the Empress: 4/78 days of tarot

Indolent. That was the first word that came to mind when I saw her. She appears surly, bordering on petulant, but not actually spoiled. She's rather harsh on the senses, all bent angles and almost-hidden motherhood, but she shouldn't be underestimated - she's powerful, and can afford to be haughty. She is femininity and realism all rolled into one.

~

The book says this: "The appearance of the Empress promises abundance in your life. She heralds a time of creativity... However, there is something very important to keep in mind while considering the act of creation. Our Empress, our Mother Nature, may manifest ultimately as a calm pastoral scene, a charming field, or a lush garden, but soul-restoring environments were built on endless births and deaths. The process isn't always pretty... It all comes from the heart of your creative being; as it fights its way into this world, expect a little bit of a mess."

I should note that it could be that the harshness I perceived is somewhat indicative of my own conflicts with motherhood in general.

I'm working on my understanding of her, mulling over the 'feel' I get from her, and tumbling that around with the description from the text (which of course says a lot more than just the bit I've quoted here). I do think her 'haughtiness' is earned, not affected. Presiding over cycles of birth and death might engender a certain jadedness  and even a valid feeling of superiority. Her motherhood, though partially veiled, isn't actively being hidden, she just isn't making a big show of it. That's just one aspect of her, and there no need for her to flaunt it; it is what it is, and that's both good and neutral. - A hard pill for me to swallow, given my distaste for motherhood in general, but there it is.

I've reached for my mouse to publish this post, ending my written meditations on the Empress, several times. Each time, I've paused, then written some more. I keep feeling like I need to work more on this card and my understanding of it, but I'm muddling through it a bit too slowly for my hands' taste. I get antsy when I type -and think - this slowly. This card has become a wad of peanut butter in my mental mouth. I'll think on it, and come back to it later, I'm sure.