What does the Empress card mean in tarot? And in love?

In tarot, The Empress represents Mother Earth: it is the card of abundance, fertility, growth, beauty and care, with herself and with others. This Major Arcana is a very welcome sign of blessings when it appears in our prints.

Learn more about the meanings of The Empress card according to the Rider-Waite Tarot and find out how to interpret it.

The art of The Empress card

The art of the tarot card The Empress shows us a beautiful woman surrounded by a large number of very rich elements in their symbologies that help us to understand and interpret the meanings of the card.

The Empress wears a crown of twelve stars, representing her connection to the mystical world and the cycles of the earth; we can relate the twelve stars to the months of the year and the signs of the zodiac.

Their garments receive the pomegranate print, a symbol of fertility and abundance.

At her side, a pillow stamped with the symbol of the feminine and the planet Venus, the planet of love, creativity, fertility, beauty and grace, all the characteristics of the Empress.

Your connection to Mother Earth is represented by the forest at the bottom of the card; further on, the wheat field represents abundance. The flowing river water is a sign of the Empress’s intuition and emotional side.

The Empress card meaning

The Empress is a loving and caring mother; she is a positive card, linked to the feminine, to abundance and beauty. She is the energy of Mother Earth, of nature.

As it is a card that means fertility, A Empress is a symbol of birth and growth, not only literally, when interpreted as a sign of pregnancy, but also as a metaphor: birth of new ideas, of new projects. The Empress is saying that, with dedication, the plans will succeed.

In tarot, The Empress is synonymous with almost maternal sustenance, care and protection in relation to situations and people. But we need to be careful: care and protection can easily turn into overprotection. On the other hand, she is a sign to be kinder to yourself, to take care of yourself.

As it is a card extremely connected to the Earth element and nature, The Empress asks for a greater connection with nature and the universe that exist, not only in the external world, but also within us.

The Empress tarot card can also indicate pregnancy and motherhood, which must be confirmed with other cards.

The Empress: inverted

The positive aspects of the Empress tarot card in the normal position turn into negative characteristics when she appears in the inverted position.

The Empress reversed tarot card can indicate an exaggeration when caring and worrying about others, leaving yourself aside. The inverted Empress’ overprotectiveness can be suffocating, even if the intentions are good.

Caring for the other turns into contempt and abandonment, especially those who need attention. The nature represented by the Empress, when in the inverted position, indicates punishment and correction of the other’s attitudes; Care must be taken not to be too cruel.

It can also indicate that someone else is acting as The Empress in your life, taking away your power to act and decide for yourself. You need to build trust in her decisions and act on your own.

Inverted, the Empress tarot card can mean infertility, literally or as a metaphor for lack of creativity for new projects and ideas.

The Empress in print

The presence of the Empress tarot card in a circulation is a positive sign and can be a message to continue showing compassion, empathy, generosity and care in your relationship with the other. In the inverted position, she may be drawing attention to learn to be better at caring for others.

It can indicate the birth of something new: it usually means the creation of a new project or idea, the possibility of delving into a project or relationship that already exists, but it can also indicate a pregnancy.

The Empress is a very positive card when it comes to creativity, especially in artistic creation. If in the inverted position, however, it could indicate a creative block.

If The Empress appears to you in a print, she may be asking you to pay more attention to your intuition and feelings.

It can be a sign to relax and pamper yourself a little, as The Empress tarot card also indicates abundance.

If The Empress appears in the inverted position, pay more attention to your independence and personal growth.

The Empress in Love

When The Empress appears in prints about love, it indicates a serious and stable relationship, and it can also indicate marriage, pregnancy or the emergence of a new family.

In a relationship that already exists, The Empress asks you to spend more time with the other person, sharing moments of love and care so that they can become even closer and united.

In the inverted position, in a spread about love, the tarot card The Empress may indicate a partner who is too controlling or too detached, unable to express feelings.

Want to find love or need guidance on a relationship? Talk to our experts and clarify your doubts!

The Empress in Mythological Tarot

In the Mythological Tarot, The Empress is represented by Demeter, goddess of agriculture, who rules over nature, the seasons and the laws of the Cosmos.

As in traditional tarot, the elements of the card point to abundance, fertility and the sentimental and emotional side of each one. The crown worn by the Empress of the Mythological Tarot represents her instinct to build places of safety and peace.
Did you like learning about The Empress and want to know even more about the tarot? Check out the course on The Major Arcana!