THE EMPEROR
"The Architecture of Power"
Rider Waite Tarot
Pamela Coleman Smith
1909Â
Fire – Aries
- upright -
· Power of Society
· Laws & Authority
· Stability & Structure
· Powerful Person
· Father Figure
· Rational Approach
· Structure
· Establishment
· Protection
· Control
· Focus & Discipline
· Masculinity
· Leadership
· Strength
· Immaturity
· Inability to Make Decisions
· Tyranny
· Control Freak
· Rigid & Stubborn
· Inflexibility
· Lack of Discipline
· Abuse of Power & Authority
· Bureaucracy
· Power Struggle
· Out of Control
· Recklessness
- Reversed -
Fire – Aries
Rider Waite Tarot
Pamela Coleman Smith
1909Â
- upright -
· Power of Society
· Laws & Authority
· Stability & Structure
· Powerful Person
· Father Figure
· Rational Approach
· Structure
· Establishment
· Protection
· Control
· Focus & Discipline
· Masculinity
· Leadership
· Strength
- reversed -
· Immaturity
· Inability to Make Decisions
· Tyranny
· Control Freak
· Rigid & Stubborn
· Inflexibility
· Lack of Discipline
· Abuse of Power & Authority
· Bureaucracy
· Power Struggle
· Out of Control
· Recklessness
The time has come for you to take the lead.
Establish yourself as your own authority.
A good leader leads not with force, but with compassion and humility.
What are your understanding and your relationship to authority and power?
What revitalization does your life need?
Is there an area of your life that needs more structure and discipline?
I trust my power.
I rule by serving.
I serve by ruling.
He is the constituting power, alike of the great world and of the little, of the universe and of man. Psychologically, therefore, he represents the self-conscious mental plane. He is the definer, the law-maker, the regulator. Never forget that this phase of consciousness is the ruling principle in human personality. It frames the constitution of your personal world.
— PAUL FOSTER CASE, Learning Tarot Essentials (1932)
Amano Tarot
Yoshitaka Amano
2000
01. The Emperor represents total power, the divine masculine, the cosmic father. He is authority and order, regulation and rationale. He reigns over systems of knowledge, discipline, strategy, and law. His rule is resolute, yet paternal. The Emperor relies upon structure and control to create security and stability.
He protects and commands. He has clarity of vision and equilibrium of mind. He demands loyalty and order, and leads with calm and principled strength. He is systematic and organized in his approach, seeing all tasks through to completion. His wisdom calls for correct use of power and so he governs always, with paternal compassion.
02. The Emperor indicates the power of society, its laws, and its authority to enforce those laws. He is a figure of severity. The Emperor symbolizes the abstraction of society replacing the direct experience of nature.
The Emperor represents a rational approach to issues, one that values analysis and measurement over emotion and intuition. The Emperor represents a strategic thinker who sets out plans that he must see through. He is a symbol of the masculine principle – the paternal figure in life that gives structure, creates rules and systems, and imparts knowledge.
Thoth Tarot
Aleister Crowley & Lady Frieda Harris
1943
Andrea Picini Tarot
Andrea Picini
1979
03. The Emperor presents a chance to grow in terms of the goals that you have set for yourself. It presents a successful future as long as you pursue your goals in a similar fashion that the Emperor does, methodically, and strategically.
Seeing the Emperor in a reading could mean you are put in charge of something important. It means the situation desperately needs order and a clear decisive mind. You may be called to act in the place of the Emperor, using his wisdom to bring clarity to the project.
04. The Emperor signifies a powerful leader who demands respect and authority.
Seeing the Emperor card in the reading, you are asked to claim your authority as a leader and influencer. You have a clear vision of what you want to create, and you organize those around you to manifest your goal. You listen to the advice of others, but you prefer to have the final say. Conflict doesn’t scare you, and you won’t hesitate to use your power to protect those you care about. You rule with a firm but fair hand. In return, those people will repay you with the loyalty, recognition and respect you deserve.
The Fountain Tarot
By Jonathan Saiz & Andi Todaro
2014
Aquarian Tarot
David Palladini
1988
05. The Emperor reflects a system bound by rules and regulations.
In order to achieve the success you want, you need to create order and structure with principled guidelines. Break down any problem into its parts and methodically map out the steps you need to take to resolve it. Be systematic, strategic, and highly organized in your approach.
Alexander Daniloff Tarot
Alexander DaniloffÂ
2010
The Golden Dawn Tarot
Robert Wang & Israel Regardie
1977
- Turn Around -
06. The Emperor reversed is a sign of abused power. He becomes domineering and rigid in his thinking. It can manifest in the overreach of power from a father figure or a possessive partner, or someone who wants to take control of your actions and makes you feel powerless. It could also mean that you are avoiding the tasks that come with having real responsibility.
Consider the role that power plays in your life. Are you asserting your power and dominance in a way that leaves others feeling powerless? Or are you giving away your personal power to please someone else, often a father-figure or a person in authority? Seek to find a solution where you lead from a place of personal power and enable others to do the same. Power can be equally and constructively distributed – you don’t need to take it from others, nor do you need to give yours away.
07. Sometimes, The Emperor Reversed asks you to stand up to authority. You may feel fed up with an overbearing boss or a hierarchical organization and feel compelled to enter a more flexible and adaptive environment. Maybe you aspire to be your own boss and work independently by starting up your own business. Or, you may seek a career where you can have greater flexibility and creativity in how you complete your work. You are sick of having to always work within the confines of a particular structure or way of doing things, and you want to break free from it.
08. Lack of self-control and inability to handle situations can be represented by the reversed Emperor. Pay attention to your commitment to your goals and your self-discipline to get the job done. When you are struggling to see any real outcomes, check if you have a plan in place, a routine to support it, and the dedication to see it through. You may need to get a little tough on yourself and do the hard work you’d rather avoid. But if you can harness the positive, upright energy of The Emperor, your efforts will lead to success.
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