#3: The Empress
The Empress is the embodiment of creation, love, and abundance. She is the nurturing force that brings life into being—whether through art, relationships, personal growth, or actual parenthood. This card invites you to embrace softness, sensuality, and the natural flow of life. In queer spaces, The Empress reminds us that family, love, and creation take many forms, and that true abundance comes from living in alignment with our hearts.
UPRIGHT
Nurturing energy, creativity, love and abundance, sensuality, growth, connection to nature
REVERSED
Creative blocks, feeling drained, disconnection from self-care, over-giving, stagnation
The Empress Overview
The Empress represents the divine feminine energy that exists in all of us—the ability to create, nurture, and bring beauty into the world. She is deeply in tune with nature, cycles, and the body, reminding us that growth happens in its own time. She is also a protector of love in all its forms, reminding us that chosen family, self-acceptance, and creativity are just as powerful as traditional expressions of motherhood.
If The Empress has appeared in your reading, she is inviting you to step into a space of self-love and creation. This could mean embracing your artistic side, taking better care of yourself, or allowing yourself to receive love and support. She is a symbol of generosity and pleasure—so don’t be afraid to indulge in what makes you feel truly alive.
Symbolism & Imagery
A flowing gown covered in pomegranates – A symbol of fertility, creativity, and transformation. Pomegranates have deep mythological ties to rebirth and cycles of life, representing both personal and collective growth.
A lush, abundant landscape – The Empress is surrounded by trees, wheat fields, and flowing water, all symbols of life flourishing under her care. This reflects not just physical abundance, but emotional and spiritual richness as well.
A golden crown with twelve stars – The twelve stars represent cosmic wisdom and connection to the universe. They remind us that femininity, queerness, and identity are expansive and limitless, not confined to rigid societal definitions.
A heart-shaped shield with the Venus symbol – A reminder that love, beauty, and identity are deeply personal. The shield suggests both protection and the ability to define oneself on one’s own terms.
A flowing river leading off into the distance – This represents the ongoing journey of self-discovery. Just like water, identity and gender expression are fluid, ever-changing, and beautifully unique.
Upright Meaning
When The Empress appears upright, she calls you to embrace love and creativity in all areas of life. This is a card of abundance—whether in relationships, artistic projects, or personal fulfillment. It may also indicate a time of deep connection with your body, sensuality, or nature. The Empress encourages you to lean into softness and trust the beauty of the process.
In a reading, ask yourself: Where am I being called to nurture and grow? How can I allow myself to receive love and abundance? Am I honoring my body and creative energy?
Reversed Meaning: Dysphoria and Self-Criticism
Reversed, The Empress suggests a blockage in creativity, self-care, or emotional fulfillment. You may be overgiving and not taking enough time to nourish yourself, or you might feel disconnected from your creative energy. This card can also signal stagnation—feeling stuck, uninspired, or unable to express yourself fully. The key is to reconnect with what makes you feel alive.
In a reading, ask yourself: Am I giving too much without replenishing myself? Have I been neglecting my own needs? How can I reignite my creative spark?
Final Thoughts
The Empress is a reminder that abundance and love are already within you. Whether you’re creating art, deepening relationships, or embracing self-care, she encourages you to move with softness and trust in the beauty of life’s unfolding. Allow yourself to receive as much as you give, and know that true fulfillment comes from embracing your whole self.
#3: The Empress
Queer and Transgender Meaning
The Empress is radical self-love, gender euphoria, and the beauty of growing into yourself. It is the moment you recognize your body not as something to fight, but as something to nurture and celebrate. This card reminds you that your existence is abundant, sacred, and deserving of joy.
UPRIGHT
Self-love, gender euphoria, embodiment, abundance, creativity, nurturing, beauty
REVERSED
Dysphoria, self-criticism, struggling with embodiment, neglecting self-care
The Empress and the Trans Experience
The Empress is gender euphoria in its purest form—that first time you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and feel at home, the way your voice settles into something that feels right, the deep, unconditional love you offer yourself as you transition.
For trans people, embodiment can be complicated. Society often teaches us to see our bodies as sites of dysphoria, something to escape or fix. But The Empress offers a different perspective: What if your body is not an enemy? What if it is something to nurture, to celebrate, to cherish?
This is a card of softness, care, and self-acceptance. It reminds us that transition is not just about change—it is about growth. It is about creating a life that feels good, one where you are surrounded by beauty, support, and pleasure.
The Empress asks: How can you nurture yourself more deeply? Where can you find joy in your body, your gender, your existence?
Upright Meaning: Radical Self-Love and Gender Euphoria
When The Empress appears upright, it is a sign to embrace self-love and step into gender euphoria.
For trans people, this might mean:
Recognizing the beauty of your transition – Not just in how you look, but in how you feel, how you grow, how you claim space.
Finding moments of gender euphoria – The way your clothes fit, the sound of your voice, the name that feels like home.
Nurturing yourself – Transition is not just about survival. You deserve softness, care, and joy.
Honoring your body in its current state – Your body is not a mistake. It is a part of your story, your evolution, your magic.
The Empress reminds you that you are worthy of love—especially from yourself.
Reversed Meaning: Dysphoria and Self-Criticism
When The Empress appears reversed, you may be struggling with dysphoria, self-doubt, or feelings of inadequacy.
For trans people, this can look like:
Feeling disconnected from your body – Struggling with dysphoria or discomfort in your own skin.
Being too critical of your transition – Judging yourself harshly, comparing yourself to others.
Neglecting self-care – Forgetting to nurture yourself, pushing yourself too hard.
Feeling unworthy of love or joy – Believing you must “earn” happiness instead of simply allowing yourself to have it.
The Empress reversed is a reminder to be kind to yourself. Healing takes time, and you deserve gentleness.
Final Thoughts
The Empress is a love letter to every trans person who has fought to feel at home in their body. It is a reminder that transition is not just about change—it is about thriving.
This card says: Your body, your identity, your existence are all worthy of love. Celebrate yourself.