The Matriarch Archetype

Upright Meanings: realistic, principled, independent, divorced, open-minded, brave, clever, sophisticated, strong, skillful, fair, repressed pain or sadness, intelligent, mother, problem solver, rush, discerning, self-reliant, funny, candid, constructive criticism, communicative, sceptical, witty, objective, sharp wit, honest, truthful, protective, chatty, quirky

The Matriarch is an archetype of an older, wiser feminine intellect. She could be thought of as the most masculine of all the female energies and may come off as quite stern and emotionless. This card represents the importance of making judgments without relying on emotion alone. The Matriarch beckons you to look at all the facts before making a decision. The Matriarch does have compassion, which is why she has her hand reaching outwards in offering, but she wants to connect to people using an understanding that is intellectual.

Reversed Meanings: bitter, absent mother, repressed trauma, vindictive, sly, spiteful, poor communication, scatter-brain, obsessive, cruel, rude, dependent, not learning from past, malicious gossip, unforgiving, pessimistic, keen, mental fogginess, cheater, deceitful, nasty, dysfunctional, manipulative, harsh, lack of empathy, overly critical

The Matriarch reversed meaning is that you may be thinking too much with your heart and you are becoming too emotionally involved with your current situation. You have to start thinking more objectively, because your emotions could lead you astray. Take the time to look at the situation using various facts and use your head to create a clearer picture of what is really going on. Only then, can you decide what your next move should be. When reversed, The Matriarch can also be quite bitter, coldhearted, or resentful. You may have started to isolate yourself for a number of reasons, but the outside world could be taking this in the wrong way. You may have some explaining to do, especially if your relationships end up being stressed by your desire for solitude.