The Empress as an Obstacle?!

First let me say, I'm sorry if some topic sort of similar has been posted before, but the Empress doesn't seem to be on this list, and I am pretty ineffectual at searching for things.

Anyway, I recently did a reading and in the position designated as "Obstacles," I got the Empress! I'm just really confused about it, because I've gotten it before in relation to this same subject (you can see one such reading here, where she was my "influence from within"), and I'm just rather flummoxed to see her here! Especially because the rest of the spread was pretty straightforward, and I mean, come on, I always thought the Empress was a pretty easy read!

I can't really think of anything much beyond pregnancy, which...would be an obstacle, haha, but I'm not sure that that interpretation even makes sense in relation to the subject. Maybe it indicates that something needs time to grow, to "incubate," and requires a lot of attention/work/dedication? Maybe I'm being too much an overbearing worrywart? I guess it makes more sense now that I write it out here, but I'd be really interested in hearing everyone else's interpretations of the Empress as an obstacle, or just negative aspects of her in general.

staticfuzz said:

... and I'm just rather flummoxed to see her here! Especially because the rest of the spread was pretty straightforward, and I mean, come on, I always thought the Empress was a pretty easy read!

I can't really think of anything much beyond pregnancy, which...would be an obstacle, haha, but I'm not sure that that interpretation even makes sense in relation to the subject. Maybe it indicates that something needs time to grow, to "incubate," and requires a lot of attention/work/dedication? Maybe I'm being too much an overbearing worrywart? I guess it makes more sense now that I write it out here, but I'd be really interested in hearing everyone else's interpretations of the Empress as an obstacle, or just negative aspects of her in general.

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Oh boyoboy!

You're not a parent, are you. Male or female, The Empress-as-parenthood can have *everything grind to a halt, change direction, and alter - forever. It's been 17 years for me, and I still won't be even close to being able to work towards getting back on track for another four or five years.

And that's not only literal parenthood.

The Empress: perhaps an obstacle in your life is that you've been too well-loved, too well looked after, wrapped in cotton-wool, which may have prevented independent growth in one or more areas? Or smother-love - and a need to escape from someone who only has your best interests at heart? Fussiness, chaining yourself to children, a partner, friendships, trying to live through other people's achievements instead of seeking out your own? In business, that can be being pigeonholed as support-staff rather than having a real role of your own, such as a secretary or personal assistant who does the boss's work but gets a pittance of a wage.

It could be something as simple as having too large a house or garden for your available time, and feeling that the maintenance chores involved are getting you down and preventing you from going out and having fun.

It would really, really help if we know what the subject of the reading is, so as to get rid of all the ways in which the Empress can be an obstacle, so we are left with ways that are relevant to you. I just don't know where to start, hence so few possibilities mentioned here.

1) A stifling mother, older relative, wife

2) older than one would like (she is now an empress, not a queen)

Those who nurture and protect are often viewed, even by those receiving the comfort, as strangling and suffocating. Perhaps your own needs are actually making you repressing to others.

It is possible, as well, that you are being warned that your defensive instincts could make you suddenly and quickly withdrawn, unaffectionate, and appear unloving.

This could be an indication that, despite protestations to the contrary, you need to be less attached and more distant in the short time. Likewise, this is not the time to be the fostering/enabling force.

I also sense you have moved from your "High Priestess" state into the "Empress" state. Time to move back, again.

Just some thoughts. Enjoy. - Scott

As said, the obstacle is likely either your tendency, or someone else's in your life to act like a mother hen. And that's about anything that may be under your wing. Your business, your home, your family, your friends. Whatever you tend to worry and cluck over.

This is especially true if it's a reading about something you want to accomplish. The card simply indicates that you worry and fuss too much over things that belong to you and/or were created by you, as if they were your babies and you can't bare to let them out of your sight for a moment. Which means that when you ought to be concentrating on something else, or working on something else, your mind and attention are still on your babies. They distract you constantly. That's quite an obstacle to success. Get around this obstacle, let your babies--be it a business or a research paper or an art project--do their thing unsupervised, or supervised by others you trust, and things will move ahead.

It might be worth watching the movie Finding Nemo by the way. Nemo's dad, the clown fish Marlin, is a great example of someone with the Empress as his obstacle card. He has to learn to stop overprotecting. Not only so his son can move forward, but so that he can move forward, too.

You all bring up great points!

nisaba said:

perhaps an obstacle in your life is that you've been too well-loved, too well looked after, wrapped in cotton-wool, which may have prevented independent growth in one or more areas
[...]
It would really, really help if we know what the subject of the reading is, so as to get rid of all the ways in which the Empress can be an obstacle, so we are left with ways that are relevant to you. I just don't know where to start, hence so few possibilities mentioned here.

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This definitely rings true; I do feel like I've lead a pretty cushy life. Definitely food for thought, and a great observation! The subject of the reading was following my creative dreams and the aspect I was examining here was starting a business. [Also, in case this helps things further (because I don't want to make it too "Your Readings"-y!), the "how to overcome the obstacles" card in the same spread came out as the 2 of Pentacles, and the "cosmic energy for or against" came out as The Lovers, which I found interesting because it's the card for my sign--Gemini--and also because I'm doing this with my lover, and I'm doing it because I just love it! And choice is involved so much.]

SGrossberg said:

Perhaps your own needs are actually making you repressing to others.
It is possible, as well, that you are being warned that your defensive instincts could make you suddenly and quickly withdrawn, unaffectionate, and appear unloving.

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I can definitely see elements of both of those...not necessarily at the moment, but I could see both of them cropping up.

Thirteen said:

This is especially true if it's a reading about something you want to accomplish. The card simply indicates that you worry and fuss too much over things that belong to you and/or were created by you [...] Get around this obstacle, let your babies--be it a business or a research paper or an art project--do their thing unsupervised, or supervised by others you trust, and things will move ahead.

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Oh, hahaha, how did you know?! That's great advice, too. In the past few days I've just been coming around to the realization that I think I need to just let some things go and not be so fearful, because it's just so counterproductive.

Well thank you all, for helping me clarify that!

This is very interesting. I got the Empress today, and I wasn't quite so glad to see her. I was wishing for the High Priestess.

Be that as it may, these comments more fully explain the Empress to me.

The Empress is now indexed in the Table of Contents - The Cards.

rwcarter, co-Moderator of Using Tarot Cards

The Empress can sometimes stand for Mother Nature so it may even be something "physical" that may stop you for a while...

rwcarter said:

The Empress is now indexed in the Table of Contents - The Cards.

rwcarter, co-Moderator of Using Tarot Cards

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WOW, look at all your hard work! Thank you so much!! That's enough sifting through for three days!

ana luisa said:

The Empress can sometimes stand for Mother Nature so it may even be something "physical" that may stop you for a while...

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Oh good point, I didn't even see that--I ALWAYS think of Mother Nature as a plus, but you're right, she's full of obstacles and puzzles.