After understanding the five basic Jungian archetypes and their corresponding Tarot cards, it is now time for delving into the other archetypes within the Tarot cards. Today, we are going to start our journey with the Mother Archetype, the image of which can be seen in The Empress card.

The picture of the Empress card shows a pregnant woman sitting in a field, with a lush green forest and a flowing river in the background. Even the bench that she sits on has velvet cushions, and her dress has the motif of the pomegranate.

So we can see that this Empress is surrounded by a lot of Nature, a bunch of food, and she sure likes the pretty things! 🙂

The Mother Archetype

The Mother Archetype essentially refers to the personification of the qualities of a Mother, or a Mother-like person. Typically, this refers to a woman who is very loving, kind and nurturing. She is also a very good cook, and a homemaker. She is also described as someone who likes fine / nice things around her.

The Mother Archetype Around Us

Look around in movies and books. Most literature and art, and of course, myths, usually describe Mothers as warm, loving women, who nurture and care for their children.

Even Nature is referred to as Mother Nature – because She is the nurturing Earth Mother, who gives us all of the bounty that we partake of during our lives.

Another mother from Mythology is Demeter, the mother of Persephone, who was the Goddess of Grain. Ceres was the Roman Goddess of Grain (and the word ‘cereal’ is actually derived from Her name). Similarly, Isis was the Mother Goddess in Ancient Egyptian Mythology.

In fact, the word ‘Mother’ is also an Anglicized version of the Latin word ‘Magna Mater’, which was the Roman title for the Goddess Cybele.

And of course, lets not forget our own mothers, who care for us, love us and cook yummy food for us! 🙂

The Mother Archetype in Tarot – The Empress Card

Now, if we look at the image of the Empress card all over again, we can easily see how she is the representation of the Mother archetype in the Tarot.

She wears a crown of 12 stars – each representing a sign of the zodiac. In her neck, she wears 7 pearls – which represent the 7 major planets in Astrology (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus). She sits surrounded by growing crops. Behind her is a lush, green forest, complete with a full and flowing river.

All of this combines to show us a lady who governs the stars and the planets, and all growing things. Emotions run full and free (like the river) when she is around.

The Empress sits on a bench that has some really nice cushions. The astrological glyph of Venus can be found on the bench decoration. Venus is the Goddess of Love. Venus is also associated with the love of fine things, art, and creativity.

The dress of the Empress has pomegranates on it. Pomegranates link to the story of Persephone and therefore are associated with fertility and the changing of the seasons. Here is an interesting article about the different meanings and symbolism associated with Pomegranates.

And the best part: the Empress is pregnant. What else can show motherhood, fertility, and growth better than that?

Your Turn / In Conclusion…

What did you think? Are there any other associations that the image on the Empress card can create with the Mother Archetype? What other aspects of the Mother Archetype are shown or represented within this card? What is your take on this archetype?

Please do write your thoughts in the comments section below.