| Domination (of the mind to nature). | |
| Justice and order (opposed to authoritarian and chaotic). | |
| Creativity, understanding, stability, prospects, realism, objectivity, sense of responsibility. | |
| Domination, perfectionism, wisdom but lack of intuition, being limited by reality and reason like a prison, the order is the goal. | |
| Courage and leadership capacity. |
Menu of Contents
I. Background of the Emperor Thoth Tarot card
1. The card
The Emperor Thoth Tarot card shows a majestic and mature character who dressed in stately costume and fitted with two giant male sheep heads that symbolize the two pillars or the back of the crystal throne. At the same time, he was illuminated by an invisible light source. His head turned to the right. The crimson cloak was embroidered with two gold symbols, and his head wore a powerful crown.
His right hand held a scepter shaped like a lamb’s head, and his left hand held a sphere attached to a Maltese cross. His arms and head (from elbow to hairline) form an equilateral triangle, and his legs cross into a right-angled T-shape. So, his sitting posture corresponds to the symbol of sulfur, in alchemy, it represents strong masculine energy. A lamb and two eagles of the Empress Thoth Tarot are located at his feet.
2. The connection (the Empress)
The relationship between the Emperor and the Empress is remarkable, not only because these two cards are next to each other and face each other, but also they follow a similar motif, and they complement each other in terms of form and color. While the Empress embodies a flow of blue-colored limbs with a soft light that represents a variety of births, the Emperor has a solid and clear structure with the dark red indicating the will to grow and arrange what feminine energies have brought.
II. Analyze and describe the Emperor Thoth Tarot
1. Shape (Patriarch)
a. Emperor
The majestic and masculine image of the Emperor Thoth Tarot shows his direct and active behavior with a constant expansion to new areas of rule. The deepest nature of him is expressed by a tight and balanced order. This corresponds to the ability of self-control or self-development (the outward direction), whereby all unimpeded life flows will be oriented in a fixed direction. The process of comprehension and real planning is attracted to this place.
b. The glance (the sheep)
Just like the horizontal view of the Empress, expressing the subconscious awkwardness of being unable to format the intrinsic instincts; the horizontal head shows the will of the ego which wants to hold the point of view based on reason about the world, for fear that if not so, it will not be proportional to the external situation. Just as Empress’s gaze was directed to the pigeon (inherited from the Priestess), the Emperor’s sheep merged with Magus’s magic (a Mercury/Aries symbol), and it originated from the intention to assert itself in this world.
c. The hands (scepter and sphere)
The symbol of his power is the scepter and the sphere (ruling the world). While the Empress carries the sign of willingness to open and wholeheartedly (she holds a lotus flower in her hand), the sheep-headed scepter embodies the desire to assert itself and the effort to conquer a supreme realm of a person in the infinite range of eternity, creating a solid structure of a person within that realm. The sphere represents strength or the control of the ego which is striving for safety and serenity.
d. The costume (yellow bees)
However, the main goal of the Emperor Thoth Tarot is not to conquer everything around him but the rules and structures of the things he has experienced. Bees – symbolize the proliferation or the role of the mother on the Empress’s coat – represent the structure of the beehive, and therefore also represent the father’s role and rule over the Emperor’s coat. It also includes the fusion of instincts and emotions in the external form, which will lead these forces into the path of justice and order.
e. Expressive image (crown)
The Emperor’s strong, firm expression and the well-proportioned structure of the card shows that an extremely consistent inner position can and will satisfy the requirements of life. The majestic crown attached with precious stones shows a cross inside a circle, corresponding to the creation (+) of eternity (O).
2. Background (Elements)
a. Throne
The ruler, whose hand holding the scepter and the sphere, sat on the crystal throne and is the embodiment of a condensed and realistic truth. He focused on structures and inspections objectively and seriously in every struggle ideology as well as their applicability. This is in contrast to Empress’s soft curves and light blue tones, this card describes a rigid, burning and purposeful energy source.
b. The head of the male sheep
The two pillars in the back take the shape of two giant male heads. Sheep are a symbol of inner strength that helps us pursue specific goals. At a higher level, it embodies the internal connection with the creative power of the fatherly spirit. At a deeper level, it represents taking control of a will to destroy the determination of the ego.
c. Light (coming from the top edge of the card)
The rays illuminating the Emperor Thoth Tarot from above are the symbol of the ego. Experiencing one’s ego also means to experience the feeling of being touched by the divine. This portrait depicts the ancient source of knowledge about the polarity of all things, and here, it indicates that the ruler is represented by both his bright and dark sides.
d. Bright and dark side (two sheep heads)
In two sheep heads, one stands in the dark and one is outside. With the ruler in the central position, they form a motif that has been passed down to us since ancient times: the Moon Goddess (Selene) sits between her bright side (Artemis) and her dark side (Hekate); Jesus on the cross between two thieves, only one of them followed him to heaven that day; or Dadophoren, the torchbearer on the side of Mithras, which depicts Cautes with a torch of life directing toward the sky and Cautapates with a torch of death facing the ground.
We also find similar motifs in the Empress, she sits on the throne between the full moon and the crescent. In all these cases, the higher rule is closely portrayed with opposing poles between light and darkness, life and death, creating and destroying within it.
3. Foreground (Spiral shape)
a. Two-headed eagle
The eagle we encountered in the Empress card as “a symbol of essence through eternal correspondence” (the white eagle in the moon’s symbol), is once again described as “an eternal existence through unending needs” (the red eagle in the symbol of the sun), then it will bring the structure of eternity through the power of consciousness. The difference when compared to the eagle of Empress is quite obvious: while the Empress’s eagle stands on the left and corresponds to the moon, it expresses the internal resources of femininity (instinctive openness and willingness to show devotion), the Emperor’s eagle stands to the right and shows conscious rule to materialize.
The crimson disc-shaped object represents the redness of the alchemists, corresponding to the nature of the sun, and thus, it emphasizes the rule of matter through the enlightening power of consciousness. And so in the two-headed eagle on the Empress and the Emperor Thoth Tarot, there were two primitives, “white” and “red” alchemists, first appearing. They will appear more often in the Major Arcana Thoth Tarot.
b. Star icons
Two circular solar discs show a 16-pointed star, also incorporating the theme with Empress. While in the Empress, it represents change and development and the crescent moon describes the cycles of the Great Mother; in this card, the crystallized sun represents the patriarchy.
c. The lilies
We have seen images of lilies on the ground in the Empress. Whereas their whiteness represents purity and innocence, the yellow in the Emperor symbolizes the right to rule.
d. The lamb
The white lamb belongs to the ram representing a sacrificial animal. The victory flag indicates that it is the power to conquer through humility (the willingness to sacrifice). The holy ring around its head affirms it is the spiritual awareness of the “great knowledge”, about how a free person develops himself within structures and knows well that the law not only means the limits but also means freedom.
III. Interpretation of the Emperor Thoth Tarot
1. Background of the Emperor Thoth Tarot (the inner father)
The Emperor Thoth Tarot card presents an inner image of supreme power and appears before us in the form of a father who is a mix of bad and good. With these qualities, he awakened our connections, helping to connect us with behaviors corresponding to the image of the father within us. Those who can connect with their inner father will be invited by the card to perform useful actions and give justice and order to the world. However, those who are not yet compatible with the image of a father inside will tend to be violent and autocratic, or will become cowardly and lack of confidence. They should wonder what is the desire or stay away from power, to try to prevent their own development.
2. Overview of the Emperor Thoth Tarot
The Emperor Thoth Tarot represents the element of the structural construct, the wish to achieve our stability, assurance, and continuity. He shows us our own efforts to gain independence from natural conditions, which are naturally opposed to self-giving to the flow of creation (Empress). He embodies integrity while she is a cycle. This is why he believes in development, and she believes in the cycle.
For the Emperor, everything has a certain beginning and end, contrary to Empress’s view of rebirth and endless cycles. He emphasized the right side and thought he was right while she was “clumsy”. She insisted on the left side (intuition) and argued that he was always limited and dogmatic. The Emperor likes to live in square patterns and houses, the city area has a perpendicular shape and is considered to be a town planner. In contrast, the Empress lives in circles, huts, caves, and enjoys rural communities.
There is a solid line/a wall between these two cards, according to Medieval conceptions, where the witch Hagazussa is sitting. It is the boundary between nature, wild and civilized. If this boundary is not constantly protected by the Emperor, Empress will regain little by little what has been taken. However, in this century, the Emperor seems to have gone very far and severely hurt Empress.
Now she is no longer sitting on the wall, but in the hole in the ozone layer, in toxic gases from the industrial furnace or in radioactive clouds. And the Empress got angry with a serious injury, sent one disaster after another, which the Emperor had minimized the seriousness by calling it “Vivian” or “Wiepke”. Empress showed the Emperor that his air-conditioning system looked beautiful and expensive, but still far below her system.
3. About links (dark side)
With the example drawn from this contradictory couple, which can be psychologically understood as a protection of the dark side of a person, we can see quite clearly: with his judgmental direction, the Emperor Thoth Tarot not only determines the performance of justice in the literary form but also gains justice for himself, whereby, he tends to behave quite feminine. However, the dark side of justice is unfair, and he tends to express it through the Empress.
In other words, he knows how to tell horror stories about injustices that exist in other cultures and other times, where “righteousness” does not win because he cannot do anything about it. However, the femininity or the natural correlation with the rules is clearly not unfair, but the customs are governed by women representing the Great Mother. Then, the corresponding dark side becomes immoral, and the Empress wants to express it through the Emperor.
4. Awareness
In our efforts to repair the lines and heal them against outside attacks, we often do not realize that the actual attack comes from within. The demand for inner strength is what makes us hard to perceive because the Emperor Thoth Tarot’s identity is only nurtured by his personal notion of greatness (father figure, divine image, super century). This will not prevent us from properly assessing the positive aspects of this card, which often considered with suspicion. The ruler is a symbol of structure and order, who cuts out a part of a deep sea, and he can measure and control it with his intellect. If there is no structure of the reference-creative brain that holds the images, the attempt to find treasure from the sea of the subconscious to bring it to the mainland and each experience will be lost because it can sink from the kingdom of deep things to the reality that cannot be measured in the eternity.
5. Career
In the field of careers, the Emperor Thoth Tarot shows that we sharpen real feelings and chose practical actions. It may be a concept that has fallen into chaos up until now, which has achieved structure and became apparent during this period. The wishes and plans achieved are getting more and more visible after a harsh inspection. The ruler carries the meaning of clear concepts, discipline, persistence, determination, and willingness to take responsibility for himself. However, the Emperor may also show the excessive in the form of rigidity, lack of vitality, perfectionism, autonomy and a rigid power.
6. Relationship
In our personal relationships, this card shows a time when we try to structure everything we meet to protect it. We want to get clarity and achieve reliable agreements. With relationships, it means to build a solid foundation. However, in relationships with the opposite sex, there is an existence of the risk of imposing concepts and listing emotions in order to avoid being overwhelmed by instincts. This can lead to suppressed emotions and social actions. However, when living rightly, the Emperor Thoth Tarot pointed out a stage in which we let our dreams and wishes come true, taking an important step and extending to the colleague relationship.
More The Emperor Cards from Famous Tarot Decks
1. The Rebel Osho Zen Tarot
The Rebel Osho Zen Tarot is a powerful and influential person in this card who embraces his destiny. Moreover, on his shoulder is the symbol of the sun, the torch he holds in his right hand which symbolizes the light of truth he struggles to gain.
<< See More >> The Rebel Osho Zen Tarot Card Meanings
2. The Emperor Rider Waite Tarot
The Emperor Rider Waite Tarot is the image of the leader of the Tarot deck. This man is the “pillar” to defend and protect whom or what he loves.
<< See More >> The Emperor Rider Waite Tarot Card Meanings
3. The Emperor – L’Empereur Marseille – Tarot De Marseille
The Emperor- L’Empereur Marseille takes number 4, combined with stability like the shape of a square, which is a symbol of material guarantee. The four legs of the table and the altar of the church also has a connection with number 4.
<< See More >> L’Empereur Tarot de Marseilles Tarot Card Meanings
