(Tarot Prompts for Writers)
What I See in the Card:
The Empress rules. She sits on a throne that blazes with sunlight and she presides over a lush green landscape. She is stately and calm and confident and, above all, powerful. Her power is evident in the way she appears enthroned in light, in her opulent robes and enormous crown, and in the shield and sceptre she carries and displays. And then there’s the wings. This is no ordinary ruler.
The sun is all around the Empress, suggesting light, life, wisdom and warmth and, again, power. Her wings are like the eagle’s on her shield. The eagle could represent the soul enthroned in nature — not trapped but embodied happily. Life is good for the Empress. The card brims with health, vitality, and joy.
The Empress is an Earth goddess and a Sun goddess, a ruler of life and light in a fertile land that is alive with both nature and spirit. She integrates spirit and matter so as to realize the full potential of both.
The Empress is younger than I’d expect an empress to be, but she’s definitely a woman and not a girl. She has experienced life, and her power comes from her experience. She’s no figurehead. She knows about the way things work.
I’m not sure what exactly she is empress of, but I think it’s more nature than nation. She’s no tyrant, and she won’t misuse her power for selfish reasons. She’s not that kind of ruler. There’s something about her that suggests family, friendship, life lived well with others. All others? Maybe. She has no sword, after all. There’s no suggestion of exclusion in her rule.
The Empress is colourful, calm, and looking directly at you. She’s regal but not intimidating. She’s open, approachable, and interested in your situation. You can ask her anything — but she’s an empress, so don’t waste her time.
This card comes near the beginning of your journey, when you might want to know about the powers that be. So get to know the Empress. She has some good advice. And she could do you a good turn. Or at least offer you a safe place to rest before you’re on your way again.
Read will take you to my notes on how to tell a fortune with the Empress — traditional interpretations; what the card might mean in different positions; keywords to help memorize meanings; and questions to ponder or ask the querent.
Write will take you to a few prompts for launching from the Empress into a story. A first line, a character/setting, and a theme — three possible ways to turn the Empress into fiction.
Tarot will take you to a central Tarot-Prompts page.
Go ahead, approach the throne.
Images on this page are by the following artists:
Banner (and top box), left to right: Marseilles deck engraved by Nicolas Conver; Dragon Tarot illustrated by Roger and Linda Garland: Tarot Balbi by Domenico Balbi; Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti; Radiant Rider-Waite deck illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith; Druid Craft deck illustrated by Will Worthington.
Mid-page boxes: Tarot Balbi; the Star Spinner Tarot created by Trungles.
Catherine Austen 