The Empress Tarot Card: Symbolism, Interpretation & Reversed Meaning

I absolutely love when The Empress shows up in a tarot reading! She’s such a beautiful, comforting card, and arrives as a warm, nurturing hug. In the story of the Fool’s Journey, she follows the Magician and the High Priestess, representing the Divine Mother and a new stage of separation that the Fool must navigate.

We can see her as Mother Earth, and the embodiment of fertility, creative expression, and the nourishing energy of the Divine Feminine.

Symbolism in The Empress Tarot Card

In the Rider-Waite Tarot, The Empress sits in a lush field, surrounded by the abundant gifts of nature. Her floral gown and crown of twelve stars speak to her deep connection with the divine, as well as the wildness within her. The field and flowing river around her represent natural rhythms, creativity, and fertility.

She’s often associated with the female symbol (♀), reinforcing her connection to femininity, embodiment, and sensuality. Her presence is a gentle reminder to return to your body, to the Earth, and your creative self.

In the Robin Wood Tarot, she appears at a spinning wheel, pregnant and radiant. The yarn she spins flows from her womb, which is an incredible image of creation. Her clothes blend with the natural world, while moon symbols and a soft veil above her reinforce her sacred, intuitive essence. Her expression whispers, “Everything will be alright.”

The Upright Meaning of The Empress Tarot Card

The upright meaning of the Empress tarot card shows up as a warm hug in your spread! She’s a powerful symbol of abundance, nurturing, and encourages you to trust in the process of life. She’s a gentle nudge to remind you: You’re exactly where you need to be.

The Empress reminds you that there’s so much joy, love, and creative energy already present in your life! She asks you to notice and celebrate it. Perhaps take a moment to walk in nature, call a dear friend, or reflect on how far you’ve come in the past year. She tells you the life you desire may already be unfolding, it's time to bring your awareness to it.

The Empress also calls for patience and presence. In the Robin Wood deck, her slow, deliberate spinning is a metaphor for all creation: things take time. If rushed, the yarn becomes tangled and must be unravelled. But she reassures you not to worry! All is unfolding as it should.

Above all, The Empress offers protection. She urges you to slow down, nourish yourself, and reconnect to your physical body. The message is clear: you’re safe. You’re supported. Everything is in motion, so ground yourself and trust the process.

The Empress in Reverse

Reverse cards aren’t necessarily negative! They will shift and change depending on where they appear in your spread. Pay attention to where it sits amongst your cards, and feel into which interpretation resonates the most. 

Obstacle on Your Path

When reversed, The Empress may be pointing to a disconnection from your physical self or environment. You may be caught in the trap of “Once I achieve this, then I’ll be happy.” And this is a real block to you experiencing what life has to offer you right now.

She gently encourages you to slow down and take stock. What around you is already nourishing? What joy exists in your present? If you’re struggling to see it, that may be the exact place where you’re being invited to look. Trust that you are safe in the now, and the more you receive the present, the more peace you’ll find.

Shadow Side

The Empress reversed can also reveal overexertion, burnout, or a tendency to live in your head. You may be trying to control outcomes or disconnecting from your body through stress or fear. Her advice? Return to the basics.

What’s one small, kind act you can do for yourself, or someone else, today? What part of your inner or outer garden needs tending? One slow, conscious step at a time is all that’s needed. She reminds you that you don’t need to do everything at once. You are loved. You are enough.

Final Thoughts

Whether upright or reversed, The Empress tarot card is a stunning reminder of all the abundance in your life right now. Above all, she reminds you that peace comes from slowing down and connecting to what's joyous in your life right now. She is a radiant symbol of our Divine Mother in her most earthly, loving, and powerful form.

Let her hold you in that space, and trust, you’ll get there one step at a time.