Get To Know The Empress Tarot Card Through The Ambassador of Radical Self Love – Tess Holliday!
Meet the Empress herself! Tess Holliday (.Slink Editorial. ‘Ring of Fire’ Photographer: Emily Perez, Model: Tess Holliday, Art Director: Christine Lunday, Hair Stylist: Carina Tafulu, Hair Assistant: Kat Hoist, MUA: Nikki Lopez, Stylist: Ali Levine)
I live in Southern California, so let’s just say that “beauty” is a BIG deal here because of the pressures of Hollywood and Los Angeles of course. In San Diego you find tons of fake (or real) tans, designer clothes, and cosmetic surgery is the ‘norm’. Also people are obsessed with their bodies, because beach season all year round invokes this sort of preoccupation. I mean, in other parts of the country you can be separated from the idea that “You can never be too rich or too thin”. But living in So. Cal, alongside L.A. this can be a day-to-day challenge, or even an all out war for some folks.
Amidst all of the “normative” beauty standards, there is this one sound, sultry, strong, gorgeous, rebellious, and voluptuous woman, who has sought to redefine what “beauty” is all about in the name of radical self-love and acceptance, and her name is Tess Holliday! So, if you need a ‘holiday’ or reprieve from societal pressures take a mini vacation from you media and dive into some Tess!
Tess Holliday lives just North of me in Southern California, and throughout her youth was bullied for being overweight. Despite the bullies and naysayers she has pushed through and persevered in pursuing her dream of becoming a famous model. First off, she didn’t try to fit herself into a box or pigeonhole. Tess started off as an Instagram and Facebook sensation who quickly drew in a burgeoning cult following, and just this year she was finally signed by Milk Modeling Agency as the first size 22 Super Model to ever exist! But, not only is Tess a super model she is an activist for Body Positivity and started the “Eff Your Beauty Standards” movement!
The Empress and Queen of her Queendom started the Body Positive Movement “Eff Your Beauty Standards” (Photo taken from https://www.facebook.com/TessHollidayOfficial)
To me, Tess is the embodiment of the Empress Tarot Card, and the all out Queen of her own Queendom. The Empress Card is about creation, manifestation, love, and nurturing of self and others. It is also about manifesting your own physical reality, or Queendom (shall we say), and making it just the way you want.
When personally working with this Empress Card and Archetype you might ask yourself: How can I become the Queen of my own Queendom? What will my home or Queendom look like? Who will live in my Queendom with me? How will the Queen dress? Who will her companion be? What does she stand for? And how does she RULE?
As you ask yourself these questions you will be able to envision and identify what you believe to be your “ideal woman” and by answering these kinds of questions you can start taking the steps to become an Empress yourself! It is indeed a very miraculous, transformative, and alchemical process!
In regard to Tess as the Empress archetype, she has certainly, consciously and unconsciously, answered these ‘sort’ of questions, because her life and how she lives it is THE perfect answer and example. She has blazed her own unique trail, and defied all odds, in the modeling industry. She has adorned her self with love, and the expression of that love with her gorgeous and stunning style of clothing and tattoos, and self regard. She has created a Queendom of people who support her, and whom she supports as well with her Body Positive movement “Eff Your Beauty Standards.”
Her fiancé is also extremely body positive as well, and actively supports her creative vision and career with enthusiasm. The Empress Card being sacred to the planet Venus is represented by the Goddess of Love, and Tess reflects this concept powerfully with her great ability to practice the radical self-love and acceptance she advocates while encouraging all others to do the same, for themselves and others. She loves and nurtures all forms of beauty in their various expressions.
Tess Holliday and her fiance Nick Holliday. The Empress and Emperor of Radical Self-Love and Acceptance (photo from https://www.facebook.com/TessHollidayOfficial)
Tess personally has inspired and encouraged me through her work. She has given me the courage to be me at my best, to love my body more and regardless, to wear that outfit unapologetically, to blaze my trail, to continue to advocate for others, and to see beauty every-where. Her message has imbued me with self-love and acceptance when I have doubted myself. She is so much more then just a pretty girl. She is a force to be reckoned with, she is a mother, a ruler, and a lover of All. She is the Empress incarnate.
Some folks might wonder why I compare Tarot Cards and the Archetypes they represent to public figures. The reason I do so is that I believe that the Tarot is a living spiritual system, and when we by chance pull a Card like the Empress in our Reading we can have a real life example, like Tess, and discover what this archetype is all about. Of course Tarot is my career, it is my passion, my life’s work so I enjoy being able to share with you how and where these elements and archetypes come into physical manifestation in our world and in real-time.
If you would like to visit the Empress Tess Holliday check out these links to her social media pages and website below.
https://instagram.com/tessholliday/
https://www.facebook.com/TessHollidayOfficial
https://www.facebook.com/Effyourbeautystandards
Hay Tess, if you happen to read my blog, I would love to come up to one of your ‘Yard Sales’ one of these days! How lovely. And maybe we can play with some Tarot Cards ;).
In Service,
Bianca
Bohemian Tarot
619-384-9208