I always feel happy to draw the Empress, Demeter the Earth Mother, matriarchal goddess, mother of Persephone. She is a welcome site and gives me the sense, all is right with the world, especially after the big storm this week. This card makes me feel very grateful, hopeful and optimistic for the day, and for the future.
The Empress lightens my heart, and brings thoughts of sunshine, flowers, growing things and the Spring. She has pomegranates decorated on her dress, and she is obviously carrying a child, signifying her fertile nature, and the creative growth within.
The water flows in the background which is life and spirit affirming symbolizing, flowing feelings and fertility. She wears a necklace with twelve stones, representing the astrological signs, and wearing her crown that represents her as ruler of nature and instinct.
The Empress embraces and cares for the good earth, and she is a creator, encouraging and urging us to do the same and to take good care of the earth and of ourselves, mind, body and spirit. She cares for all vulnerable creatures. Without her we cannot appreciate our physical selves and we are disconnected living only in an intellectual world.
A new creation whatever it is, needs patience and nurturing, in order for it to grow to full term. The Empress symbolically reflects the mothering experience, not necessarily in a physical way, but on an inner level.
Nurturing and caring for ourselves like a mother would, is probably one of the most difficult things for us to do, as women are often much more comfortable mothering, nurturing and caring for others. It is essential that we learn how be a mother or to re-parent ourselves, because if we can not care for ourselves, we not only short change ourselves, we are not able to fully care for or be present to another. We can risk burnout, may become resentful and bitter, because we are constantly giving to others, feeling that we are being taken for granted, revealing the dark side of Demeter.
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| Wild Woman Singing Over The Bones Egg Tempera, Catherine Meyers 2013 |
8 comments:
I love your painitng of wild woman. I find the part of the story when the reborn wolf runs away and changes in a laughing woman, wild and free, so inspiring.
And yes, The Empress, mother of all, wild woman, What can we do but embrace her and care for ourselves :D
Thank you very much Ellen.
Me too!
Beautifully put Ellen. Thanks so much for your great comment <3
Love that comment about re/parenting ourselves, a good reminder :)
Kerry, the first time I heard this statement about re-parenting ourselves, I was mad as hell. I had always felt I had many unmet needs growing up, and had to fend for myself and to be there for others. This was not really true as much as I thought, though I know I didn't grow up in the most ideal circumstance. I was just messed up and when I finally got into recovery from the affects and effects of alcoholism my perspective and life changed so much. I'm still very much a work in progress!
Thanks for your comment. <3
It's funny, I had a great mother, so the idea of reparenting doesn't make me mad in the same way. It feels more like a reminder that I can be as good to me as she was :)
I am happy to hear you had a great mum. I also had a wonderfully loving mum. I attribute where I am today to her.
It will be forever etched in my mind what a priest once said to a group of us young adults, many years ago at a spiritual retreat. He said children who grow up in alcoholic homes, grow up with an inherent belief they are unlovable. This was me. Thank God I know longer believe that.
I'm so glad that you now know yourself to be loveable! It's a big step :)
I had a bit of that, with an alcoholic father, but it made a difference that he didn't live with us after I was three. Still affected me, but not as much.
It's wonderful the way that people can help us along our paths, almost unknowing - earth angels :D
Thank you Kerry. Yes these earth angels are truly life savers.
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