The Empress is a passive, wise, nurturing, supportive energy, associated with the natural world, abundance and fertility. She is the Mother archetype of Tarot. The Hierophant represents a bridge between the spiritual and physical world and is associated with religion, traditions, conventional ways, but also higher knowledge, contracts, organizations. The Hierophant can be a guide, a teacher, a counselor and in his negative manifestation he can be stubborn, hide-bound, short-sighted. With this combination you can expect protection, support and that something will soon get official.
To understand the elemental relationships between the cards, we should always take into account their actual meaning. The elements of the cards are Earth (Empress) and Earth(Hierophant). A very strong combination that can display slow, but steady results or if ill-aspected, an inflexible, stubborn approach/attitude and also obstacles and restrictions.