The essential meanings of this Major Arcana card from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck.

Upright: The Empress upright embodies fertility, creativity, and nurturing energy. She represents abundance, growth, and the comforts of home and nature. This card often suggests a time of creating something new – whether it’s artistic work, a business idea, or even starting a family – and encourages expressing love and caring to nurture projects or relationships to fruition.

Reversed: The Empress reversed may point to creative blocks or feelings of stagnation. It can indicate smothering love, dependence, or neglecting self-care. In a reversed position, the Empress urges you to restore balance – perhaps by giving yourself or others space, addressing issues of self-worth, or reconnecting with nature to reawaken creativity and flow.

Three Possibilities

The secrets of this card for heart, mind and soul.

Love: In love’s garden, The Empress reigns with open arms and a heart full of warmth. She symbolizes a nurturing romance blossoming in abundance, where care and affection create a lush sanctuary for two souls. Her enchanting presence suggests unconditional love, sensual pleasure, and the birth of something beautiful shared between partners.

Career: At work, The Empress brings creativity and fertile ideas to fruition. She encourages projects to grow steadily under gentle guidance, much like a well-tended garden yielding a rich harvest. This archetype signals prosperity and a chance to nurture your talents (or even mentor others), leading with empathy and an abundant mindset.

Spirituality: On your spiritual journey, The Empress invites you to connect with the divine feminine and the living world around you. Her spirit is that of Mother Earth—comforting, healing, and richly creative—showing that tending to your body and environment can be a sacred practice. Embrace this time of growth and abundance in your soul, knowing that love and creation are at the heart of your path.