The Empress — III

The Halloween Tarot - A twist on the traditional earth mother. Abundance and fertility of the mind, body, and spirit. Motherhood, nurturing, passion. - by Karin Lee, Art by Kipling West

Some key themes having to do with the third trump, The Empress are: motherhood, nurturing, fertility, abundance, pregnancy, wealth, creativity, and generosity. 

We could view this Halloween Tarot version of The Empress as a look behind the pretty mask of The Empress. What exactly does it mean to be the very definition of femininity, to be the place of fertility and abundance? It is downright exhausting finally. It is a labor of love. But on the bad days you might sit on your chase with a vacant crazed look in your eye, mindlessly stroking a(your?) cat, involuntarily twitching every now and then, wondering how much more you can take of giving before you go completely batsh🦇t insane. 

And no one even asked if this "created to be a bride" bride wanted a monster husband, or, particularly *that* monster husband. Nope. But she was automatically and immediately condemned for rejecting her would be role. Give a girl some time to adjust! It is an important decision! Should she just be impressed that this nameless monster is the only other reanimated corpse on the planet? He who, by the way, has already rather ungracefully stomped his way into some pretty serious ill repute? 

Impress (v.1) is 

from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *en "in") + premere "to press, hold fast, cover, crowd, compress" (from PIE root *per- (4) "to strike"). [OE]

When a seed is planted it is impressed into the earth. In the fertile place of impression a plant grows. Because the seed takes root there and is growing there, another plant cannot, and is not growing in that same place. This is the predicament of the one who is the place of fertility, the one who is impressed upon, the one who gestates and gives birth. There is a decision to choose and discriminate, or to be open and allow. Being seeded, growing and nurturing from ones own substance is taxing and takes time and energy. There is an equal investment of the earth whether she produces a weed or briar, or a lettuce or a rose. The feminine power of fertility is impressive, but being receptive is not without consequence. 

In this respect the absolutely insane abundance of types of species and different habitats the earth allows for and gives time and space to, which allows for them to evolve and grow upon her body is amazing. The earth is the epitome of generosity. The earth is a heroic but underrated time spell of fecundity. 

Shaddowscapes Tarot, artwork by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

We humans are beneficiaries of this great mother. Where else do we see any place for us in the universe to grow and thrive in such richness? There is nowhere. And perhaps this is a problem. It is too  easy to take our fundamental roots, supports, and primal foundations for granted when they are doing an excellent job. The earth could make quite an impression by kicking us ingrates out. If she acted with such authority we might call her Empress Earth.

Empress is the feminine form of Emperor, from Old French empereor, from Latin imperatorum(nominative imperator), from imperare meaning "to command".  An emperor rules an empire, a word which is also from Latin imperare, which is from an assimilated form of in- "in" (from PIE root *en "in") + parare "to order, prepare" (from PIE root *pere-(1) "to produce, procure"). So, we could say that an empire is a place that is in order. It is a place ordered to the end of production and procurement of a certain civilized lifestyle. 

Tarot de Marsailles 

So, a male ruler or commander of an empire is called an emperor, and a ruler of an empire of the female gender is called an empress, however, the symbolic functionality of The Empress trump does not so much speak to a position of her being in command, or being a female version of Emperor, but rather it speaks to her nature as being the epitome of abundance and fertility. Therefore she is more of an Impress, in this sense, than an Empress.

With the number 3 (III) we get movement. It is not just a point or a line between two points, it is a trend, a direction, area, growth.  If a person sees their reflection in a mirror, the reflection is a single image. The two are one. However, if another mirror introduced, the images become infinite. This is the magic of generation, like a flower that is fertilized and goes to seed. The Empress is the empire, the place, the space where fruiting takes place and is allowed to flourish. 

Universal Waite Tarot

More and bigger isn't always better however, there has to be a balance between creative potential and control. The health of an empire isn't determined by how vast it is. It needs to be big enough, but not too big, i.e., it needs to be balanced.

The Empress is associated with the sign of Libra "balance, pair of scales" which is a Venus ruled sign. Astrologically Venus has to do things related to attraction, love, relationship, harmony, art, and beauty.

Spolia Tarot - Artwork by Jen May

Venus is from Latin venus meaning "love, sexual desire; loveliness, beauty, charm; a beloved object." Venus was the Roman Goddess of love, sex, beauty, desire and fertility. Venus is related by PIE root *wen- (1) meaning "to desire, strive for," to other interesting words such as "venerate, venereal, venison, venom, wean, win, wont". 

The symbol for Venus is depicted in some versions of The Empress. It is a cross with a circle on top of it.

The Empress[detail]

It is also used as a symbol for "woman" or female gender classification, and the cross mounted by a circle shape looks somewhat human in form. It can also symbolize the coming together or incarnation of "spirit" (the circle), into "matter" (the cross). 

In ancient Egypt a similar looking symbol was called the ankh. 

Ankh triplicity, indicates plurality - life +++

The form itself was made into physical objects that were used as protective amulets, in magical spells, and funerary practices. The ankh indicated a vivifying force or "breath of life",  and was used as a hieroglyph representing the word, '-n-ḫ which had the meaning "life", "live", "nourish". Also, interestingly the word ankh was used for "mirror" during the Middle Kingdom, and handheld mirrors (of the polished bronze type) and mirror boxes were sometimes ankh shaped.

Egyptian Mirror Box from the Tomb of Tutankhamun c. 1333-1323 BCE.

"The association of the ankh with the mirror was no chance occurrence. The Egyptians believed that the afterlife was a mirror image of life on earth and mirrors were thought to contain magical properties." The Ankh, worldhistory.org

Mirrors, as pointed out previously, have magical generative powers when reflecting each other. It is nice to imagine each individual person as a mirror. We are all mirrors to each other. But by the nature of reflecting, it is from a place of reception and femininity that we mirror the other. It is a place of humbleness, yet a humbleness with the potential to be strength, like Christ crucified... and resurrected.

The anointed one(Chi Rho), i.e., Christ, assuming in humility the place of the ankh/mirror/feminine/life, Anastasis - symbolic representation of the resurrection of Christ. Panel from a Roman lidless sarcophagus, c.350 CE. 

The man brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar . . . When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, "This water flows toward the Eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, where it enters the Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Ez 47:1,7-9

It is only when we truly see ourselves that we can fix ourselves. Without a mirror we can walk around with mustard on our face or lettuce in our teeth and never be the wiser. But it is all too easy to condemn the messenger because it doesn't feel good to see our own flaws and shadow selves. It is much easier to project and cast off our own unpleasant traits onto our mirrors and maybe slap a big old scarlet letter on her at the same time. Ahhh! Isn't it good to be one of the elite, the righteous! 

Execution of Ann Hibbins on Boston Common in 1656, Scetch by F.T. Merril, published 1886

The earliest examples of mirrors found in human history are black mirrors made of polished obsidian. However, obsidian is also used to create blades. Obsidian blades are some of the sharpest blades on the planet. The truth can hurt, but the origin of the pain doesn't go away when it is deflected as if it were an attack, it just ends up hurting someone else instead. And in the end death still awaits, and the dues will be paid. You might as well learn to look in the mirror and grow from the process.

Jean Peuget de la Serre, London 1639, The British Museum

And it is true that the consequence of bringing forth life is, in the end, to also be bringing death. If there was no mother, no earth, no life, there would not be anything to die. However, given the nature of the cycle (kyklos "circle"), which is that of nurturing, holding, keeping a place for, gestating, and regenerating, then, when there is death, there is also new life; a new day. This is the magic and mystery of The Empress and the manifestation of abundance. It is not about forcing, seizing, taking control, winners vs. losers, or good vs. evil. It is about allowing and giving the universe a place to flow into. It takes a special person to do that: The Empress. So, love your mother/mirror. And just as importantly, BE a loving mother/mirror. And this goes for everyone, man and woman alike. She is life.

There's no better time to embrace your shadow and conquer death! Look in the mirror and live abundantly! Even if what you see is a bit spooky! Happy Halloween! Happy Samhain! 

Art by Ailis O'Reilly, ailis_art, instagram.com, ailisartwork.com

Mirror, Mirror

The first mirrors used by people were bodies of water such as lakes and small pools.  The image reflected by the water is ephemeral in nature and easily disturbed. This may be part of the reason why mirrors have always been considered mysterious and magical. 

    Mt. Hood reflected in Mirror Lake, Oregon Cascades, by Janis Miglovs

For a moment there is a beautiful crystal clear image. Then the idea creeps in, move closer, touch it, go into it, become one with it. The hand reaches out, and in an instant the image, and the other world is gone. However, unlike other types of mirrors (unless you are Alice) a person can actually pass through a water mirror and, indeed, find himself or herself in a whole new world, submarine.

    Echo and Narcissus(detail) - John Williams Waterhouse 1903

Narcissius admired his own beautiful image in a pool of water. He was so enamored with his reflected image that he stayed there gazing at it until he died. 

Mirror is from the French mireoir "a reflecting glass, looking glass; observation, model, example," from Old French mirer "look at (oneself in the mirror), "observe, watch, contemplate " from Vulgar Latin *mirare "to look at [OE]." So, the name comes from its use as an instrument for looking, or from the action of the one who can see themself reflected in it. A mirror is a "looker," or a "looking glass," as they used to be called. Mirare (to look at) is a variant of mirari "to wonder at, admire, be astonished, marvel." And it is a marvelous thing to be able to see your reflection. A person who had not seen a mirror before, upon looking at one for the first time, might even think it was some sort of miracle. Miracle is from Latin miraculum "object of wonder".

The first hand held mirrors were made from obsidian. Some examples have been found from Anatolia (modern day Turkey) that date to around 6000 B.C. 

  Obsidian mirror

It is interesting that obsidian has been used to make both mirrors and knives. The oldest obsidian blades have been found at Gobekli Tepe, Turkey, dating to around 9,000 B.C., or earlier. The cutting edge of a newly flaked obsidian blade is very sharp and can easily slice through thick skin. It is many many times sharper than a high quality steel blade.

    Mayan obsidian Blade, c. 600-900 A.D.

And can't a mirror do the same thing? A mirror reflects what is, the truth, and sometimes the truth can hurt. It can cut like a knife. A knife can be instrumental in catching and preparing food, which gives strength, but it can also wound, and take away strength. Even a cut to the body can be intended for either health, as in a surgery, or for harm, as in beheading.

Both mirrors and knives are neutral tools, but they are called either friend or foe depending on the news they bring or what they are being used for. They have a dual nature. En garde!

    Magic Mirror - Disney's Snow White and The Seven Dwarves 1937

Queen: Slave in the magic mirror, come from the farthest space, through wind and darkness I summon thee. Speak! Let me see thy face.  

Magic Mirror: What wouldst thou know, my Queen?  

Queen: Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?  

Magic Mirror: Famed is thy beauty, Majesty. But hold, a lovely maid I see. Rags cannot hide her gentle grace. Alas, she is more fair than thee.

Black obsidian mirrors and water bowls were often used in the past for scrying and ritual, rather than as the common glass mirrors used today, for the ordinary purpose of seeing how one looks. 

More modern metallic backed glass mirrors like this were not used until the first century A.D.

  Armond-Albert Rateau, Bronze and ivory hand mirror c. 1925

Polished copper mirrors came into use in Mesopotamia, around 4000 B.C, and later, in Egypt, around 3000 B.C. However, these polished metal mirrors were not able to produce a clear image like modern mirrors.

For now we see in a mirror(esoptron) dimly(ainigma), but then face to face. 1 Cor 13:12 [RSV]

The biblical Greek word esoptron έσόπτρον has the meaning of "a mirror made of highly polished metal," rather than a glass mirror. So it seems to be a bit of a misnomer to translate this passage as, "through a glass darkly," as in the King James Version.  Also the adjective, ainigma αίνιγμα "a riddle, enigma," is translated as "dimly, or darkly."  In a polished copper or brass mirror we see a poor reflection and maybe a confused image. We are left wondering about what we are really looking at. However, it is not about any lack of light, or "darkness" in that respect. The problem is with the quality of the mirror. We may end up "left in the dark" without enough information.  However, no mater how bright the polished metal mirror is, what is seen through it is not a clear color image, and in that sense a "dim" reflection, but perhaps, "indistinctly"Youngs Literal Translation, or "obscurely"Complete Jewish Bible are the better translations in this case.

The English name Mary comes from the Hebrew Miryam it is said. The Greek Mariam or Maria is also derived from the Hebrew. There seems to be a lot of different interpretations of the meaning of the name Mary.

    Caravaggio - Martha and Mary Magdalene c. 1598

As a name stemming from Hebrew, Mary has a few different connections. Marah has the meaning of "to be contentious, rebellious." It can have the meaning of "to be bitter," marar, " and mar / marah "bitter, bitterness. It also has a sound connection to mar'ah  meaning a "mirror (of bronze)," from mar'ah "vision", feminine form of mareh "sight, appearance, vision," from raah "to see". Often the name Mary is said to mean "bitter", "rebelled", or "wished-for child." Sometimes the meaning is said to be "sea of bitterness." This interpretation would be from Miryam. Yam was the name of a Canaanite god of the sea, yam meaning "sea." Yam represented the tempestuous, untamed, raging, forces of the abyss. 

Mere meaning "lake, pond, arm of the sea" is from Old English mere "sea, ocean; lake, pool, cistern," from Proto-Germanic *mari, source of German meer "sea", also Latin mare "sea", Russian more "sea". Is the sea, then, like a mirror (mere-or) made out of water? Or is the sea a see-er, that is, a vision-er, a looker, a.k.a., a mirror)? What marah (vision) does one see in this mere (sea)? What does one see in the sea?  Often heaven (sky) or the heavens, right?

Mor meaning "myrrh" in Hebrew is also from marar "bitter," and also has to do with, mar which has the meaning "drop." Myrrh is collected from the drops of hardened resin that bleed out of the tree when it is cut. That would be a mar (drop) of the mor (myrrh).  

Drops of Myrrh Resin

The yam "sea" is made up from many many drops. One mar(drop) more or less does not make any difference to the mere(sea). It's merely one mar(drop).

Yet, we also say, Mary, as in Merry, from Old English merge "pleasing, agreeable , pleasant, sweet. But is that pleasantness and sweetness without any bitterness? No, it is somehow contained in it. We say Merry Christmas, yet Jesus was a baby born with a mission to suffer and die. 

The name Mary, has a bit of a different tradition coming from the ancient Egyptian meaning of the word. In ancient Egyptian the name Meri, mr(i) had the meaning of "beloved". Is there not any connection between these two languages and words? The Israelites were, as we know, very connected to ancient Egypt at times, even living among the Egyptians. Joseph, the son of Jacob and Rachel, was second in power next to Pharaoh, and married Aseneth, the daughter of a priest of On (Heliopolis). Can someone be beloved without causing a certain kind of bitterness? If you love someone you fear the loss of them. A person who is meri "beloved" can be the cause of the most severe suffering or bitterness, more severe than any enemy. So the name Mary / Mariam / Maria / Miryam is "bitter", but in ancient Egyptian Meri is "beloved" and mr(i) as a hieroglyph had the meaning of "love, desire, wish," they are not so different as they first seem. Love is a sea of bitterness.

    I am the Sea, photo by Julie O. /chthonickore

Mortality is also bitter.

Myrrh is used to anoint the dead, those subject to mortality. In Hebrew mor is "myrrh", so we might say myrrhtality is bitter. The Hebrew word is made with the letters mem and resh. Mem is the letter of "water" mayim, and resh is representative of the head and illumination. Therefore we might say mor (myrrh) is the water (i.e., liquid) of illumination. Myrrh was named after the bitter quality of the resin. Seeing the truth mirrored can be bitter, but also enlightening. And death is bitter, death bites, but what comes from this experience of death? What do we gain from our mortality, this bitterness? Just the fact of our mortality has the ability to illumine a certain path when it is contemplated. What is important, knowing that someday you will die, that at any moment any of your friends family, or children could cease to exist in your reality? Death can be an agent of enlightenment for those willing to look in his mirror. 

Jean Peuget de la Serre, London 1639, The British Museum

And isn't that a kind of truth? Knowing both the flattering and the unflattering truth? The truth that is pleasant and the truth which is bitter? Some might call this the knowledge of good and evil, but knowledge isn't really ever evil. It may be adverse or a bitter pill, but why call this "evil" when what is experienced as bitter can bring enlightenment? How can the truth ever be evil?  

And isn't Christ the truth? Christos Χριστός = Christ in Greek, i.e., the anointed, from Greek chrió [chi = χ, rho = ρ] "anointing". The chi  + rho [Χ, Ρ] itself is actually a pictogram of the word "anointing" when you look at it. Chi is a mark, i.e., χ upon the, rho, head(ρ). In Phoenician the symbol χ was the letter Tau meaning "mark", and the ρ in Greek is the "r" sound rho, from the Phoenician letter res meaning "head." The mark upon the head confers kingship, or is the sign of a ruler, one who has been smeared (smirrored) with oil upon his / her crown (head). Why else should one person rule another, unless he or she has knowledge or is enlightened above others? What does the oil symbolize? 

The fulfillment of Jesus's mission was in his death and resurrection, we do not call him king, but for this bitterness which he endured in order to bear witness to the truth and free us from the bondage of death and decay.

     Chi Rho on a Cross,  Anastasis, at Tor Marancia, Rome c. 350 C.E.

Pilate said to him, "So you are a king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness(martyreso) to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears my voice." Pilate said to him, "What is truth?" John 18:37-38

The Christ is the "anointed" one, mashiach in Hebrew, from mashach "smear with oil, anoint" meshach "oil," and he is anointed with the muron "anointing-oil" Greek. The responsibility of being the anointed one is to serve others and carries a certain amount of bitterness when taken seriously. However, the oil is also sweet smelling and makes the skin gleam (shine, luminous). Any bitterness contained in the resin of the perfumed oil only serves to confer a quality and impression of one who is raised above others. In biblical Greek elaion is "olive oil, oil" (calls to mind Hebrew elyon "most high"). The smearing with the elaion (an oil that is elevated both to the head and in dignity), may bring about a certain elation, from Latin eleus "elevated", or a feeling of being clean, and looking, and smelling your best. 

    Olive Oil - Elaion 

When you see your reflection it is good to have a clear flat mirror, otherwise your image may be distorted. It would still only be a reflection of what is, but not a clear image, like in a broken mirror, or a funhouse mirror. 

    Broken Mirror/Evening Sky, by Bing Wright- 2013

People are mirrors to each other, especially parents to their children.  If we have parents or friends who do not support us we may start to view ourselves as our image in a broken mirror, or like the grotesquely distorted image in a funhouse mirror. Imagine if there was the perfect mirror to reflect your image back to yourself. Isn't that mirror Christ / the Christ? 

"I am the way and the truth and the life." Jn. 14:6 

It seems like Christ would be the best mirror, or the mirror of the Most High God (El Elyon). This is actually said of Wisdom(Sophia).

For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness. Wisdom of Solomon 7:26

There are billions of people and billions of eyes (or mirrors) to see ourselves through, however, when you know that there is one mirror that will not distort your image, you can disregard all the other images, if needed, and cling to the one image of the mirror of truth and unconditional love. First and foremost view yourself through the eyes (mirror) of (a)Christ. 

A pupil of an eye actually does look like an obsidian mirror; a black mirror.

    Front View of Human Eye with Dilated Pupil, by Adam Heart-davis

In ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs the symbol meaning "life" was an ankh, but ankh, '-n-h, was also a word used for mirror, and in fact mirrors were often made with an ankh shape (think of hand mirrors), and were sometimes stored in ankh shaped boxes.  

    Egyptian Ankh Mirror Case, From Valley of the Kings, by Kenneth Garret

The life which was represented by the ankh was specifically eternal life, or life itself.

The symbol was often shown being held to the nose or lips to symbolize the gift of the breath / spirit of life which the gods possessed, like Wisdom(Sophia) / Holy Spirit 

    Anubis and Hathor Transmitting Eternal Life to Tut, Thebes, Egypt

So we might even say that Jesus was the way, the truth, and the ankh ("life" or "mirror"). In Hebrew this would be Chavvah / Chawwah / Havvah "living, breath of life"(related to chay "life"(sounds like "kai") which is traslated in English in Genesis 3:20 as Eve "living", and Mary is called the "New Eve", in Latin Eva, Ave Maria. Mary is also called "Seat or Throne of Wisdom(Sophia)". 

We might be inclined to think that our modern metallic backed glass mirrors are the best mirrors. They do give very clear images, however, the black mirrors seem to be more magical. Like the pupil of the eye takes in the light and then sight is created in our minds. Our vision creates a such a good image that we don't even think it is an image, but rather we view it simply as what is. 

And look at this other black mirror. It enables me to hold the wisdom of the world in the palm of my hand, to communicate with, see and interact with people around the world. It really is a magic mirror.

My iPhone is a black mirror when it is turned off - photo by Julie O. /chthonickore

In the not too distant past we would have been considered gods for possessing these magic mirrors, and might have even been accused of being in league with the devil. We would probably have been burnt at the stake for dabbling in such witchery. This modern everything communication device is truly an invention mirus "wonderful" Latin.

Me: "Siri, anoint me."
Siri: "I'm not sure I understand."

Hey, are you a computer or a magic mirror?
Clearly we still have some work to do.

Beam us up, Scotty!