Symbology
The Queen of Vessels proceeds the blackening with a contrasting white stage – the Albedo.
As the bright sun of the dawn, she arises as a promise of hope for those who travelled the obscure roads of the dark night.
In alchemy, the new being that emerged from the Nigredo phase must be clean from the remnant impurities. The Water that dominates the Queens is an essential element to this cleansing that transforms the “blackness” into the “whiteness” of a purified body.
The women doing laundry, washing white sheets by the right side of the card, are a common alchemical metaphor for this process, as the dark stains are washed away in the river’s waters.
The Queen appears from the left, affirming the receptive aspects that call us to enjoy this moment of peace, surrounded by fertile nature.
She evokes a balance in our emotional self, calming down our impulses and uncontrolled stimuli. As an intuitive ruler of our subconscious mind, she encourages us to find the synchrony between the higher self and the lower self.
This White Queen assumes the identity of Luna, as we can see in the shape above the vessel. Luna has a great influence on Water, and the Queen’s strong connection to that emotional element.
That theory leaves no doubt that she is the feminine side of this long-waited alchemical Marriage.
The caduceus on her hands (as a symbol of contrary forces unified) signifies that she no longer resists her opposite side, but walks towards it, accepting it as her other half and looking for an internal balance.
She is ready to receive the King’s seed, so both can combine themselves into a greater new being. Note that this Queen is the only queen that stands up, as if she is waiting for her masculine correspondent.
The White Queen is often connected to someone who is achieving the stage of whiteness. Depending on the spread, she can be yourself or someone within your environment.
Upright Meaning and Interpretation
Clairvoyant, Purposeful, Spiritually Refined.
Figuratively, the White Queen says that you must be receptive to what the universe has to offer you. Let energy from your creative side follow your intuition so they can create unimaginable possibilities.
The White Queen, as a lunar ruler, unveils traumatic events from your past that left marks in the way the world is seen. These same wounds shaped the person she became, strong and determined, not satisfied with superficial relationships.
She is an intuitive person who does not trust everyone immediately. It takes time to be worthy of her esteem. As soon as we get her attention, she can be loyal and protective.
We can say that she is very sensitive to her surroundings, absorbing the energy around her.
If she feels that others are draining her energy, she feels anxious and upset, moving away from that kind of environment.
She, too, can be an emotional woman, but she keeps her emotions to herself, sharing only with the people she cares about.
Reversed Meaning and Interpretation
Inflexible, Over-sensitive, Constant Cleaning.
In reverse, the Queen of Vessels shows someone who isn’t open to others’ advice, being inflexible and sometimes obsessed. Often over-sensitive and afraid to be vulnerable, this does not help her to see the big picture in a problem.
She tries too hard to connect with her spiritual self, who is still not completely developed, leading her to make mistakes and in need of constant cleaning.