Love is the real power. It's the energy that cherishes. The more you work with that energy, the more you will see how people respond naturally to it, and the more you will want to use it. It brings out your creativity, and helps everyone around you flower. Your children, the people you work with–everyone blooms. – Marion Woodman
In this part of the journey, the Empress invites us to embrace creativity, sensuality, and our nurturing nature.
If the High Priestess reminds us to develop our inner world of intuition, the Empress beckons us back to the earth — to stay rooted, grounded, and connected with our feminine essence.
Now, our hero encounters the Empress — embodiment of mothering, nurturing, creativity, and sensuality.
The Empress in Tarot: A Card of Creativity & Sensuality
In the Rider–Waite–Smith deck, the Empress sits surrounded by lush fields, a flowing stream, and nature’s abundance. She holds her scepter, and at her feet rests a shield with the symbol of Venus — the Roman goddess of love and once considered an Earth Mother.
Her crown of twelve six-pointed stars represents unity and the cycle of time. The pomegranates on her gown symbolize fertility and connection to Demeter, the Greek goddess of harvest.
She is a symbol of abundance, creation, and security. She can also represent a woman who is self-assured, radiant, and in harmony with the world.
The Empress teaches that we are all creative beings.
We bring life into the world — through art, relationships, and the energy we nurture.
She reminds us that abundance flows when we open to the infinite resourcefulness of the universe.
We can all be a mother — to ourselves and others — by cultivating love and gentleness.
When she appears in a reading, creativity flourishes — through projects, relationships, or even literal fertility.
She’s a reminder that your needs will be met and that life unfolds with patience and care.
She is the watcher of seeds growing — a card of nourishment, love, and the beauty of creation.
She encourages us to trust our creative flow and have faith that we are always supported.
My Personal Journey with The Empress
In 2024, I was in a time of transition — caring for my elderly parents, tending to my special-needs cats, and recovering from Hurricane Helene.
During that time, I began painting tiny daily canvases — small acts of creativity that nourished my spirit.
Soon, the Empress began appearing in my readings.
I realized she came to reassure me that I had the power to nurture myself — and that these small creative acts were seeds of something greater.
Those little paintings became the foundation for this very series — the Hero’s Journey through the Major Arcana.
Every card, every prop, every piece of art became a living expression of The Empress’s gift.
Even now, the Empress reminds me that creativity is both our teacher and our medicine — that through creating, we heal.
The gift of the Empress is knowing that we are creators — and that everything will unfold in divine timing.
She reminds us that life, like nature, always finds its way to bloom again.
The Empress Chakra Connections
The Empress has two chakra connections.
- The sacral chakra for fertility, for creativity and nurturing, as well as support.
- The heart chakra for love
Of course you can't have creativity without a feeling of love. And creating a family and creating something that is born of your heart.
The sacral chakra is orange in color. And so with the Empress there's a lot of warm tones. There are also greens on this card for love.
You'll also see the yellow background. It's for clear feeling and even clear knowing.
Your Story + Invitation
The Empress represents creativity — the ability to create, nurture, experience abundance and have support.
Find your own wisdom in the Tarot and follow me on this journey.
To help you along, I’ve created a simple Tarot Cheat Sheet (see below) with keywords and meanings for each card, based on my own experience. You’ll find the link below.
And if you’re standing at your own threshold — ready to leap — a personal tarot reading can bring clarity. Book a 1:1 tarot reading with me and we can explore the cards as they show up for you in the past, present and future.
When has The Empress showed up for you in your life?
