The Empress

The following blog is on The Empress. We will be analyzing the Empress card from the following decks: The Connolly, The Gendron Tarot, Radiant Rider Waite, Tarot of a Moon Garden, The Russian Tarot of St Petersburg and The Golden Tarot.

The Empress is often shown as a throned woman in richly embroidered gown, holding a scepter and wearing a crown with stars. Her beauty is sometimes accentuated by long hair and the sigil of Venus on a heart shaped shield at her feet. The association of Venus emphasizes a state of harmony and well being based on generosity of imagination and love and concern for others. She can be represented by fields of ripening grain or she may be sitting in a garden with flowers and trees which shows us her connection with the life force of nature.

Now lets discuss the artistic rendition of the card by the various artists. What are the similarities and differences between the different artistic renditions? All of our artists with the exception of Melanie Gendron and Karen Sweikhardt have placed the Empress on her traditional throne. Melanie Gendron has her standing there surrounded by prismatic rays and spheres. And In Karen Sweikhardt's the Tarot of a Moon Garden she is represented as a Fairy. What have each of the artists used to represent fertility and abundance? Kat Black uses fruit, flowers, rabbits and babies. In the Tarot of a Moon Garden we see a Cornicopia filled with pumpkins and corn. The other artists use ripening grain or flowers growing at her feet.

She is wearing a crown in all of their renditions. Kat Black in her Golden Tarot shows her crown as being made from wheat. In Yuri Shakov's The Russian Tarot of St Petersburg you see the crown inlaid with gemstones. In Tarot of a Moon Garden, Radiant Rider Waite, and the Gendron Tarot her crown is topped with 12 stars.

All of the artists have rendered her holding a scepter or staff with the exception of Melanie Gendron and Kat Black. In Yuri Shakov's version you see a shield leaning against her throne that shows the double headed eagle, symbolic of the Russian Empire and also representation of the Empress's soaring spirit reminding us of our physical, spiritual side. Earthly and heavenly qualities are needed to have happiness and wholeness. In the Connolly rendition you see to the Empress's left the fountain of life which we see through the symbolization of the butterfly.

The Empress is Card is Number 3 in Major Arcana. What does the number 3 represent when you are doing a reading? Keywords and Phrases associated with the number 3 are Creation, Growth, Flowering, Fertilization
3 is the number linked with human genitalia.

Astrological Correspondance of the number 3 is the planet Jupiter and signs of Sagittarius and Pisces. Jupiter represents good luck, friendliness, self expression, growth. The negative aspects of Jupiter can include vanity, being superficial, exaggeration.

The Astrological Correspondance of the Empress card is Venus because she is the embodiment of emotional love, sensual pleasure and sexual passion.

Animals that correspond with her are the dove which represents harmonious abundance and the butterfly with represents transformation.

Discrete symbols that can be found on the Empress card are the shield, the crown with 12 stars and flowering trees. The shield represents divine feminine creation and the crown with 12 stars represents abundant riches and also the 12 months of the year and the Zodiac. The flowering trees represent harvest.
The Empress embodies the

How would you use the Empress as a significator? The Empress can be used to represent an influential woman who has the power to help you. She can represent someone who is a mother or mother figure. A pregnant woman and boss or employer or a very creative woman.

In a reading how would I interpret the Empress in the
Upright position?
Keywords for this card would be fruitfulness, mother, abundance and healing.
Phrases I might use would be Successful results for hard work, fulfilled potential, Willingness to help others.
As advice I might see this card as telling me that something you have worked hard on will now pay off. This card could show pregnancy or indicate marriage especially if I see it with the 3 of cups.

In a reading how would I interpret the Empress in the Reversed position?
Keywords for this card would be Miscarriage, Infertility, Poverty
Phrases I might use would be Wasted Energy, Blocked development, Failure to thrive.
As advice I might see this card as telling me that your mood might be depressed or that you are in an unsatisfactory relationship.

In a romance reading this card would indicate love, passion, family life. For a man it would represent his ideal woman.
In a health reading she could be showing you that pregnancy is a distinct possibility or you need to take time to nurture yourself.
In a work/career reading it could be telling you that your plans will find the support they need. Your work might be with children – a day care, a school teacher.

An affirmation I would use with the Empress is “I value the healing power or love” or “I am a nurturing and supportive person.” For meditation she is a good visual reminder of giving and receiving love in balanced and appropriate ways.

Join me next time for our study of the Emperor card. Until then, Bright Blessings.

The Fool

Lets begin by discussing the Tarot card The Fool but before we do that I would like to give a brief history of the 6 Tarot Decks that I have chosen to work with so that you can see the variations in artwork from artist to artist. The 1st deck is The Golden Tarot by Kat Black. Her artwork has been collaged completely from late to Middle Ages and the Early Renaissance period. The Major Arcana in this deck consists of 22 cards representing a journey through life towards salvation. The Minor Arcana cards represent more everyday affairs. The images used in the artwork are from 1200 – 1500 AD. Her style can be considered international gothic but Kat did not stick directly with that in some instances you can see where the art evolved into Renaissance.



The 2nd deck is the Russian Deck of St Petersburg by Yury Shakov. Even though this deck is not geared towards beginners it is very easy to read. The paintings of this deck were done to exact size. The detailed work required a magnifying glass and an arm brace to steady the hand and at times a paint brush with only a single hair. Many of the scenes are reminiscent of icons by eighteenth and nineteenth century painters. This deck was Yury Shakov's final commissioned work. He passed away March 10, 1989. He finished a number of the cards and preliminary sketches for the rest but the work was finished by an unknown Russian Artist.

Our 3rd deck is the Tarot of a Moon Garden. The paintings in this deck are by Karen Marie Sweikhardt. This deck is whimsical, enchanting and loaded with symbolism. Karen uses Unicorns, Dragonflies, Dragons, Lush Jungles, Butterflies, Hot Air Balloons and the Moon to show full effect. Unicorns act as guides, dragons indicate transformation, castles serve as shelter and Angels and fairies offer the reader guidance as the seeker journeys through the experiences of the Major and Minor Arcanas. The moon also appears in her many phases representing the triple goddess – maiden, mother and crone.

Our 4th deck is the Radiant Rider Waite Tarot Deck. Designed by Pamela Colman Smith under the direction of Dr. Arthur Edward Waite. Recolored by Virginia Poshkus. Virginia Poshkus has recolored this deck in vibrant colors, which I find much more stimulating then the Original Rider Waite Deck.

Our 5th deck is the Connolly Tarot Deck. Eileen Connolly designed this tarot deck in cooperation with her son Peter Paul Connolly. The scenes on each card are reminiscent of medieval stained glass. Eileen Connolly PhD is one of the worlds leading authorities on tarot, numerology and other esoteric sciences. Her works are used extensively as textbooks by tarot and educational institutions. She is known as the teacher''s teacher. Her son painstakingly recreated the Connolly Tarot deck under her guidance. He used colored pencils as his medium.

Our final deck will be The Gendron Tarot created by Melanie Gendron. The Gendron Tarot is an absolutely beautiful deck – which is feminist/Goddess/earth centered, respectful of all and follows traditional lines. Melanie's artwork is a blend of cultures and spiritual traditions from throughout the world. We have become a global society and she integrated this throughout the deck. She also shows an incredible array of companion animals and metaphysical symbols. I feel that each one of these decks give a very unique perspective of the tarot cards through each of the artist's renditions. So lets take a look at the Fool card as represented by them and do a visual comparison.

First lets state the basic meaning of the card: 0 the number of the card in the major arcana represents an empty vessel. The Fool represents the element of Air. It is associated with the Planet Uranus which showing adventure, independence and free spirit. The card itself represents each of us as we make our way through life.

Second lets point out the similarities. All six 6 versions of the Fool have a dog jumping at his or her feet. All six show him or her standing at the edge of a Cliff and all 6 six show the Fool with a far off look in his or her eyes. What do these things symbolize? Well, the dog jumping at the feet can be seen as loyalty or possibly trying to warn the Fool of danger. In all the cards you can see that he or she doesn't seem to notice the dog. I take this as not heeding the warning or showing ignorance. Now being on the edge of the Cliff can be interpreted as disregard for potential risks but the Cliff itself represents the precipous of life. The far off look symbolizes him or her going on a new adventure or optimism for the future.

Now the Golden Tarot and Gendron both show th Fool as female. The remaining 4 decks show the Fool as a male facing to the left which is symbolic of the unconscious or unknown feminine principle. In all the decks with the exception of the Gendron they are all wearing hats which representative of Air.In all the decks with the exception of the Golden Tarot they carry a wand which symbolizes Personal Will. The Gendron, Connolly and Radiant all have a feather which symbolizes optimism and new beginnings. They also have white roses which symbolize Freedom from lower forms of desire. In the Gendron there is actually a chain of roses around the top of the card which represents desires as being so strong that the unconscious forces bow before it. The Gendron Fool also shows the Cliff edge as a wolfs head representing the conscious mind and stars that represent hope. In the upright position the Fool can mean potential, a new chance, an open mind, a new phase or life, Trust in a higher power.

As a significator it would represent inexperienced people, someone who needs to make a decision. In the reversed position it can represent poor judgement, risk, throwing caution to the wind. As a significator it could represent gamblers, someone who is not committed. Join me next time for the Magician. Until then. Bright Blessings.

How do you choose the right Tarot deck?

There is no right way or wrong way to read the Tarot Cards. Many Tarot Card readers actually create their own spreads and layouts. Yet there are spreads that are commonly used by many and easily recognizable by those who are not experienced Tarot Cards readers. A few that you might be familiar with are the Celtic Cross and a Past, Present and Future Reading.

Each card position in the spread carries a particular meaning that will help the reader interpret the significance of the card depending on the position the card falls in. The meaning of the individual card will also depend on the surrounding cards, the nature of the question asked and the readers intuitive awareness. The art of reading a spread is much like putting the pieces of a puzzle together.A reading uses imagination, intuition and creativity to process the story that the cards tell.

To start out using Tarot Cards you must have a Tarot Deck that speaks to you. I myself own 23 decks and I use all them for different types of readings. I recommend that you begin to learn by using only one deck. Find a deck that has artwork that you can relate to. Some decks are pretty but they don't necessarily inspire a person. For your first deck you should find one with artwork that stimulates your imagination and awakens your intuition.

Decks that I personally recommend for beginners are Hanson Roberts and Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot. The artwork is very colorful and when you look at the them they express the basic meaning of the cards in the details.

Once you go through all the steps that I previously mentioned and find a deck that you are comfortable with I then suggest you get to know it. Take the cards out, look at them, write down on a piece of paper what you see in each card and how that card makes you feel. What in the artwork jumps out at you. Meditate on them. By doing this you will literally get to know what those cards mean for you.

Besides the Upright and Reversal meaning of each card. Most cards have discrete symbolism on them. Mountains, Hills, Animals, Planets, Colors, The Witches Alphabet and Numerology also have representation. Here is an assignment for you! I recommend that you pull one card every morning and look at that Tarot Card. Lets use the Empress as an example. In her upright position the Empress represents motherhood, fertility, abundance, pregnancy, creativity. In her reverse position she can represent refusal to grow, lack of children, suffering, excessive materialism. Now look at the picture of the Empress on the deck that you have chosen to learn with. Do you see these ideas represented in the artwork? Lets use the Empress card in the Radiant Rider-Waite Tarot deck and really look at the artwork of this card. First we see that the card is the number 3. 3 can represent growth, creation, human genitalia, This card is associated with the planet Jupiter. On the card we see a woman wearing a crown of leaves and there are 12 stars, she is holding a septor. She has fine clothing there is lots of wheat growing at her feet. There are lots of green trees in the background. There is a heart pillow with the symbol representing the female on it. Now this is how I see this card. The vegetation represents fertility and fruitfulness. The symbol on the heart shaped pillow is obviously female. The crown is like that worn by Mother Nature. The septor represents Royalty, The 3 main colors of this card are green, orange, gold.

Green – new life, growth,

Orange – splendor, vitality.

Gold – attainment, radiance.

Do you see a repetition here of meaning? Once you learn these basic meanings and realize that they are repetitive through out the visualizations in front of you you will be able to use the cards in a variety of ways. You can meditate on it. These might represent characteristics you would like to build in your personality.

Something else I would like to discuss is care of your tarot deck. I personally don't allow others to touch my tarot decks. Now most Tarot Readers would think that this is superstitious and that energy imprints are not left behind. I don't agree with this from my own personal experiences and have had to cleanse decks because of it. But that is just my opinion and doesn't have to be yours. Each one of my decks has a velvet bag that I keep it in. A few decks are wrapped in silk. This keeps the decks clean and by storing them this way I make their usage special and significant every time I pull them out for a reading.

Before I read the cards on any given subject I usually light a white candle, burn myrrh and frankincense incense because they are my favorite scents and use meditation music and breathing techniques to open myself to the universe. I found that the abdominal breathing I practice from Yoga has been the most beneficial way for this to happen. But if you are unfamiliar with this kind of breathing technique I would suggest a simple breath in through your nose and out through your mouth method of breathing. Make sure that they are deep cleansing breaths and I recommend you repeat this step 3 times. You should start to feel your body relax and once you have you will be able to focus on your cards. Of coarse the more you practice this the better you will get.

Well that is all for this blog. Our next blog will be a discussion on The Fool. It's upright meaning, reversal meaning and how to interpret it in different spreads. We will also discuss several artists renditions and interpretations of The Fool card in their decks. The 6 decks I will be discussing are the Connolly Tarot Deck, The Gendron Tarot, Golden Tarot, Tarot of a Moon Garden, The Radiant Rider Waite, and the Russian Deck of St Petersburg. Until then-

Bright Blessings,

Marissa