Technically summer doesn’t begin until June 21st, but May often makes us feel like summer — and all of its festivities — has arrived. May can be a wonderful time of year, with great weather, outdoor events, and riotous flowers in bloom. It can also be a season of work, especially when spring was as stormy as ours was.
In my mind, May can be compared to the art and meaning of The Empress tarot card. The Empress represents the Earth Mother in tarot — the goddess and divine feminine personified. She is nature, around us but also within us, the ever-unfolding source of life-giving power. The card typically shows a woman surrounded by abundant nature; sometimes she is shown as the Earth itself. The green earth, the flowing water, and the flowers that may be on her card remind us that she rules over material wealth. The fact that the card is associated with the planet Venus tells us that The Empress also rules over love and families. The Emperor card in tarot, The Empress’ counterpart, deals with law and order, discipline, and the goals of the empire. You might say The Empress rules over the emotional aspect of the empire, focusing on relationships, families, and security.
Memphis is the city of grit and grind. We work hard, we play hard, and The Empress is here to support us in our work and play. She can appreciate those of us who are motivated, who work smart and hard to make a good life for our loved ones.
The Empress acknowledges our work. She is a mother and understands what it takes to raise a child or the energy it takes to work, the time it takes to build something. The card represents that period in our lives when we must nurture something so it can grow enough to survive on its own.
But why do we work so hard? Why do we suffer the grind if there is no payoff? Remember all the abundant nature and beautiful scenery of The Empress card? That is why we grit and grind. The Empress doesn’t only stand for hard work, but also the abundance and success of a job well done and a life well lived. She also represents luxurious abundance of all kinds. She offers a cornucopia of delights, especially those of the senses — food, pleasure, and beauty. She can suggest material reward, but only with the understanding that riches go with a generous and open spirit. The Empress is the loving mother of tarot after all.
If you are getting a tarot reading and The Empress appears in regard to your love life, she has good news for you there, too. In a love question, it can herald a serious, committed relationship. The prospective partner represented by the card will likely be loving, nurturing, and caring; have financial security; and/or be a lover of fine material things. If The Empress shows up in a reading about your career, expect work to be more pleasurable for a while. Typically, The Empress means that you are being supported at work, and perhaps your career is getting a boost. Harness your creative talents at work when she appears and let her grow your future.
This can also be a good time to put on your creative hat and begin planning for the future you want. Schools will be letting out for summer, seniors will be graduating, and family vacations need planning. Everyone has been working hard, and the energies of May invite us to play and enjoy ourselves.
As a representative of the lighthearted vibes of the month, let The Empress into your life. Let her show you how to harness your energies so you play as hard as you work, and so you enjoy the fruits of your labors. There is no point in running the rat race if we do not get off the wheel and enjoy the things we’ve worked for.
Emily Guenther is a co-owner of The Broom Closet metaphysical shop. She is a Memphis native, professional tarot reader, ordained Pagan clergy, and dog mom.