A voluptuous queen reclines in the shade of a flowering tree,wearing her starry crown. She holds an Egyptian crook,the emblem of her role as shepherdess of the people. Around her are symbols of fecundity and authority:a flowering lotus,ripening fruit,scales,and a flail. The Empress is the Earth Mother,who creates and sustains life. The Empress reminds us of the magic and wonder of our own bodies,and the miracle that we,like her,have the capacity to give forth and nurture life.