Anna K 3. The Empress

Herzog

I refer only to the second edition here... I do not own first

Black and white floor... take a look at the Emperor's domain... solid black and white... then there's the chessboard in the King of Swords. Rational, controlled thinking and cold reason.

Did you notice the cracks in the floor?

Cold reason and logic crumble beneath her feet. The Empress is impulsive, free thinking, creative and passionate
 

Carla

The black and white checkerboard floor recurs in many tarot images and may represent the dual paths of earthly existence or of destiny/wisdom. Postive-negative. Light-dark. Good-evil. Matter-spirit. Beginnings-endings. Black and white checkerboard pattern floors are common in Masonic lodges and other types of churches and temples.

I agree entirely with what people are saying here about the fecund and repellent qualities of this Empress. She is so ripe she is beyond the kind of maternal emotions that we want to associate with her. She is mother beyond mother, her love for her own creation is almost academic. She's a scary card all right and she has so much to say in a reading. Just you wait! She don't hold back.
 

Sulis

HerzogIsGod said:
I refer only to the second edition here... I do not own first

There's an image of the 1st edition Empress in post #4.
 

Sulis

I've just realised that her throne is made of stone. That too shows her earthiness and her connection to The Earth. It also links her to The Emperor. This lady is down to Earth, solid and stable; someone you could turn to in times of trouble maybe.
 

RunningWild

I'm still relatively new to tarot and the Anna K deck is, so far, my favorite to work with, but The Empress...I just can't get beyond the smirk on her face. It's as if, as someone else posted, she knows something I don't know. But beyond that it feels as if she has some piece of information she could lord over me. Benign and malignant at the same time. Rain falls and nurtures the earth and drought destroys it. She's a force of nature.
 

nisaba

Briar Rose said:
I don't understand the black and white floor. I am sure it must represent something important emotionally.
Traditionally, black-and-white checked tiles were used to pave temples. It signifies sacred space.
 

NikkiB

The cracking of the tiles to me shows she doesnt need everything in perfect order that the earth is the earth is the earth... its perfect in its inperfection, also its bringing the soil through man made structure, nature pushing through man made barriers, she doesnt need a perfect solid foundation in the tiles it doesnt matter if they crumble, the earth itself is her foundation.

Have to say she is a scary bird all right but this makes sense to me, nature has a dark side to, nature can be cruel as well as nourishing... i think this empress is quite confident about her control and power, she knows she gives birth, she knows she has the power to nuture and she knows that power can be used otherwise to.....

This card makes a big change from your typical suger sweet empress, very interesting lady if not a bit scary lol!
 

Grizabella

I don't really see this Empress as scary at all. She looks to me rather wanton, with her spread legs and come hither look. She may be nursing a child, but she's sure not afraid of conceiving another one right away, I'd say. :)

I'm not sure I see her nursing a baby, though. If she is, then the baby has wheat for feet.
 

Moonflower7

Anna K Empress

This is the only card in the Anna K deck that I truly dislike. To be honest, it repels me. Maybe it's because she doesn't have that ethereal look that I'm used to seeing in other decks. To me, she looks like a prostitute who is past her prime. She is slovenly, has a moustache, and I agree with previous posts that has a swine-ish look about her. I've also just noticed it looks like she has a black snake winding around her neck and down onto her dress. I really wish Anna K would re-do her. I love this deck, it's my favourite and I use it for most of my readings, but I have a really hard time getting past my feelings about this card when she comes up in a reading.
 

melusine00

Or maybe she's really depressed because her family sucks, she's lonely, and can't stand to see the world crumbling around her. Which leads to bitterness. Maybe if she had support she wouldn't have given up on herself. Perhaps she doesn't want to have her children suffer the same horrors and ailments she has.

Sent from my SM-G360V using Tapatalk