The meaning of the heart in tarot expressed in two cards from the deck
The meaning of the heart in tarot could be expected to appear in many cards, but it shows up clearly, as a present image, in only two cards: the Major Arcana of The Empress and the Minor Arcana of the 3 of Swords. As one might imagine, the heart has long been a clear symbol of love, joy, and affection. The heart is also a symbol of truth, courage, and consciousness. Symbolically, the heart is the center of existence. Physically, it pumps life to the rest of the body, so when we see the heart in a reading, we must be aware of our own center, and what’s at the core of our focus.
These could very well be some ideas of the meaning of the heart in tarot: -Love -Unity -The Sacred -Cohesion -Sensuality -The Feminine -Attraction -Kindness -Honesty and Truth Ancient magicians and alchemists used heart symbols in enchantments related to love and romance. They were also used in rituals to strengthen relationships, and across cultures, the heart has been recognized as a symbol of love, charity, joy, and compassion. It is also an emblem of truth. The “Sacred Heart” of Christ is a central focus of Roman Catholic worship as a sign of the Lord’s love. As a graphic representation of an inverted triangle, it symbolizes a vessel into which love is poured or carried. The triangle and the heart are closely connected symbolically because the heart evolved from this original symbol of an inverted triangle. As many of us know (especially after movies like The Da Vinci Code), the inverted triangle is an esoteric symbol of feminine divinity, or feminine power in general. We see an inverted triangle as a focal point at the center of the Muladhara or root chakra. Here, this emblem represents the main root of primal energy, sexual power. In this (inverted) point, the spark ignites the heat that rises up through the spine and its corresponding chakras. Inverted triangles also appear in the solar plexus chakra (Manipura), heart chakra (Anahata), throat chakra (Vishudha), and third eye chakra (Ajna). Inverted triangles also represent the element of water. Esoterically speaking, water is a symbol that represents many things, and when associated with the triangle and the heart, these three symbols almost form a set of very similar messages and meanings, such as movement, emotion, intuition, transition, and psychic perception.
Returning to our two cards with the heart’s meaning in tarot, we see that in both, this element is very present. In the 3 of Swords, it is certainly the dominant and exclusive figure, and in The Empress, it appears as a shield or crest she holds in her hands, or depending on the version of the Rider-Waite tarot, beside her, resting on the ground next to her throne.
In the 3 of Swords, the heart is all about emotion, and although swords represent intellect and reason, here it’s clear that these qualities are completely broken and overtaken by what’s happening in the heart. If the card appears upright, it means a painful separation, grief, heartbreak, emotional pain; the end of a relationship, facing problems ahead, emotional distress. It indicates mental anguish, deep sadness, and rejection. If the card is reversed, the heart’s meaning in tarot becomes much more positive and hopeful, as it points to releasing pain, renewed optimism and faith, forgiveness, overcoming sadness. However, it can also mean being overly emotional or, on the contrary, suppressing or denying emotions. The rest of the reading should reveal which interpretation applies. In the case of The Empress, her crest is a heart, so emotion is her main symbol, which defines her. Her home is the heart, and she lives life from her heart; it’s her defense but also her vast capacity to give. She is the ultimate mother figure. This heart will speak volumes in a reading depending on whether the card appears upright or reversed. Upright, it tells us that we are in the presence of abundance, femininity, beauty, fertility, the creative power of nature, nurturing, motherhood, one’s own mother, pure love, mother earth, a multitasking or entrepreneurial woman, pregnancy, creativity, problem-solving in a creative way, fulfilling potential, indicating a business or an opportunity for success. Reversed, The Empress’ heart points to negative aspects, such as blocked creativity, dependency on others, low self-esteem, having a servile attitude. It also represents inaction, laziness, creative stagnation and/or business stagnation, lack of coordination, wasting resources, financial difficulties, or problems at home.
As we can see, even though the heart’s meaning in tarot only appears in two cards, its message carries immense power. Both pure love and pure pain manifest in these two cards, guiding us to understand our own heart or the heart of another, if the reading is about someone else.
