The third numbered card in most Tarot decks is the Empress, but my models are all Queer men, and there’s already an Emperor, so we’ve got this ungainly title. Also, the Empress is often shown as pregnant, and I didn’t happen to know any trans men great with child to model for me. But the symbolic reason for that is creativity, manifestation, and bringing something new to the world. Thus, the Consort is an artist (in fact, I almost called him “The Artist”, but some decks call Temperance “Art”). But to keep that pregnancy vibe going, the paintings are all fertility symbols: the Venus of Willendorf, imagined to be a love goddess; the planet named after Venus; the O’Keefe-style skull, popularly taken as a yoni (that’s the opposite of a phallus); and old feminine symbols of lotus and pomegranate.
In addition to pallette and brush, we see a workout bench and weights, to remind us that what we are creating may not be something for the outside world, but a change in ourselves.
Interpret this card positively, but remind the Querent to be patient. The wonderful thing he is bringing to fruition requires a lot of nurturing. But when it bursts forth, it’s going to be awesome, and a source of happiness. In matters of love, this could be a card of serious commitment, now that the foundation for a strong relationship has been laid. in matters of sex, remember the qualities of nurturing and creativity the Consort brings to mind. This isn’t the sex of dark corners; it’s about bringing something beautiful into the world. And of course, this is the card of breeding and being bred, with vigor, ideally in a sunlit garden, and loud enough for the neighbors to applaud.
J Chaplin Art 