“There is a curious paradox that no one can explain. Who understands the secret of the reaping of the grain? Who understands why Spring is born out of Winter’s laboring pain, or why we must all die a bit before we grow again? I do not know the answer; I merely know it’s true.” Tom Jones
This card is from the Fairy Tale Tarot. In many decks it would be understood as the Empress. In the tarot, the Empress represents periods of fertility, a good harvest, abundance, fruitfulness and stability. She can also represent family, pregnancy, and serenity.
This depiction allowed me an new understanding of the empress. The thing of this card is that anyone can be an empress or adopt an empress mentality. The empress makes her own dreams come true. She allows her intuition to guide her. She gets out of the way of dreams so she can actualize them. She knows that she has a lot going for herself and she nurtures the gifts the universe has bestowed upon her.
She uses what is at hand. She turns pumpkins into coaches. She takes whatever the harvest is and turns into into something splendid. One of the things I most love about this card is that we can do this all the time. Nature does it with autumn. In a season when things are dying, decaying or ending, the Empress celebrates the inherent beauty of the paradox. Yes, she is all about abundance, pregnancy and stability. But with each of those comes change. The Empress has learned to embrace what is surrounds us. Change. With every joy, sorrow waits in the wings. With every harvest fields must lie fallow and rest until it is time to plant again.
She knows what is and sees that these changes are both natural yet extraordinary. She has the wisdom of experience and age. She considers these things assets rather than liabilities. Experience taught what works or might work. Age is a gift because each day is precious. Each additional day offers the opportunity to creatively engage with new experiences and incorporate prior teachings into the outcomes we have a hand in. The Fairy Godmother knows this.
Nurturing her creativity and using her intuition are powerful ways to interact with others. Being someone’s Fairy Godmother allows each of us to share and support one another. To use what we have and not bemoan what we don’t. To offer gratitude for the small and joyous mercies and celebrate the abundance we have is a gift. The gift of paradox is what makes the Fairy Godmother lovely. She takes a challenge and changes it into an opportunity.
SpiritnSoul 