Empress - Tyldwick

[Bodhiseed]

Empress

What I notice in the Empress card:

Ephesus statue of Diana/Artemis

Outdoor garden with roses and other flowers

Tall oaks behind garden wall

Planter urns on wall (at least one filled with ivy)

 

The statue of Artemis/Diana is modeled on one discovered in Ephesus. On the lower part of the figure are rows of animals; beside her were probably two deer before they were broken. Archaeologists argue whether she has eggs, breasts or bull testicles on her chest, but regardless, they all are forms of creation and fertility. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals". Though she was a protector, she also led the hunt. Perhaps she was the first conservationist.

The garden the statue is in is filled with flowers including red roses. The flowers because of their scent make me think of the sensual; roses speak of the intense emotional side of the Empress. But these emotions aren't the hand-wringing, "poor pitiful me" kind - they are the source of power. It makes me think of building a cone of power for a spell in order to manifest something.

The garden wall might seem to imply there is some control here, but the huge oak trees behind it tell otherwise. I can just imagine the Empress saying, "You want me to color in the lines?! I think not!" Boundaries for her are made to be crossed.

One of the planter urns contains ivy, a plant that is considered invasive here in the southern U.S. It covers garden beds and runs up trees and houses. Here is the downside of the Empress - sometimes her need to nurture goes to the extreme. A day of rain may be welcomed, but a month of it can cause flooding and damage.