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The Empress Meaning - Major Arcana Tarot Card Meanings

By Tina Gong

Published March 06

Empress Keywords

Upright Keywords	Reversed Keywords
divine feminine, sensuality, fertility, nurturing, creativity, beauty, abundance, nature	insecurity, overbearing, negligence, smothering, lack of growth, lack of progress
Skip to Upright Meaning	Skip to Reversed Meaning

The Empress Meaning - Original Rider Waite Tarot Depiction

The Empress Tarot Card Description

The Empress depicts a woman sitting on a throne. From the abundant nature that surrounds her, we can assume that this woman represents the Earth Mother archetype, a goddess of fertility. Her world is ruled by venus which means that there is complete love, harmony, fertility and luxury by the grace of this goddess. The woman herself has blonde hair crowned with stars, signaling her divine connection with the mystical realm. She is dressed in a pomegranate-patterned robe that represents fertility, and she is seated on cushions embroidered with a venus sign. She is surrounded by an enchanting green forest with a river streaming through it. The Empress brings abundance and blessings in the readings of those she meets.

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Upright Empress Meaning

The Empress shows us how deeply we are embedded to our femininity. Femininity could be associated with fertility, expression, creativity and nurturing among many other aspects. It therefore calls you to connect with beauty and bring happiness to your life. Understand yourself and get in touch with your sensuality so that you can attract life circumstances to bring happiness and joy. She is a signal that be kind to yourself, to take care of yourself.

The Empress is associated with fertility, expression, creativity and nurturing among many other aspects.

The Empress is also a strong indication of pregnancy and motherhood. You can look for other cards to confirm if this is truly pregnancy, or rather just an indication of a motherly, nurturing and caring attitude. The Empress card could also mean the birth of a new idea, business or project on your life. Owing to the good fortune that surrounds this card, you can be sure that such situations and projects would end successfully in your life. Discover and bring forth those ideas that have been clinging to you and make sure that you devote yourself towards accomplishing them. This card is a sign that they are going to be successful, and well taken care of. The Empress, as the archetype of the mother earth, also encourages you to spend time interacting with nature, the mother of all of us.

Upright Love Meaning	Upright Career Meaning	Upright Finances Meaning
nurturing, supportive lover, sensual committed relationship	nurturing colleagues, freshening up office, creative period at work	material comfort, giving, sharing material wealth, generosity

Empress Tarot Love Meaning (Upright)

The Empress tarot love meaning stems from the element of earth. The person represented by this card can be loving, nurturing and caring, as has financial security or appreciative of beautiful, comforting things. Sometimes, the Empress can point to love and work coming together, either with a coworker, or perhaps a new business venture.

When it comes to relationships, this card also heralds a stable, serious and committed relationship. Because the card also represents motherhood, sometimes it can also signal marriage or pregnancy, or at least a new family, in whatever form that means for you.

Career Meaning - Upright Empress

Your career right now may be enjoying a boost right now. You may be more creative and passionate than usual, and putting all your ideas to work in your projects. Since the Empress is related to nourishment and nurturing, it may also suggest that you’re feeling particularly nurturing and generous when it comes to your workplace as well. You may be working on making a more harmonious and welcoming office, whether that means being supportive of coworkers, or putting a new coat of paint at your home office. Having the environment to do your best can certainly give you even more momentum. Sometimes, this card can also point to another person in your workplace that has these qualities.

Finances Meaning - Upright Empress

The Empress is abundant both creatively and materially, so this card can point to a comfortable financial situation. You may also be feeling very generous with your money now, wanting to nourish your friends and family with your abundance and good luck. It is certainly a good time to share what you have.

Reversed Empress Meaning

The Empress reversed indicates that you have lost too much of your own willpower and strength because you have started placing too much effort and concern to other people’s affairs. While the Empress's nature is of showering her loved ones with attention and care, this can sometimes go overboard. You might be neglecting your own needs, or even smothering the ones you love with your well-intentioned actions.

In a role reversal, perhaps a reversed Empress is finding her way into your life; it could also mean that you are relying on others to take care of you, and make decisions for you. You need to work towards removing this influence on your life, and build confidence in your own actions. Always try as much as you can to ensure that you solve matters on your own.

Reversed Love Meaning	Reversed Career Meaning	Reversed Finances Meaning
lack of self worth, jealous, clingy lover, lack of progress in love	feeling insecure at work, not growing skills, stale job	feeling insecure about finances, despite being stable

Empress Love Tarot Meaning (Reversed)

The reversed Empress love tarot meaning can represent a partner is too smothering, controlling or alternatively, unable to express their feelings. The card can also signal that one's self-worth may need a boost. Without feeling worthy of being loved, it doesn't matter who you are with, you may have difficulties maintaining that relationship.

If you're in a relationship, the Empress in a love tarot meaning can be encouragement to spend some quality time together, and care for eachother. Give yourself a treat by having a date at a restaurant, or a walk holding hands. These moments will bring you two closer together.

Career Meaning - Reversed Empress

Your career may be feeling stale, tedious and unfulfilling right now. It may feel that you’re making little progress when it comes to developing your skills and abilities. The work is monotonous, and perhaps you’ve already mastered what you can do in this position. You may feel that others don’t appreciate the work you’re doing, further adding to your frustration. At times, this card also can point to a feeling of being insecure when it comes to your career. This may also be causing the other problems you’re experiencing. It’s important to take the time now and sort out which of these are problems that require an external change, like switching jobs, versus an internal one, like developing better confidence and communication skills.

Finances Meaning - Reversed Empress

Since the Empress is generally a great card to have with finances, even in the reversed position, she still signals a comfortable amount of financial stability. However, in reverse, she may suggest that despite you having enough, you may still feel unstable. Sometimes, this can come from growing up in poverty, or is just the nature of being self-employed. You may have to do some internal work to understand why this is so; and what you can do to change it. Continue to be responsible with your finances, and it’s likely you’ll be fine.