By Michelle Swan
Close your eyes as you imagine all the stresses of your mind to fall away from you. When you feel ready, we can begin.
You are in a forest. You can smell the earth and a hint of water in the air. On your path, you see star flowers, pink Lady’s slippers, daisies, meadowsweet, and buttercups growing all around. Laughing and music fill the air. You reach a place where, sitting on a hollowed out log filled with green sheets and twisted with ivy, is a woman. She is beautiful to you. Does she look like anyone you know? She radiates in a lime green dress with a crown of daisies. She is pregnant and her smile is wide and warm to you. The singing is from three small green birds flying around her. Their voices are beautiful. She has a bowl of fruit and chocolate bars in an amber colored bowl on her right side. She beckons you to sit with her.
As you sit, she gives you a deep hug. How does that make you feel? Does she have a particular scent to her?
“So, my traveler, what is it that you wish from me? Or perhaps you have something to give me?”
You think on what to give the Empress.
She laughs with her full belly. “We all have gifts inside of us to share with the world.”
The Empress is working on something creative herself. It is sitting on a large tree stump a few feet away from her. What is it? Maybe it’s a quilt, sculpture, song, book, etc. Or even two things she is currently creating.
You think on what to share with the Empress. Take your time with this. When you are ready, share your special gift with her. Something you have created in the past or something you are working on now.
The Empress is delighted by what you have shown her. She claps then gives you a stern look.
“Do not let those gifts wither inside you! It is not your duty to judge it; just create it. Creation is life. Life is meant to be lived, shared, and spent. ”
“Thank you, my lady.”
Now, it is your choice on how long to spend with her. When you are ready, one of the small birds will lead you out of the forest. The Empress will not let you leave without a hug. When this is done, you follow the bird out back to your reality.
How was your encounter with the Empress? Think on her words she shared with you. As always, write down your experiences and thoughts about her.
The Empress card is from the Universal Waite Tarot published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. The Universal Waite Tarot copyrighted by U.S. Games Systems, Inc and is used with permission.