Tarot Card Interpretations

for the Emperor

This card shows us a figure seated on a throne. Hewn out of rock.

He faces us uncompromisingly, perhaps in confrontation.

He represents authority and leader ship and the masculine principle.

He is ruler of his domain and yet, when we pay closer attention to his environment, we can see that he dwells in a virtual desert.

The sky blazes red and at the foot of the mountains there is only a trickle of water. What are we to make of this?

The Emperor has outgrown his circumstances yet he refuses to yield to the necessity of change.

His armor reminds us that he has arrived at this stance through challenging and perhaps painful life experience.

Tarot card interpretations/tarot card meanings for The Emperor also reveal the ram skulls on his throne offer a clue to his martial ways, for this card is ruled by the influence of Aries.

Aries is about movement and dynamic activity, but h shows none of this.

In his hands he holds regal symbols of office and we may be tempted to see sceptre in his right hand as a distorted Venus symbol – it almost looks like a weapon.

Can it be that The Emperor has become so extreme that he cannot rule wisely, with balance?

He wears red robes over his armor, reminding us not only of his Arian nature, but also of the physicality of the card. This is not a philosopher or a healer, this is a doer who has allowed himself to become stagnant in a situation that no longer supports or nourishes him.

In a reading this card can also indicate issues with institutions such as banks and corporate organizations, legal matters and the potential for entrenched opposition and confrontation.

The guidance here is to remain flexible, to accept that not every fight is worth winning at all costs and to be true to one’s own values and sense of inner power.

The white hair and beard in the card can also indicate an older figure in our lives, perhaps as mentor, but certainly a person who has had much life experience.

Leader, however, can sometimes have difficulty adapting to being on a level footing with the rest of the team!

Another thing to notice which bears out the barrenness of the environment is the total absence of any trees or vegetation – compare this with the growth and abundance seen in The Empress.

When you progress with the tarot and start to look at different cards in association, The Emperor and The Empress offer a powerful insight into masculine and feminine dynamics, both is terms of principles and in people.

Finally, this card may also indicate the need to personally take charge of a situation and to lead by example, with maturity and confidence.

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