3 – The Empress

Cassandra (Divine)

Significance: As the Right Hand of the Divine, Cassandra wields her own sword to enforce justice as she seeks for truth. As Divine herself, she not only wields that power, but holds it and is a leader of her faith, the faith she always followed.

3 - The Empress

The card itself represents: Nurturing females, romance and passion, sensuality and contentment, fertility and abundance, harmony, growth, births, security and beauty, fruitfulness, empathy, sensitivity, optimism, naturalism, bounty, etc.

Cassandra is an optimist. “Just ask Varric.” (Her words.)

Reversed: Potentials that are unrecognised, failed romances, wasting, vacillation, blocked creativity, over-working, stress, waning optimism, cruelty, slow progress, broken promises, etc.

03-The Empress

She holds the Divine’s Scepter in her right hand, having formerly been the Right Hand of the Divine, now being the Divine herself; and she holds her great sword in her left hand, showing the power she wields, and the protection she always represented. A sun behind her, the light of the Maker; between each ray, an eye, as all eyes are upon her, and the Maker’s eye ever watches her. Her crown seems to depict a face, atop which stand the symbols of the spade, the heart, and the waning crescent moon, representing the intellect, love, and the expulsion of negative energy. She sits on her Divine throne, little stars on her robe, the symbol of the Chantry she always stood by, on her gown, partly hidden by her black and golden robe.

What I think this means for Cassandra: As Divine and Seeker, she may discover more hidden truths about the Chantry that she otherwise would not have if she was not Divine. These potential discoveries could bring on a lot of change.

What I think this means for DA: The symbolism of her dark robes can’t be ignored; as a Seeker, she may indeed uncover the Chantry’s darkest secrets and we may discover its impurities, if only to better appreciate and understand its beginnings, its divine beginnings. Maybe it could bring on a renewal to the Chantry, a renewal of the Andrastean religion, going back to its original roots, removing all the corruption that was brought to it throughout the ages.