Thursday, Feb. 12, 2004 | 10:06 AM

At the end of 2002/beginning of 2003, I kept getting The Tower in my tarot readings. I wrote a big thing about it here.

Now, I keep getting The Empress.

The following is taken from here:

The Empress card is one of the easier trumps to read. She's Mother. Generally, Mother in a good sense. Patient, loving, giving, generous. If defining her as the Querent, you can say that they are currently feeling like a mother hen, worried about their children, new business, new creation, new romance. Male or female, they want to dote and hover and fret over every little sneeze and problem�.

Of course, the Empress can also be the worst aspects of an attentive Mom; she can smother, not know when to let go, be possessive and jealous of those who would take away her "baby." It is important for the Querent to realize that plants can die from over-watering as easily as neglect.

This card tells the Querent that if they want their new romance, new career, new business, new creation to grow into all it can be they have to pay attention to it, baby it and be willing to let it take those first steps when it is ready. Most of all, like any pregnant mother or good gardener, they have to be patient. All things need time to gestate and sprout.

God�so true. In every area of my life right now, it�s true. And I do have to be patient�which is not my strong suit. I definitely feel like the Empress/Earth Mother archetype is ruling my life right now. It also seems to be the role I am playing in the lives of everyone whom I love. Last year was about tearing down old structures, scraping away dead matter, pulling out weeds. And now is about replanting.

My tendency is to stand over the seeds I�ve planted, anxiously awaiting their flowering, and freaking out when they don�t bloom immediately. Everything takes time to blossom and bloom. I�ve got to remember that.

Just gotta let things grow at their own pace.