Arcana Alchemy: The Empress
The Empress is most frequently associated with motherhood, fertility, and abundance. I have witnessed in my own life, when gathering with others to talk about Tarot, that the Empress is a revered card (especially among women). We respect this card, we love this card, we long to have this card present in our lives, because it offers a safety and warmth that every human longs for - the ideal nurturing mother. However, many humans never got to experience the nurturing we assume mothers should provide, what we got was an experience that instead challenged us, shaped us into who we are now, and maybe for some dictated parts of ourselves that we don’t even like.
Arcana Alchemy: The High Priestess
The High Priestess has learned to be in balance with both her feminine and masculine traits, she understands that her body and mind go through cycles which are uniquely tied to the phases of the moon and the world around us, such as the seasons. The knowledge and balance of the feminine and masculine is distinctly represented not only by the two pillars between which The High Priestess sits, but also the symbols on the veil (the pomegranates & palm leaves) that hang behind The High Priestess in the Waite-Smith version of this card. We all hold within us the attributes of both femininity and masculinity, though our current culture has tried desperately to separate the two - the reality is we must discard this dualist thinking and embrace the wholeness of the divine within.
Arcana Alchemy: The Magician
WE ARE ALL Magicians, we all hold infinite potential and endless energy, but the society in which we live in knows that and it targets our time and energy to distract us from the power we each hold. Our society wants compliance, not individuality, but The Magician empowers us to step into our power and be an active participant in the creation and narrative of our lives.
