Cards from The Radiant Rider Waite Deck.
The Threes in tarot are overseen by The Empress who represents our deepest human experiences. She is our Soul manifested in the physical world from birth, through growth and decay to death and then rebirth. She is vitality and constant renewal. The Empress is the anima (the feminine principle) for men, and the Eros principle for all. She is the female, creative, grounded, perceptive, earth energy. She is the nurturing, inclusive love as we give and receive it through our ever-changing relationships with the physical world, family, friends, our work, and our creativity.
Acceptance of change is a fundamental aspect of the feminine principle. Like the phases of the Moon, women’s bodies undergo monthly changes. Like the seasons, women emerge from childhood into adolescence, blossom into womanhood and can achieve fruition in motherhood. The Empress, ageless as both maiden and hag, consolidates that deep, multi-faceted experience of love with the wisdom of age into acceptance as the wise woman.
The Empress is not judgmental. She is receptive and represents all our deepest responses to the physical world. She only asks for honesty and authenticity in the way we live our lives. This is not about gender. The Empress archetype embraces all of humanity regardless of gender, race, age or any stereotypes. Her expression through the threes in tarot is all about change, emotion, acceptance and finding the joy in life.
At her best The Empress is our unrestricted joy and boundless fulfilment in everything physical, sensual, emotional. She is the ultimate female goddess, the celebration of evolution and chaos – the understanding that all things must grow, change, decay, make way for the new. When she is demanding (reversed), The Empress implores us to explore and engage in our physical world, to find release through creative expression, to be sensitive to situations as they evolve and above all to embrace change and renewal.
The Three of Wands - creative expression
3 0f Wands from Rider-Waite tarot
The 3 of Wands is calm and confident as he watches his ships in full sail as they leave for open waters. To achieve your goals you must focus on what you really want and channel your creative energy into manifesting your chosen outcomes. It is important to understand and appreciate your roots, relationships, the foundations of your life - old friends, family, loved ones, and the loyalties, values and beliefs that you hold. These are what will help to stay grounded while you turn your ideas into the outcomes you dream of.
The Three of Cups - sharing abundance
3 of Cups Rider-Waite Tarot
Support, love, inclusion and joy are all aspects of the 3 of Cups. The strength of our friendships and the support of those who love us can help us to meet the most difficult challenges. There are times when we forgo our own needs in order to help our friends or a cause we believe in. Teamwork, loyalty and working together for something more important than individual success, can bring great rewards. Sometimes it is just time for a party!
The Three of Swords - accepting the pain
3 of Swords from the Rider-Waite Tarot
It is not possible to have a life without pain. Facing up to difficult or distressing experiences, painful memories or hard decisions, is important if we are to move on. The cycle of fertility includes decay. Everything must die and out of decay comes renewal and fruitfulness. Honesty, sincere regret and forgiveness are necessary aspects of commitment and love. The truth can be painful but by accepting it into our hearts, we change for the better and grow as individuals.
The Three of Pentacles - doing it well
3 of Pentacles, Rider-Waite Tarot
Whatever we do in life, we should strive to do the best we can. The physical work we do, whether it is tending a houseplant, cooking a meal, teaching a class, nursing an elderly patient or playing a video game, giving it our full attention is key to success, whatever the outcome. This is what success looks like. It is about our mental attitude, our ability, our desire and our energy. Like The Empress whose dress of pomegranates symbolises generosity and abundance, we must be prepared to give fully of our talents in the service of ourselves and others.
All the threes in tarot reflect the archetype of The Empress: creation, abundance, emotional and spiritual growth, decay and rebirth.