The Empress upright is the Earth Mother. She has the biggest and most compassionate heart, and gives of herself freely, often to her own detriment. The Empress Reversed, on the other hand, may have bitten off more than she can chew and put far too much out there. Reversed, there are a few other things the reversed Empress could imply:
Questions answered by the Empress Reversed: Who? An overbearing person or parent What? Overindulgence or malnourishment Where? A group home; a retirement home; the baby’s room When? When the leaves change; a death; the beginning of Spring; the beginning of Autumn Why? “a lot of parents will do anything for their kids, except let them be themselves.” ~Banksy Yes or No? First change your attitude or behavior What should I clean?
Where are my keys?
The Empress Reversed as: ...an action?
...a place in your house?
...a place in your city?
...a place in the world?
...something to eat?
...a color? Red, chartreuse, blue ...a movie theme? Smothering parents
...a new career?
Possible Major Arcana combinations with The Empress Reversed: Reversed Fool: An enabler, infertility Upright Magician: Using talents for manipulation Reversed Priestess: Repressed emotions Upright Emperor: A smothering father Reversed Hierophant: Cult-like religion Upright Lovers: Codependence Reversed Chariot: Zero emotional control Upright Strength: Compassion fatigue Reversed Hermit: Loneliness Upright Wheel: A change causes emptiness Reversed Justice: An unjust system Upright Hanged One: Martyrdom, narcissism Reversed Death: Anxiety about change Upright Temperance: Need to balance emotion Reversed Devil: Difficulty with control Upright Tower: Disaster; storm; distress Reversed Star: Discouragement Upright Moon: Listen to the subconscious Reversed Sun: Negative person, pessimist Upright Judgement: Childfree; infertile Reversed World: No closure; emptiness Before any card: Smothering or stifling (card) After any card: Emptiness, infertility The Major Arcana represent significant life events. The Empress Reversed could indicate:
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 One year ago I started writing a little reference book called Applied Tarot. Since then I've published three books and a card deck in the Applied Divination Series, I have another book coming out in a couple of months (Applied Tarot Reversed) and yet another one planned for later this year (Applied Tasseography, An Excessively Practical Guide to Interpreting Tea Leaves.)
Starting a small business is never an instant success; a divination business, at that, is definitely not a lucrative enterprise; AND launching that small divination business during a pandemic is probably the worst idea I've ever had. The worst best idea. I love what I do. I love Tarot cards and Runes and Tea Leaves and Palmistry and Astrology and Feng Shui and anything and everything related to divination and the mystical arts. Practicing them as a hobbyist kept me going through a lifetime of bad jobs, school stresses, parenting issues, clinical depression, and everything else that is just part of existence. But now practicing it as a professional is keeping me going through a pandemic where I might otherwise be driven straight into an institution. I bought myself an Employee of the Year mug to celebrate. My IT support staff (husband) is super envious. Maybe he'll work a bit harder this year and win it next year. Maybe.  Everybody loves Runes. Ask your phone what your Rune says today!
The Norse people liked simple things. So here's a simple spread straight from the ancients themselves - the Three Norns!
The Norns were mythical giant maidens who ruled the fates of both gods and men - that's a lot of gal power! Their names were Urd, Verdandi, and Skuld. This spread of the Three Norns holds a lot of power. It basically declares your destiny based on your past and present. Stone 1: The Past (Urd) As well as being the name of one of the Norns, Urd was the name of a well at the base of a large mountain, and is said to be where the Norns reside. Urd herself spins the events of the past. The Rune here represents events of the past that have a direct correlation to the present and the future. Stone 2: The Present (Verdandi) If Urd spins the events, Verdandi weaves them together. The Rune here is what is being woven based on the events of the past. It could be what is happening right now, or what will come into being very soon. Stone 3: The Future (Skuld) Urd spins events, Verdandi weaves them, and Skuld is said to "cut them short." So while this Rune does represent the future, it also serves as a reminder that it's not too late to change the future if you don't like how it ends. Skuld hasn't cut anything yet! So I did this reading for myself just now, and my topic is this dog I adopted on a whim. At the time I thought 'hey, all three of my kids were super easy, my cats were super easy, everything I've parented in life was super easy, so this dog will be super easy too, it's fate! Right?' Wrong. This is kinda the worst idea I've ever had. I am trying very hard with this dog, I've spent a fortune on training and books and toys and solutions, but it's still quite a mess. He's extremely anxious, abnormally energetic for his breed, and a fluffy giant ball of love and teeth and crying. So much teeth. So much crying - both him and myself. It is hard work. The vet has prescribed anxiety medication for him. I may take it myself. So, on to the Three Norns - the past, present, and future of my dog. Rune 1: Fehu Fehu is wealth that moves - it comes into your life and it goes out again. I think as a Rune representing the past, it's telling me this was a gift that came into my life, and I did the right thing by accepting it. So that's nice. Rune 2: Jera Jera represents those moments between seasons, and how they blend to create natural cycles of abundance and loss, marriage and divorce, and planting and harvesting. Jera is a cycle that is never quite complete. I suppose in the present position, I'm in that middle part of a cycle, where dog parenting is both bad and good, fluffy and difficult, adorable yet crying. The only thing to do is push through. Rune 3: Raido (Reversed) Upright, Raido is about travel and taking a journey. In reverse it is about immobility, restlessness, or one who is a control freak. I suppose Skuld is warning me to be a little more flexible with my dog and our lives, and understand that immobility is a natural part of having a new puppy. I will just have to work around it, and maybe put travel on hold for a bit. The dog won't let me go anywhere anyway. So much crying. That's my story and my dog and I'm stuck with it for now, I guess. Oh well! He's cute, so he's got that going for him. If you don't have Runes, I found this neat online Three Norns reading that also includes reversals, which I feel are important when summoning the divinatory powers of the cold North. For more on the Runes, read Applied Runes!  Like Isa reminds us that nature slows when it needs to, Jera reminds us that a bountiful harvest is inevitable, too. Jera represents those moments between seasons, and how they blend to create natural cycles of abundance and loss, marriage and divorce, planting and harvesting, or what have you. Imagine Jera as two sides of a square that never closes. Just as we naturally oppose ourselves and each other when things change, Jera is a cycle that is never complete. Jera has no reverse, as the cycles of time continue regardless of circumstances. Jera as: ..an action?
...a place in your city?
...a movie theme? Gardening, cycles of life
...a new career?
Questions answered by Jera: Who? The gardener What? A seed Where? Near the plants When? The end of December or end of the year; when the seasons change; the harvest Why? “Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later.” ~Og Mandino Yes or No? Maybe. As this Rune cannot be reversed, only that which has been sown shall be reaped. Bindrune bonus: the preceding Rune Isa and the next Rune Ihwaz, combine to form a variant of Jera. It is often called the Lantern Rune due to it’s lantern-like appearance. It also means cycles.  Jera brings us to the end of our study of the Runes. Thanks for following along, everyone! My next divination book (Applied Tarot Reversed) is still a few months away, so I don't know what my blog will talk about daily for the next few months, but maybe I'll draw a tarot card or a rune to help me decide. We'll see what happens! Coming in March, look for my next release, Psychic Word Puzzles! Solve a puzzle, get a message from the universe! It's cheaper than visiting your local psychic. Follow my page on Amazon to keep an eye out for that: 
We can imagine what the cold Norse winters were like, with the earth covered in frost and the landscape barely traversable for months on end. This is what Isa represents – a static ice, harsh but beautiful, that hides the Earth before its glorious spring transformation.
Isa encourages us to wait, put a stop to our ego, and don’t try anything spontaneous. Spring always follows winter, do not rush it. Isa has no reverse, as ice is not just some challenge that must be overcome, it is the very nature of a polar environment. Isa as: ...an action?
...a place in your house?
...a place in your city?
...a place in the world?
...something to eat?
...a movie theme? Ice, delays
As I type this, the Pacific Northwest is anticipating a very cold and possibly snowy weekend. Seattleites are unable to engage in much action during snow, as the depths and heights of driveways and streets make any kind of ground cover not traversible. At the same time, the world is also in a pandemic, so going somewhere isn't likely anyway, I suppose. We're double-Isa'd in 2021. The only thing to do is wait it out. Spring will come eventually.  Nauthiz literally translates to “need fire.” It comes when we’re toiling away at difficult tasks, when we’re in conflict with our current situation, or when there is an urgency to be doing anything else or be anywhere else. While a more mundane interpretation might be basic chores, it is also about the self-reliance and effort needed to push through and get to the other side. Nauthiz looks like two sticks rubbing together, as if we are desperately trying to create the fire that we need to get through whatever we're suffering. The easiest way to remember the name and meaning is Naut-thiz "oh no, NOT THIS!" The reverse of Nauthiz or Nyd is an inability to see that change is needed. Nauthiz as: An action?
Something to eat?
A movie theme? Boredom, chores, fire
Questions answered by Nauthiz: Who? An accountant; a bored person What? A difficult chore Where? A fire pit; right in front of you When? Mid-late November; in the thick of it Why? “A rat in a maze is free to go anywhere, as long as it stays inside the maze.” ~Margaret Atwood, A Handmaid’s Tale Yes or No? Maybe – it is up to you I have a lot to say about Nauthiz, but I'll save it for my therapist. I'm constantly creating fires to try and disappear difficult situations I've gotten myself into. One of the important lessons with Nauthiz is that you can't just burn it all to the ground all the time, sometimes you have to complete the chore in order to experience the change. I was fortunate to be featured on T.J. Deschamp's blog today! TJ is a Pacific Northwest fantasy writer with a new book coming out March 1st. Divination nonfiction and Fantasy fiction have an awful lot in common. They're magical, mysterious, and pretty sexy, too! (well, TJ's writing is sexy. I'm not super sure how a Tarot Card telling you to do your laundry is sexy, but maybe you're into that?) Click this big button to read my interview with TJ: Check out the ad for Warrior Tithe! Now go preorder it!  Hagalaz literally translates to hail. In more esoteric divinations, it is about discord and destruction.
We can imagine hail pelting us – it stings and is relentless, but it soon melts and nourishes the Earth. Transformation occurs after this time of painful crisis. Picture the Rune as an H standing for Hagalaz, but the middle line is wonky and chaotic, which represents its meaning. Hagal has no reverse, as the opposite of chaos is just more chaos. Hagalaz as: ...an action?
...a place in your house?
...a place in the world?
...a movie theme? Chaos, bad weather
A new career?
I create my own chaos by adopting puppies, enrolling in Master's degree programs, quitting jobs and publishing novels all in the same month. I think I'll go relax with a nice pleasant viewing of Jurassic Park!  Wunjo is positive, hopeful joy. Its Norse meaning is wind, so we can imagine that when things are difficult, change will come on the next gust of wind. To remember this Rune’s meaning, imagine it looks like the letter “p” and positivity is blowing in. The actual sound it makes is “w”, for wind. This is the Rune of will and motivation. Like the butterfly effect, the wind blows harder when we make a move. The reverse of Wunjo is caution, hopelessness, or betrayal. Questions answered by Wunjo: Who? The happiest person; the motivated one What? The weather forecast Where? High up When? The middle of October; on a windy day Why? “When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills.” ~Chinese Proverb Yes or No? Yes! Reversed? Maybe, be cautious What should I clean?
Where are my missing keys?
Combinations with other Runes: Wunjo says motivate yourself to
Just now I was super motivated to book my son's wisdom teeth removal and his flight back home. On the flipside, he's probably feeling very reverse-Wunjo (hopeless and betrayed,) because I booked all four of his teeth to be pulled during his College Spring break.
Ha ha, whoops. Read more about Wunjo in Applied Runes. In January, the book was very popular in Great Britain. Thanks UK! You make me feel a lot of Wunjo/joy. |
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