The Emperor Tarot card is an added part to the Empress who is also known as the Masculine Principle, the Animus and the Patriarch. He represents strength and power, and his cold attitude is different from the charm of the Empress. As we can see on the card, he has a long white beard which symbolizes the experience of life.
As a prototype, the typical white man’s beard symbolizes authority and leadership. It gives the impression that this man has many years of experience and comprehension of his mind. He is worthy of listening because he foresees every result from his own actions.
There are the barren mountains behind his throne which is decorated with the image of four male sheep, symbolizing the pinnacle of wisdom, determination, action, initiative, and leadership. On the card, the male sheep is also the symbol of Aries, the god who ruled the stars of this card. The right hand of the Emperor holds the key Ankh – the symbol of the life of the Egyptians, and in his left hand, there is a sphere which represents the world where he is ruling. At the background, the orange color and red clothing
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The detailed description of the Emperor Tarot card
The image of the Emperor talked a lot about the characteristics of this card. We see a stern, cold-faced man sitting on a stone throne. We see a stern, cold-faced man sitting on a stone throne. His back was straight and his eyes looked directly at you. He was completely confident in the ability to control power in his hands.
He symbolizes the structure, order, and rule – the mandatory power to counter the free flow of wealth in The Empress. Also, he advocates a world of order in which trains are always on time and the game must always comply with the law and duty must be respected.
In turbulent circumstances, he can point out what the organization really needs. He tightens all sides and defers all insurgents. In the case that everything is out of control, he will surely find a way to direct everything back on track.
Keywords related to the Emperor Tarot card: being a father, structure, power, rule
Detailed meaning of the keywords of the Emperor Tarot card:
Fatherhood
- There is a pedigree;
- Determine the direction and the general spirit;
- Protect and defend;
- Lead the maturity;
- Provides a sense of security and satisfaction;
- Carry the explanation.
Emphasize the structure
- Set up the order in chaos;
- Classify;
- Be clear, structured;
- Clarify;
- Become organized;
- Apply the reasons;
- Coordinator;
- Stick to the plan.
Practice for empowerment
- Take leadership;
- Command;
- Control effort;
- Indicates the setting;
- Hold the position of power;
- Contact for legalization;
- Identify the way.
Rule
- Set up rules;
- The act under the law;
- Apply laws, rules;
- Work in the law system;
- Establish a code of conduct;
- Follow the rules.
A few opposite cards to the Emperor
- Empress – the mother, abundant wealth;
- 7 of Cups – a waste of money, lack of regulation;
- 5 of Swords – bend the rules, break rules.
A few support cards for the Emperor
- Hierophant – comfortable with rules
- Justice – concerned with justice and legitimacy
- 2 of Wands – have power
- 3 of Wands – take leadership
- 4 of Pentacles – control, structure, order
Upright meaning of The Emperor: power, leadership, texture, steady foundation
Words and Keywords
The world of the adults, power, and control of men, self-assertion, status, deal with power, secular right, influential man, the world outside,the social structure, order that we impose on the world, the loyalty, the motive for success, the achievement, the respect and stability, the motivation to create something of lasting value, rule, domination, rational thinking, insanity, rule the world, ambition, caution.
Structure, strength, abundance, fearless, certainty, stability, guidance, wisdom, reasonable, the mind is stronger than the heart, the spirit of the law, those who follow the aphasia doctrine of Sigmund Freud, C.G. Jung’s Ego model, self-control, completion, recognition, lawmaker, become your own person, material wealth, get promote in career, set up a project based on steady foundation, understanding of mind, governance, direct to the music.
Introduce
The Emperor is the image of the leader of the Tarot deck. This man is the “pillar” to defend and protect whom or what he loves. He established a strong family lineage and is often considered as the patriarch of a huge system of clan members. Also, he gives advice, guidance and the right thing to others and demonstrates his power and profound knowledge.
His wisdom is gained from the experiences of the world and of life. This character “was there, and done that” and had the combat armor to prove this experience. Thus, he collects what he has learned and convey to the next generation so that one day they can become as wise, clever, and powerful as he ever was and brings safety and prosperity to those around him.
The Emperor is also a symbol of structure and stability. He can create an order for the mess by classifying his thoughts and pointing out the things that need to be done to solve the problem. Besides, he is a systematic and strategic thinker who also highly organized and cooperative in problem-solving. This character enters into a plan and is sure to be successful until the end. Therefore, this card implies that you have a strong desire to see your ideas physically displayed in the form of achieving or accomplishing goals. An opportunity will come and it will be the foundation of a very successful future.
This card in the upright tells us about the mind winning over the heart, which is often discouraged, but in some cases, it is necessary (and even welcomed) and this is what we should be mindful of when this card appears. When difficult choices come, it is time to maintain focus on the center, this stage will facilitate you to do so. You will enjoy the assertiveness as well as confidence that self-command and concentration bring out to you. All you need to do is just keep moving forward and do what you think is best. If you know yourself, you will not have any problems with getting the world because everything is within your reach.
Overview
The Emperor in the upright indicates that there is the appearance of an elderly man in your present circumstances. He can be a colleague, your father or someone like him. Maybe this person has special feelings for you. Do not ignore this person just because of age issues. You may feel that this person is in control of “martial law” and can make you feel unbearable, but that person is just trying to show you that the rule created for a reason and the law has its place – it will help you better. Most of all, this person teaches you that the benefits of logic and structure will overwhelm the desire and momentary feelings.
Work
Work is going well and your efforts will not be ignored. If you are mindful of being organized, accomplish the task and think logically, your results will be extremely excellent. If you are looking for work, this is a time when you need to be objective and alert. Let’s get out and look at yourself from the perspective of others, answering the question of why they have to hire you? You will find a job if you have enough logic and perseverance at this time.
The Emperor in the upright also implies status, success, and reputation. You will have an earnest desire to be recognized as a strong, accomplished, and powerful person without any doubt. You will want to be known as a unit, leader and “expert” with great influence. Be completely focused on your goals and be careful not to reveal any weaknesses.
Love
Maybe you will love someone older than your age. This person may be attracted by discipline, logic, and being organized. Attractiveness may not come from both sides at first, but if you are patient and persistent, it will probably grow.
Finance
The Emperor in the upright shows you need better discipline, logic
Health
When getting the Emperor in the upright, you have the right to have a healthy body, just make sure to keep up with what you are doing for your body. Order and discipline will be very helpful. For example, if you are stuck with a health problem, write down the symptoms, go check it out and see what factors in your lifestyle are causing it. You should consider dieting to determine which kind of food your body reacts badly.
Mentality
You should spend time with yourself to satisfy your mental development needs and not just focus on many aspects such as logic, reason, and order, consider other information as well. Logic can lead you to the spirit world if you allow it. Reflection and meditation (which is very disciplined) will be easy for you if you take the time and effort.
Situation and advice
The Emperor in the upright shows you the ability to use rational thinking and direct action to achieve great success. You can be promoted at work because of excellent organizational skills. However, you may have to deal with competition or with someone who has authority. This is a card of respect, stability, solidity, domination, and reason. It shows that you are becoming the person you have formed in the world.
The reason beyond love is sometimes not expected or even avoided, but for this card, this is necessary and even welcomed. If you are facing difficult choices, you need to maintain your concentration, be decisive and believe in your ability to control yourself and your concentration. Remember that if you can control yourself then you will not have much trouble controlling the world and everything within it.
Now it is the time to act responsibly and to reorganize a structured/ stable environment. Your instructor or helpful companion will assist you. Your status in society can be a problem. The Emperor emphasizes the dominance of relationship that leads to the loss of emotion and affection. In a spread full fill with tension, this card warns of overstrain and shows the ability to deal with the rules of society.
Human
The father, the husband, the person with power or high status, the person of importance, the person playing the role as the father, the influential person, the competitor, the important enemy, the kind person, the president, recruiter, someone who has the power, a careful and calm businessman, the organizer, the leader, the company that you apply for, the authority, the higher classes, loyalty, people who are honest and take control, political leaders.
Meaning of the Emperor reversed: dominance, over control, rigid, no mercy
Words and Keywords
Refuse to grow up and step into the world of adults, shy people, running away from trouble, lack of control or regulation, authoritarianism, abuse of power, unyielding, immaturity, inferiority complex, problem in recognizing authority, Peter Pan syndrome, rebellion, dependency, unfeeling, rudeness, impatient, indecisive, untrustworthy, lazy.
Short-sighted mindset, too rational with the expression of emotion, arbitrary decision, follows the narrow meaning of the word instead of following the spirit of Burden’s law, excessive responsibility, lack of guidance, still depend on the parents, reason without emotion
I do not want to grow up, who will take care of me? I do not care, learn to stand on your own feet.
Introduce
The Emperor reversed tells you that you are overwhelmed by your heart and even go against what your mind and logic are telling you. In general, this is not bad, but ideally, you have to balance both. You should use both mind and heart, that is what the reversed card wants to say. You may find it difficult and distracting now, as it is hard to stay focus. The reversed Emperor means that concentration is essential at the moment.
Overview
When the Emperor card appears in reverse, it may imply that he overuse the power around you at this point. He can be surprisingly overbearing and stubborn in his thoughts. This may start from you or another person, usually the owner, partner, or father figure. It could be a man who is insecure in his thoughts and in need of control.
It looks like a dark-haired man leading you in the wrong direction. You should ignore the look and consider what that person really brings to you. Do not get too tired if this person tries to say that you should do this/ or that, see what is really useful to do and keep ignoring the rest.
Work
Occasionally, the Emperor reversed also suggests that you should maintain power and it is not necessary to always solve problems in the most traditional way. You may be bored with an overly burdened boss or an organization with many “classes” and you will be forced into a more flexible and adaptive environment. At the same time, you also feel the urge to work independently or to start your own business to get out of your collective life and oppressive bosses!
If this reversed card appears in a spread about career, then you are at the point where you want to avoid dealing with this type of person and now you are ready to discover something new. Maybe you are looking for a more flexible and creative job. You get bored with work that is restricted by a special mechanism or a fixed job, and you want to get out of it.
Playing a role as a career inspiration, the Emperor in reverse implies that you are trying to avoid his energy resources in your future career direction. You may find that having to take a role of power every day is not there with you anymore and want to be free from the routine and structures that get into your life and hold you back. As a result, you want to allow yourself to freely explore the ability of creation that exists in you, instead of sinking into small details and common habits.
It seems like you do not have the mood to organize your work in a structured, organizational or serious way. But of course, you may have no choice. You should do your best to show those things when the job requires, but do not forget to give yourself short breaks when needed.
Love
In a spread about the relationship, the Emperor reversed reveals that you may be in an unbalanced relationship and this makes you lack of happiness in the long run. Your partner may have become overbearing, possessive, dominant, and powerful.
While you are looking for a companion who can take care of you and give you a stable foundation in the future, the reality is gone too far and you feel as if your independence and freedom disappear. Your partner is stubborn, always on the principles and likes to argue. This is straining the relationship and blocking the flow of creative energy between you two. He/she feels generous with you but also has tough suggestions for you.
There are properly lack of order and lack of organization with this relationship. If you find yourself orderly, you may be in love with someone who does not have this quality (or this is about to happen). You should consider how you can compromise and empathize with each other, otherwise, the relationship will not be able to continue.
Finance
If you are in financial trouble and draw the Emperor card in reverse, you will need to seek help from outside. At the same time, you need to find someone who is good at logic and clear in setting up financial plans, taxes, and cash flow, etc. If you continue to lack a plan and be messy like this, you will not be able to solve the problem.
Health
The Emperor in the reverse tells you that you need advice from a logical person, who is purposeful and clear to help you arrange your mode of health. Improving and enhancing self-discipline will bring many benefits. If you are having a health problem, it can be found out by writing down the symptoms and checking out where the problem is coming from.
Mentality
It seems like a mentor will help you (seem to be an older man than you) is near. But be careful with the advice because no one is perfect; and most importantly, listen to your heart even if others praise you for that advice and whoever walks into your life, be strong. You can learn from this person, but do not listen too much to ignore your aspirations.
Situation and advice
On a personal level, the Emperor reversed may indicate that you lack self-control, ambition, and ability to deal with any kind of power. In fact, you may slightly disregard the kind of rules and discipline. However, you may need to bring more order into your life at this time. Lately, everything you have done is quite messy and this is when you need to live with rules again.
Something that constrains your evolution at this time. You may be looking at too many problems with reason rather than with the heart. Adherence to rigid principles way too much can break the meaning of the rule. Maybe you are in a situation where you feel incomplete or poor.
You may feel tempted to either escape or run away from your problem. A young boy can cause trouble in your life. The Emperor in reverse may deny refusal to accept legitimate authority and enjoying reliance as a child or the irresponsible. You need to grow up and stop living in the world of childhood.
There is something outrageous or exaggerated in your behavior. You may be bullying others or acting in a totalitarian way. The current relationship can be marked by domination-submission and master-slave or the subject of sexual intercourse or masochism. If you ask about work, you probably will not be promoted at this time.
Human
An immature person, a coward, despot, a bully, an abuser, a weak one or has no influence, a shy person, someone who has the right to be a father, a dependent and being a burden to others, daughter or son of a mother, one who refuses to grow up, rebels without a reason.
In a Tarot spread, the Emperor Tarot card can symbolize unexpected power or take over power and control. He is a law-keeper who is constantly involved in law-related matters, taking action according to discipline and authority in every way. This character can also stand alone as a father or symbolizes the role of the father, the guard and the breadwinner.
More The Emperor Cards from Famous Tarot Decks
1. The Emperor Thoth Tarot
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.
<< See More >> The Emperor Thoth Tarot Card Meanings
2. 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
3. The Emperor Shadowscapes Tarot
Emperor Shadowscapes Tarot is generally assertive, focused, and quite emotionally stable, thus, many small creatures looked up at him.
<< See More >> The Emperor Shadowscapes Tarot Card Meanings
4. 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
5. The Green Man Wildwood Tarot
The Green Man is a symbol of a glowing heart where the masculine aspect of nature presents. He is one of the oldest figures, showing the connection between human beings and nature.
<< See More >> The Green Man Wildwood Tarot Card Meanings
6. The Emperor Deviant Moon Tarot
When The Emperor Deviant Moon Tarot shows up, he advises you to get in touch with your inner sovereignty and natural ownership. Realize that somewhere deep inside you is a royal memory.
<< See More >> The Emperor Deviant Moon Tarot Card Meanings
7. The Emperor Linestrider Tarot
Emperor Linestrider is the source of the masculine factor, the masculine part of Empress’s femininity. He is a patriarch and represents power and strength. He is the father figure of the deck, the provider, and the protector.
<< See More >> The Emperor Linestrider Tarot Card Meanings
