The Empress is the first ruler of the tarot. She represents abundance, fertility, and growth. Where The High Priestess speaks of the divine feminine in her rule over all spiritual and psychic realms, The Empress brings that female empowerment directly into creation.
She makes things happen.
It’s funny, because The Empress is never represented as a badass. You see her sedate and placid. She speaks of femininity, sensuality, and all the quiet, pretty ways women move change through the world. But in truth, she is a warrior personified… Just look at her shield, laid casually at her side as if she knows her power is so absolute that no enemy can touch her.
Where she appears, great potential resides – to create life where none existed, to invent new movements, launch businesses, and to sow love where discord once ruled. She is powerful. And she reminds us that we do not need to be large or masculine to force change. In fact, she wields a creative power her masculine cohort cannot access.
In this post, we’ll walk through the imagery of The Empress, analyzing the symbolism in the card. We’ll talk a bit about how other decks have depicted her and dive into the different ways to interpret her when she’s laid in a spread.
Just looking for the meaning of the Empress to do a reading? Jump down to “The Meaning of the Empress in Tarot” section to find out how to read the card upright and reversed. And, if you’re looking for brief definitions for all the cards, check out our Tarot Card Meanings Resource Page.
The Empress Imagery
Everything about the card speaks of creation and power, from the rich colors to the lush nature surrounding our empress. She sits in the center of the card with her key number above – III.
It’s notable that she’s somewhat reclined, rather than rigidly upright like other rulers, such as The Emperor or the kings and queens of the minor arcana. She sits on red, luxurious cushions. Bright red pomegranates decorate her robes – a symbol we see often in the tarot. She holds a scepter in her left hand and wears a crown of stars upon her head. At her feet, we see a heart shaped shield, emblazoned with the symbol of Venus, goddess of love.
In the foreground, a field of healthy wheat grows. And in the background, we see a vibrant green forest with a waterfall, flowing down to a river. The far background of the card is bright yellow.
The Empress Symbolism Explained
To understand the card a bit better, let’s look into the symbolism. Here are some of the key things to note:
- The Key (III). The Empress is Key III. In spiritual matters, the number three often represents the divine, such as the Holy Trinity and the Triple Goddess. In numerology, three speaks of creation and is often seen as a good number for writers and artists. Other meanings: optimism, sensuality, enjoyment, and new beginnings.
- Yellow. In the Rider deck, many cards have a yellow background. While this is often overlooked as a simple design choice, I correlate the color with its metaphysical meaning – new beginnings, energy, and creativity.
- Crown. The Empress wears a crown of 12 stars. This is notable because it is reminiscent of images of the Virgin Mary. The Empress’s stars are often thought to symbolize the 12 zodiac signs. In both cases, it correlates to the divine.
- Scepter. She holds a scepter in her left hand – the hand associated with intuition. The scepter reflects her rulership. A globe sits at the top of her scepter, representing power and knowledge.
- The Red Cushions. Her seating looks rich and opulent, signifying material comfort and contentment. Red is the color of power, love, passion, and sensuality.
- The Forest. The forest is lush and green, representing growth, nature, and often seen as a symbol of fertility. Literally, the power to have children and build a family.
- The Waterfall and River. Many readers believe that the river in this card flows from The High Priestess before her, connecting the Fool’s journey. Water represents intuition and emotion. And the addition of a waterfall showcases the power of emotion… all things in The Empress indicate that her emotions are her strength. She’s driven by them, often love and kinship but, in the wrong circumstances, her emotion might turn to jealousy or envy.
- Pomegranates (Her Robes). The Empress’s robes are adorned with pomegranates, much like the tapestry behind The High Priestess. Pomegranates represent fertility, but they are also universal symbols of beauty and sexual attraction, as well as knowledge.
- Shield. The Empress’s shield is in the shape of a heart and bears the symbol of Venus, the goddess of love. Her power lies in the emotions of love, and attributes of beauty, sensuality, and fertility. A shield is protection more than offensive war, but she wields this power to defend herself and others. It’s also notable that the shield and floor beneath her are gray, which speaks to balance and impartiality. She is a fair ruler, not easily manipulated.
- Wheat. The fertile field of wheat symbolizes nurturing and abundance. It represents food, or the ability to feed her family, but also her propensity for growth – personally, professionally, and spiritually. The Empress can bear a large and happy family, build a thriving business, or reach spiritual enlightenment. In fact, she can achieve all of these in her lifetime.
The Empress in Other Tarot Decks
The most often cited meaning of The Empress is fertility. She is the mother, as that was once seen as the height of feminine success. In fact, she’s sometimes depicted as pregnant. She’s all things nurturing, unconditional love, and maternal.
Today, there are several possible definitions for this card as the role of women has, thankfully, expanded. Creative success and fertility might easily be about a successful business startup, rather than marriage and family.
The Meaning of the Empress in Tarot
The Empress Upright:
When The Empress appears in a reading, she brings with her the potential for great success. Whether in love, business, or even health. Maternal in nature, she might indicate that a mother-figure, or someone who embodies the characteristics of a loving mother watches over you. Or she may speak of your power to do that for others.
The Empress is beauty and creativity. This card often means new beginnings or great movement in new enterprises. Good and positive energy toward any goal you may have.
The Empress can be a sign of pregnancy and family growth. For those struggling with infertility, it is an indication that you may conceive or otherwise grow your family soon.
In matters of love, this card is sensuous and beautiful, bringing fulfilling matches and indicating that your attractions are reciprocated. In matters of business, it’s growth and moving in the right direction.
Where the card indicates a person, look for someone who is nurturing or very creative. The Empress is a card of leadership and may be a sign that your goals are within reach.
The Empress Reversed:
In the reversed position, The Empress may indicate a blockage in relationships. Rather than maternal and caring in nature, she may be jealous or manipulative.
Often the reversed position indicates that you lack confidence or second-guess yourself. You may have all the positive attributes of The Empress, but you stand in your own way. Fear of failure (or success) may keep you from moving forward, stalling your own progress.
When The Empress reversed appears, always consider whether you’re doing something to create barriers to your own happiness. Can you turn it around and tap into that amazing power? Most of the time, you have the ability to create fantastic new success but are in some way sabotaging your own efforts.
In reverse, this card may also indicate a negative influence or person. She may be someone in power or behind the scenes working against your best interests through manipulation or gossip.
Ready to Learn More About Working with Tarot?
With 78 cards and loads of resources, learning tarot can take some time. But it’s well worth the investment of hours. If you’re looking for more resources to get to know your cards, check out our posts on bonding with your deck, tarot accessories, and getting over Imposter Syndrome.
Interested in more posts like this one? Stop by our posts on The High Priestess, The Fool and The Magician