​Alternative Names: The Mother

Number: 3

Astrological Sign or Planet: Venus

Hebrew Letter: Daleth

Element: Earth

Key Meanings: Abundance, generosity, and creativity

The Empress card in Tarot symbolizes Isis, motherhood, femininity, and fertility. The Empress is a creator of life, of romance, of art, of business, and here the idea gestates until it is ready to be born. The basic Tarot symbols for this card are the gown decorated with pomegranates, a crown of twelve six-pointed stars, a rod, a heart-shaped shield inscribed with the symbol for Venus, and a field of ripe wheat.

Upright Meaning: When The Empress appears, a strong feminine energy is at work. As a mother figure and representative of the traditional female role, The Empress is a creative force that works for harmony. She brings disparate things together, reconciling differences, like a mother running a household must do. This is a card of emotional control and making things work congenially toward a common social goal.

The Empress also refers to the person’s emotional and physical resources—for nurturing, healing, feeding, and supporting other people. Often, there is a situation in the person’s life where love and nurturing are required—sometimes by the person herself, sometimes by others in the environment. This card is related to the caretaking process and may refer to the way the person was mothered, for the first and most significant relationship you form is with your mother, and this relationship has a direct bearing on all subsequent relationships. Sometimes The Empress indicates that the person either had an overbearing “smother mother,” or is acting out that role

Reversed Meaning: When reversed, the Empress shows financial issues and domestic strife. This may take the form of a controlling and disruptive influence at home. She can also show a creative block in your projects and someone who is needy and takes too much from you. The result of these challenges and demands is stressful, and there may be an impact on fertility if this is an issue for you now—literally in terms of conceiving a child or figuratively in terms of finding the time and peace of mind to grow an idea.