The Emperor

Keywords & Phrases:

Structure. Authority. Regulation. Creating order out of chaos. Providing shape and form. Being organized. Applying reason. Coordinating. Sticking to a plan. Taking a leadership role. Commanding. Exerting control. Representing the establishment. Being in a position of strength. Setting direction. Establishing law and order. Power. Leadership. The power of reason. Orderly chaos. Establishing laws or family values. Taking control of a situation. Structured thought. Sticking to the rules. The animus. Ambition to reach the pinnacle of success. Confidence. Beginning and initiating new things. Action to the road to fulfillment. Life, passion, vision. Ordering, planning, building. Ordering your thoughts and energies. Seeking stability. Creating a stable situation in which to function. Relying on reason, power, and stabilization. The world of grownups. Masculine power and control. Self-assertion. Status. Dealing with authority. The outer world. The structures of society. The order we impose upon the world. The drive for achievement, success, respect, and stability. The impulse to create something of lasting value. Logic. Becoming your own person. Rational understanding. Facing the music.

Summary:

The Emperor represents structure, order, and regulation. He advocates a four-square world where trains are on time and games are played by rules. In chaotic situations, the Emperor can indicate the need for organization. Loose ends should be tied up, and wayward elements should be harnessed.

This card represents the masculine principle, the archetype of authority, fatherhood and leadership. When your inner Emperor is activated, you are ambitious and can manage your affairs efficiently. The Emperor reminds you that structure, organization, and the rulebook will get you the best results.

The Emperor suggests that you have the ability to use rational thought and direct action to achieve worldly success. This is a card of respect, stability, solidity, governance, and rationality. It shows you becoming your own person as you establish yourself in the world. Now is the time to act responsibly and organize a structured, stable environment.

He represents the order in our lives, the authority figures: bosses, fathers, government, police, courts, and society in general. He's about logic, reasoning, left-brain thinking, solidity, foundations. Part of the Emperor's work is to organize clusters of our root beliefs into conscious framework. Something you desire is starting to appear in your life, even if you can't see it yet. Your greatest strength is the desire of your will. You view every obstacle as a challenge. Through focused intent, you create the conditions conducive to finding and realizing your heart's desire, whatever it may be.

On a personal level, the Emperor can indicate structure, stability, and order in our lives. He tells us that in order to have a measure of control over the world around us, we first must be able to control ourselves; we must learn and practice self-discipline and self-control. He makes logical decisions based on reason. The Emperor is an authority figure whose domain encompasses secular issues (versus religious matters, about which the Hierophant is concerned). As such he is controlling, defining, and decision-making, generally exerting strong leadership. He can represent society as a whole, or he may be the embodiment of the social structure - either the abstract concept of it or a person who maintains that structure. Thus, the Emperor deals with the laws of society and the enforcement of them.

Consider something in your life that seems disordered or unmanageable, and then consider how this reflects a problematic aspect of yourself. It may be that you need more self-discipline, better time management, or a more orderly thought process. Commit to making an effort toward such self-improvement.

The Emperor is lord of the material world. He completes the Empress and is completed by her. He exercises his dominion guided by necessity and need, not by ambition. In the heart of the Emperor is the masculine principle of dominion. Pride is one of his defenses, as the burden of command weighs on his shoulders, and he is always ready for war and conflict.

I protect my country, I govern with justice and fight with valor. I am Athena, the supreme Greek goddess of battles, power, ingenuity and skill.

The Emperor is perfectly balanced with everything in proper little boxes. He can move smoothly through any environment, always keep chaos at bay.

To be authoritative we must be recognized as such and committed to building what we have promised.

Questions:

Where do your ambitions lie? What are you organizing, building, doing? What kind of Emperor are you - energetic and imaginative, or rigid and unreceptive? Who is establishing guidelines, parameters, and structures in your life? Who has the power and authority, and how is it being used?