by-one!

Next Month: The Emperor

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Janet Boyer is the author of The Back in Time Tarot Book (Hampton Roads) which features her innovative Back in Time (BIT) Method for experiencing the cards. Dubbed the Queen of Tarot, Janet has written over a thousand reviews, articles and interviews for both print and online publications, specializing in Tarot, New Age and Self Help topics. She is an Amazon.com Top 10 Reviewer, as well as an Editor at TheTarotChannel.com.

You can visit Janet on the web at JanetBoyer.com where she provides hundreds of pages of content, as well as eBooks, a monthly New Releases page, a Shop, intuitive counseling services and Tarot readings. Janet makes her home in the gorgeous state of Pennsylvania with her soulmate, Ron, their son (whom she homeschools), and two cats. In her free time (yes, she actually has some!), she enjoys her lush backyard, the laughter of her two guys, mystery novels, thriller movies, RUSH, bookstores, hidden object PC games, and gourmet eating.