Undomesticated Tarot: Bringing Back the Wild to a Domesticated World

Summary

The website content discusses an interpretation of the Tarot's Empress card, drawing parallels between the card's symbolism and the ecological role of the honey bee, advocating for a return to natural, interconnected living in opposition to domesticated, power-driven societal structures.

Abstract

The article "Undomesticated Tarot: Bringing Back the Wild to a Domesticated World" delves into the essence of the Empress card in the Tarot's Major Arcana, using the female honey bee (Apis mellifera) as a metaphor for the Empress's attributes. It emphasizes the Empress's disinterest in empire-building and dominance, instead focusing on her role as a nurturer of abundance and growth through pollination. The author, E. Katherine Kottaras, encourages readers to find their own sources of inspiration and creativity, and to contribute to the world by fostering beauty and interconnectedness. The piece also touches on the importance of local pollination for the survival of the planet and the self, suggesting that individual actions towards creativity and growth can have a collective impact on the world

The Major Arcana: The Empress 3 🐝

the empress struggles with the word, “empire.” for, as a mother of the wild world, the empress has no interest in dominance of power or anything akin to colonized, human-systems of inequity. in fact, her work is in opposition of our domesticated, plutocratic, environmentally degraded world.

instead, in her work, a wild mother’s care is tended in connection with and for the benefit of the global, the interconnected, the healing.

this particular empress, as embodied in the being and work of the Apis mellifera, or female honey bee, is not the queen of the colony.

still, this empress is a worker to the core — as she forages for nectar and pollen, she also pollinates the flowers. she transfers pollen grains from anther to stigma, and so she is the carrier of fertility, the nurturer of abundance, the guardian of growth.

the empress invites you to consider your own sources of creative inspiration. she asks, how you can lean into your Self’s true beauty, both inner and outer?

the empress hopes that you will go forth into the world to do your own unique work of pollination. she asks, how can you share and inspire and encourage beauty in others?

the empress hums along with joni, “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot,” and as she does, it shares her incantations of hope and her calls of return and renewal. she asks, how can you reclaim wonder in your own corner gardens of this earth?

the empress’s care is the work of local pollination, which is crucial for whole earth survival. it just as crucial for whole Self survival.

and so, if each of us leans into this work — the work of the creative, abundant, joyful, growing Self in our interrelated, mutually dependent world — we might just save it — which is say that we will save ourselves, too.

About this project: I’ve been wanting to take the time to learn Tarot for a long while. I pull my cards regularly, but I have a hard time remembering the meanings. I am embarking on this project so that I can dive in deep, internalize, and personalize the lessons of the deck. I’m especially curious about how the poetry of centuries-old intuitive knowledge fits in with our modern lives.

With special thanks to Prof. Charlene Potter for lending her bee expertise.

Special research note: the feral honeybee is in opposition to the work of native colonies, whose work is what we need in our environmentally threatened world. As Daniel Rubinoff writes, “Honeybees readily escape the hives of beekeepers and go feral, setting up shop on their own, easily invading and dominating a vast array of ecosystems from coast to coast.” So then, the invitation to return and renewal is both spiritual and scientific. You can read more about the problem here.

Collage and words by me — Fourth in a series — Taking it seriously, but also trying to lean into play, a bit like a kitten — 🐈‍⬛ therefore there will be a cameo of my cat in every single card. Can you find her?Open to learning via supportive feedback —

E. Katherine Kottaras holds an M.A. in English and an M.S. in Kinesiology with a focus on Integrative Wellness, and she is a contemplative writer and holistic teacher, having worked at the middle, high school, and community college levels for over two decades. She is a yoga teacher, personal trainer, and health coach while also living with invisible illnesses and neurodivergence, and as such, she is passionate about mindfulness, bodily self-determination, and health equity. As the queer daughter of an immigrant, Katherine believes that holistic and inclusive approaches to expression, healing, and growth should be accessible to all.

Check out Katherine’s new series, Yoga with Eleonora on YouTube, which helps kids of all ages calm their minds and bodies so they can respond to and communicate their feelings in healthy ways.