The Daughter of the Mighty Ones
Card Number: 3
Path Number: 14
Rulership: Venus
Hebrew Letter: Daleth (door)
Mythology: Venus/Aphrodite, Hathor, goddesses of love and agriculture
Typical Symbols
twelve-stared crown, heart-shaped shield with Venus symbol, wheat and other crops, rod
Journey
The Fool has stepped beyond the High Priestess’s veil, and finds himself in a field of wheat. Seated nearby is a regal pregnant woman. In a motherly manner, she shows the Fool the bounty of Nature that he now has the tools to harvest.
“Your journey, your creation, needs to be tended as if it is a crop or a new life,” she cautions him. “Love it and tend it to bring it to fruition.” And with that, she sends him beyond her field.
Observations
Robin Wood Tarot | The pregnant Empress sites before her spinning wheel, which is decorated with the symbols of the Zodiac. On her head is the twelve-stared crown (dominion). She is obviously pregnant, and surrounded by crops, wheat, etc. This is an indication of her fertility. The traditional Venus shield is hung on a tree (cypress?) behind her. The phases of the moon are on her crown, showing the cycles of nature. Rings are on her fingers, representing attachment and commitment. |
Universal Waite | A blond-haired Empress sits on a throne in a field of wheat. She wears the twelve-stared crown (dominion) and holds a sceptre (authority). She wears a gown covered with pomegranates. Behind her is the stream of consciousness. The shield of Venus is at her feet, and Venus’s cypress trees are behind her. |
Hanson-Roberts | The Empress is seated in a field of wheat. She wears the twelve-stared crown of dominion and holds the sceptre of authority. The shield of Venus is on her shoulder. |
My Thoughts
The Empress is meant to be symbolic of fertility. I feel that the card from the Robin Wood tarot shows this more clearly then the other two decks. All three cards show authority and serenity. The Empress is a powerful woman, and she is confident enough to show her feminist.
Upright Meaning
Fertility, abundance, and material wealth. A desire to give birth to something – a child, a project, an idea. A mother or mother-figure influencing events. Marriage and pregnancy, depending on other cards. A competent woman, safe and secure, building a future for herself and her family.
Reversed
Domestic upheaval. Delay in accomplishment or progress. Infertility – physically, mentally or spiritually. Blocked creativity.
Questions to Answer
What projects are you trying to “birth”? How are you using your nuturing and mother abilities? What mother-figures are in your life?
Meditation
I am a fertile field that nurtures creativity.