This past week, I dove into a new month at a new company in an entirely new kind of job. It was a whirlwind of change that I had to manage. To stay steady within. To embrace!
It was also a week that I had to be "on" at 110%. Which might explain why, for this week, I pulled the Empress, Reversed for us.
Upright, the Empress is a card of feminine power. Of the abundance and purity that comes from a victorious combination of female strength, relationships, and clear emotions. It's often referred to as the "pregnancy" card, though, sometimes that pregnancy can be more metaphorical than literal.
But reversed? To me, it speaks of a misalignment of priorities and a repression of emotions.
This week, the Empress Reversed asks us to get our ducks back in a row. To realize that stuff and status does not trump a clear mind and a warm heart.
The Empress, Reversed
Card Type:
Major Arcana. As a reminder, major arcana cards mean something momentous may occur, or represents a larger influence in our lives that is deep and long-lasting.
I don't know about you, but this has been one crazy year already. And we're only in April!
This is the third major arcana card. Threes are all about activation and growth. Reversed, they can mean that something is holding you back. You're feeling stuck.
What You See:
A woman sits on a cushioned throne. In her right hand she holds a golden scepter. Her left hand rests calmly on her left knee. She looks comfortable but not lazy. She's an Empress, after all. She didn't get there by lounging around.
Upon her head rests a crown of stars and laurels, of victory and spirituality. A heart props up her throne, carved with the sign of Venus. Her dress is patterned with roses and her neckline lined in pearls and lace. All symbols of femininity and purity.
A field of wheat surrounds her, and behind her is a lush and growing forest with a stream running through it that ends in a gentle waterfall.
But upside down we see the different tiers of the card. Wheat is above the heart is in line with a backwards running waterfall is before the thick forest is above the crown of stars and laurels. Or, in other words, material abundance is on top of relationships is in line of repressed emotions is before inner growth and is all weighing heavily upon our sense of victory and spirituality. Doesn't that feel backwards to you?
What You Feel:
Upright, this card screams of feminine power. Of the abundance that comes with embracing emotions and the support of positive relationships in our lives.
But reversed, this makes me feel like our emotions are being stifled and our relationships feeling a bit repressed as well.
Are we weighed down by the things in our life? Are our priorities out of wack? And if so, is that of our own doing or is there an external influence in our lives we need to overcome?
What You Say:
I do not let the things in my life define me. My dreams and my goals are the path I've chosen, my emotions there to add color to my journey and my relationships there to support me in the midst of obstacles. Even Queens get stuck, sometimes.