The Empress

The sequence of tarot cards known as the major arcana is sometimes called ‘The Fools Journey’. ‘The Fool’ is the querent embarking on this journey through life, depicted as an innocent youth, smelling a flower while walking off a cliff. ‘The Magician’ magically creates your being, bringing you into existence, and leads you to ‘The High Priestess’ who represents intuition and the unconscious, and from there, you enter this earthly realm.

The first entity you encounter is the mother, ‘The Empress’.

This is the sequence for any living creature. We are thrown into this mysterious world involuntarily, and initially we are under the complete control of ‘The Empress’, the mother. She rules absolute. She also nurtures and instructs.

There is always a being behind us in time who is the originator of our existence. Whether you are a cell or an animal. The Great Empress, the ultimate ancestor of all living beings, is backed by a long lineage of other living individuals dating back to the dawn of time. The life force.

There are two phenomena that I want to remark upon here, both of them a mystery. The first is the ability for cells to heal. The other is the selflessness of mothers and the fact that they sacrifice their lives for their offspring. Without these two phenomena, there could be no life, but how did they evolve?

The power of healing is a great mercy. Healing is an act of cellular intelligence.

According to our current understanding of life, all living beings have a single common ancestor, who is believed to have existed about 4 billion years ago. In earth’s distant past there were only minerals and liquids, no organic matter, no topsoil, and at some point a single cell emerged. Presumably this cell had an early version of the DNA strand. DNA is essentially immortal. It self-replicates and divides itself and has done so for billions of years. This life force is extremely powerful. This is ‘The Empress’. The mother.

A.I. is not a direct decendent of ‘The Empress’. The ancestor of artificial intelligence is language and image. Its prowess is fueled by statistics. It is not a life form. It is a machine, a robot.

In the tarot, ‘The Empress’ comes after the ‘High Priestess’, who comes after ‘The Magician’. This allegorically suggests that the root of motherhood is magical. These cards were created at a point in human history where magical traditions were slowly transforming into science. The practice of alchemy ultimately transformed into modern chemistry. The study of the stars transitioned from astrology to astronomy. These cards are part of the Hermetic tradition. ‘The Magician’ has one hand pointing toward the sky, the other toward the earth, signifying ‘as above, so below’. The disciples of the magical tradition believed that the universe was intelligible. Attaining comprehension and mastery was within reach. They believed that what we knew of life here on earth would help us understand life in the world above.

As the intellectual history of humanity evolves, we have transcended magic. At present, we are seeking an explanation based on mechanics. This process is giving us super-intelligent machines. Machines that will ultimately be able to do everything humans can do, but better. Already A.I. is producing top quality visual art. It has mastered comptuer science, law, medicine, and much more. Soon it will be embodied and will be able to work as a factory laborer. What will happen when everything we do will be replaced by robots?

One thing it can never have is ‘The Empress’, it can not have the mother. Our sense of love has evolved from the maternal instinct. From the time of the first life, the mother and it’s deference to its progeny must have been an absolute necessity. This selflessness, this love, must have been there from the beginning.

When one considers compassion, in a Buddhist sense, it is anything living that is worthy of our compassion. Specifically, 'The Empress' relates to the sentient life force. The most basic spirituality is compassion for living things. Can a robot have compassion? At present, it is not clear whether a machine or robot could even possess consciousness, let alone a soul. Machines and robots can mimic behavior, but lack the consciousness found in living beings. In essence, a robot is a type of puppet that operates via automation. Our reflection, amplified by technology.

‘The Empress’ card in the tarot is often associated with motherhood, creativity, and abundance. The symbol reminds us to care for others and embrace creativity and abundance, making it a true symbol of wisdom. It motivates individuals to unleash their creativity and utilize it to materialize their aspirations, ultimately leading to a prosperous life. The Empress card may suggest that the person being read for is tapping into their nurturing and creative instincts to manifest a rich and gratifying existence. The Empress card is a symbol of wisdom, encouraging people to care and share with others to create a fulfilling life.

The Empress, with her beauty and grace
Sits on her throne wearing jewels and lace
With the earth at her feet, and a crown on her head
She is a symbol of abundance and fertility, with life to be led
With a scepter in her hand, and a shield by her side
She holds the power of creation, and the ability to provide
For all of the creatures that live on the earth
And to nurture and care for them from their birth
She is a symbol of motherhood and love
Of the power of nature and the wings of a dove
And with her help, we can tap into our own creative potential
And use it to manifest our desires and to be essential
So let us call upon the Empress
To guide us on our journey and help us to impress
With the abundance and beauty that we hold inside
And to use it to create and to provide

If the Empress card appears upside down in a tarot reading, its meaning can differ from when it appears upright. In this position, the Empress card can indicate a lack of creativity or abundance, and a feeling of being unfulfilled or unproductive. It may indicate that the individual is neglecting their own and others well-being by prioritizing their personal wishes and requirements. The inverted Empress card may suggest the individual is overly reliant on others and not accountable for their life. When the upside-down Empress card appears in a tarot reading, it may have a negative implication, suggesting that the person should nurture themselves and others, tap into their creativity and abundance.

The Empress, when chosen upside down
Can indicate a lack of abundance and creativity
A feeling of being unfulfilled and down
And an inability to provide and to be
With a scepter in her hand, and a shield by her side
She sits on her throne in the tarot arcane
Unable to wield the powers that hide
And unable to nurture and care for or tame
But the wisdom of the tarot reminds
That our inner power is always there
Waiting for us to tap into our mind
And to use it to create and to care
So let us embrace the upside-down Empress
And trust in the guidance that it can express
For it holds the key to the path of love
And the strength to regain control from above