The Empress has been one of the most transformative energies I’ve encountered in the tarot so far. She comes into your life, gently at first, then suddenly she’s all encompassing. The Empress is the mumma bear of the tarot. She is one in-control bad bitch. She’s kicking down the door with hot soup and a million cuddles and all the right things you need to hear. She is all that is feminine, beauty, nature, creativity and all that good shit.  She is unapologetic and as fierce as she is compassionate. She is here to make sure we love ourselves enough to spread that love energy to every corner of the universe. 

 

I spent a large part of my life apologising for the space I took up in the world. I tried to shrink myself and push away anything that I deemed too good for me. Whether it be friendships, relationships, opportunities, This cost me a lot of life’s richness and joy because I didn’t think I deserved it. 

 

I became an expert at putting on a confident front because it was too painful to let anyone too close because I was afraid I’d be exposed. That they would see everything I thought was so ugly about myself. 

 

But there came a time not too long ago when I one day something clicked. I looked in the mirror and for the first time instead of seeing someone I wished I could change, I saw the person who had been there since the beginning. I saw the person who carried me with such strength and grace through such dark times. The person who woke up everyday and got through it with a smile even though all she wanted to do was disappear. For the first time I realised how cruel I had been to the person who had done nothing but try her best but told her it wasn’t good enough. I realised how  much unnecessary pain I’d caused myself by being so callous with my words and actions. 

 

There is no one in my life I have ever been even minutely that awful to and it shook something in me. So why didI think it so necessary to treat myself this way? And what was I achieving by constantly pushing myself down? Absolutely NOTHING. I realised in that moment it was a huge waste of energy wishing to be someone else when the person staring back at me had proven time and time again what a bad ass fucking bitch she was. 

 

So fuck that damn noise. I was over it. I was so completely done with wasting my time hating on myself when I could transmute all of that energy into loving myself. And look, real talk, we don’t get another shot at this. This is pretty much it. I dunno about you but I’d rather get to the end of my life knowing I gave it my all. That I didn’t hold any part of myself back but instead was my own biggest supporter. 

 

This is what The Empress’ energy is all about. When she comes into your life, know that it’s time to stop putting yourself down and instead treat yourself with all the nurturing and care that you can muster. She is the mother, she represents mother nature and ain’t no better mumma out there than the earth itself. When you honour yourself and respect yourself, you are in tune with the energy The Empress brings into the world. Because the kinder and more loving you are to yourself, the better you can treat others. 

 

This is an exercise that I started doing myself and while at first it made me cringe so deeply that I almost turned inside out, it was incredibly effective over time. So give it a shot, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

 

Every night for two weeks (to start with) before you go to sleep, look at yourself in the mirror, right in the eyes and outloud or in your head simply say “I love you”. 

It’s gonna feel weird and awkward and uncomfortable. But stick with it. It’s worth it, promise. 

 

So be kind to yourselves, and remember your worth. 

 

Until next time, Soul Fam. 

 

Em xx