Hot on the heels of the Emperor arrives the Empress, ironically enough. Her self-awareness is the perfect counterpart to the Emperor’s external vigilance. She’s the nurturing, supporting caretaker; she watches the kingdoms of the Emperor’s domain. She’s the gardener, the home secretary, the minister of the interior, if you will. I also like to call her the “Executive Officer” to the Emperor’s “Captain” of the ship. She knows the ins and out and how to make things happen to support the Emperor’s grand plans.

So what does the Empress have to tell me about today? In this rush to prepare for our journey to Readers Studio 2012, don’t neglect the most important thing: Ourselves. She reminds me that the entire point is to have fun and grow as a person. Plan to have fun. Expect to learn new things. Leave room in your bags for all the neat new stuff you’ll be bringing home! She also knows that I’ll need my introvert-time, and reminds me to make sure I respect the need to take timeouts and recuperative retreats. Yes, mommy…

Tomorrow’s card: The Moon