The Empress and The High Priestess are the yin and yang of the female archetype in the Tarot. Where the Empress is the fertile Earth Mother who gives life, the High Priestess represents inner strength, the unconscious, and the female principle that balances the masculine. The Empress encourages us to stay close to nature, whereas the High Priestess urges us to live up to our greatest potential. When you draw the Empress card in a Tarot reading it may denote a nurturing woman in your life – your mother, yourself, or just plain abundance. If the Empress is upside down, it can mean a woman is cheating on you – or more simply that you need to strengthen your connection to nature, which is your true core.
