Shadowscapes Tarot

THE EMPRESS

"Lady-Mother!" call the wandering souls. "We bring you gifts!" They fly near the Empress, dancing in the sky. They paint synchronized kaleidescope choreographies for her pleasure, and she smiles as she takes it in. Her mind and her thoughts are the conductor to this visual symphony.

Gently, they lay a crown woven of the first buds of spring across her brow. "Jasmine and Lily of the Valley have graciously donated their first buds for your coronet," the spirits sigh.

"The Apple Tree Man has gifted you with his fruit, and the Lady of the Fields her grains." These they lay in her basket.

With a sudden flourish, the spirits whirl together, then spin off in an explosion of light and music. "Farewell, dear Lady!" they call.

Meaning:

Creativity, generosity, patience, love. The Empress is about abundance, experiencing the senses, and embracing the natural. She is a creator. She is the mother, fertile and nurturing. Clasped to her body like a child, she folds a basket of the earth's bounty: fruits and sheaves of wheat and glorious flowers. She is the primal essence and embodiment of life, and is deeply tied to nature. Crowned in ivy, she is clasped in garments the color of the world around her.