IV : The Emperor

The Emperor

Authority · Father figure · Masculine influence · Rational · Stable

The Emperor Tarot card

The Emperor's Meaning

Counterpart to the Empress, the Emperor is signifies a powerful influence, generally male in nature. This can also include concepts in your life historically considered masculine, such as leadership and authority, self-discipline, and stability through the power of action. Its positive influences suggest you may be on a path to advancement or promotion, but it can also be neutral. Often a companion to those destined to take on greater responsibility, it may presage change or loss that necessitates you stepping forward to shoulder a greater burden than you have in the past. Whatever the impetus for the change, it indicates you may possess an uncommon inner strength that will compel you act and to lead.

Past

Authority has played a great role in shaping your life. Your good position may be due to a government or a powerful person. The resolution of a recent conflict is approaching.

Present

There may be a moment where someone in a position of authority offers to help you. In any form, the more experienced hand that has come to help you may be more capable than yours. Protecting your loved ones is important, but those in a leadership position must know how to compromise. Beware the overly-dependant.

Future

Taking the initiative may lead you closer to your goal, but only if you can bear the responsibility of all your actions. You will be given the opportunity to lead in one of life's many roles. Remember those who follow behind you.

Yes / No Key Interpretation

The Emperor, as the counterpart to the Empress, stands for all things fatherly. He is structure, order, and authority in your life. While moving forward in your endeavours, this card indicates that assertiveness and rationality will take you a long way. With that, your answer is yes.

Key Dates, Timing, and Astrology.

 Aries

Key dates: March 21 to April 20

Tarot Cards - The Emperor

The Emperor (L'Empereur) Son of Morning: Chief Among the Mighty Card Number: 4 Key Number: 15 Rulership: Aries Hebrew Letter: Heh Translation: Window Numerical Value: 12

Divinatory meaningUpright - Competitiveness, forcefulness in development and execution.  Authority, structure, governmental and corporate identities.  Worldly power, self control gained through experience.  Ability to shoulder responsibility. Powerful individuals, ambition together with the possibility of long term achievement.

Ill Dignified or Reversed - Loss or dislike of authority, corporate governmental or parental.  Immaturity and indecision.  Weakness, manipulative friends or colleagues.

Emperor Tarot Card Meaning

Emperor Tarot Symbols

Throne, ram's heads, orb and scepter. Sometimes an eagle.

Emperor Tarot Story

The Fool was given options by the Magician, and decided on one with help from the High Priestess. He learned how to develop it thanks to the Empress. Now it has reached as stage where he must find a way to manage it. How to do this? He approaches a great Emperor seated on a stone throne. The Fool is amazed by the way the Emperor is instantly, eagerly obeyed in every particular, at how well his Empire is run and organized. Respectfully, he asks the Emperor how it is he does this. And the Emperor answers: "Strong will and a solid foundation of laws and order. It's all very well," he explains to the Fool, "to be imaginative, creative, instinctual, patient; but to control one must be alert, brave and aggressive."

Ready now to lead and direct rather than be led, the Fool heads out with new purpose.

Emperor Tarot Card Meaning

The Emperor, as Aries, the Ram, naturally follows the Empress. On the one hand, he is Mars (the planet that rules Aries) to her Venus, her lover and compliment, father to her mother, civilization to her nature, imposed order to her artful creativity. He is the "All Father" giving his children the structure they need in their lives to help them become responsible adults.

Aries is also, however, the first sign of the Zodiac, metaphorically the "infant." Like an infant he is filled with enthusiasm, energy, aggression. He is direct, guileless and all too often irresistible. Unfortunately, like a baby he can also be a tyrant: impatient, demanding, controlling.

In the worst of circumstances, the Emperor is a despot, imposing his will capriciously on his subjects. In the best of circumstances, he signifies an intelligent, enthusiastic leader that everyone wants to follow, the great monarch of an orderly, lawful, thriving Empire.

Thirteen's Observations on the Emperor

The Emperor card is the "Who's the boss?" card. It is an important question. The meaning of the card includes being in control over your environment, your body, your temper, your instincts, your love life. This card gives the querent permission to be aggressive, brave, bold and in command.

If the card doesn't seem to indicate the querent, it could be emblematic of their father or a father figure who was, is or will be in their lives, a leader, employer, teacher or partner. This could be either type of father-figure, the demanding tyrant, hated and feared, or the charismatic leader, respected and admired.

The Emperor can also be a warning to the querent to think about whether their Empire has become an unwelcome chore. If it has, are they now a bad leader, demanding, unreasonable, unhappy? It might be time to abdicate the throne. If, however, what the querent is building has merely gotten to a point where it's outgrown the nursery, then the advice is to switch from loving mother to structured, organized father. To set down laws, discipline and rules, to plan out the future and lead the way.

Some frequent keywords used by card readers are:

• Fathering ----- Stability ----- Authority ----- Power

• Control ----- Discipline ----- Command ----- Common sense

• Status quo ----- Order ----- Structure ----- Egocentrism

• Tradition ----- Rigidity ----- Leadership ----- Experience

• Inflexibility ----- Conservative ways ----- Organization