This Tarot Card Speaks of Intentional Self-Love

In this series, Jamie Richardson of Ember + Aura Tarot explains how to embrace the message of each major arcana card. 

The Empress embodies the essence of the Divine Mother, inviting us to experience all of the pleasures that life has to offer. With an open and outstretched hand, she presents the food of our soul and reminds us of how it feels to be nourished and fed. There is no distinction between her giving and receiving because she knows that in order to care for others, we must first take care of ourselves. It is a beautiful and natural cycle that what we give forth also returns to us.

The Empress takes unabashed delight in herself, reveling in her own beauty and sensuality. Our humanity should be experienced to the fullest, free from any sense of guilt or unworthiness. The sustenance of The Empress runs deep through our souls, feeding and nurturing our spirits. If we are still enough, we can feel her love calming us, encouraging us, and reminding us that we are whole. The energy of the Empress is always flowing, pouring out compassion for the children of Earth.

Discover what’s in the cards for you!

When The Empress appears in a reading, it’s time to reflect on your own heart and follow your bliss. You may have forgotten what truly makes you happy. We often become entirely consumed by life’s daily demands and thus mistake productivity, perfection, and accomplishment for joy. At closer inspection, however, these things don’t actually raise the vibration of the heart—but as long as our egos chase these carrots for momentary satisfaction, we remain addicted to this state of mind.

If you are feeling overworked, over-committed, and overwhelmed, the Empress may show up to remind you that you are on a path towards depletion and burn out. Now is the time to pause and practice intentional self-love. Honor your own right to self-expression by creating something that wasn’t there before, whether it be a loaf of bread, a poem, or a pen and ink drawing. Wear your favorite colors. Eat your favorite foods. Take long, self-indulgent baths and use the good towels. Serve dinner on your fine China. Unplug. Write your thoughts and dreams down, grounding them onto paper, the material plane. This is the way of The Empress. We all have the power to create, and when we do, we bring forth life and feed the planet. In turn, we are reconnected to source.

The Empress knows nothing of self-denial, shame, or lack. Her abundance is ever flowing and free to everyone. Yes, our lives may be full of certain obligations and commitments, but these must not become our identities. Joy is our birthright, and pleasure empowers us to walk our highest path. Accept the gifts of the Empress and feel the embrace of the eternal Mother, from whom we came and to whom we will return. She traces the circle of life around our hearts, and as we follow our path to Self, we find Her.

Find Jamie Richardson on Instagram @emberandauratarot or at www.emberandaura.com