Mantra and Tarot: Empress, Emperor, Hierophant

Anna K Tarot

Empress: 'Om mata, om mata, mata jagadamba'
This mantra carries no deep meaning. 'Mata' literally means 'mother', and 'jagadamba' means 'world mother'. So the chant is 'Mother, mother, mother of the world'. It is simple and basic homage to the Mother. The Empress is Motherhood, love and gentleness. At the same time, she is sexuality, emotion, and the female. She is nature in all its force and glory, voluptous and sensual. In the face of such overwhelming feminine power, what can one say but 'Oh mother, oh mother, mother of us all'? She is physicality and emotion in its purest form, without intellectual or moral consideration.

Chant this mantra holding a green crystal of your choice, or anything that is earthy or sensuous to you. You could chant it while stroking a piece of velvet cloth.

Emperor: 'Om nama shivaya'

Anna K Tarot

This mantra is meant to enhance masculine energy and its focused consciousness. It helps purify the masculine aspect. In his best aspect, the Emperor indicates the stability provided by a just society, where law and order are maintained through the inherent morality of those laws. He represents all things 'organised' in society, from agriculture to social structure to conventional roles...He is the father and is linked to rules and authority. Shiva embodies these masculine qualities. The very word 'shiva' just makes me think of a warrior who would defend and watch over me, and yes do things for the greater good that might not be that nice for the individual. These are the kind of choices the Emperor has to make.

A red stone would be good to use during this mantra.

Hierophant: 'Om maha jagadguru swaha' 

Anna K Tarot

I don't know if this mantra exists in any actual practice. I made it up using Sanskrit words. It means 'Om, hail to the great world teacher(s)'. The term jagadguru refers to those spiritual figures around whom the world's religions have formed. The Hierophant, sometimes the Pope or the High Priest, is the intercessor between God and the people. Where the Emperor provides structure and rules to guide us through the physical world, the Hierophant is the father figure that guides us spiritually. Yes, his masculine energy means he organises spirituality, he makes rules, and he makes structure of it. But still, a lot of good is done through him.

Scott Cunningham associates topaz with the Hierophant. I think something harder and colder might be in order. But who can afford a diamond big enough to use as a palm stone?