Tarot cards are full of images of beautiful ladies. Some are wearing ceremonial robes, some are taming lions, so who are the women on these tarot cards? What do they represent?
When you first see the tarot cards, you may think they are just pretty pictures, but they are much more than that. Tarot cards contain symbolic designs that affect your subconscious mind. The most distinctive feature of the tarot is the image of the goddess: a key figure in world mythology and religious drama.
Let’s take a look at some of the main women in the Major Arcana: Priestess, empress, Strength, Justice, Stars, and Dancing Woman of World.
The priestess
The character on this card is not so much a woman as it is a girl. Her youth represents purity. She wears blue robes, a serene color that signifies her sanity. Behind her is a screen painted with pomegranates, a symbol of the goddess Persephone. She is seated at the entrance to Solomon’s Temple with the Book of Hebrew Wisdom on her lap – a keeper of secret knowledge or special wisdom. The essence of this card is intuition and spirituality. She wears the crown of Isis, so she is associated with the goddess energy. She is our first experience of the feminine divine in the Tarot.
The empress
The next card in the set representing Manifestation. The empresss are unpretentious and connected with people. She’s also sexy, sensual, and plump, and her clothes are covered in pomegranate patterns. But this time, the stems of the pomegranates are facing down, so they form the symbol for women, which is also the rune of Venus, as shown on her heart-shaped shield. This shield isn’t a defensive shield, it’s more like a flag – she can hold it high and say, “This is me – I’m the earth-daughter – I’m the goddess!” Even abstract patterns on the back of the empress seat cushions Also the Venus symbol linked together. Waite (the designer of the modern tarot card) said that with this design, the empress is more than just an external representation of a woman and mother figure, every part of it supports and tells us: empress Also associated with comfort, tenderness, femininity and the most loving desire. The empress can also be associated with the Greek goddess Demeter, symbolized by corn and pomegranates. Demeter was the goddess of fertility and agriculture. When her daughter Persephone disappeared, the mother kept crops from growing.
The empress is the mother figure of the Tarot card. She is the embodiment of creativity. She is a motherly figure, kind and compassionate. She’s the mother who hugs you when you’re uncomfortable; the one who protects you; the one who loves you no matter how many faults you have and how many times you fail. When you see the empress card, think of her as a mother, and all these parenting meanings will be seen in her.
Priestesses and empresss are archetypes.
Archetypes are symbolic signs that appear in myths, fairy tales, and religions. They are all imbued with deep and meaningful qualities that everyone can relate to. Archetypes are as old as humans. They are universal symbols or images, and the thoughts they express often have an impact on us and have a certain meaning, even if we cannot express these feelings in words. They are original principles. All archetypal images are ingrained in our understanding even before we are old enough to think and reason. They are universal images; archetypes are found all over the world, and all cultures resonate with them.
On the topic of archetypes, Carl Jung said: “It is only when we live in harmony with these symbols that it is possible for us to live a full life; wisdom is their return.” Tarot cards are full of typical symbolism, So when you find a harmonious connection with these main characters, wisdom is at your fingertips.
Strength
The maiden on the card called “Power” is closing the lion’s mouth. The lion represents the most primitive beast part of each of us – our physical or worldly impulses and desires. Power cards show that although women are seen as the “tender gender” with passive qualities, they have an inner strength. They can overcome the greatest difficulties in their own gentle, quiet way. It’s a card full of courage, drive, and a subtle power that you can tap into whenever you need it.
Justice
It’s understandable if you question whether the figure is really a woman; with her very short hair and very serious expression, she is very different from the female figures usually associated with women on tarot cards. However, virtue is always shown in female form, and this card is associated with Themis, the goddess of justice, so it’s definitely a female figure. For many centuries before the invention of the tarot card, the concept of justice was depicted in religious art as a seated woman holding a sword and scales. I suspect Waite and the artist Pamela Colman Smith portrayed justice as a woman with masculine characteristics because justice should be equal to all things. The female figure in the justice card shows its implied meaning of fairness and equality; it also reflects the balance idea represented by the scales.
The Star
This is another card with a goddess as its distinctive feature. She is Istar, the goddess of the sky, and her symbol is an eight-pointed star. Naked women represent freedom and natural expression. Waite called the stars a “great mother.”
The world
Finally, let’s take a look at the final card of the Major Arcana. In this image we see a female figure, draped in a violet frieze, dancing on an oval wreath. This dance image is similar to that of the Hindu god Shiva, whose dance of happiness is also the dance of death, representing the creation and destruction of the universe. The white cane in a woman’s hand shows her ability to create her own reality. The purple frieze symbolizes the acquisition of spiritual wisdom. It’s also a lovely ending to the Major Arcana sequence.
Do you want to ask about the Temperance card? The character in the Temperance card is an androgynous angel, neither male nor female, so the Temperance card is not included in the female card. The women of the tarot are the goddesses of the universe, and they all have a powerful, dynamic role in the deck. When they appear in your readings, you are blessed with their grace and creative energy.
The Temperance Card
The Temperance Card in the Tarot describes the angel holding the material chalice in her left hand and the spiritual chalice in her right hand. She kept pouring water from the chalices to each other, trying to find a balance. This card also tells us to control our desires.
It also represents that people’s ability is composed of the knowledge they have mastered and their understanding of knowledge. Everything must be done with a purpose. Through these things, we can mature and develop our career.
When the cards are upright, you are cautious in your career because your co-workers feel reassured by being rational. Your relationship is simple, everything is so simple and calm, and it is because of mutual communication that the road to this relationship is so smooth.
When the cards are upside down, in your career, you are caught in a vicious circle of change from day to day. You might as well follow the example of a fool to move forward bravely, and you may be able to achieve greater success. Emotionally, although they are still trying to communicate with each other, they always feel that there is no gain after each time, and it is because of this that the distance between you will become wider and wider.