The Emperor

“Regrets, I’ve had a few
But then again too few to mention
I did what I had to do
I saw it through without exemption
I planned each charted course
Each careful step along the byway
And more, much, much more
I did it my way

Yes, there were times I’m sure you knew
When I bit off more than I could chew
But through it all, when there was doubt
I ate it up and spit it out
I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows I took the blows
And did it my way”

“My Way” by Frank Sinatra (Anka/Thibaut/Francois/Revaux)

Welcome to my reflections on The Emperor.

Ah, The Emperor. I have to admit I have some natural resistance to this card – which is probably quite understandable for someone who has ‘ftp’ [fuck the patriarchy] tattooed on their wrist! Both visually and symbolically the card has a lot of “masculine” energy, and strong connections to the laws of society and the powers that enforce them. Which… eh. However, when researching the darkest corners of the internet as part of my Imperial deep dive, I found myself called out by a comment online that suggested visceral hatred of The Emperor can stem from androphobia. And, hey, I’m no misandrist. Some of my best friends are men ;-). Reader, I married one! The commenter pointed out that, while there are certainly issues with some of the things The Emperor represents (MASCULINTIY! POWER!), it’s not right to “reduce one of the most important male archetypes in the deck to Stalin” – which, fair, Eremita90, fair! They go on to say, “the Emperor is the sulphuric, fiery principle of personality that bursts out of itself and burns down its surroundings, yes, but to keep us alive. Try and live without affecting or dominating your circumstances, and you’ll starve to death”.

So I’ve been trying to reflect on what I like about this card. On the plus side, he’s an Aries like me: forthright, honest, headstrong. He’s the stern but fair father, teaching us about responsibility and ethics. He brings clarity of mind that leads to actions and decisions. When we see this card in a reading it asks us to reconnect with the part of ourselves that stands tall and knows what to do. Ground yourself and hold steady – be still – trust in your power. You know how to lead when the situation requires it.

These positive Emperor aspects are really well embodied by the figure of King Arthur in Le Tarot Arturien – who doesn’t love a noble folk hero, our once and future king? For as Thirteen notes on the Aeclectic Tarot website, at his best, the Emperor is the kind of leader we all dream of (and for whom we would willingly bend the knee). He is the sort of person who boldly steps up to the plate and shoulders a level of responsibility many of us would quake at: “He makes himself the leader not only because he has the energy to do it, the charisma to get others to follow and listen, but also because he wants to create something greater. And because he yearns to take care of people… If he is at his best… [you don’t] regret placing that leadership role in his capable hands”. In her guidebook for Le Tarot Arthurien, Claire Duval speaks of how The Emperor represents a “glorious dream of a better world”, an Avalon where “unified and pacified… everyone is free to occupy their rightful place, and where, protected and loved [under The Emperor’s care], we can all grow and flourish” [crappy translation from the French all on me – so apologies if I’ve mangled Duval’s writing somewhat!]. Often in a reading the Emperor isn’t some external figure, however, he is us – we need to take note of his energy and apply it in our own lives. As Duval explains, “it is up to you to organise your life: you are the sovereign of your own domain”.

She,
In the dark,
Found light
Brighter than many ever see.

She,
Within herself,
Found loveliness,
Through the soul’s own mastery.

And now the world receives
From her dower:
The message of the strength
Of inner power.

‘Helen Keller’ by Langston Hughes

Two of my favourite authors on Tarot, Jen Cownie and Fiona Lensvelt, acknowledge the difficulties with this card, particularly from a feminist perspective. Empires and Emperors are rightly no longer considered to be good things! People who “hold traditional positions of authority are distrusted for a reason. Emperors are synonymous with oppression, with failing their subjects, often repeatedly and sometimes in profoundly cruel and violent ways”. But, as they point out, “being direct, knowing how to be accountable for your actions, and using your knowledge and experience to serve others is far from a bad thing”. The Emperor is not “The Man, or even, necessarily, A Man. It’s anyone or anything that offers you protection and direction when you need it. At its best it’s something to which you submit with relief: a doctor’s coat, a pilot’s licence, a steady, calm voice when you’re panicking, even just ‘mind the gap’ on a train platform. The Emperor represents individual leaders and figures of authority, but also: seatbelts”.

‘Classic’ depictions of The Emperor often show him with traditional trappings of power: the crown, the throne, the sword, the sceptre. He is also associated with the symbols of the ram (who boldly goes forth, not fearing failure, knowing that to fail is a necessary training ground for successes to come), and the eagle (who sees the smallest details with clarity, while never losing track of the bigger picture). The ram’s horns serve to link The Emperor with Aries and Mars (those rust red mountains are distinctly Martian too!), reminding us of the sheer force of his will – this man is a warrior, a general, a commander. Aries is also the first sign of the Zodiac, signifying the Emperor’s pioneer spirit – he will always lead the charge, and in the aftermath he will seek to build order out of chaos. We also frequently see mountains in the background of this card. These can represent challenges we need to face, as well as the rather stark, lofty superiority of this card; but they can also represent stability and steadfastness. Just as mountains will stand the test of time, so too will The Emperor’s rule. Then there’s often a small stream, flowing off the side of the card and linking him to the waters we see in The Empress card. This is how I like The Emperor best, viewed in tandem with the Empress, combining a mother’s comfort and a father’s discipline (ignoring the blatant sexism implicit here and taking both cards as genderless ciphers for the qualities we need from our parental figures!) She: the wilds of nature that inspire us, and he: the safety (and safety net) of society that allows us to create. The Emperor harnesses the creativity of the Empress, and gives it boundaries, definition, and purpose. Bakara Wintner observes that this is the “natural function of masculine structure – to maintain order so that others may succeed inside of it”. She concludes, “without the Emperor, the ripeness of the Empress rots on the vine. Without the Empress, the Emperor is bloodless and boring”.

Out of these traditional Emperors, I particularly like Bryant’s take on him in The Slow Tarot. The military dress (and abundance of medals) here accentuates his power and authority, and doesn’t shy from the fact that power can be quite forceful/arbitrary. However, I like that he’s also looking to the heavens, as if acknowledging his human fallibility and asking for guidance to rule in a just way.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber

Psalm 121 (King James Version)

In Tarot For Change, Jessica Dore emphasises the Emperor’s (mountain-like) stability, particularly in an emotional sense: “a person who holds true power is one who is able to occupy spaces of intense uncertainty, and all the feelings that brings up, while remaining stable in their actions, that is, renouncing one’s need to react in a way that will give them a false sense of control”. Being reckless, breaking rules, following our free-spirted selves can be exciting, but it can also be life-ruining. Rules and boundaries sometimes restrict and suffocate us, but they also help us to find the structure and discipline to build or create something worthwhile. As Meg Jones Wall points out, “there is pleasure in good work done well. When we embrace our natural authority, when we claim ownership of our ambitions and our happiness, it empowers us to take our dreams seriously… There’s such potency in claiming a bit of the world for ourselves, in not apologising for wanting things, in demanding space for our own growth… We are allowed to take control of the narrative, to tell the story we want to tell, to build the future we want to build”. Often the message of the card is not about an oppressive force acting upon us, but rather about our need to find our own Emperor-like qualities within us in order to succeed: self-discipline, organisation, and taking responsibility for our own lives. I love the Emperor as the Ringmaster in the LeGrande Circus Tarot, as the message is so clear! It represents being in charge of our own destiny – the opposite of being hopeless and helpless. Even when your life feels like a circus, remember, you are the Ringmaster!

The Anna K Tarot shows the Emperor on a chess board, emphasising his clear, rational, strategic mind. Always thinking 3 or 4 steps ahead, never acting rashly, in order to win the day. And I love all the little easter eggs in Joe Buckley‘s depiction of the Emperor as the King Bolete mushroom.

I find the Emperor from the Carnival At The End Of The World Tarot absolutely fascinating! Note that the elephant Emperor doesn’t have any tusks – instead of ruling through violence/threat he appears to rule through governance and bureaucracy, given the briefcase in his hand. A lawyer, not a General (note the parallels with the RWS Emperor, who also carries no sword, indicating he does not need force to rule). Yet he’s standing on a mountain of tusks and antlers of those that came before. I feel like there’s something going on here about the violence necessary to subdue the anarchy inherent in nature before we can regulate it with just and fair laws… but… I’m not sure what to make of exactly. Certainly food for thought. The accompanying guidebook speaks of this Emperor as making his “annual pilgrimage to his ancestors’ grave” and adds that his “wealth and power is conferred by him, even if not by him inherited, through lineage and bloodline, and inhabits institutions and infrastructure”.

The Tyldwick Tarot and the Interim Tarot both depict the Emperor as a man of books, not weapons. The creator of the Interim Tarot, Linda Benjamin, writes “he is devoted to the archive and the organisation of information, and the edges he represents are as straight as the books in his beloved library… he is diversely well-read, wise, and intelligent from continual study… he is committed to serve complexly and alturistically”. The energy of these Emperors reminds me of Henry II in The Lion In Winter, where he comments on how much he enjoys ruling now he is free from constant warring with the French: “I’ve found how good it is to write a law, or make a tax more fair, or sit in judgment to decide which peasant gets a cow. There is, I tell you, nothing more important in the world”. The-Emperor-in-the-library also makes sense when we remember that he rules over language. If the Magician’s powers are the tools in front of him, the Emperor’s tool is his sharp, logical mind, and his ability to communicate it clearly and succinctly to others. As Maddy Elruna states, “if the Empress is about rampant creativity – a rambling thousand-line poem – then the Emperor is the logical, analytical editor who prunes back the dross, leaving the best: a five hundred-line masterpiece”. 

It definitely makes The Emperor feel less confronting to me to think about how he is in his “purest” form, as opposed to his shadow form. Bakara Wintner points out that it is very easy to see the darkness in this card because it is sadly so common in our culture for the intended energy of the Emperor (power, authority, confidence, protectiveness, service) to be twisted. She asks us to think about the intent of implementing a police force in our society versus the present day reality, which is something that really resonates with me as a Criminologist. The dream of the police, the ideal of the police, is a just and safe world where we may flourish as long as we maintain the social contract (and do no harm). The ideal police officer is a public servant, a brave and selfless individual willing to endanger their own lives to make sure we are protected. And ideally, the violence inherent in the police should be only ever implied – their primary function being to diffuse, to support, to listen, to calm. The Emperor is not just about power, he is also about duty and sacrifice. The bust we see in the Tyldwick Tarot is of Marcus Aurelius, considered to be one of the “good” Emperors of Rome, who “continued to study and write on the subject of ethics” throughout his rule, and who has been “read ever since as a teacher and comforter in dark times… [This Emperor] suggests intelligence and understanding, rather than pure force”.

I also like cards which link the Emperor with the old all-father type gods. Maddy Elruna notes that the figure of the Emperor has “had many names over the years: Zeus, Jupiter, Arthur, Herne, Frey, Orisis… He is the original Sky Father whose consort is the Mother Earth” (i.e. The Empress). Some decks explicitly re-label him in this way – for example, the Witches Wisdom Tarot refers to him as ‘Guardian’ and in Carla Morrow’s illustration for the 78 Tarot Ecological he is depicted as ‘Father Time’, “the keeper of the gateway of space and time”. Morrow notes his warning to us that we must “practice structure within [our] use of resources, and build a better foundation that works with the Earth, not just strips her of her worth”. The creator of the 78 Tarot Ecological, Trish Sullivan notes on the Emperor as Father Time, “you have hard earned ability and experience. Even faced with a situation that is threatening to spiral out of control you can make real change happen. You need a plan. Discipline, organisation, but you have those already, in abundance!”

I love The Emperor card from the Blood Moon Tarot as it’s clear from the guide book that the artist and creator Sam Guay struggles with the “masculine power” vibes of the card in much the same way I do. So she has rejected some of the toxic masculinity inherent in some of the traditional imagery and instead drawn her emperor as “a solid oak tree growing in the forest: difficult to sway, impossible to move… [a] fortress… providing thousands of creatures shelter from storms and predators”. Here the Emperor is primarily a steadfast protector.

I’ve noticed a lot of the Emperors have antlers (instead of ram’s horns) and a lot of my animal themed decks depict him as a stag. From what I can tell, the antlers (can) link the Emperor with the Green Man, the Horned God, and the Sacrificial King who is married to the land. This also ties him to al-Khidr in the Islamic tradition, of whom the author on spirituality William Anderson writes: “His name means the Green One or Verdant One, he is the voice of inspiration to the aspirant and committed artist. He can come as a white light or the gleam on a blade of grass, but more often as an inner mood. The sign of his presence is the ability to work or experience with tireless enthusiasm beyond one’s normal capacities”. This brings me back full circle – the Emperor’s rules aren’t stuffy, they are, in fact, the basis for creativity. We can’t create art if we’re constantly struggling for basic survival. It is the structure and interconnectedness of society that gives artists the time and space to create. As Meg Jones Wall points out, “in creating a safe container for our ideas, we can thrive, play, experiment, even make mistakes. We take bigger risks chances when the risk is low, when we know we’re on schedule, when expectations are clear”.

Continuing the theme of The Emperor-As-Nature, I love the Emperor as a sturdy oak, offering shade and protection to those beneath his branches in the Bottanical Deck. The Emperor is, in many ways, the ‘sturdiest’ card in the deck (and certainly for those who take a numerological approach to Tarot). Jessica Dore points out that The Emperor is the 4^th card in the Majors, and four is associated with grounding, like the four corners of a house. She suggests that the Emperor’s message (or at least part of it), is to take that strength and sturdiness and apply it when times get tough: “make your body into a house when you feel afraid. house whose walls can withstand many, many things, the joys and the terrors, with thick oak floors sturdy enough to bear the weight. See whether, the next time you feel overwhelmed with a feeling or thought pattern that’s telling you to do something that will betray your own interests, you can be still. Even if it’s just for five minutes. That’s how you practice power”. 

The Forager’s Daughter Tarot depicts The Emperor as a stag, which ties in with the Green Man imagery I discussed earlier. The artist and creator, Jessica Lei Howard, says “my family are hunters, and I’ve attributed a dual meaning of strength and sacrifice to deer. They watch over forest or field, keen eyes always alert. The Emperor is someone who is always watching over his domain and will do anything to protect it”. The Spacious Tarot cleverly links the symbolism of the war-like Emperor with the natural world in its use of a poppy, the flower of remembrance for those who die in battle. The guidebooks describes the flowers of the Emperor as being “regimented” and “fall[ing] into line”, and points out that “helpful systems create space for beautiful things to grow”. Once again, the key message is that structure and discipline can give us the environment we need to flourish.

Finally, some avian Emperors! As well as having regal qualities, the eagle is also a keen-eyed hunter with a great sense of perspective, and fiercely protective of its own, “the symbol of forces and people that shelter us and protect us, and under whose wings we feel safe” (Jen Cownie & Fiona Lensvelt, Wild Card). The Lubanko Tarot‘s Emperor is very reminiscent of Odin with his ravens, which is interesting to me because while Odin was the war god, he was also the poetry god, and he doesn’t always have the greatest of respect for justice and the law! Emily Lubanko describes her Emperor as a “useful and solid mentor figure for some, unmoving and cruel to others”. The Emperor as eagle (the king of the sky) in the Stunning Tarot is really beautiful.

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“Leadership is about submission to duty, not elevation to power” – Gordon Tootoosis

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