What Does The Empress Card Mean In Tarot?

Though tarot cards have been around since the 15th century, it is only more recently, in the past few centuries, that they have been used for prediction. According to Allure, reading tarot cards is a magical practice, similar to astrology or spell work, that attempts to answer a question that a person presents to the cards. Each card in the tarot deck represents a person, place, or event. The symbols that correspond with these people, places, or events are represented in the Major Arcana cards, which reveal larger secrets, and the Minor Arcana cards, which reveal smaller secrets.

According to Tarot by Maisy, the Major Arcana represents the "hero's journey" or the journey one person makes from birth to death. The Major Arcana is include tarot cards like The Fool which represents conception, the High Priestess which represents the beginning of consciousness, the Empress or Emperor which represents identity, The Lovers which represent a first love, the Hermit which represents self-improvement, and Death which represents letting go (along with a few other tarot cards, of course).

The Minor Arcana cards, on the other hand, deal with more mundane matters, like dancing, drinking, sleeping, or even fighting with others. These cards are divided into four suits — the Page or Princess, Knight, Queen, and King — and contain a number from ace to 10 that mark the time of the event in question from the beginning (the ace) to the end (10), per Allure.

Traditionally, the Empress card signifies a strong connection with the traits associated with femininity, like sensuality, fertility, creativity, elegance, and nurturing. When you pull an Empress card, it might signify that you are going to experience an abundance of these traits while navigating various events in your life, per Biddy Tarot. "The Empress is traditionally regarded to be a person or period of time bolstering abundance, creativity, sexuality, and passion," Tumblr tarot reader Mónica Laura told Bustle. "She represents a period when you can expect to see achievement, prosperity, being sought after for your wisdom, and having influence over others to motivate or manipulate."

However, how the Empress affects your life also depends on whether you pull the upright or reversed (upside down) version of the Empress. When the Empress is pulled in an upright position, it can represent a number of positive things, like being successful in starting a family, becoming more financially stable, finding a creative boost in your career, or experiencing an abundance of love in your romantic relationship. On the other hand, pulling a reverse or upside down Empress could symbolize more negative things related to the common traits of the card, like a creative blockage, infertility, or being devoid of passion, emotion, and connection to that feminine energy in your life. At the end of the day, though, it's important to remember that these interpretations will change based upon the questions that you present to the tarot deck before the tarot reading begins.