Excerpt from the Dark Days Tarot Guidebook by Emily Mundy
III. The Empress~
The Empress is the archetypal Earth Mother, The Feminine Principle, and the Goddess of Fertility in the Tarot. Ruled by Venus (the planet of love and harmony), this femme figure radiates with a deep understanding of relationships and a regenerating realization of beauty. In a reading, the appearance of The Empress indicates that the querent is ready to make their life better by bringing cooperation into their environment; the querent is also ready to embody empathy and to recognize their power as someone endowed with a distinct ability to listen and understand. When this card appears, rejoice. Receptivity is a sacred link to the souls of others, and an invisible wire connecting to the heart of the world.
Suggested Prompts:
upright: relating; harmony; empathy; understanding; receptivity
right: inviting harmony, beauty, and cooperation; sense of unity with others
left: understanding through introspection
reversed: call to introspection; indecisive concern
The Empress card is inspired by #BLACKLIVESMATTER co-founder Patrisse Cullors. She is an activist, organizer, and freedom fighter, creating possibility within the black, brown, queer and trans communities via her continued work in social justice.
She applies artistry to her work, combining her steadfast voice and leadership with ritual, magic, and beautiful Ifa spirituality. These practices likely sustain her as she creates change and movement that will outlast her lifetime.
Grain of inspiration for the Empress:
How can your magical practices help you to help others? How do you draw from Earth, and how do you give back to her?
The Empress is the Mother of the Tarot, and mother knows what’s best. She knows from her guts, which includes her creative core.
When this card arrives you should be listening to the ticking clock within. What is it you are meant to create, now before it’s too late? No one knows the reality of life and death better than Mother. Her body tells her, and the Mother self is within us all.
The Empress channels a soothing tone. When in doubt, turn back to Earth. We can always find Mother in nature. “Tree-hugging” isn’t just for hippies, all trees and humans love each other.
There is no need to feel alone near a tree, the ocean, or listening to birds. There is no need to feel alone when surrounded by gleaming blades of sunshine, a blanket of watery clouds or a rainfall. Earth is one giant womb, and we are never actually alone.