II. THE EMPRESS.
This card represents The Feminine Matrilinean Principle of Nature and Generative Capacity.
The number is III (3) and is the 4th Card in the Major Arcana.
HOW TO CONSIDER THE TAROT
For an introduction to this series and an outline of how to appreciate Tarot, in a very different paradigm to what one may be used to, the reader is encouraged to familiarise themself with the following post: How to Appreciate Tarot—a Hermetic guide to Semiotics & Allegory
NUMEROLOGY & NUMBERS
Numerology is the study of numbers. If mathematics is the language and the grammar, geometry is the syntax and poetry, and numbers are the base letters.
The number III(3) represents Trinity.
3 represents trinity, a form of unity that is comprised of three aspects, or three phases:
Solid, Liquid, Gas,
Body, Mind, Spirit/Soul;
Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva,
Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding,
Birth, Life, Death (or Life, Death and Rebirth)
3 is a numerical symbol of multiplication, procreation and formation.
GEOMETRY & SEMIOTICS
Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation, the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning
Geometry, in a sense only really begins with 3—the triangle: three non-collinear points in relation to each other that define a shape, a plane, and thereby an emergent space between them, a field of possibility of relative distance and movement. This is called planar geometry.
TAV, ANKH AND VENUS: A Triadic Reflection
A common symbol of Life emergent from the Trinty is the Egyptian Ankh.
The Tav cross, often associated with the final letter of the Hebrew alphabet, symbolizes completion and fulfilment. In semiotic terms, Tav can be interpreted as a signifier of the ultimate end or goal, serving as a visual and conceptual anchor for the idea of completion and fulfilment within the cycle of existence.
The Ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol known as the key of life. It embodies continuity and eternal life. Its unique form—a loop atop a cross—integrally combines the concept of the eternal (the loop) with the earthly (the cross), signifying the unending aspect of life and the cyclic nature of the cosmos. It assures that life, though it may pass through stages of birth, existence, and dissolution, is ultimately continuous and eternal.
The symbol for Venus encompasses the circle with a cross extending beneath it. Symbolizes the harmonization of the spiritual (circle) and material (cross) realms. Venus introduces the elements of beauty, love, and aesthetic pleasure, reminding us that the interaction between spirit and matter can create profound harmony and beauty. This symbol serves to elevate the discourse from mere existence to the appreciation and creation of beauty in all forms.
Tav introduces the concept of completion and fulfilment.
Ankh adds the dimension of eternal life and the divine's sustaining power.
Venus brings in the spirit's primacy over the material, emphasizing beauty and harmonious relations.
Together, they visually and symbolically represent a holistic view of existence where spiritual and material realms are inextricably linked, life cycles through phases of beginning, continuation, and completion, and where balance is found in the integration of opposites. This interplay highlights a worldview that sees life as a continuous flow of energies, where each force and counterforce interact to create the dynamic balance essential for life’s sustenance and evolution.
THE SACRED MIRROR: Reflections of Divine Aesthetics
The concept of the Sacred Mirror ties these symbols together, emphasizing the theme that all creation reflects its creator. This idea, deeply rooted in many creation myths including the Biblical narrative, suggests that the world, in all its complexity and beauty, is a direct reflection of the divine will and aesthetic.
The sacred mirror is reminiscent of the notion that Creation is regarded as beautiful by the Creator, which is a recurring theme in many world myths and religious texts, including the Biblical account of Genesis. In the Biblical narrative of Genesis, after each act of creation, God observes the world and declares it “good.” The creation of Nature is the reflection of God, since it subscribes wholly to divine order and design and therefore divine purpose.
ARCHETYPE & FORM
Archetypally an Empress always rules beside an Emperor. Both have inherent agency and majesty but perform the function of Mother and Father of sibling nations respectively. They create a familial order, where relativity and an ecosystem can exist, compatible with delegated autonomy and sovereignty.
The 3 invoked archetypes of THE EMPRESS card are Demeter (Ceres), Venus and The Mother of Nations.
DEMETER (CERES) (ARCHETYPE)
Demeter, known in Roman mythology as Ceres, embodies the archetype of the Earth Mother. As the goddess of agriculture and the harvest, she oversees the growth and sustenance of the natural world, reflecting the nurturing aspect of THE EMPRESS. This archetype speaks to the creation and nurturing of life, the cyclic nature of growth and decay, and the deep connection between motherhood and the earth.
Demeter is fertile in terms of growth not in terms of renewal (abundance). For renewal Demeter depends on her daughter Persephone who disappears from the realm of nature for half the year while she rules the underworld with her husband Hades, implying death is key to renewal, winter is key to spring.
VENUS (ARCHETYPE)
Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, personifies Attraction, Desire, Beauty, and the attractive generative forces of nature. In THE EMPRESS, Venus’s archetype highlights the themes of divine harmony, aesthetic pleasure, and the fecundity of the natural world. She brings to the fore the qualities of love, sensuality, and creative energy, representing an integral aspect of the nurturing and luxurious abundance associated with THE EMPRESS. Venus is a natural consort of and counterpart to Mars, the God associated with Conflict, Decision, and Forcing Change.
Venus who in Greek mythology is called Aphrodite, is born after Kronos castrates his father Ouranos and casts his seed into the sea, where the ocean foam gives birth to Aphrodite (Venus). Desire and Beauty are emergent from the castration of the unattainable by the scythe of Time. Beauty is Eternity gazing at itself in the mirror.
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.
But you are eternity and you are the mirror.—Kahlil Gibran
THE MOTHER OF NATIONS (ARCHETYPE)
The Mother of Nations is a symbolic representation of a maternal figure who provides care, sustenance, and guidance on a grand scale. This archetype encapsulates the role of a protector and nurturer of communities or nations, reflecting THE EMPRESS’s universal aspect of maternal influence and support. She embodies the collective nurturing spirit that fosters growth, unity, and the flourishing of cultures and societies under her care.
Unlike a Queen who may rule a Kingdom alone, an Empress co-rules an Empire—a family of sibling nations—who function as both a mother and a father figure, as well as rulers.
EMERGENT SYNOPSIS
In the tapestry of THE EMPRESS card, the archetypes of Demeter (Ceres), Venus, and The Mother of Nations intertwine to paint a portrait of maternal majesty that exists in harmony with paternal authority, akin to an Empress ruling beside an Emperor. This pairing establishes a dynamic equilibrium where nurturing coexists with governance, reflecting a sophisticated ecosystem of familial and societal structures, requiring the balance of both Masculine and Feminine agency and expression.
Demeter is pivotal in this arrangement, her fertility driving the abundance of the natural world, yet dependent on the cycle of renewal prompted by her daughter Persephone’s descent into and return from the underworld. This relationship underlines the essential balance between life and death, growth and renewal, which are core to the sustenance and evolution of societies.
Venus, representing love and beauty, infuses this card with the power of attraction and the joys of the senses, echoing the role of a consort who complements and softens the harder edges of governance represented by Mars. Her presence in THE EMPRESS card speaks to the need for beauty and pleasure in nurturing prosperous communities, enhancing the quality of life and ensuring the continuity of cultural and creative energies.
The Mother of Nations archetype expands the progenitive notion of personal and ecological nurture to a grand scale, illustrating a protective and guiding force over communities and nations. She symbolizes the ultimate maternal governance, fostering unity, growth, and prosperity across diverse populations, emphasizing that the strength of a nation lies in the health and well-being of its people.
Together, these archetypes reinforce the notion of THE EMPRESS as a fundamental pillar of a balanced and thriving societal and natural order. They highlight the intrinsic need for a harmonious interplay between nurturing and governance, where delegated autonomy and sovereign rule coexist under the benevolent watch of an Empress, ensuring a stable, flourishing, and resilient ecosystem. This emergent narrative of THE EMPRESS not only celebrates the richness of her maternal qualities but also her critical role in the sustainable and harmonious actualisation of civilization.
ETYMOLOGY & LANGUAGE
Vertical shallow Etymology finds the nearest root words and leaves it at that. Deep and Wide Etymology reaches down and laterally, to explore the full essence of meaning that is related to the word.
The word Empress comes from the Old French empereor meaning “ruler, leader”.
Imperial means “to have a commanding quality”, referring specifically to the highest or universal standard, rule or agency, which is always implied to be divine in ordinance.
The highest archetype of worldly leadership we have a word for is Emperor.
APPEARANCE & ARRANGEMENT
THE EMPRESS card displays a regal, maternal figure seated amidst a lush, verdant landscape. She is garbed in a luxurious robe adorned with pomegranates—a classic symbol of fertility. Upon her brow rests a wreath, enhancing her air of natural authority, while above it a crown adorned with twelve stars circles her head, symbolizing her deep connection to celestial wisdom and the cyclical patterns of the natural world. In her hand, THE EMPRESS holds a golden sceptre, a definitive mark of her sovereignty over the life-nurturing forces of nature. This sceptre not only asserts her dominion but also her role as the benevolent provider and protector. She is enthroned upon a plush, red velvet-covered seat situated on a stone dais, the solidity of which underscores her enduring presence and stabilizing influence. Adjacent to her throne, a heart-shaped shield bears the emblem of Venus, highlighting the path of desire and the relational aspect of her reign.
The backdrop is a dynamically composed scene where a dense, diverse forest meets a tranquil stream that feeds into a waterfall, illustrating the profound depths of nature and the seamless flow of life's energies. Directly at her feet, an ordered field of golden, ripe wheat stretches out.
Her expression, serene yet authoritative, conveys a regal bearing and a profound sense of maternal benevolence and wisdom.
EGREGORE & ESSENCE
Egregore is an esoteric concept representing an emergent archetypal thought-form that arises from collective thoughts.
THE EMPRESS card represents The Trinity which includes the Maternal and Matriarchal essence of Life, the matrilineal lineage which holds the Mirror of Life.
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror. But you are eternity and you are the mirror.
Kahlil Gibran
The Feminine Principle of Yielding and Generative Capacity in its Sacred Marriage to the Masculine Ordering Principle and Creative Force.
THE UNFOLDING
THE EMPRESS represents The Matriarch archetype, wielding worldly authority, which manifests as both the feminine aspect of leadership and order, as well as the force of nature to which we are all subject.
While The Empress archetype possesses inherent majesty and authority, her order is established in partnership with the Emperor. Unlike a Queen who may rule a Kingdom alone, an Empress co-rules an Empire—a family of sibling nations—functioning equally as both the mother and a father figure as well as rulers.
The four symbols of her divine appointment and rule are the Robes (or vestments), the Sceptre, the Crown and the Throne.
To fully grasp the emergent meaning of the card, we examine it through the dual lenses of the Trinity and the Four Seasons.
THE TRINITY
THE EMPRESS, as explored in the ARCHETYPE section, integrates the figures of Demeter, Venus, and Feminine Leadership, embodying Divinity, Maternity, and Fertility. Her powers stem from abundance and renewal as The Mother and allure and command as Venus. These influences are further drawn from her mother Gaia, the Earth Mother, and the myth of the Scythe of Kronos, which castrated his father and led to Venus’s birth from the sea foam. This mythology underscores the feminine creative principles of Desire, Gestation, Nurture, and Abundance through Fertility and Generation.
The Trinity is The Maiden, The Mother, The Crone, but equally The Priestess, The Lover and the Queen.
CYCLES & SEASONS
A key aspect of the Feminine is flow, manifesting in nature as Rhythm and Flow.
The stream flowing from the forest into the pool below symbolizes this flow and return—not as the source of the sacred well, but as the nature of its flow.
On her brow, the 12 stars of the Zodiac, represent the order of the Cosmos in which the ebb and flow of seasonality occur over the 12 houses of cyclic time.
The four seasons are symbolically represented:
Winter: The stone dais where nothing grows represents Winter, marking the time when Demeter’s daughter Persephone retires to the Underworld.
Autumn: The Wheat symbolizes Autumn, a product of Husbandry, another reference to the integral relationship with the Masculine Ordering and Creative principles.
Summer: The Pomegranates and the Golden Sky represent Summer, characterized by Fertility and Enterprise. THE EMPRESS is the maternal figure, the matriarch, under which the stalks of wheat grow to their fullness and ripen into maturity.
Spring: The lush forest signifies the Renewal of Spring, an expression of abundance. The River Boyne that flows and cascades through this forest is rewilded in Winter when Persephone, the goddess of spring, is absent, indicating the necessary undoing of Winter for renewal, regeneration, and emergence.
THE FEMININE (GODDESS)
The Orange Cushion, shaped like a spine, represents the Kundalini and symbolizes maternity and fecundity. The Round cushion symbolizes masculine penetrative essence at the core of the feminine—both the son emerging from the womb and the member and the seed received.
The stone dais on which the throne sits is also the Hearth of her domain, from which the Kundalini rises, from the root (vestige) to the crown. The name for the Roman Goddess of the Hearth was Vesta whose Greek counterpart was Hestia. Relating these symbols—the hearth and Kundalini—to THE EMPRESS’s throne reflects her function as a conduit between the earthly and the divine, the material and the spiritual. She is portrayed not just as a nurturer of physical life but also as an activator of spiritual energy and potential and thereby related to Shakti.
In her hand, the golden phallus-shaped sceptre signifies her queenly command of the masculine. This sceptre connects The Empress with the goddess Isis, indicating that in winter, the impetus of the masculine force is scattered and can only be brought together in the feminine power of receiving and birthing.
The imagery of pomegranates, shared between THE HIGH PRIESTESS and THE EMPRESS, serves as a symbolic passageway or threshold. In THE HIGH PRIESTESS card, the pomegranates on the veil symbolize fertility, mystery, and the divine feminine’s potential. This motif is carried over to THE EMPRESS, where the pomegranates on her gown/robes emphasize abundance, nurturing, and the manifestation of potential into tangible outcomes.
The transfiguration from the Veil to the Robe invokes the themes of Investiture vs Vestige. Investiture is the idea of conferring or bestowing power and authority, often symbolized by a robe or garment. In THE EMPRESS, the pomegranates on her robe symbolize the investiture of her divine authority to nurture, sustain, and create. This robe empowers her with the ability to manifest potential into reality, marking her as the sovereign of the natural world, where fertility and abundance prevail as a function of relationship with the sources of abundance and regeneration which are the roots below the soil, and the source of the stream deep within the primordial forest.
The theme of Vestige reflects the residual or remaining signs of what once was potent or possible. The implication is that the majesty of THE EMPRESS must be honoured or her gifts will atrophy and become vestigial.
SYMMETRY & SEQUENCE
Within the deck, there are symmetries and connections between the cards, defined by their appearance in sequence, their numerical allocation and/or thematically by the relationship of their symbols, archetypes and other essentialities.
The other cards with a yellow sky are THE FOOL, THE MAGICIAN, THE LOVERS, THE CHARIOT, STRENGTH and JUSTICE symbolising a continuity of theme and a visual signal of a journey through different stages of consciousness and self-realization.
These cards considered together describe a journey arc from The Novitiate, to the Initiate aiming for Adepthood, The Feminine which is the Trinity of the Divine Feminine: The Mother, the Lover, the Muse, and the applications of Will and Courage in alignment with Natural Law.
FEMININE & MASCULINE
The EMPRESS and THE EMPEROR are archetypal representations of feminine and masculine principles in their most worldly form. They embody the material aspects of existence, such as authority, fertility, stability, and power. Similarly, THE HIGH PRIESTESS and THE HIEROPHANT represent the spiritual or esoteric counterparts of these principles. THE HIGH PRIESTESS, with her connection to the subconscious and mysteries, and THE HIEROPHANT, who bridges the spiritual wisdom to the layperson, illustrate the dual aspects of knowledge and its guardianship.
In this sequence, THE HIGH PRIESTESS and THE HIEROPHANT are the Feminine and Masculine expressions of the Intermediary Archetype, which keep the Veil and the Threshold of the Temple, keepers of the mysteries. THE EMPRESS and THE EMPEROR represent the Feminine and Masculine expressions of Worldly Order.
Closing this sequence are THE EMPEROR and THE HIEROPHANT, the Masculine counterparts to THE HIGH PRIESTESS and THE EMPRESS.
THE HIGH PRIESTESS is the keeper of the Veil, which features pomegranates, the door to which we come to the next card, THE EMPRESS, whose gown is adorned with pomegranates.
ALCHEMY
Alchemy explores the transformative and mystical processes that turn the base into the sublime, symbolizing the journey from raw essence to spiritual enlightenment. In the context of Tarot, it offers a complimentary framework for interpreting the profound alchemical symbolism embedded within the cards, revealing deeper layers of meaning through the interplay of elemental and metaphysical transformations.
By viewing THE EMPRESS through the lens of alchemy, one can appreciate the depth of her symbolism as not only a figure of material abundance and maternal care but also as a representation of the profound transformation and enlightenment that arises from the harmonious union of the elemental and the spiritual.
THE STREAM AND WHEAT
The stream flowing through the card and the wheat at her feet can be seen as alchemical symbols of the nourishing and sustaining processes of nature. In alchemical terms, water often symbolizes the primal life force and the flow of psychic energy, while wheat represents the harvest of alchemical work— the final manifestation of spiritual and physical abundance. Together, they signify the successful completion of the alchemical Great Work, the opus magnum, a symbol of achieving a harmonious balance between the spiritual and material worlds.
THE POMEGRANATES AND GOLDEN SKY
Pomegranates, with their many seeds, represent fertility but also the multiplicity of the universe and the potential of abundant creation. In alchemy, gold is the ultimate goal—transmutation into the most perfected and incorruptible form. The golden sky in the backdrop of THE EMPRESS thus symbolizes the highest state of spiritual enlightenment and the rich yield of the alchemist’s labours.
THE CUSHIONS AND SCEPTRE
The cushions, especially the orange one shaped like a spine, relate to the Kundalini energy in esoteric practices, which is akin to the prima materia in alchemy—the raw material of the Great Work that ascends the spine to achieve enlightenment. The round cushion represents the integration of masculine elements into the feminine, akin to the alchemical coniunctio, where opposites are merged to create something new and transcendent.
The sceptre shaped like a golden phallus connects directly to alchemical symbolism, representing not only power and authority but also the transformative potential of masculine energy within the feminine realm. It suggests the active principle of generation and creativity, essential for the alchemical transformation of self and substance, and hints at the concept of the Alchemical Wedding.
THE SEASONS
The cycle of seasons depicted in THE EMPRESS card reflects the alchemical stages of transformation—nigredo (winter), albedo (spring), citrinitas (summer), and rubedo (autumn). Each season marks a phase in the alchemical process: decomposition, purification, enlightenment, and the coagulation of the alchemist’s gold, respectively.
KABBALAH & JUDAIC MYSTICISM
GEMATRIA & ALEF-BET
In the Kabbalistic tradition, each letter of the Hebrew Alef-bet is imbued with deep symbolic meaning, extending beyond its literal usage to encompass broader spiritual concepts. The letter Gimmel (ג), the second in the Hebrew alphabet and corresponding to the number 3, holds a special place in this mystical framework.
Gimmel represents the concept of Giving, and moving towards, resonating with ideas of Destire and Beauty. Beauty is intrinsically related to the Path of Desire, which itself is related to the core concept of Kabbalah which is The Will to Receive. Kabbalah literally means receipt. Beauty creates its own Path of Desire, the Will to Receive, and Gives, or Yields, as we walk towards it.
Desiring Beauty yields its own great return.
SEPHIRA & THE KABBALISTIC TREE OF LIFE
The pomegranates which are arranged as per the stations or Sephira on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life on the veil of THE HIGH PRIESTESS, here appear on the gown of the Empress.
Here we encounter a representation through THE EMPRESS of the feminine generative principle which we associate with the abundance of nature, fertility and the yield of the harvest. Yield & Desire are a pair, as Giving & Receiving.
The stone foundation on which the throne of THE EMPRESS presides over the kingdom of Nature (MALKUTH), is the base of the Sephirotic tree called YESOD meaning “Foundation”. On her head the crown of stars. The topmost station of the Tree of Life is called KETHER meaning “Crown”. The heart of the Tree of Life is called TIPHARET meaning “Beauty.”
HERMETIC LAWS & CONCEPTS
THE EMPRESS as number 3 (III), also being the 4th card of the Major Arcana conveys several key Hermetic Principles of Vibration and Polarity, as well as the Feminine aspect of the Gender Principle.
ASTROLOGY
The astrological insight cannot be divorced from the mythological context with which it shares archetypal relevance.
The clockwork of Astrology is Venusian. Astrology is a vibrant, dynamic framework that resonates with the principles of beauty, harmony, and interconnection—qualities that are quintessentially Venusian.
THE EMPRESS has a crown of 12 stars. The 12 signs of the zodiac, arranged in a perfection of movement and balance is itself an expression of a Venusian ideal: Harmonious interactions, aesthetics and virtue, cyclic balance and rational dynamics that govern the correspondence and symmetry between the Divine (air) and the Worldly (earth)
More specifically, THE EMPRESS card represents Venus, ruling over Taurus and Libra. Taurus and Libra are earth and air signs respectively. This underscores THE EMPRESS as an archetype that represents both the matriarchal ordering and nurturing principle as well as the Venusian seat of influence which we call the Beauty and Desire.
VENUS
Venus, the planet, symbolizes love, beauty, art, and attraction, especially in the context of “Relationship”, that is, not only the mundane concept of relationships but inherently related to relativity, how things are inherently in relationship to each other, through which Venus enshrines the virtues of harmony and divine beauty and aesthetics.
In astrology, Venus influences how we express affection, the way we perceive beauty, and what we value both materially and emotionally. For The Empress, this connection highlights her as an archetype of aesthetic and sensual pleasure, abundance, and the nurturing aspect of the universe. Venus’ influence makes The Empress a symbol of the generative power of nature and the embodiment of grace and charm.
TAURUS
Taurus is the Bull of Heaven. Taurus, the first sign ruled by Venus, is an earth sign known for its connection to the physical world. It embodies worldly stability, persistence and Venusian aesthetics, and a strong desire for sensory experiences.
LIBRA
Libra is the Scales of Cosmic Balance. Libra, the second sign under Venus’ rulership, is an air sign that values balance, harmony, and relationships. Libra’s association with THE EMPRESS underscores the harmony and aesthetic beauty she brings into the world. This sign's focus on partnership and cooperation highlights THE EMPRESS’s role in fostering connections and maintaining balance within relationships. Libra’s diplomatic and fair-minded nature also aligns with THE EMPRESS’s nurturing disposition, emphasizing her role in harmonizing forms and forces to establish harmony and beauty.
MYTHOS & LOGOS
THE EMPRESS card in the Tarot is richly woven with mythological symbolism, representing various aspects of the divine feminine connected with creation, fertility, and nurturing.
There is a succession of feminine deities associated with that: Gaia, Rhea, Venus Demeter, and then also Hestia, contributing to the layered understanding of THE EMPRESS. Venus is the Roman name of Aphrodite.
In Greek Mythology, Gaia is the first, fatherless, motherless, born from the Void itself, Rhea is the daughter of Gaia and Demeter and Hestia are the daughters of Rhea. Aphrodite, like Gaia, has an exceptional origin.
GAIA
Gaia, the personification of the Earth in Greek mythology, is one of the primal Greek deities who emerges at the dawn of creation along with her twin Tartarus which is the Underworld. She represents the Earth itself and is seen as the ultimate mother. Gaia’s mythology is fundamental to understanding the interconnectedness of life, her role as the universal mother to all living things, and her capacity to produce and maintain the life cycles of the Earth. Through this connection with Gaia, THE EMPRESS carries connotations of the deepest layers of association to fertility, stability, and endurance.
RHEA
Rhea, in Greek mythology, is the mother of the gods, daughter of Ouranus and Gaia, and wife to Kronos (Time). Often referred to as”the mother of gods,” Rhea represents the pinnacle of maternal virtue and strength. Her story includes the rescue of her youngest son, Zeus, from being swallowed by Kronos, showcasing her protective nature. Rhea’s association to THE EMPRESS emphasizes the sovereignty and protective qualities of the maternal archetype, aligning with THE EMPRESS’s role as a guardian and nurturer of life’s sacred aspects.
DEMETER
Demeter, daughter of Rhea, the Greek goddess of agriculture, grain, and fertility, is central to the myth of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which revolve around her daughter Persephone’s abduction by Hades and the subsequent change of the seasons. Demeter’s grief causes the earth to become barren, demonstrating her integral role in fertility and the cycles of life and death. In relation to THE EMPRESS, Demeter emphasizes the nurturing aspect of the archetype, highlighting themes of maternal care, renewal, and the life-giving abundance of nature. She reflects the cyclical nature of THE EMPRESS’s generativity and her role in sustaining life through continuous cycles of growth and retreat, death and rebirth. Demeter is to the harvest of autumn as her daughter Persephone is to the renewal of spring.
HESTIA
In Greek Mythology, Hestia is the sister of Demeter, another daughter of Rhea and is the goddess of the hearth, home, and family. Hestia is worshipped as protector of the sanctity of the home and is central to the maintenance of the Sacred Fire (Kundalini) in the hearth, which was never allowed to be extinguished. This eternal flame symbolized the enduring presence and protection of the divine within the household, as it did in the ‘body’ and the kingdom of nature. In the context of THE EMPRESS, her throne is associated with the hearth, connecting her to these concepts of stability, sanctity, and ongoing renewal within the domain of her influence.
APHRODITE
In Greek Mythology, Aphrodite is born after Kronos castrates his father Ouranos and casts his seed into the sea, where the ocean foam gives birth to Aphrodite (Venus). Desire and Beauty are emergent from the castration of the unattainable by the scythe of Time. Beauty is Eternity gazing at itself in the mirror.
Beauty is eternity gazing at itself in a mirror.
But you are eternity and you are the mirror.—Kahlil Gibran
VEDIC MYTHOS
The lineage of Vedic deities associated with these themes includes Lakshmi, Parvati, Saraswati, and Durga, each adding layers to the multifaceted persona of THE EMPRESS. Lakshmi, known for her abundance and fertility, mirrors the nurturing abundance typically associated with THE EMPRESS.
SHAKTI
Shakti represents the fundamental creative energy of the universe, personified as the divine feminine power. She is the source of all existence and the energy through which the cosmos is animated and evolves. Shakti is often seen as the dynamic force that partners with the static consciousness of Shiva, creating a balance between action and contemplation, much like THE EMPRESS and THE EMPEROR. Her role underscores the concept of active creation and sustenance, resonating deeply with THE EMPRESS’s nurturing and generative capacities.
LAXMI
Lakshmi symbolizes wealth, prosperity, and beauty. She is often depicted with gold coins flowing from her hands, signifying the abundance she bestows upon her devotees. Lakshmi’s association with lotuses, which bloom in the mud yet remain unstained, highlights purity and transcendence amidst the material world, reflecting THE EMPRESS’s ability to nurture beauty and prosperity in various aspects of life. Lakshmi’s presence enhances THE EMPRESS’s symbolism, emphasizing prosperity not just in material terms but as a holistic embodiment of well-being and abundance.
PARVATI
Parvati, a form of Shakti, epitomizes fertility, marital felicity, and devotion. As the consort of Shiva, she brings balance to his ascetic tendencies, grounding his spiritual pursuits in worldly participation and responsibility—themes that echo the balanced partnership seen in the figures of THE EMPRESS and THE EMPEROR. Parvati is also the mother of Ganesha and Kartikeya, and her role as a mother highlights themes of care, nurture, and the protection of her progeny, directly aligning with the maternal aspects of THE EMPRESS.
IRISH MYTHOS
DANU
Danu is often considered the mother of the Irish gods, linked to the Tuatha Dé Danann, which translates to "the people of the goddess Danu." She symbolizes the earth, fertility, and richness. As a maternal figure, she embodies the nurturing and sustaining aspects of THE EMPRESS, providing for the needs of her progeny and by extension, all life.
ÁINE
Áine is an Irish goddess associated with summer, wealth, sovereignty, and fertility. Often considered a sun goddess, she is also linked to the moon and is known for her protection and encouragement of crops and animals, reflecting THE EMPRESS’s connection to the cycles of nature and growth. Áine’s role as a protector and nurturer of the land and its people aligns closely with the nurturing aspects of THE EMPRESS
NORSE MYTHOS
FREYJA
Freyja, a prominent goddess in Norse mythology, shares many characteristics with Venus. She is the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, and fine material possessions, making her the Norse counterpart to the Roman Venus. Freyja is also a fierce warrior and a leader of the Valkyries, adding a dimension of strength to her role in love and beauty, which we see echoed in the shield at the side of the throne of THE EMPRESS.
AMERICAN MYTHOS
LADY LIBERTY
There are three small visual links between THE EMPRESS and Lady Liberty which indicate a link between.
The star motif on the brow, and the divine aegis held aloft—a torch of Enlightenment in the case of Liberty and the Golden Sceptre of Divine Aegis in the hand of THE EMPRESS. Both the stars and the items held aloft signify a higher purpose or principle that these figures embody and communicate. They are both seen as mediators between the higher ideals and the earthly realm, guiding humanity according to these principles. The third is the stone tablets that Lady Liberty presents which we find in the stone dais that THE EMPRESS is enthroned on. THE EMPRESS is seated between two frontiers, the tamed field of Wheat in the foreground and the untamed wilds in the background. Lady Liberty is seated at the frontier between the Old World and the New World.
The numbers 3 and 4 associated with THE EMPRESS have a sum of 7 matching the number of rays that emanate from Lady Liberty’s brow.
INNER REFLECTION
THE EMPRESS is reclined upon her throne, inviting us into the heart of Abundance—where the cycles of growth and renewal unfold with grace. The golden sphere which adorns the head of her sceptre is itself a mirror of heaven by whose authority she rules absolutely.
Her realm is one of beauty and lush vitality, a testament to the life-giving power of the feminine principle. She does not merely preside over this richness; she is its source and its steward, a guardian of the earth’s treasures and a nurturer of its potential, an unbroken power stemming from the matrilineal lineage of Life.
In the presence of THE EMPRESS is the state of Grace, where we are called to reflect on our own relationship with nurture and creation. Her sceptre, a symbol of her sovereignty—and her marriage to the masculine—reminds us that true power is wielded with grace and aimed at the service of life’s continuation and flourishing.
“In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.”
Carl G. Jung
Her domain is a vivid tapestry of deep shadow and golden light, verdant trees and sun-ripened wheat stalks, wild nature and ordered agriculture. THE EMPRESS teaches us about the beauty inherent in balance and the wisdom of embracing both the seen and the unseen, what is past and what is imminent, the mysteries of the cycle of life and the receptive womb of life we grow in. We are invited to reflect on the nurturing blessings and forces not as hidden mysteries, but troves of abundance and fertility to be honoured, held in the same regard as the visible strength and firmness of the life they birth and nurture.
Through THE EMPRESS, we are invited to honour the same duality within ourselves—the giving and the receiving, the waxing and the waning, the masculine and the feminine—and to recognise in that balance a fundamental alignment with the rhythms of the natural world and the cosmos. In her sacred audience, where fertility, beauty and desire appear as majesty, we find a reflection of our own relationship with The Mother and thereby a call to honour and embrace the nurturing potential we each hold within, and most especially to the grace of that principle and its generative force by whose virtue we all exist.
As THE EMPRESS is the symbol of the feminine, generative, yielding principle, we are reminded that the conditions under which She can continue to be generative and abundant if the conditions for generation and yield are not present. For yield, there must be effort and cadence. For generation, renewal must occur.
The title image depicts a motif called “the mirror of life,” reflecting the profound symbolism of THE EMPRESS card as a reflection of the cyclic and nurturing essence of existence and the role of the Divine Feminine in shaping and reflecting the fundamental nature of Life. Her throne is the heart of both the wild forest and the ordered fields.
The divine feminine is a storehouse of fertility through generation, by which death and birth are reflections of each other, and the tree and its roots are reflections of each other, and which nature and life are reflections of the design, order and telos of the divine.
If you are interested in joining me for an integrated exploration of your own Archetypes, Symbolism, Mythos, Totems and Astrology via the Hermetic lens, and have an appetite for something deeper and more mature, schedule a call.