A rather detailed look at the Priestess tarot card and its origins.
 

"The word “Empress” originates from the Latin Imperatrix, imperare, “command” and denotes a replacement for the “emperor” legitimately designated to articulate a feminine idea.

The Indo-European root (Per) for “priest/priestess” has almost the same spelling and sound as for “emperor/empress”, although there are separate words, which in this other context means “to produce” or “to procure.”

Although the Arcana of the Empress remains, ideally, a distinctive depiction of the Earth Goddess (the sentience of nature’s sacredness to the utmost extent), it is essential to note the fact that just like the High Priestess, it has varying delineative patterns.

Therefore, the Empress is shown in this card in her most general manifestation melding the highest pure quality with the lowest material quantity...."

More: https://historiailliusitineris.com/t...f-the-empress/

Great info - great link!

In Her 105 apparitions between 1937 and 1940, the Goddess declared that She wished to be invoked (i) as the Queen of the Poor Souls in Purgatory and (ii) Queen of the Cosmos.

Exactly what was the purpose of these apparitions is not known, and the Church, apart from admitting that they were made, has drawn a veil over them. However since they were made later than those of the Goddess Juno, they merit more attention than they have been given hitherto. Note also this claim by Queen Isis:

"...Though I am worshipped in many aspects, known by countless names and propitiated with all manner of different rites, yet the whole round Earth venerates Me:
The primeval Phrygians call me Pessinuntica. Mother of the Gods;
The Athenians, sprung from their own soil, call me Cecropian Artemis:
For the islanders of Cyprus I am Paphian Aphrodite:
For the archers of Crete I am Dictynna (a version of Cyrene and Autonoe);
For the trilingual Sicilians, Stygian Proserpine;
And for the Eleusians their Ancient Mother of the Corn, Demeter.

Some know me as Juno, some as Bellona of the Battles (Roman female counterpart to Mars);
Others as Hecate;
Others again as Rhamnubia,
But both races of Aethiopians, whose lands the morning sun shines upon,
And the Egyptians who excel in ancient learning, and worship me with ceremonies proper to my godhead, call me by my true name, namely, Queen Isis..

(From Lucius Apuleuis, [i]The Golden Asssssss, (English version Penguin Books London, 1950, p.271.)

Many decades ago I went thru a formal study of the Qabbalistic Tarot, it was a 13-year program with 18-courses in different aspects of Tarot. At the end of each course there was a written test that was reviewed by an instructor. What I share here is from some of that coursework.

Key-3, The Empress, is at the Self-conscious level of consciousness. In Qabbalah The Empress is seen as the “door” to creation. In our consciousness The Empress is our creative imagination. Concentrating on this Tarot card regularly can enhance a person’s creative ability. At least that is my experience and it is what my coursework advocates.

The Empress is sometime called the Priestess, but Key-2 in Tarot is The High Priestess. The number three (3) is the number of creativity, and in numerology it is the number of creative expression. The Empress is ruled by Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, growth, and fruitfulness. The Great Mother principle in nature. The Empress may also be depicted as a pregnant woman.

The Empress Tarot card usually has a lot of green color in it because green is associated with “growth.” The stream and waterfall that is usually depicted in this card symbolize the stream of consciousness, it flows from the robe of the Empress. The half moon often depicted at the Empress’s feet symbolizes subconscious activity.

The Empress is said to be the wife of the Emperor, Key-4. This perspective says that all of the 22-cards in the major arcane are depictions of different characteristics of the one divine being in human form, and they all have relationships with each other.

The minds power to make new combinations from the store of remembered experiences comes from creative imagination. All of our mental activities we have are modifications of the Life-Power within us, that includes memory, imagination, attitude, etc. Creative imagination carried through to completion can literally help build a person a new life.

We human beings can not help but create; we are creating situations and other things consciously or unconsciously, for better or worst, fairly constantly. The creative process involves bringing at least two things together, and those two things merge bringing about a third thing. Again the number three (3). Many religions have a trinity, Christians say Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Hindus say Creator, Preserver, Destroyer, etc. Although Hindus believe that Brahma is the Creator God.

So creativity is the major theme of The Empress. Tarot can be used for consciousness development, and The Empress is a good place to start.

Starman, I am wondering about this program. Spanning 13 years, how long did it take to cover the symbolism and history of all of the cards? Would you mind describing the outline?

EDIT: I just discovered a thread you have created that probably covers this. https://www.spiritualforums.com/vb/s...d.php?t=138477