The Empress as the White Madonna

aibhlin

I'm sure this has been discussed somewhere around these parts before, but I couldn't find a tread about it so here it is...

I wonder about the tiara of stars and it's connection to the white madonna when she's painted as the madonna of the apocalypse (when mary in turn is connected to the woman in the book of revelations, chapter 12). It says she's wearing the sun, with the moon beneeth her feet and a crown of twelve stars upon her head (it doesn't say those exact words I'm sure, I'm translating from swedish to english here...). Does annyone consieder this connection to be signifikant, and if so how do you interpretate it?

I suppose that the priestess could be connected to this woman as well, seeing has she's got the moon beneeth her feet and everything.

On an of note, is the woman in the book of revelations carrying jesus again or someone/something else?

Any thoughts?
 

Fulgour

The more complicated something is made to be
the easier it is to fit comparissons in with it...

If you simplify this card to its basic presentation
there is little worry about its exact nature: Love.

And then how easily "Love" gives us an abundant
realm of possibilities...The Empress tho' is Venus.

[ps: I like your signature ~ pink space squirells ]
 

BrightEye

aibhlin said:
I wonder about the tiara of stars and it's connection to the white madonna when she's painted as the madonna of the apocalypse (when mary in turn is connected to the woman in the book of revelations, chapter 12). It says she's wearing the sun, with the moon beneeth her feet and a crown of twelve stars upon her head (it doesn't say those exact words I'm sure, I'm translating from swedish to english here...). Does annyone consieder this connection to be signifikant, and if so how do you interpretate it?
I had the exact same thought a few months ago when I was at an exhibition of Duerer's woodcuts - the apocalypse sequence.
 

aibhlin

Fulgour said:
[ps: I like your signature ~ pink space squirells ]

There should be more pink space squirells in the world...
 

BrightEye

I recently saw another Virgin statue. I counted the stars in her crown or halo: they were twelve. That rekindled an interest in this thread and in the question of how much of Tarot is actually based on Christianity, especially the images in the Waite deck. I've been wondering about this. I think it's the Christian spirituality that draws me to this deck. (There is a question formulating somewhere but I haven't found it yet...)
 

ArcanoMáximo

Just to say that I can't see The Empress as a virgin at all.
Which would be the connections besides the stars, moon, etc?
 

BrightEye

ArcanoMáximo said:
Just to say that I can't see The Empress as a virgin at all.
Which would be the connections besides the stars, moon, etc?
I didn't mean virgin in the regular sense. I meant the Virgin Mary, whom I don't see as a 'virgin' but as a mother. I think she fits the Empress quite well.
 

Seafra

According to Edgar Cayce's readings the woman of Revelations symbolizes the soul of humanity crowned with twelve stars, the twelve basic patterns of human personality as described in the zodiac. The child she bears is the conscious mind.

I think you're spot on (Aaarg, had to edit twice to add that sentence.)
 

ArcanoMáximo

BrightEye said:
I didn't mean virgin in the regular sense. I meant the Virgin Mary, whom I don't see as a 'virgin' but as a mother. I think she fits the Empress quite well.
Both are mothers.
There's a combination of The High Priestess and The Empress, even when we don't see the son in this last card.
I see the point now!
Thanks BrightEye:)