This Major Arcana represents the Great Mother of the Tarot. The Empress governs over nature and she can be tied to Astrological placements like the Moon in Taurus, Venus in Cancer, and Lilith in Libra.
She symbolizes the feminine archetype of motherly protection, nurture, and abundance. The Empress III is tied to cattle, the feminine principle, the feminine urge to nurture and grow (things, plants, beings), as well as finding peace in nature.
When she comes up in a reading, the first and foremost message usually is to connect with nature and find nurturing and growth as a part of it.
In a love reading, the Empress is an omen of a wedding celebration, happy (re)union of lovers (especially if she comes preceded by the Lovers or the 2 of Cups), sensual evenings and good, romantic meals. It can also point towards an engagement party or a proposal in a fancy setting.
In a career reading, she announces a grand opening, especially if the career has to do with female charms and beauty (having a beauty or hair salon, working as a cosmetic expert, or a makeup artist…), this is a great card to come up in a career reading for all those who are somehow in fashion or beauty industry.
In a health reading, brings good news in the form of pregnancy, good genital health, curing of an illness, or removing of worries from one’s mind and thus the body.
When the Empress shows up in a reading, she can also point to very successful businesses and practices in the beauty industry. If you're in the fashion or makeup industry, the Empress points to major success and recognition.
If you're in the esthetic surgery field, the Empress points toward great healing and beautifying powers that draw in positive energy, feedback, and money.
Even in the sex industry, the Empress is a good omen, however, if she comes up in a reading, be extra careful with contraception, lest you end up with a child and that wasn't a part of your plan.
When the Empress is accompanied by the Queens from the Minor Arcana, you can know what kind of message she is trying to convey by which Queen she’s accompanied. If she comes up in a reading with a Queen of Staffs, the message is about sex and passion, if she comes up with a Queen of Swords, you need to be verbally more assertive, speak your truth and work on balancing your Throat chakra.
If she comes up in a reading with a Queen of Cups, you can for sure expect a new baby on the way, and even a new marriage, and if she comes up with the Queen of Coins, you are urged to make advancements in your finances and career.
When she comes up in a combination with Death, she points toward a miscarriage or abortion. When she comes up in the combination with the Suit of Swords, she points toward a distant and emotionally cold mother. When she is paired with the 5 or 7 of Wands she can point to divorce and misfortune in marriage.
In combination with the Hierophant, this Major Arcana can point to weak points highlighted by Chiron in one's natal chart, and thus bring healing to ancient wounds that the native has been dragging through incarnations.
The Reversed Empress can point to a cold and detached mother. She can also represent infertility and trouble with conception. If one owns cattle (or a farm), and the Empress comes up reversed, especially with other 'negative' cards, like 5 of Pentacles, 9 of Wands, or 10 of Wands, it can point to a contagious disease.
With the Empress Reversed it's important to take a long and close look at the positions of the other cards and see how she fits in the 'bigger picture' because she can have a deeper impact in a reversed position than it might seem on the surface. It's also important to keep in mind, that Empress can be of special (and significant) meaning to natives who have big Libra or Taurus placements and have heavily aspected natal Venus in their chart.
If that's the case, then one should take a look at current transits and see how they overlap with their own natal and Solar charts. This will offer a better and deeper understanding.
The Empress III holds the properties of the doves, sparrows, and lynxes. She also heralds spring, new beginnings, and powerful transformations from pain to pleasure.
If she comes up in a reading next to the Fool or Ace of Cups, you know that there's an omen of conception and childbirth there somewhere. If she comes up in a reading with the High Priestess, she is pointing to both the conception of an extraordinarily gifted child, and also to a portal that is opened for you to elevate yourself to higher states of being.
The Empress III has the secrets for enhancing your cognizance, clairvoyance, and clairsentience. She is tied to gold, glitter, pink hues, rye, afternoon, and Citrine. The Empress card is great for enhancing one's femininity and female archetype, as well as healing one's feminine shadow and healing Lilith wounds.
She is also a wonderful conduit for those who research biology and spend time pondering this Earth's creatures and ecosystems.
The Spirit of the Empress teaches the magician about the laws of higher and lower nature, magical formulas, Qabalah and Gods’ names. Powers such as clairvoyance, second sight, telepathy, astral projections and regression into past lives, are evoked through the work with this Major Arcana and veneration of Aphrodite Panedmos and Aphrodite Uranus.
Astronomy scholars and initiates can do well entering a servitude of the Empress, for she is extremely knowledgeable about the constellations and the stars. And Astrologers who are interested in the evolutive branch of Astrology can learn a lot from her.
She is also apt in teaching about the history and secrets of Earth, Venus and Mars, and she is very generous with palaeontologists, archaeologists and biologists. People who are interested in the evolutionary cycles and microbiology of both our planet and the cosmos, can knock on the doors of this Spirit’s library and always be welcomed with open arms and knowledge.
By working with the Empress and her symbols (gold, rye, Citrine, etc...), you can help yourself channel the inner goddess and open yourself to messages and guidance from the divine Spirit about abundance and prosperity. By including this Major Arcana in your spells and rituals, you can enhance the potency of said spells and rituals tenfold, and invite massive abundance and bounty into your personal (and professional) life.
If you want to attract success in your business, you can ask the spirit of this Major Arcana for help and offer a golden candle together with a citrine, pyrite and a sunstone in her honour. This is best done on a Thursday during a Venus hour.
If you desire fertility, then sleep at least 3 nights with the Empress beneath your pink pillow and try to have sex during these three nights by reaching orgasm at least once.
If you desire beauty or a youthful look, you can place the Empress card on an honorary place on your altar, leave honey and milk offerings in front of it, for at least three days, and take relaxing baths with milk and honey mixtures. You can also leave 3 Rose quartzes on top of this card for 9 days, and then wear them until it’s time to recharge them again. This ritual can help with better production of estrogen in the body, and it can aid hair in looking more voluptuous and shinier.