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Just as The High Priestess is one archetype of femininity, so The Empress is another: from mystery and the profoundly spiritual, we now move to the Mother Goddess figure. The Empress reclines comfortably on her throne, surrounded by the abundance of the natural world, her body language open and at ease. The water that was hidden in the previous card here flows freely, pooling at The Empress’ feet. Yet her connection to the fertile earth does not denote a lesser power than that of her sister; it is her great strength.

The Pages in each suit express the element’s most simple, distilled quality. Here, we see the Page regarding his Wand with uncomplicated happiness and anticipation. He relishes Fire’s potentiality, and the sense of an adventure only just beginning.

In the Five of Cups we see the figure of a woman, who epitomizes sorrow and loss in the manner in which she stands, head down, regretful, desolate, and - we sense - deeply alone in her sadness, quite possible by choice. The three spilled Cups that are the source of her grief lay on the ground before her; behind her stand two remaining upright Cups, as yet unseen, or unheeded.

The Eight Of Swords is a card of crisis and temporary difficulties. There is a feeling of being trapped and unable to move forward because you cannot see a clear path forward. However, these limitations are often self-inflicted due to being tunnel-visioned and not being able to see the bigger picture. This card is here to teach you to liberate yourself from your own confinement to break free.

Let go of that which does not serve you, is the message of the Death card. This is not a card that represents literal death but, rather, the death of old ways of being and the opportunity for rebirth that this brings with it. Of the three figures depicted in the card that is before the armored skeleton, it is only the child that looks Death fully in the face, without fear - indeed bearing flowers as a gift for him. This indicates that it is our attitude towards change that must be overcome, to welcome it as a chance for redefining our lives.

Here, we discern a long-held symbol of earthly power: a white-haired man, stern, wearing armor beneath his regal garments, and seated on a stone throne. Note the scepter The Emperor holds, bearing the universal sigil of the male sex, and compare this to The Empress’ totem of femininity, which is carved onto a heart-shaped stone and rests against her dais. His throne bears the images of four rams’ heads, linking The Emperor to the sign Aries, which is ruled by Mars, the God of War. The Emporer is power and strength. The extent to which these can be used for good or ill depends entirely on the personality that directs them.