Tarot del Fuego - The Empress - 3

The Empress symbolizes fertility above all else, which is perfectly obvious in this deck. She is clothed in green symbolizing love and the heart chakra. She is extremely pregnant and pointing to a glass of milk. Directly opposite the glass of milk is a pitcher which is pouring milk. She is the consummate mother. Her pregnant belly, which she is clutching, contains flowers in various stages of growth, signalling to us that she is the mother of all creation and all of nature.

She is the first ray emitted by the Light that is the Magician (Shiva), and the first principle witnessed by the High Priestess (Shakti), who is his own power of Self-reflective Awareness, once they have shifted from their state of utter fusion and begun the process of manifestation. She is the first abhasa, or appearance (literally "to flash forth"), in this process of unfoldment. Both of whom exist wholly in the still abstract and completely unmanifest sphere of Spirit. In the Tantrik model, this principle is called Sadashiva. The awareness of the simple fact, "I am," characteristic at the level of Shiva and Shakti, here, has graduated to the awareness, "I am this." It is Consciousness' own power of Will, Iccha.

The Empress, the first and only begotten child of the Magician (Light) and the High Priestess (Awareness), is the mother and progenitor of all. Astrologically corresponding to Venus, she is synonymous with all things domestic. Her crown consists of a house sitting atop her head. Arising from the earth below her is a steep mountain peak with a house at its summit. The silhouette of this combo is patently phallic, the apex of which phallus culminates at the level of her cervix. Whether this is read as something that is impregnating her, or something which she is birthing, it is obvious that concerns relating to family, home, and security are where she herself is most at home.

She is earthy and sensual. She holds a staff which is actually a tall flower being very thoroughly pollinated by a bunch of bees. Where we would expect to see her face, there is instead a large queen bee, representing the intelligence inherent in nature which allows her to bring order, unity, cooperation, and industriousness to her colony. These in turn keep the entire group fed and sheltered. They rear offspring there. They are a family. Like the Empress, she is an effective and benevolent matriarch. The Hebrew letter that she corresponds to is Daleth, which is a door or a womb. In a reading, she is representative of any of these symbols we have already discussed. Any new creation is her domain, as well as the abundance necessary to feed it, clothe it, and allow it to thrive.