Modern SpellCaster’s - 3, Empress.

[Tanga]

“One must learn to recognise and accept their own beauty and awesome potential; the Empress encourages you to do just that!”
I love this quote from the accompanying book.

This is quite a youthful Empress - looking more a maiden, than a mother to me.
On her heart-shaped shield she has the Futhwark Rune INGWAZ - symbolising the seed and gestation, transition and sexuality. And simultaneously the God Ing (Yngvi of Fryr - a phalic fertility God)). She’s a sexual queen - experienced in such matters …

She sits before an arch into a “secret garden” that seem abundant with greenery. Looking back towards us as if to say “well come on! - into the garden lies your path”...or "I'm going there shortly" - as she subconsciously points to it with her sceptre hand.
The bull sitting at her back peacefully chewing the cud, symbolizes strength and willpower.
The five stars on it’s side - Quitessense? - the purest form of willpower?

There are some interesting correspondences to a 12-starred crown.
Be-it usually in a circling version rather than clustered as they are here.
A Christian one symbolises immortality - and The Virgin Mary.
And there's the more recent use of it in Flags - representing unity, solidarity and harmony amongst different peoples (e.g. European Union flag).

The Empress holds a version of a Sceptre with an orb on top - a symbol of temporal or worldly power, the equal-armed cross in a circle, being a symbol of the earth.

Hmmm. She brings to mind Aradia. Daughter of The Goddess Diana (The Moon Goddess), come to earth to ”free the enslaved believers”. The embodiment of the Divine Feminine ( “Aradia, Gospel of the Witches” written by Charles Leland in1899 - in which he portrays witchcraft as an underground religion. It’s a “classic” on the neopagan reading list).
She’s interestingly green skinned. Why? I think of the 1st portrayal of some witches as green in the 1939 MGM movie ‘The Wizard of Oz’, and of the Marvel Comic character She-Hulk (a cousin to Dr. Bruce Banner - The Hulk. Infected by a blood transfusion from him). Lol



This card can be used in spell craft for femininity, fertility, romance, mothering and to represent the Mother Goddess or nature.

 

[JeniReadsTarot]

I really appreciate the breakdown of the symbols you have given here. I'm not really up on runes etc. I tend to read by feeling and intuition.

She very much does have the "come hither" look that would equate with an abundance of sexual power. I really enjoy this card for the female power within. Having never been a mother, myself, (other than to dogs, but really.. .not the same) I have always had difficulty relating to the Empress. My own mom was really great, but (as she says) I never really needed her growing up so my personal experience with mothering is limited.

She is also the "Green Mother" to me. The energy of the Earth and all of her gifts.

 

[Tanga]

I really appreciate the breakdown of the symbols you have given here. I'm not really up on runes etc. I tend to read by feeling and intuition.

I wish I knew my runes. I look them up. I've an App for it

She very much does have the "come hither" look that would equate with an abundance of sexual power. I really enjoy this card for the female power within. Having never been a mother, myself, (other than to dogs, but really.. .not the same) I have always had difficulty relating to the Empress. My own mom was really great, but (as she says) I never really needed her growing up so my personal experience with mothering is limited.

She is also the "Green Mother" to me. The energy of the Earth and all of her gifts.

Ahh yes!! The Green Woman. Or Green Tara!
Thanks for this - it hadn't occurred.

And on thus googling Green Tara again (since I haven't thought of her for a while... I'm partial to the Green Tara Mantra) I thought I'd post this interesting snippet here - the story of
the lady who became Green Tara ( A Bhodhisattva - or... female enlightened being. Buddha being the male - I think...)

'When she had attained an advanced state of "enlightened servitude to mankind" - some monks approach her and suggesed that because of her level of attainment she should next pray to be reborn as a male to progress further. At this point she lets the monks know in no uncertain terms that from the point of view of Enlightenment, it is only "weak minded worldlings" who see gender as a barrier to attaining enlightenment. She sadly notes there have been few who wish to work for the welfare of beings in a female form. Therefore, she resolves to always be reborn as a female bodhisattva, until samsara (re-incarnation) is no more."

Hmmm - I love it.


And I'll just add the Green Tara mantra that I like so much here too:

'Om Tare, tut tare, ture, Soha' = "Om and hail to Tara (The Star), in her 3 roles of Saviouress".

Her 3 roles being:
1) Protection against natural disasters.
2) Protection from the 3 major vices as seen in Bhuddism - these are
attatchment, anger and ignorance.
3) Deliverance from the narrow conception that enlightenment is only about freedom from our own suffering. It is also about having compassion for others (hence becoming a Bhudda or Bhoddisattva, to guide and assist those who are suffering).