Have you been searching for affirming faces of the divine feminine? Are you looking for a guide as you learn to maintain your dignity and stand in your power without closing off your heart? Do you find yourself at a loss when looking for strong, independent, financially secure and loving role models for yourself or someone who you mentor? If so, look no further than the Queens in the Tarot.
Tarot is a wonderful tool for personal insight and self-discovery. I picked up my first deck of tarot cards when I was a teen. A friend had a tarot deck, it piqued my interest, and I asked to borrow it. Soon, I was reading for friends and teaching programs at my university to supplement my income. Here I am over 30 years later making my living as both a tarot reader and teacher and still pulling a card a day for guidance!
The Tarot is a deck of 78 cards that tell the story of life. So, for those who may have heard that the Tarot is dark and scary; I say, life is never all sweetness and light.
The 78 cards of the Tarot are divided into two groups.
The Major Arcana which consists of 22 cards represents the bigger spiritual and archetypal mysteries of life. The Minor Arcana contains 56 cards whose meanings relate to our daily lives. This is where we find the Tarot Queens.
The Minor Arcana tells the story of life from four different perspectives as the cards are divided into four suits like regular playing cards. Instead of Diamonds, Hearts, Spades and Clubs as in a standard deck of playing cards, the four suits of the tarot are most commonly known as Swords, Wands, Cups and Pentacles or Coins.
In tarot, as in other metaphysical arts, a concept known as elemental correspondences comes into play in the suits. What I mean by this is that the suits of the Tarot, and their way of looking at our daily lives, are connected to the elements that make up our world; Earth (Pentacles/Coins), Air (Swords), Fire (Wands) and Water (Cups). The wonderful thing about elemental correspondences is that they add layers and deepen the meaning of your personal and spiritual development work.
Each suit of the Tarot carries its element through situations shown from its own specific point of view or aspect of life; Swords for ideas, inspiration and communication, Wands for activity, energy and courage, Cups for emotions, feelings and intuition, and Pentacles/Coins for wealth, security and sustainability.
Each suit of the Minor Arcana has a Queen who embodies the receptive quality of the Divine Feminine within her element or point of view.
Each Tarot Queen addresses and overcomes real life situations using her sacred voice and the spiritual gifts of her suit. You too can summon your sovereignty by embodying these four faces of feminine power!
The Queen of Swords is gifted with a powerful intellect and love of language. Known for her mental brilliance, clarity, quick-thinking and discernment, she is a lover of truth who seeks to build bridges of understanding while telling it like it is.
The Queen of Swords is connected to the Air signs of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. Standing in her power, the Queen of Swords would likely write, teach or speak her truth publicly in order to change the world.
The Queen of Wands possesses the gifts of courage, creativity and passion. Known for her fiery spirit, positive outlook and natural enthusiasm, she is a magnetic force whose charisma allows her to command any stage she steps upon.
The Queen of Wands is connected to the Fire signs of Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. As a confident, energetic leader she is the show-stopping queen of action who might sing, dance, start a protest or practice magic as a vehicle to instigate change.
The Queen of Cups is blessed with the qualities of mindfulness, emotional intelligence and compassion. Known for her sensitivity, keen intuition and ability to go with the flow, she brings warmth and the energy of nurturing to all she does.
The Queen of Cups is connected to the Water signs of Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. Overseeing the world of emotions, feelings and intuition, she may access transformation in her life and the lives of others through meditation, dream work, practicing healing arts or using her psychic abilities.
The Queen of Pentacles is the creatrix of prosperity and security. Known for her practical ability to methodically bring all of her dreams into reality, she easily balances savoring the pleasures of today while keeping an eye on the future.
The Queen of Pentacles is connected to the Earth signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn. Managing the realm of beauty, pleasure and financial security, she easily manifests wealth and abundance and could perhaps use her business acumen and financial resources serving on the board of a charitable organization or protecting wildlife and our planet.
How to start working with the Tarot Queens.
First, get yourself a tarot deck and a journal. I recommend using the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot or a deck based on the work or Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith. This includes a wide variety of decks.
How to choose which Queen to start with.
There are several ways to choose. You could look at the cards and determine which image you like the best. You could review the descriptions of each queen and decide which seems most like you. You could choose the queen that represents your zodiac sign element or the queen who embodies the qualities you want to bring into your life.
If you want to truly leave it up to divine inspiration, you could try this daily activity that I call the “Queen for The Day” reading.
- Remove the 4 Tarot Queens from your deck.
- Shuffle them until you feel ready.
- Then choose one card at random. This is your “Queen for The Day” card.
- Record your first impression of your “Queen for The Day” card in your journal.
- Relax and go about your day.
- In the evening, return to your “Queen for The Day” card. Reflect on your day. Ask yourself, “How did my Queen’s energy show up for me today?” Was she you or someone else or was there a situation in which you used her sovereign gifts?
In addition to helping you learn about the Tarot in general, this will bring your awareness to how the spiritual gifts of the Tarot Queens show up in your life.
The truth is that the Queens in the Tarot exist on a continuum. Meaning we, as women, possess the qualities of all of the Tarot Queens. Using the “Queen for The Day” reading will help you recognize your natural primary response and develop the skills to move more easily through all realms of Tarot Queen magic. Learning to summon the Tarot Queen energies at will allows you to claim your sovereignty at any time and in any situation.
