The Empress tarot card is the mother archetype of the tarot deck and the number three of the Major Arcana cards. Following the High Priestess, this card represents a shift from self-love to loving others.
Nature, focusing on vibrations, and physical activity are all connected to an Empress-influenced reading.
Because the Empress is associated with strong maternal influence, the presence of the Empress is great news if you are looking for harmony in your marriage, strengthening friendships, or hoping to start a family.
Table of Contents
THE EMPRESS KEYWORDS
Before we dive deeper into the upright- and reversed meaning of the Empress, we wrote down some facts and the most important words represented by “the mother of the tarot cards“.
| Upright | Femininity, nurturing, fertility, abundance |
| Reversed | Dependence, smothering, emptiness |
| Yes or No | Yes |
| Numerology | 3 |
| Element | Earth |
| Planet | Venus |
| Astrological Sign | Taurus |
The Empress Tarot Card Description
To fully understand the Empress tarot card meaning, we will first take a look at the illustration, its colors, and symbolism.
The Empress tarot card shows a beautiful woman sitting on a throne with an aura of peace and tranquility around her.
On her head, she wears a crown with twelve stars. These stars indicate her divine connection with the mystical realm and the cycles of the natural world (twelve months and twelve planets).
Her pomegranate-patterned robe represents fertility, and she sits on cushions embroidered with a Venus sign, symbolic of love, harmony, creativity, beauty, and grace.
The beautiful and abundant nature that surrounds her, indicates the connection of the Empress with Mother Earth and life itself.
The golden wheat springs depicted in the foreground reflect abundance from a recent harvest. They tell us that the Empress brings abundance and blessings in the readings of those she meets.
The Empress Tarot Card Meaning
The upright Empress tarot card in a reading calls on you to connect with your feminine side. This can be translated in many ways – think of creativity, elegance, sensuality, fertility, and nurturing.
She tells you to be kind to yourself and search for beauty and happiness in your life. Dancing, singing, cooking, giving love, and waiting to receive love are all ways to connect with yourself. These things allow you to experience pleasure and deep satisfaction.
The Empress tells you to be kind to yourself and search for beauty and happiness in your life.
The Empress often brings strong bursts of creative or artistic energy. This creative energy may not only be in the form of a painting or art project, but also in other forms of expressing yourself creatively, like music or drama.
When the Empress shows up in your reading, it can mean that this is the perfect time to take up a new hobby that enables you to access this part of yourself.
It is also likely that you have a strong desire to nurture and take care of others with love and compassion. You may even step into the role of ‘mother’, as the Empress is a strong indication of pregnancy or birth.
This can be an actual pregnancy or childbirth, but also a metaphorical ‘birth’ of a new idea, business, or project. The Empress assures you that if you nurture and support those new ideas with compassion and love, they will manifest successfully.
The Empress Reversed
In this paragraph, we will talk a bit more about what it means if you’ve pulled the Empress tarot card in the reversed position.
The Empress reversed again tells you to connect with your feminine qualities, but now it indicates that you have been suppressing or ignoring your feminine side and that you need to embrace it in order to bring your masculine and feminine energies into balance again.
The imbalance can take many forms. It might be that you have focussed too much on the material and mental matters of life, instead of the emotional and spiritual. Or that you’ve placed too much emphasis on the emotional or material needs of others.
As a result, you neglected your own needs and you may have lost your own willpower and strength or feel empty inside.
While the Empress‘ nature is to take care of others with love and care, this can sometimes go overboard.
You have let maternal energy consume you and have become everyone’s mother. This just isn’t healthy for you and your relationships to grow.
Therefore, the Empress reversed advices you to shift the focus and ground yourself to correct this imbalance. Don’t sacrifice yourself so much and make self-love and self-care a priority. You also need to rest and receive love.
If you’re a parent, the reversed Empress tarot card is also an indication that you take the ‘mothering’ role too far. You might be overprotective or controlling or give your children everything they want.
This, however, is not an appropriate way to show them love. Try to create a mature relationship with your kids and teach them the value of work and effort. Explain to them that their actions have consequences and that mistakes are an essential part of learning.
The Empress reversed is also a sign of a creative block, especially in ‘birthing’ a new idea or expressing yourself creatively.
You might be worried about what others will think of your work or whether it’s going to be a success. The Empress reversed tells you to let go of these insecure and negative thoughts.
Just trust yourself and allow your creativity to flow.
THE EMPRESS TAROT CAREER MEANING
As mentioned above, the Empress tarot card is all about creativity! So if you are looking for a way to make money, don’t pursue traditional routes.
Do you have a skill or passion that you can turn into a lucrative venture? For example, artsy types might open an Etsy store while those who love the outdoors might consider starting a guide service or selling produce.
Because she is rooted in nature, the Empress suggests that whatever you choose should be rooted in the natural world. Take some time to meditate on creative ways to flip what you like doing into a payoff.
- Use creative ways to make money
- Meditate to get inspiration
The EMpress Tarot Love Meaning
Because she is the embodiment of love and abundance, the Empress represents the perfect relationship with self and others.
If you desire a healthy, whole, and harmonious love connection, the Empress in a love reading is a good sign. However, this isn’t something you can manifest unless you first make sure that you are okay with you.
Do you accept yourself as you are? Do you embrace your flaws? Are you full of confidence or are you still struggling with shame and guilt?
The type of relationship delivered by the Empress is a by-product of self-care. As long as you are taking care of yourself, expect all of your other connections to bloom!
It’s worth noting again that the Empress has a strong link to a ‘mothering role.’ If you are already a mom or desire to be one soon, this comes as no surprise to you. If you’re not yet ready to take on a parenting role, consider becoming a mentor instead.
Are there others in your life that need guidance? Being ‘that person’ for someone else lifts overall consciousness and can give your life a great purpose.
- Make sure you’re ok with you
- Practice self-care
- Take care of others with love and compassion
The Empress Tarot Health Meaning
If you’ve been struggling with a health issue (physical, emotional, or spiritual), the Empress tarot card tells you to look for natural ways to bring yourself back to wholeness.
Although there are some conditions that require pharmaceutical remedies, many conditions are better addressed through natural remedies, meditation, the use of crystals, and aromatherapy
- Practice self-care
- Look for natural remedies that can help with your health issues
The Empress: Yes or No
The Empress tarot card is associated with feminine energy, abundance, and birth. Therefore the answer to your yes or no question is usually a yes. Especially if you can use creativity to turn something into a lucrative venture.
The Empress Tarot Card and Numerology
In Numerology, the number Three is abundance, fertility, and expansion. Three is the Empress, who shows the fruits of the labor of Two.
Three is like the wealth you’ve amassed from sharing your work by blending One and Two. Wealth needs to be put to good use. Who decides what to do with wealth and abundance? Boundaries, structure, and protection are needed.
The Empress Tarot Card and Astrology
The Empress is earthy. She is the Mother Archetype and mother of abundance. Though Cancer is considered the Mother of the Zodiac, the Empress is associated with earthiness and therefore with Taurus.
Taurus is concerned with stability, abundance, and finances. Taurus is ruled by Venus, the planet of attraction, beauty, and also abundance.
As mentioned above, the zodiac sign of the Empress tarot card, Taurus, is an earth sign. As such, the element connected to the Empress is Earth.
The Empress Tarot Card Combinations
As the mother archetype of the tarot deck, the Empress is usually a welcome card in a reading. Also, combined with other cards the Empress tarot card represents positive things like the birth of creative ideas and growth in relationships.
Below you can find the most important card combinations of the Empress.
The Empress and the Devil
No one likes to see the Devil appear in a reading, but with this combination, a warning is present. The Empress tarot card represents creativity and the Devil illustrates a ‘block’ or something that is stopping progress.
Are you procrastinating a great deal or having trouble determining what move to make next?
Look for mental or physical stumbling blocks such as too much alcohol, poor diet, lack of exercise, or not enough sleep that could be stopping you from being fully successful in areas of your life that you would like to see flourishing.
The Empress and The Ace of Wands
Like all Aces, this Wand represents a brand new beginning. When it appears alongside the Empress tarot card, the Ace of Wands ushers in the birth of creative ideas and interesting business ideas.
If you’ve always wanted to be your own boss, now is the right time. Doing something you’re passionate about while also earning a living is truly the best of both worlds.
Don’t know where to start? Start by making a list of what you desire the most.
The Empress and the Emperor
The true definition of a power couple, the Emperor and the Empress are a force to be reckoned with. It is our relationships with others that help catapult us through life.
When these two appear in a reading, a connection with someone else is going to take you to the next level in life.
If these cards have been pulled in a love reading, your lover is a soulmate and will help your overall growth.
The Empress Tarot Card Designs
All my descriptions of tarot cards are based on the Rider-Waite tarot deck. Yet, this doesn’t mean that I don’t use other decks too. And there are so many beautiful decks out there!
Just as inspiration, I added some of my favorite Empress drawings to this article. If you need help with choosing a deck, I can recommend this article, with helpful tips to select a deck that is right for you!
The Empress Tarot Card FAQ’s
As a recap, I have added the answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Empress tarot card meaning. If your question isn’t answered after reading this article, just send a message or leave a comment below.
What does the Empress mean in Tarot?
The upright Empress tarot card is all about femininity, creativity, and abundance. She calls on you to connect with your feminine side. This can be translated in many ways – think of creativity, elegance, sensuality, fertility, and nurturing.
Is the Empress a Yes or No Card?
The Empress tarot card in a yes or no reading indicates a yes. Especially when you can use your creativity to turn something into a lucrative business or project.
What is The Empress Love Meaning?
The Empress is a favorable card to receive in a love reading. She represents the perfect relationship with yourself and others.
THE EMPRESS TAROT CARD IN A READING
That’s all for the Empress tarot card meaning! If you have pulled this lady in your reading, did the meaning make sense to your situation in life?
I love to hear about spot-on readings so please take a minute to let me know in the comments below what you think about the Empress tarot card.
Elle says
I Love this! It really was a spot on card for me. I have recently pulled back from work to stay at home with my 14 month old & be more present for my 10 year old, as well as persue my artsty business ideas. Thank you so much, I am go happy to have stumbled upon your work, Thank you ???????? xx
Wille says
Hi Elle ???? Thanks for your comment and I’m happy to hear that you enjoy my article. For me, the Empress tarot card is all about nurturing, motherhood and creativity, so I can imagine that this card was spot on???? Wish you all the best with all of your beautiful mummy & business plans!
Love, Wille ✨✨✨
Jenni Edge says
My question to the cards was how to heal from past relationship and I pulled the empress, what does this mean? Practice self care maybe
Wille says
Definitely! The Empress tarot card is all about love, nourishment, and taking care of yourself. Learn about your femininity. There is a great book called “Women Who Run with the Wolves”. This might be a good beginning!