What It Means to Be an Empress in The Modern Age

The Empress is obviously an integral part of the heart and soul of the shop. Elicia chose the female symbol of The Empress to represent “the divine love of the universe and enlightened action powered by deep understanding in all realms. She is the incarnation of all emotions and unity”.

The Empress is also an integral part of Tarot, and she can be found in all decks, amongst the major arcana, and although her design may change, her meaning and symbolism stay the same. The Empress represents the mother archetype, creativity and abundance. She can symbolise fertility, femininity, resourcefulness, sensuality and comfort. The Empress encompasses all that is at the heart of the divine feminine and the original Mother herself, Mother Earth.

The Modern-Day Empress

In the complicated and chaotic world, we live in, it can be easy to lose sight of who we are and what we believe in. Those who identify as women are especially susceptible to putting the wants and needs of others ahead of their own. That’s why tuning in to our inner Empress is so important for self-care and growth.                        

But what does the inner Empress look like? Firstly, she is going to look different to each of us. For myself, when I started writing this post, the first words that came to mind were empowered, authentic and self-aware. I think of strong female role models, the women in my life who have overcome great adversities, and women who aren’t afraid to blaze their own trail. I think of authors like Brene Brown, Sarah Wilson, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Julia Cameron and Isabel Allende. Artists like Frida Kahlo, Diane Arbus and Georgia O’Keefe. Musicians like Stevie Nicks, Billie Holiday and Dolly Parton. All strong, creative, passionate and powerful women, who embody the Empress within and harness her power to make change in the world. I think of how often we as women shrink ourselves, to make others comfortable, to never be too much. And I believe the Empress within all of us empowers us to never shrink who we are and encourages us to step into our most authentic selves.

The Empress within is the core of who we are and the world we want to create. She encourages us to find that elusive balance between being empathetic caregivers and empowered, fierce women. She acknowledges that there is a way to balance both, that isn’t self-sacrificing. That self-care is and should always be our priority, that to be the best version of ourselves for others, we must first be the best version of ourselves for us. She busts open the myth of having it all, the way we are told we can only have “all” if we sacrifice certain things. Like anything worthwhile, it's not easy. But the Empress within holds us in her embrace, and tells us that indeed we are capable, deserving and able to have everything we want and dream of, and she is right there within us, as we move forward.

Nurturing The Empress Within

Like anything to do with self-care, consistency is key. Nurturing The Empress within is no different. We must make time for ourselves, and time for the things that light our souls on fire and fill our inner cups with joy. And it doesn’t need to be an elaborate or complicated ritual. For myself, it can be anything from being outside in the garden, walking amongst nature, writing, reading (check out our books in stock by some of the above-mentioned authors), even zoning out and bingeing some T.V. or scrolling on my phone. The key for me personally is balance, listening to my body and mind and most importantly being honest and true to myself. I’ve found Rose Quartz and Amethyst helpful when I’m focusing on calming myself and practising self-love. My Golden Calcite block is always close at hand when I’m trying to get all the words out of my head and onto the page. And I’m rarely without my Black Tourmaline or Onyx jewellery to honour grounding, self-regulating and protecting myself from outside negativity. I’m the least “woo-woo” person you can imagine, and part of re-connecting with my inner Empress has been acknowledging the history, power and effects of crystals, stones and plants. Something our ancestors embraced, and we have forgotten.

I think an important part of honouring our individual Empresses within, is setting strong boundaries and practising putting them into effect. Amazonite is a stone I’ve found especially empowering with boundary work. Acknowledging that some individuals or things are toxic and not enriching our lives is also another important step towards honouring the Empress within. Honouring our individual morals, standards and ethics and not compromising them to fit in or please others is another very important aspect of the modern-day Empress within.

Strong, fierce, empowered women stand up for what they believe, for who they are and for those whose voices are silenced. We honour ourselves, the planet and our ancestors. We acknowledge that we are complicated, multi-faceted, ever evolving, and growing. We feel deeply, unashamedly, love passionately and whole-heartedly. We live in the moment, we are authentic, sensual, joyful and wild. We get back up when the path we are on knocks us off our feet, we share our vulnerabilities, for they too are our strengths. We stand with each other in the face of inequality, abuse and the darkness in the world. We are the personification of resilience and strength. Together we are undefeatable, the Empress within us all will make sure of that.