Tarot Card - The Emperor A crowned man with a long white beard sits on a throne.  He is wearing mail, over which are red robes of state.  In his left hand is a scepter with an Egyptian ankh, and his right holds a golden globe.  His stone throne is adorned with rams heads.  The background is orange and there are rocky crags with a small river at the base of them.   
The Emperor

“Great leaders are not defined by the absence of weakness, but rather by the presence of clear strengths.”

John Peter Zenger

Overview of The Emperor

The Emperor of the Tarot is here to offer balanced reason, logical thinking, and a solid foundation of wisdom.  Just as the Empress of the Tarot represents mother/nature/nurture, the Emperor, represents father/law/order/structure/rules.  The Emperor, also known in varying decks as The Grandfather, The Father, The rebel, challenges us to take accountability for who we are and inhabit our truth.   This card is a return to traditional values like respect and honor.  It is about getting your life on track and being the captain of your own ship, but it is about doing so in a logical, methodical way. 

Common Meanings

This is a time to take a methodical, logical approach in your day to day, and to put aside emotions. The Emperor shows up to represent a strong masculine presence that can protect you, but he also shows up to push you to stand up for yourself, to claim your own power and not allow people or situations to bully you.  He is the Law and the enforcer of those laws.

The Many Faces of The Emperor

While the upright presentation of The Emperor indicates logic and strength, the shadow side demonstrates, greed, cruelty, domineering, manipulating, weaponizing of power, and not respecting boundaries.   It can indicate that you are shying away from accepting a leadership role due to immaturity and reluctance to make the tough judgments needed to truly lead.  In a relationship reading this could indicate an unhealthy imbalance in the relationship dynamic, due to age, or personality, and it suggests finding a way to create a better balance.  This can also show up as a sign of stability taking place above morality. 

The Journey of The Emperor

The Emperor is the dead center card of the first septenary which, as you might recall, is the journey of self and developing the awareness of your own strengths.  The Emperor offers realization that you are capable, but that it is time to remove emotions and approach this with logic.  He is also here to warn us against the danger of being so tied to tradition and dogma that we forget to grow. 

Description

A crowned man with a long white beard sits on a throne.  He is wearing mail, over which are red robes of state.  In his left hand is a scepter with an Egyptian ankh, and his right holds a golden globe.  His stone throne is adorned with rams heads.  The background is orange and there are rocky crags with a small river at the base of them.   

Themes of The Emperor

  • Leadership
  • Logic
  • Guidance
  • Responsibility
  • Tradition
  • Control
  • Ambition
  • Order
  • Authority
  • Protection
  • Action
  • Wisdom

The Number Four

Like the emperor himself, the number 4 is all practicality and pragmatism; efficiency and strength; conservative development.  It denotes creativity, but the kind that builds a solid foundation. 

Elements of the Card and Associated Symbolism

  • Male- Traditional Male archetype
  • Long white beard – wisdom, maturity
  • Rams heads – 4 of them, two face on, two in profile, Aries, the ram, whose planet is Mars and is the sign of the emperor.
  • Crown- king/emperor, but also closed, meaning self-reliance
  • Stone throne – unyielding, strong
  • Scepter – Egyptian ankh (symbol of life) in the right hand, giving, authority and masculine virility
  • Orb/Golden apple – right hand, receiving.  The fruits and pleasures of the world, of sexuality, of relationships
  • Armor -battle ready, strong, capable of providing protection
  • Orange background – success, determination, balance
  • Stoney mountains – solid foundation, a bit stuck in his ways, but the small river at the bottom indicates that he is still human with emotions, it just takes a lot of work and trust for him to show them. 
  • Robes of state- authority, power, leadership

Herbs for The Emperor

  • Laurel – triumph, success
  • Nasturtium – loyalty, triumph
  • Parsley – victory, knowledge
  • Sassafrass – foundation, thoughtful selections
  • Sage – wisdom, esteem

Questions that The Emperor asks us

  • Are you a domineering tyrant in any area of your life, and if so, how can you better balance that authority with wisdom?
  • Have you been feeling called to step into a leadership role, but hesitating through fear, if so, what do you need to do or learn to accept that role in your life?

That is The Emperor! A force of balanced wisdom, with a strong foundation in logic.  Wishing you a week filled with decisive, measured action. 

Thanks for reading and as always, please leave comments, or ask questions.

Be sure to join me next week: The Hierophant!